Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1951 to 1975 of 2665 results

1951. Christmas in a Sinful World

Matthew 2:13-18

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

... the kind of story the print media is looking for to demonstrate the spirit of caring that Christmas brings about. Unfortunately there was a follow up story. The local Salvation Army office began getting phone calls about the gold coins. The coins were stolen. The thief had dropped them in the kettle to get rid of them. Royko told another story about a man driving home from work on Christmas Eve who saw a young boy fall through the ice in a nearby lake. The man stopped his car, jumped out, tore off his ...

1952. A Sense of Wonder

Matthew 2:13-23

Illustration

Eric Ritz

... at. "Everything is illuminated with this light. Then comes this thing slowly rising up in total silence, because it takes a few seconds for the sound to come across the water. You hear a WHOOOOOSH! BOOM!' It enters right into you. You can practically hear jaws dropping. The sense of wonder fills everyone in the whole place," says Needleman, "as this thing goes up and up. The first stage ignites this beautiful blue flame. It becomes like a star, but you realize there are humans on it. And then there's total ...

1953. Post-Christmas Letdown

Matthew 2:13-18

Illustration

King Duncan

After Christmas, Lucy mutters, "Rats! Phooey! Everything is hopeless! Who cares?" Charlie Brown asks, "Lucy, what in the world is the matter with you?" Again she shouts, "Rats! Phooey!" The last cartoon shows her walking away only to turn and drop a casual comment to the puzzled Charlie Brown. "Of course you realize," she says, "that I'm just experiencing my regular, post-Christmas letdown."

1954. Adopted! Thank God!

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... at the grade card. The young man had an A in pharmacology. He had an A in practicum; the on-the-floor practical nursing which is so important. He was proud of his achievement. Then the young man reminded Markquart of his story: Twenty years ago he had dropped out of school as well as life . . . at the age of thirteen. “It was twenty years since he had been in school. He used drugs, marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, and everything else the world had to offer in those years. For more than a decade, he had been a ...

1955. A Change in Posture

John 1:29-42

Illustration

King Duncan

... had left his fine new work in clay to dry and harden, something unexpected occurred. Sea mist seeped into the studio in the night. The clay did not harden as quickly as anticipated. The upraised arms and head of the sculpture began to drop. The majestic Christ with arms lifted up and head thrown back was transformed into a Christ with head bent forward and arms stretched downward as if in a pose of gentle invitation. At first Thorvaldsen was bitterly disappointed. As he studied the transformed sculpture ...

1956. We Would See Jesus

John 1:29-42

Illustration

Donald M. Tuttle

... of John the Baptist in our lesson this morning. They are standing with their teacher when Jesus walks by. John recognizes Jesus, points him out to them, and announces that Jesus is the Lamb of God. Now one would think they would do exactly what they did - that they would drop everything, leave John and follow Jesus. But they do so at a distance. They hang back. They seem to want to watch from afar to get close, but not too close. That's the way a lot of us may look for Jesus

1957. The Case of the Dancing Men

Psalm 51:1-19

Sermon

King Duncan

... about a scene in one of those PBS presentations, a Sherlock Holmes mystery, “The Case of the Dancing Men.” As the story opens, a young woman is gathering flowers in her garden. Suddenly, her face is transformed into terror by something she sees. She drops her basket of flowers and runs panic stricken toward her home. Once inside, she bolts the windows and doors, draws the drapes tight, and falls sobbing and trembling into a chair. Her alarmed husband and maid both rush to her aid. She is both unable ...

1958. The Evangelist Has a Shady Past

John 4:1-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... of evangelism is the most important [ministry] of all because [God] is out to rescue the perishing and to save the drowning. This is the heart of God. Salvation cost Him everything‑‑His only begotten Son. “When God created the world, He didn’t sweat‑‑not one drop of perspiration. But God was sweating blood at the cross. That’s what it cost Him to save us. That’s not a small thing. So proclaiming the cross is not a side thought, an afterthought. It’s not on the back burner; it must be the ...

1959. Daring Thomas

John 11:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... is very much like you and me he has good intentions, but he’s not exactly ready to set the world on fire. The cartoonist depicts Pontius’ style of worshipping with a take-off on the lead-in to the old Superman TV show: “Able to drop a quarter in the offering plate without embarrassment . . . Capable of waking from a dead sleep and finding the right song in seconds . . . Look! Out in the sanctuary it’s a teacher! . . . It’s an usher! . . . No! . . . It’s a PEW POTATO.” And Pontius is snoring ...

1960. K.I.S.S.

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

King Duncan

... weren’t going well at home. He said, “Dr. Steve, I ought to make an appointment and talk to you about some things that are really bothering me.” Stephens told him that he could call anytime. Paul never called. Two days later Stephens dropped into his deli, but Paul wasn’t there. The deli was unusually quiet and the help looked downcast. “Where’s Paul?” Stephens asked cheerfully. “Oh, you haven’t heard?” said the young lady behind the counter. “Paul shot himself last night. He died ...

