Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 176 to 200 of 266 results

176. The Challenge, The Call, The Cure

Matthew 9:9-13

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

The 1999 movie October Sky, is the true story of Homer Hickam, Jr., who rose from a gloomy West Virginia coal mining town with not much hope of a future to become a NASA engineer. Homer's mind and imagination is completely captured by the launch of Sputnik. All of a sudden he is fascinated by rockets. There's a scene early on in the movie when Homer is thinking about talking to Quentin, the school nerd and his best friend, Roy Lee says: "You can't be seen with him Homer. He's a weirdo." As Homer gets up to ...

177. Discipline and Means of Grace

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

We move now to talk about discipline and means of grace. In my definition of Spiritual Form I chose words very carefully – Listen again: “and appropriating by commitment, discipline and action.” Our discipline is armed at cultivating an awareness of the indwelling Christ. Paul’s words to the Romans make it clear. Listen to Paul in Rom. 12:1-2: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your ...

178. When You Want to Run Away

Psalm 11:1-7

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

In Concord, California, a customer became enraged at an automated teller, and kept punching it because the machine refused to dispense $80 from the man’s account. The customer was arrested and charged with “malicious mischief.” This is not an isolated incident. According to police reports, so many people were beating up on automated machines when they first appeared everywhere in the 1980’s that it became this nation’s most serious crime problem. Does it make you mad? I’ve seen people livid with anger, ...

179. Lighting up Your Neighborhood

Acts 13:44-49

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Love your neighbor as you love yourself. The Bible is quite insistent about that. Eight times from Leviticus to First John the Bible comes right out and commands it. Numerous times it is mentioned as the foundation of all human relationships. Loving your neighbor is not a plaque to be posted in our court houses. It is a principle to apply in our lives. What part of neighbor don't we understand? I. NEIGHBORS ARE THOSE NEARBY The literal translation of neighbor is the “the person next to a person." Turn to ...

180. What Happens When You Are Not Number One?

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

In his book, Hide or Seek, James Dobson tells of a time when John McKay, the great football coach at the University of Southern California, was interviewed on television, and the subject of his son’s athletic talent was raised. Son John was a successful player on his dad’s team. Coach McKay was asked to comment on the pride that he felt over his son’s accomplishments on the field. His answer was most impressive: “Yes, I’m pleased that John had a good season last year. He does a fine job, and I’m proud of ...

181. Mystery on Ice

Illustration

Norman Strevett

A woman complained to the service manager of an appliance firm that the push-button ice maker and dispenser on the door of her new refrigerator was popping ice cubes on her kitchen floor-all by itself. A serviceman could find nothing wrong with the appliance, but the woman continued to complain that ice cubes were littering her kitchen. Finally, a supervisor arrived, determined to stand watch in the kitchen until the mystery was solved. He had been there about an hour when a German shepherd entered, stood ...

182. A Chance Encounter

Illustration

Officer Jim Heimerl, a Minneapolis policeman, was taking part in a 16.3 mile run in Grantsburg, Wisconsin. Jim was four miles into the race, in a cluster of runners not far off the pace of the leaders, when two deer ambled out of the woods and onto the road. The startled buck, no doubt distressed to find himself in the middle of a human marathon, began zigzagging wildly through the runners. Jim didn't even see the animal until the two of them collided and sprawled together onto the asphalt highway. Jim ...

183. A Joke for Your Trash

Illustration

A city in the Netherlands had a problem with litter. The sanitation department tried doubling the littering fine and even increasing the number of litter agents who patrolled the area, but to no avail. Then someone suggested that instead of punishing those who littered, they could reward people who put garbage in trash cans. A plan to devise a trash can that could dispense coins when litter was inserted was rejected as too expensive. But it led to another idea: the sanitation department developed a trash ...

