Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1751 to 1775 of 4508 results

1751. No Small Worth

Illustration

Adam Clarke

A cup of water in the eastern countries was not a matter of small worth. In India, the Hindus sometimes go a great way to fetch it, and then boil it that it may do the less hurt to travelers when they are hot; and, after that, they stand from morning to night in some great road, where there is neither pit nor rivulet, and offer it, in honor of their god, to be drunk by all passengers. This necess...

1752. The Messiah Is Among You

Illustration

William White

There was a famous monastery which had fallen on very hard times. Formerly its many buildings were filled with young monks, and its huge chapel resounded with the singing of the choir. But now it was deserted. People no longer came there to be nourished by prayer. A handful of old monks shuffled through the cloisters and praised God with heavy hearts. On the edge of the monastery woods, an old ra...

1753. Who's In Charge Here?

Illustration

A colleague shared about a church he served in Tennessee where an eccentric and flamboyant elder impressed him with her intense commitment to the faith. She did not have a pietistic bone in her body, but her devotion was nonetheless clear and articulate. One evening at a dinner party in her home we were animatedly discussing some theological idea. In the midst of the give and take her teenage dau...

1754. He Was a Stranger and I Took Him In

Illustration

The story is told of a Kansan who owned a general store. He was a well-intending man who made a habit of offering a verse of Scripture whenever anyone purchased something from him. The group of people who sat around the store in this rural area enjoyed the exchanges, because some of the purchases challenged the imagination. One winter day a Texan stopped in, wanting to buy a blanket for his horse...

1755. Simple Caring

Illustration

Gene Blair

For several weeks, Mrs. Sherman's first-grade class had waited for the field trip to the observatory. Notices had been sent home with instructions about the bus, lunch, and times of departure and return. To the students, waiting for the field trip was like waiting for Christmas. Finally, the day arrived. We grabbed our lunches and coats and lined up for the bus. In the back of the room, one boy b...

1756. You Are a Son of God

Illustration

Joel D. Kline

Do you remember the movie Dead Man Walking? It's the story of one seemingly at the opposite end of the spectrum, a convicted killer on death row, and his relationship with a Catholic sister who serves as his spiritual director. In a scene near the end of the movie, it is the final evening before the scheduled execution, and all appeals have been denied. The man and the spiritual director talk hon...

1757. Highlights of the Best

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

Hockey great Wayne Gretzky was interviewed before the second game of a particular playoff series. His team hadn't looked very good in the very first game. They lost. He was asked whether his coach had shown the players their mistakes on video. Gretzky said that rather than showing them a video of their mistakes, their coach showed highlights of some of their best games where they performed well. ...

1758. A Morning Greeting

Illustration

Andrew R. Wolfe

James Snelling, of Richmond, Virginia is 72 years old. Every single morning, unless the weather is very bad, James stands at the corner of Maple Avenue and Bremo Road there in Richmond, and what he does is he simply waves to the passing motorists, waves ‘good morning' to them. He has become a kind of self-appointed ambassador of goodwill on that corner, and every day at 7:15 he's there and he stay...

1759. Hospitality Opens the Door for Healing

Illustration

Andrew R. Wolfe

Dr. Paul Tournier was a renowned Christian therapist and a spiritual writer. One day Bruce Larson, a pastor in California, asked Dr. Tournier how he counseled people. Dr. Tournier replied, "You know, I'm embarrassed, really, by all of the people who seek me out for counseling. I don't really know how to help people. I don't really do anything at all". He said simply, "What is important is that peo...

1760. A Cup of Cold water

Illustration

Larry Klaarn

You may have heard the story, a very old story, behind the Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota. The owners, Ted and Dorothy were having trouble keeping the store afloat. Five years earlier they had moved from another state to buy the store, and now it was going under. That was not unusual in 1936. One day Ted said to Dorothy, what could we do to get some people to stop here and buy something? Th...

1761. You Can’t Will Them All

Illustration

Mark Trotter

The 1962 New York Mets baseball team managed to lose 120 games that season. The last game of the season, a player named Joe Pignatano hit into a triple play to end the game. It was a fitting ending for an infamous season for the Mets. Casey Stengel was the manager of the Mets that year. After that last game, he called the team together in the locker room, and said, "Fellers, don't feel bad about ...

1762. Cross Purposes

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

All around the upper ledges of the curved glass windows in our living room perches a collection of dappled and dimpled art glass tumblers. These brightly colored tumblers come from an old family collection. They were put together long ago by grandparents long gone. They bring hundreds of different shades and hues of color into the room on a sunny day. Of course, our house is also located in an ea...

1763. Throw Caution to the Wind and Open the Door

Illustration

Randy Hyde

One night, Mark Ralls, a minister in North Carolina, was leaving his church at the same time a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous was adjourning. He found himself in conversation with a man standing next to his rusty, worn-out Ford, and introduced himself as one of the pastors of the church that had hosted his group. The man sighed and told Mark how long he had intended to "get back to church." So Ma...

1764. Living for Christ in Daily Life

Illustration

James Kegel

It is not easy following Christ in our daily life. To be a Christian Monday through Saturday is, in fact, pretty hard. I would like to share with you the story of a man from my first parish, Chan. Chan was the superintendent of the Sunday school at Edison Park Lutheran Church in Chicago, well-educated and multi-talented. He served as president of the congregation was a gifted public speaker and ab...

1765. What God Can’t Do

Illustration

Gary W. Houston

A Sunday school teacher was examining her pupils after a series of lessons on God's omnipotence. She asked: "Is there anything God can't do?" There was silence. Finally, one lad held up his hand. The teacher, disappointed that the lesson's point had been missed, asked: "Well, just what is it that God can't do?" "Well," replied the boy: "He can't please everybody."