1961. Let My Little Light Shine - Sermon Starter

Mt 5:13-20

Illustration

King Duncan

There are all kinds of theories about how to motivate people. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Sutton hadn't won a game in eight weeks. A critical press was suggesting that he be dropped from the starting lineup. The future looked bleak, and Sutton felt terrible. Then, before a game, Dodgers manager Walter Alston tapped him on the shoulder. "I'd like to speak with you, Don," he said. Sutton prepared himself for the worst. "Don," said Alston, "I know how the past couple ...

1962. Destructive Anger

Matthew 5:21-26

Illustration

Adrian Dieleman

... to the stands and the entire ballpark burned to the ground. Not only that, but the fire spread to 107 other Boston buildings as well. Another version of the story is much simpler and more probable: A fan lit a cigar in the right field bleachers and dropped the match through a crack, it caught fire and strong winds pushed the fire through the park. However it started it quickly got out of control. So it is with anger. Who knows why it started. A heated word. A misunderstanding. Anger, my brothers and sisters ...

1963. Man Is Never Satisfied

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Illustration

John W. Rilling

... !" Blake felt that man is a creature of unfulfilled desires. He never is satisfied. "Man never is, but always to be blest." And so life is a series of rungs - infancy succeeded by youth and maturity or perhaps we should say adulthood: yesterday an infant dropping the toy in hand for the pretty bauble beyond his reach; today the adolescent wanting this and that; tomorrow the man reaching for the unattainable moon - or since it has been attained by a few, something beyond that. A man does not cease to have ...

1964. You Are God's Temple

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Sermon

King Duncan

... . In the book by Winston Groom upon which the movie was based, there is a scene in which Forrest and his roommate at the University of Alabama have a serious problem. The friend’s car has a flat tire, and while the friend is changing it he drops the lug nuts into the sewer. The friend is very upset because the two of them are late for football practice. Their legendary coach, Bear Bryant of the Alabama Crimson Tide, would not tolerate this. Forrest makes a suggestion, “Well, why don’t you take one nut ...

1965. Life’s Three Guides on the Pilgrim Way

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... local wilderness experts to get them up the mountains. These guides were usually hired as “servants,” mere workers. Yet what often started out as an “employer/employee” relationship almost always transformed as the altitude steepened and the oxygen levels dropped. Sherpas were not just shleppers of stuff. They became the trusted companions, the partners in the climb, the experts in the environment, and the extra engine for the endeavor. As the mountain became more monstrous, the by-my-side guide ...

1966. Come with Me to the Mountain

Matthew 17:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... the path, and he didn’t have a clue where they were or how they could get back to the main camp. Sundown was not far away, and they were not equipped to spend the night on the craggy windblown slopes where the temperature would soon drop even lower. While trudging through the snow, entertaining thoughts just this side of panic, they suddenly heard someone on the slopes above them yell down: “Hey the trail is up here!” They glanced up and to their relief saw another climber in the distance. Without ...

1967. The Lenten License to Steal, Drink, Lie and Swear

Romans 4:1-25

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... wills accomplish everything. Will you be one of the wills? Will you steal, drink, lie and swear this Lent? You know, maybe there are four kinds of people in the world. Maybe Robert Schuller was right when he said there are basically four kinds of people: cop‑outs, hold‑outs, drop‑outs, and all‑outs. “Will” you be an “all-out,” believe God Christian who steals, drinks, lies and swears as much as possible this Lent? Believe God, and all things are possible.

1968. Living a Well-Storied Life

John 4:1-26

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... if 21st-century disciples are going to keep Jesus’ story alive. We now live in a post-Christian culture, where the story of Christ must be intentionally told, walked into the world as an eternally new, unfolding, living story. Practicing “versitis,” dropping the occasional scriptural gems along the roadside, shooting biblical bullets from our magazine of verses, won’t automatically lead people on a walk with Christ. There are two different ways an ornithologist can study a bird. One method takes a ...

1969. Are We Brave enough to Bet It All?

John 20:1-18

Illustration

Thomas Long

... and the others concealed in the hand. In one round, the main character, a man named Thomas, has been dealt a very strong hand, and he decides to bet heavily. As Thomas keeps sweetening the pot and raising the stakes, all of the other players drop out one by one, intimidated by Thomas' hand, that is, all except one player, a stutterer named Fred. Curiously, Fred appears to have a poor hand; his cards showing on the table are "nondescript garbage." Astonishingly, though, he keeps up the betting pace, calling ...