184. Double Dipping

Illustration

A farmer went each week to the Farmers' Market to sell, among other things, the cottage cheese and apple butter made on his farm. He carried these in two large tubs, from which he ladled the cottage cheese or apple butter into smaller containers the customer brought. One day he got to market and discovered he'd forgotten one ladle. He felt he had no choice but to use the one he had for both products. Before long he couldn't tell which was which. That's the way it is when we try to dispense the good news of ...

185. Itemized Cow

Humor Illustration

There was a farmer who was interested in a new car. As he shopped he became disgusted with the manner of pricing which included the "optional equipment," but he made his purchase. Some time later, the salesman who sold him the car came to the farm to buy a cow. The farmer showed him several cows and helped him to decide on a particular one. Scribbling on a piece of paper, the farmer gave him an itemized bill: Basic Cow.................................$200.00 Two-tone exterior..........................45.00 ...

186. You've Eaten Too Much If…

Humor Illustration

Someone has made a list of ways you can know if you have overdone Thanksgiving. Listen closely to see if any of these describe your Thanksgiving meal: You spill more food on you than the local soup kitchen dispenses Paramedics bring in the Jaws of Life to pry you out of the EZ-Boy recliner Your after-dinner moans are loud enough to signal Dr. Kevorkian The "Gravy Boat" your wife set out was a real 12'' boat! The potatoes you used set off another famine in Ireland You receive a Sumo Wrestler application in ...

187. L4G Live For God

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

The front of local markets have been crammed full of candy for the past two weeks. [Get someone to take pictures of your specific local markets.] Halloween “Trick or Treat” might not be until the end of this month. But candy creators want us to stock-up and stock-pile. As a kid it was such a rush to come home after “making the rounds” of the trick-or-treat neighborhood and ceremoniously dump out all that candy crammed into our paper bag. Every piece would be inspected. Perhaps some cautious trades made ...

188. Christmas Eve

Psalm 96:1-13, Isaiah 9:2-7, Luke 2:1-7, Titus 2:11-14

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

If there are children in the congregation and adults who enjoy “performing,” invite them ahead of time to pantomime the Luke 2 story. (Everyone can wear slacks and a turtleneck shirt.) Designate the lead adult angel (Gabriel), lead adult shepherd, adult Mary, and adult Joseph several weeks prior to Christmas Eve. Since there is no rehearsal, ask the lead characters to arrive fifteen minutes early in costume and go over space, props, and costumes for other participants. Masking tape on the floor, labeled ...

189. Filling the Hole in Our Hearts

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

A Sunday School teacher taught her class to recite the Apostles Creed by giving each child one phrase to learn. When the day came for the class to give their recitation, they began beautifully. “I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth,” said the first child. “I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord,” said the next. And so it went perfectly until they came to the child who said, “He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty: from thence ...

190. Where the Church Gets Its Power

John 17:6-19

Sermon

King Duncan

It’s an exciting thing to be part of the church of Jesus Christ. We’ve got a good thing here, and we need to let the rest of the world know just how exciting it is. There’s an old story about a young high school football star who was being recruited by a coach from a major college. The coach had never seen the young man play, so he asked him some direct questions. “Son,” he said, “I understand that you do the passing for your team. Are you a pretty good passer?” “Am I a good passer?” the boy answered. “Why ...

191. First Thing

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

James Merritt

Have you ever been so worried about anything at any time in your life that you couldn’t sleep? I don’t mean just for a day or two, but I mean weeks or maybe even months. If you have, listen to this true story. A man I know was dealing with a problem related to his ministry that so obsessed him and so worried him that for over a month, he was going on about 3 ½ - 4 hours of sleep a night. Different friends and coworkers would comment to him jokingly that they would get an email from him at 11:30-12am and ...

192. It's All Good

Revelation 21:1-27

Sermon

James Merritt

It was Easter Sunday. The Children’s Bible study class was packed. The teacher had talked about Good Friday and Easter. After thinking that she had carefully explained what had happened that weekend she decided to see how much of the story the kids remembered. She said, “Would somebody like to tell me something they remember about either Good Friday or Easter? One little boy said, “The cross was very heavy and a man had to help Jesus carry it.” Another little boy said, “I remember it got dark as night and ...

