Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2351 to 2375 of 5000 results

John 13:31-35

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... toward showing up the person and establishing our righteousness? Some may exclaim that this is an awful thought! Well, be reminded that we are to be wise as serpents — according to the Lord — and that clear pointer may make us reevaluate our intended testimonial to illustrate his decree. Note the intensity the practice of Christianity can reach! We must count on the spiritual brilliance of the Holy Spirit to provide for us. It is sometimes in our own strength that we want to be and do things that can be ...

2352. Keeping His Word

John 14:23-29

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... but that of the Father. Jesus did not come to the earth by his own will, but by the Father, who sent him. So, all the preparation is being done in conjunction with the Father. Perhaps there is no more clear place in the gospels which illustrates the uniqueness of John's writing. However, this should not be a problem because many of us have learned that even the synoptics tell individualized stories! Soon, Jesus will be gone from their midst. How on earth will they get along without him? It must have been ...

2353. What Happens When You're Not Prepared for What Happens

Luke 8:26-39

Sermon

David R. Cartwright

How do you handle what happens when you're not prepared for what happens? Well, sometimes not all that well. I would like to call your attention to a movie, Cheaper By The Dozen, starring Steve Martin. There are numerous scenes in this movie that illustrate how one father tries to take care of things while his wife is away. This movie is about a father who has just gotten his dream job of coaching football at his college alma mater. But this job change calls for him, his wife, their twelve children — yes ...

2354. Abba, Your Kingdom Come

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... ), and the encouragement to believe that God is faithful in answering prayer (vv. 11-13). We will focus here on the content of Jesus' prayer, but first let's look at the need for persistence in prayer and God's faithfulness in answering prayer. Jesus' illustration of a man requesting bread at midnight from a friend is intended as an encouragement to pray persistently to God. If a friend will rise and give you bread at midnight, how much more so will God answer prayers? Persistent prayers are different than ...

2355. You Fool!

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... cheap price tags while cheap items like the possessions of this world got expensive price tags. When we seek possessions as the ultimate goal of life, possessions turn around and possess us. An old fable about a fly and a strip of flypaper illustrates the point. The strip of flypaper looked so appetizing that the fly decided to claim it for himself. After chasing away all the other insects that threatened to share his find, he landed on the flypaper and happily announced, "My flypaper." Then he proceeded ...

2356. A Tax Collector Becomes Rich

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

... his heart, but he had a desperate need to get to Jesus. Like many before and after him, he probably couldn't explain what it was that seemed to pull him in Jesus' direction. The story of Zacchaeus and the encounter with Jesus once again illustrates the complete and total freedom with which Jesus welcomed people. He could welcome and relate to anyone. In our world, filled with differences of race, class, economic power, and religion, is it any wonder that this story should be taken seriously today? You can ...

2357. Triumphing over Obstacles

2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... ." Lent is our annual opportunity to prepare for the church's celebration of the paschal mystery, but we cannot adequately carry out this mission without significant effort. We cannot think the obstacles will magically disappear. The reality of our need to act is illustrated in a book, The Jungle's Neutral, by Fred Spencer. During World War II, Spencer was forced to live in the jungle on the Malay peninsula for nine months in order to keep one step ahead of the Japanese who occupied the British colony ...

2358. Building God’s Kingdom: The Christian Challenge

Romans 10:8-13

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded." Thus, we need to roll up our sleeves and get to work, in a common unified effort. The reality of our call and the need to respond is made clear in a humorous and illustrative story: Fred Everybody, Thomas Somebody, Peter Anybody, and Joe Nobody were neighbors, but not the type that most would want to know. They were odd people and difficult to understand. The way they lived their lives was a shame. These men all went to the same church ...

2359. Minding the Store of Our Lives

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... desert (Exodus 32:1-35) most assuredly was in Paul's mind, but there were many other manifestations of similar transgressions. Hosea warned the ruling elite in the northern kingdom of their infidelity to God. The image of Hosea's marriage to Gomer illustrates how Israel was guilty of consorting with many other gods. The prophet wrote: "My people consult a piece of wood, and their divining rod gives them oracles. For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have played the whore, forsaking their ...

2360. Be Reconciled — To Christ and Others

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... our hearts to his invitation of reconciliation. The process of reconciliation continues with the discovery of the three active aspects of forgiveness, within self, with others, and ultimately with God. The famous parable of the prodigal son, Luke 15:11-32, best illustrates this second step in the journey of reconciliation. Active reconciliation must begin within our own person. The so-called prodigal son in the story comes to the realization that he needs to forgive himself. He has wasted his father's money ...

