Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2276 to 2300 of 4508 results

2276. Catching the Kingdom

Illustration

Russ M. Locke

In his book THE COMPASSIONATE CHRIST, Dale Oldham compared the attitude that many people have about the Kingdom to a yapping dog that resided in his neighborhood. The dog was always chasing a cat that lived next door. Whenever he saw the cat, he would go after it as if it were his only aim in living. So long as the cat ran, everything was lovely. But occasionally the cat would stop suddenly and fa...

2277. The Monk and the Pearl

Illustration

Richard A. Wing

I remember the story of Theophane the Monk. He was traveling along a path one day and ran into a young man. He asked the young man where he was going. The young man replied, "I am looking for the pearl of great price." Theophane said calmly, "Well, look no more. I have it." Theophane produced the pearl of great price. The young man was in pure delight to see and find what he was looking for. Then ...

2278. Blessing or Curse?

Illustration

John Marks Templeton

The story is told of old King Midas who loved the sight and sound and the feel of gold. The king was convinced that enough gold would bring meaning to his life and was delighted when he was granted his wish that everything he touched would be changed into gold. Yet his golden world came to have a hollow ring to it. He discovered he couldn't eat because his food would turn to gold as it touched his...

2279. Not Through Us, but Through God

Illustration

Dennis Kastens

Shakespeare, in King John, correctly said, "to guild refined gold, to paint the lily, to throw a perfume on the violet, to smooth the ice, or add another hue onto the rainbow ... is wasteful and ridiculous excess." So it is today, if we wish to improve upon God's plan of salvation by our own good deeds, our own righteousness, our own goodness. Then we are trying to add purity to the pearl, luster ...

2280. The Kingdom Belongs to Those with the Guts

Illustration

Will Willimon

Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island" is a favorite book to many. The adults in "Treasure Island" were unlike many adults we know--grownups who staked all, risked everything, for nothing more than some map scrawled on a piece of paper. The adults most of us know stay home, keep their heads down, go to work in the morning and then they come back again in the evening. But in "Treasure Island,"...

2281. Acres of Diamonds

Illustration

There is a story called, "Acres of Diamonds." It is about an African farmer who hears that some have made millions by discovering diamond mines. In his excitement, he sells his farm and uses the money to travel all across the continent of Africa in search of diamonds. But the former farmer never finds his fortune, and he dies as a poverty-stricken, heart-broken man. But it just so happens that the...

2282. Sacrifice: What It Is Worth

Illustration

Leonard Mann

The process of our living involves a lot of trade-off and barter. We are forever giving up some things in order that we might have others; we are perpetually sacrificing this so we may have that. We do this in our marriages; we do this in our occupational choices; we do this in the matter of having children; we do it at almost every juncture of the journey we make. In most of our choices we are ac...

2283. A Commitment That Is Entire

Illustration

Leonard Mann

A goal that is worthy deserves and demands a commitment that is entire. An Olympic athlete must be committed to training; a great violinist must be committed to practicing; anyone who pursues a goal must be committed to the disciplines the achievement requires. After hearing a famous pianist, a lady said to him, "I would give anything to be able to play like that." He replied, "I'll bet you would...

2284. Living on the Edge

Illustration

Thomas A. Pilgrim

Christ's kingdom always calls for the note of sacrifice, taking a chance, living on the edge. There was an man down in Florida who used to wrestle alligators for tourists. One time after one of his performances a lady noticed he wore a string of alligator teeth around his neck. She said, "Oh, that is sort of like wearing a string of pearls." He replied, "Not quite. Anyone can open an oyster."

2285. Hidden Treasure

Illustration

Donald M. Tuttle

I want to invite you to use your imagination this morning. Imagine that you are a network executive. In fact, you possess the power to decide which television shows are produced and aired. As you sit behind your desk drinking a latte, of course a man comes to your office to pitch an idea. He wants to hire a handful of antique appraisers from places like Sotheby's and Christies, rent convention cen...

2286. My Dog Saw The Rabbit

Illustration

Brett Blair

There is a story from the Desert Fathers about a young monk who asked one of the old men of the desert why it is that so many people came out to the desert to seek God and yet most of them gave up after a short time and returned to their lives in the city. The old monk told him, "Last evening my dog saw a rabbit running for cover among the bushes of the desert and he began to chase the rabbit, ba...

2287. A Precious Gift

Illustration

Brett Blair

There is an ancient legend about the monk who found a precious stone, a precious jewel. A short time later, the monk met a traveler, who said he was hungry and asked the monk if he would share some of his provisions. When the monk opened his bag, the traveler saw the precious stone and, on an impulse, asked the monk if he could have it. Amazingly, the monk gave the traveler the stone. The travele...

2288. Pearl of Great Price

Illustration

Brett Blair

A hundred years after it was buried with Manchu emperor Ch'ien Lungin 1799, the fabled "Pearl of Asia" was stolen by grave robbers. The fabulous pearl had been found by Persian divers, and purchased by the emperor Sha Jahan for his wife Mumtaz, for whom he also built the Taj Mahal and the Pear Mosque. About a century later the pearl was listed among the treasure of Ch'ien Lung. After it was stole...

2289. The Betts' Violin

Illustration

Brett Blair

The Betts' Violin was bought by Mr. Betts' in his violin store for one Guinea. There is a legend around the purchase which paints a dramatic story line. THE LEGEND One foggy night in London, many years ago, a ragged unkempt man shuffled into a little music shop, owned by a Mr. Arthur Betts. Clutched under the man's arm was a violin. "Will you buy this old violin from me?" the man muttered. I'm s...