1970. John 20:19-31

John 20:19-23

Sweet

... of casual greeting. It was a kind of “Hi, guys” hello, in today’s idiom. Only later readers in John’s gospel might recall that Jesus had indeed promised his “peace” to his followers (John 14:27; 16:33). Next, Jesus demonstrates that despite his drop-in appearance in their midst, he is in fact the physical being his disciples had known and followed. The wounds in his hands testify to the crucifixion. The wound in his side testify to the grievous torture he had gratuitously suffered at the hands ...

1971. Accepting the Storms with Calmness

John 14:15-31

Illustration

O. Garfield Beckstrand, II

... beginning. By yielding itself to the water, it survived. Suddenly the man saw himself. He had been fighting God, disobeying him, and trying to defy the spiritual forces at the heart of the universe. He realized now why his life was troubled, and his days were not worth living. He dropped to his knees and placed his life in God's hands. He walked away into a new life of faith.

1972. Kissing Cousins (Father's Day)

2 Corinthians 13:11-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Now Harry is really pleased with this experience and the results. He can’t wait to find out about the $100.00 program. That program promised him a weight loss of fifty pounds. He had already lost thirty pounds and he would be really svelte if he could drop another fifty pounds. Harry pays the $100.00 and is directed to still another room. Upon entering, to his horror, he finds a huge, hulking, ugly gorilla with a sign around its neck. The sign said, “If I catch you, I’m going to kiss you!” (1) I ...

1973. Cross Purposes

Matthew 10:38-39

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

... of different shades and hues of color into the room on a sunny day. Of course, our house is also located in an earthquake zone. In fact, every year at least a couple low-number, rocking-n-rattling sessions roll through the Puget Sound area. Although a tiny drop of museum putty helps give the glassware a bit of a foothold, we're ever mindful that any good shake could easily bring them all down. It would seem that our wish to keep the tumblers in clear view and the inherent instability of the land we sit ...

1974. Kudzu – More Harm Than Good

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Illustration

... ? I'll tell you the problem. Kudzu is a vine with phenomenal growth. Twelve inches in 24 hours is not unusual. And 50 feet in a single growing season is well within the norm. People in the South have a saying: "If you're gonna plant kudzu, drop it and run." Which explains why some have called it "the vine that ate the South." It can cover anything and choke everything. It can twine itself around fruit trees until it kills the entire orchard. It can strip the gears of farm machinery. And railroad engineers ...

1975. God’s Most Troubling Promise

Romans 8:28

Sermon

King Duncan

... years ago there was a story of a young couple who were quite successful: three children in private schools, a mansion, two luxury cars, a vacation house on the lake, etc. Life was sweet, and money made their world go round. Then one day the bottom dropped out of this couple’s life. A partner in their business embezzled nearly half a million dollars, and their business collapsed. In the midst of this, their oldest son was killed in a car accident. At this point their relationship with each other and with ...

Showing results

Showing 1951 to 1975 of 2665 results

1951. Christmas in a Sinful World

Matthew 2:13-18

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

1952. A Sense of Wonder

Matthew 2:13-23

Illustration

Eric Ritz

1953. Post-Christmas Letdown

Matthew 2:13-18

Illustration

King Duncan

1954. Adopted! Thank God!

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

1955. A Change in Posture

John 1:29-42

Illustration

King Duncan

1956. We Would See Jesus

John 1:29-42

Illustration

Donald M. Tuttle

1957. The Case of the Dancing Men

Psalm 51:1-19

Sermon

King Duncan

1958. The Evangelist Has a Shady Past

John 4:1-26

Sermon

King Duncan

1959. Daring Thomas

John 11:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

1960. K.I.S.S.

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

King Duncan

1961. Let My Little Light Shine - Sermon Starter

Mt 5:13-20

Illustration

King Duncan

1962. Destructive Anger

Matthew 5:21-26

Illustration

Adrian Dieleman

1963. Man Is Never Satisfied

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Illustration

John W. Rilling

1964. You Are God's Temple

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Sermon

King Duncan

1965. Life’s Three Guides on the Pilgrim Way

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

1966. Come with Me to the Mountain

Matthew 17:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

1967. The Lenten License to Steal, Drink, Lie and Swear

Romans 4:1-25

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

1968. Living a Well-Storied Life

John 4:1-26

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

1969. Are We Brave enough to Bet It All?

John 20:1-18

Illustration

Thomas Long

1970. John 20:19-31

John 20:19-23

Sweet

1971. Accepting the Storms with Calmness

John 14:15-31

Illustration

O. Garfield Beckstrand, II

1972. Kissing Cousins (Father's Day)

2 Corinthians 13:11-14

Sermon

King Duncan

1973. Cross Purposes

Matthew 10:38-39

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

1974. Kudzu – More Harm Than Good

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Illustration

1975. God’s Most Troubling Promise

Romans 8:28

Sermon

King Duncan

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