1766. Effective Teaching

Illustration

Gary W. Houston

Robert Frost's first assignment for a class of teachers was to read "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." This was Mark Twain's famous story about a frog that lost a jumping contest because he had been pumped full of quail shot. When the class next assembled they were mystified because they did not understand what this story had to do with a course in education. Frost patiently expla...

1767. A Choice for Righteousness and Not Evil

Illustration

Wayne Peterson

During the Second World War Dr. Ernest Gordon, later Chaplain of Princeton University, was a prisoner of war in Thailand. In his book, Through the Valley of the Kwai, he reflects on the difference between two Christmas seasons he spent in prison. He says that in Christmas 1942 there were thousands of American soldiers in that prison who robbed the sick among them, mistreated one another, and did n...

1768. Bridges of Friendship

Illustration

John P. Jewell

Joseph Aldrich wrote a book several years ago entitled, "Lifestyle Evangelism." His central point is that Christian people need to build bridges of friendship with people who are without a spiritual home. It is across these "bridges" that people can be gently nudged towards the love of God and the support of a caring Christian fellowship. It is one thing to see the harvest. And it is important t...

1769. Looking in the Light

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

You've all probably heard the old story about the town drunk who was down on his hands and knees one night underneath the streetlight searching and searching for something. The preacher happened to be walking by and asked him, "Sam, what in the world are you doing out here on your hands and knees?" Sam looked up and said, "Oh, Hi Preacher, I'm hunting for my keys. I lost my keys." The preacher, ...

1770. Born to Play This Game

Illustration

Brett Blair & Stephen Brown

During the 1980 Olympics, almost everyone expected that the Russian ice hockey team would defeat the United States team. Russia had won game after game against some of the finest professional teams in the world, and the amateurs from the United States didn’t seem to have a chance. The only thing uncertain was how big the Russian win would be. The United States’ victory is recalled by many as one o...

1771. The Passing of the Apostles

Illustration

Staff

Tradition holds that the Apostles died in the following manner: Matthew suffered martyrdom by being slain with a sword at a distant city of Ethiopia. Mark expired at Alexandria, after being cruelly dragged through the streets of that city. Luke was hanged upon an olive tree in the classic land of Greece. John was put in a cauldron of boiling oil, but escaped death in a miraculous manner, and was ...

1772. An Expert's Opinion

Illustration

Charles Bonner

In some of the outlying areas of British Columbia, Canada, farmers have been plagued with wolves killing their livestock. Meetings have been held with farmers, environmentalists, and concerned citizens in a move to solve the problem. The majority of the local people favored shooting or poisoning the marauding wolves. At one meeting, a woman strode to the microphone, listed her impressive credentia...

1773. Rewards

Illustration

Thomas a Kempis

Do not be worn out by the labors which you have undertaken for My sake, and do not let tribulations ever cast you down. Instead, let My promise strengthen and comfort you under every circumstance. I am well able to reward you above all measure and degree. You shall not toil here long nor always be oppressed with griefs. A time will come when all labor and trouble will cease. Labor faithfully in My...

1774. The Bristlecone Pine

Illustration

Carlyle Fielding Stewart (adapted)

In the Western United States there is a tree called the "Bristlecone Pine." Growing in the mountain regions, sometimes as high as two or more miles above sea level, these evergreens may live for thousands of years. They are is among the longest-lived life forms on Earth. The older specimens often have only one thin layer of bark on their trunks. Considering the habitat of these trees, such as rock...

1775. A Marching Mission

Illustration

Larry Goodpaster

I played in the high school band before the days of flag corps, rifle drill teams and dance routines. Everything depended on the band and its abilities and talents in playing and marching. Every week we had to learn an entire new set of songs, to go with our new marching formations to be performed at half time of the football games. We all received our instructions early in the week and then pract...

Showing 1751 to 1775 of 4508 results

1751. No Small Worth

Illustration

Adam Clarke

1752. The Messiah Is Among You

Illustration

William White

1753. Who's In Charge Here?

Illustration

1754. He Was a Stranger and I Took Him In

Illustration

1755. Simple Caring

Illustration

Gene Blair

1756. You Are a Son of God

Illustration

Joel D. Kline

1757. Highlights of the Best

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

1758. A Morning Greeting

Illustration

Andrew R. Wolfe

1759. Hospitality Opens the Door for Healing

Illustration

Andrew R. Wolfe

1760. A Cup of Cold water

Illustration

Larry Klaarn

1761. You Can’t Will Them All

Illustration

Mark Trotter

1762. Cross Purposes

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

1763. Throw Caution to the Wind and Open the Door

Illustration

Randy Hyde

1764. Living for Christ in Daily Life

Illustration

James Kegel

1765. What God Can’t Do

Illustration

Gary W. Houston

1766. Effective Teaching

Illustration

Gary W. Houston

1767. A Choice for Righteousness and Not Evil

Illustration

Wayne Peterson

1768. Bridges of Friendship

Illustration

John P. Jewell

1769. Looking in the Light

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

1770. Born to Play This Game

Illustration

Brett Blair & Stephen Brown

1771. The Passing of the Apostles

Illustration

Staff

1772. An Expert's Opinion

Illustration

Charles Bonner

1773. Rewards

Illustration

Thomas a Kempis

1774. The Bristlecone Pine

Illustration

Carlyle Fielding Stewart (adapted)

1775. A Marching Mission

Illustration

Larry Goodpaster

Showing 1751 to 1775 of 4508 results