2290. Treasure Waiting to Be Discovered

Illustration

King Duncan

Anthony De Mello tells a story about some people who were on a raft off the coast of Brazil. They were perishing from thirst, for as you know, ocean water is undrinkable. What they did not know, however, was that the water they were floating on was fresh water. A nearby river was coming out into the sea with such force that it went out for a couple of miles, so they had fresh water right there whe...

2291. Have You Seen the Kingdom?

Illustration

King Duncan

Quaker philosopher Rufus Jones once told a true story about a man who owned a summer cottage on the coast of Maine who was determined to start a Sunday School class for children who lived on a nearby offshore island. He sailed to the island in his boat, gathered the children together, and began to instruct them in matters of faith. Hardly knowing where to begin, he decided to start with something ...

2292. Birthday Surprice

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

A 100-year old man, celebrating his birthday, was asked by a reporter, "How do you feel when you wake up in the morning?" He responded, "Surprised." That's the way the New Testament sounds. People on its pages are always being surprised by joy. A man is plowing in his field, and suddenly it is everywhere, and then comes upon it and is willing to sell everything to possess it -- the pearl of gre...

2293. The Parable of the Net

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

Parables of Jesus: In chapter 13 we come for the first time to Jesus’ favorite method of teaching, the parable. The seven parables recorded in this chapter form Jesus’ third discourse as arranged by Matthew, There are in the first three Gospels about sixty separate parables. In the LXX the Greek parabolē almost always translates the Hebrew māšāl, which denotes a wide variety of picturesque forms o...

2294. The Drag Net

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: a piece of netting. Lesson: Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by a fisherman - he casts a net into the water and gathers in fish of every kind, valuable and worthless. Will God miss you? Suppose the time comes for everyone to live in heaven and you are here on earth. Do you think that He will remember that you are here, or will there be so many people that He might just mis...

2295. Everyone Wants a Winner

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

Bishop Ernest Fitzgerald tells about a slightly crooked Texan who was a big racer of horses. He took one of his prize thoroughbreds to London for an international race. The Texan was back in the stable area prior to the race feeding his horse some suspicious-looking little white pills. The Duke of Marlborough who also had a horse in the race, happened to see what the Texan was doing. "My good man,...

2296. Herod and Hometown Misunderstand Jesus’ Identity

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: Although Jesus’ miraculous powers are acknowledged, this leads not to universal faith but rather to unbelief (in his hometown) and confusion over his identity (by Herod). Understanding the Text Matthew concludes the third discourse of Jesus’ teaching with the transition formula (13:53) that he also uses at 7:28–29; 11:1; 19:1; 26:1. In two pericopes (13:54–58; 14:1–12), Matthew narrate...

2297. A Prophet without Honor

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

13:54–16:20 Review · Conflict and identity: In this section, Matthew continues to narrate the growing conflict between the Jewish leaders and Jesus. As before (12:15), he withdraws from this conflict to engage in compassionate ministry to the crowds and interaction with his disciples (with withdrawal language at 12:15; 14:13; and 15:21). Jesus’s identity is highlighted in this section of narrative...

2298. A Prophet Without Honor

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

2299. The Master's Voice

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Prop: The King’s Speech [use a clip from the movie near the conclusion in which the king is grateful to have been freed] Being “voiceless” has been the cause of many a revolution. Slavery, women’s suffrage, child abuse, human trafficking —the progress of history is the story of the voiceless finding a voice and struggling to be free. The stifled voice will find a way to be heard. Those who have d...

2300. Where To Go When You Grieve

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

Death in Mid-life This funeral sermon was preached for a forty-year-old member of my congregation; he died after an illness of six weeks, leaving a wife and two teenage daughters. What do you do and where do you go when a loved one dies? Where do you go when you have a pain in your heart that no physician can cure? Where do you go when you feel like you've swallowed a stone? Where do you go when t...

Showing 2276 to 2300 of 4508 results

2276. Catching the Kingdom

Illustration

Russ M. Locke

2277. The Monk and the Pearl

Illustration

Richard A. Wing

2278. Blessing or Curse?

Illustration

John Marks Templeton

2279. Not Through Us, but Through God

Illustration

Dennis Kastens

2280. The Kingdom Belongs to Those with the Guts

Illustration

Will Willimon

2281. Acres of Diamonds

Illustration

2282. Sacrifice: What It Is Worth

Illustration

Leonard Mann

2283. A Commitment That Is Entire

Illustration

Leonard Mann

2284. Living on the Edge

Illustration

Thomas A. Pilgrim

2285. Hidden Treasure

Illustration

Donald M. Tuttle

2286. My Dog Saw The Rabbit

Illustration

Brett Blair

2287. A Precious Gift

Illustration

Brett Blair

2288. Pearl of Great Price

Illustration

Brett Blair

2289. The Betts' Violin

Illustration

Brett Blair

2290. Treasure Waiting to Be Discovered

Illustration

King Duncan

2291. Have You Seen the Kingdom?

Illustration

King Duncan

2292. Birthday Surprice

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

2293. The Parable of the Net

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

2294. The Drag Net

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

2295. Everyone Wants a Winner

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

2296. Herod and Hometown Misunderstand Jesus’ Identity

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

2297. A Prophet without Honor

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

2298. A Prophet Without Honor

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

2299. The Master's Voice

Sermon

Lori Wagner

2300. Where To Go When You Grieve

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

Showing 2276 to 2300 of 4508 results