193. Blessed Are the Abnormal

James 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Everyone knows the name Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh is best remembered as a troubled, but highly talented post-impressionist painter who died at the age of 37, perhaps at his own hand. His best-known work is titled, “Starry Night.” But let me tell you some things about Vincent van Gogh that you may not know. Did you know that Vincent van Gogh was drawn toward the Christian ministry at an early age? In the winter of 1878, van Gogh volunteered to move to an impoverished coal mine in the south of Belgium, a ...

194. Stewards of the Ship

1 Cor 4:1

Illustration

Michael P. Green

First Corinthians 4:1 tells us to be “stewards of the mysteries of God” (rsv). If you have ever been on a ship, you know what a ship’s steward is. Or if you have ever been on an airplane, you know what a steward or a stewardess is. That person does not own the airplane or anything on the plane. The company owns everything, but he or she is entrusted with its care. That steward has been given the responsibility of taking the goods that belong to a higher authority and dispensing it to the people for their ...

195. The Fall of Jerusalem

2 Chronicles 36:15-23

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

The Fall of Jerusalem: Judah’s very sad and violent end at the hands of their Babylonian masters is the theme of the second to last subsection in the book of Chronicles. It is clear from this text that the Chronicler’s intention was certainly not to give a factual account of the end of the Judean kingdom but rather to provide a theological interpretation of this event of the past. Second Chronicles 36:21 particularly links what happened in the past to “the word of the LORD” that came to them “spoken by ...

196. Paul and Silas In Prison

Acts 16:16-40

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

See introduction to the previous section. 16:16–17 The missionaries appear to have gone week by week to the place of prayer for a number of weeks, and as they did so, they were followed on several occasions by a demented slave girl whose shouting made them the center of public attention. The force of the Greek of verse 17 is that she “kept on following” and “kept on shouting” about them. Luke describes her in a curious way (not apparent in NIV): She had “a spirit,” he says, “a python” (v. 16). The word “ ...

197. In Corinth

Acts 18:1-17

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

Corinth was the most important city to which Paul had come since leaving Syrian Antioch, and he stayed there longer than in any other city (as far as we know). Luke tells us of the establishment of the church in Corinth, but nothing of its life. For this we must turn to Paul’s letters. So little does Luke say of this church that he has opened himself to the charge of being less interested in Corinth than in Macedonia and Ephesus (Rackham, p. 322). There may be something in this, but the reason lies more in ...

198. The Plot to Kill Paul

Acts 23:12-22

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

The Lord had assured Paul that he would witness in Rome, and that promise came a step nearer fulfillment with Paul’s transfer to Caesarea. The story has all the marks of an eyewitness account, such that only the most skeptical would question Luke’s veracity. Martin describes these verses as “a drama of suspense and mystery, with hurried exchanges of information, quick decisions, and sworn secrecy.” The name of God does not appear once, yet “the undertone of divine providence runs throughout; and God is ...

199. Submission to Rulers and Masters

1 Peter 2:13-25

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

Respect for Authority 2:13 What living the Christian life entails is now spelled out in some practical detail. Peter applies the admonition Submit yourselves to a series of relationships: to civil government (vv. 13–17), to slavery (vv. 18–20), to Christ himself (vv. 21–25), and to marriage (3:1–7). The relationship of Christians to the state was one which soon became problematic, for in the early centuries of the church all states not only were governed by pagans but included pagan worship within their ...

200. To Elders and Young Men

1 Peter 5:1-11

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

A Special Charge to Elders 5:1 Peter now turns to address the local church leaders, the elders among you. The term elders can indicate those senior in age (as in v. 5) or as here, senior in experience. In the nature of the case, of course, the latter meaning will often include the former. Hints of the function of elders can be gleaned from verses 2–3. Their duties include leading and pastoring church members, taking financial responsibility, and living exemplary lives that match up to Christian teaching. ...

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