2361. Carrying the Burdens of Others

Philippians 2:5-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... find the exaltation which is God's reward to all the faithful. Demonstrating humility in the form of dying to self is a great challenge in today's world. Humans instinctively are fearful of death, in any form, because it threatens their autonomy. A good illustration of this reality can be found in the 1970 Academy Award-winning film Patton. The film opens in a rather odd manner. George C. Scott, who portrayed the famous American World War II general, stands atop a platform in full military regalia; he is ...

2362. Sharing God’s Love

Hebrews 10:16-25

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... day of our lives? Jesus' death calls us to be ambassadors of Christ's love to others. As Jesus shared with us completely, so must we share with others. In essence we are called to be bridge builders between Christ and the world. A short story illustrates our commission. Two brothers owned farms that joined each other. A vast and beautiful meadow kept the two brothers' property united. For many years the two were very close, but disagreements here and there led to some conflict. One day, one of the brothers ...

2363. Death to Glory

Revelation 5:11-14

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... , more Christlike. Still others need a restoration of faith and confidence, in special people, traditional ideas, the church, and yes, for some, even God. The Easter story, Jesus' movement from death to glory, is at its essence one of sacrifice. A beautiful story well illustrates the challenge set before us. There once was an ancient temple bell famous for its beautiful tone. It had been commissioned by a king many years ago as a way of showing devotion to the Buddha. The king's advisors had told him that ...

2364. Thank God We Can Change

1 Timothy 1:12-17

Sermon

Clayton A. Lord

... to be more effective in our witness. If you are worried that you cannot quote the Bible like you want, or that you are too timid to get up and share your story, then just wait a while. As your faith develops, so will your confidence. Paul uses the illustration of being like little children in one of his letters. He suggests that maturity in the faith takes time. We will grow into it. And, here is more good news. If you have some thorn in the flesh like Paul, that is holding you back and getting you down ...

2365. Freedom from Worry

Mark 10:17-31

Illustration

Keith Wagner

... him constant worry was now gone, he settled back in his seat, totally relaxed and with a sense of joy he fell into a prolonged, wonderful sleep. The man was now free of the one thing he was holding on to. I believe that is what Jesus is attempting to illustrate in this story. By letting go of the things that worry us, the things that obsess us, or the things that consume us, we discover we are free.

2366. Shoots of Tomorrow

Jeremiah 33:14-16

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... of the lineage of Jesse, David's father. Many of us are familiar with the Advent Calendar, used in counting the days until the Messiah arrives. The Jesse Tree is another option for numbering these days. The Jesse Tree, the family tree of our Messiah, illustrates many of the people and events that God uses over time to bring Jesus into the world. Resplendent in its colorful symbols, the Jesse Tree grows and branches out as the Nativity of our Lord approaches, bringing hope and light into our winter bleakness ...

2367. He Will Abundantly Pardon

Isaiah 55:1-13

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... think we will know forever slip our minds. But there's another reason for memorials, and that is to influence how we look back on an event, how we interpret it. The Monocacy Battlefield, near the Monocacy River in Maryland, is a good illustration of this. There are two sets of contradictory monuments scattered throughout the Civil War battlefield. Both are right but only one is correct. One set, erected about fifty years after the fighting ended by the Daughters of the Confederacy, celebrates a Confederate ...

2368. God's Call for All

Acts 9:35-43

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... . But mutual aid within the fellowship of believers (the Greek word is koinonia) is more than an obligation. It is joy. Jesus admonished the people to "Love your neighbor as yourself," which is drawn from Leviticus 19:18. Among the most famous passages which illustrate the intention of the group to practice mutual aid and assistance is this verse from Acts 4:32: "Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they ...

2369. What Church Looks Like

Acts 16:9-15

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... not need to be attached to a male to join. Lydia and her household, including servants, were baptized, and as the head of a house, she probably became the worship leader for the house church. This was evidently not unusual in early Christianity. Frescos illustrating the ancient practice of the love feast show women, presumably the homeowners, administering the rite. Lydia's home becomes Paul's home. She wants to give back, and Paul has the good grace to receive. Her response to her baptism is to open her ...

2370. The Undoing of Babel

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... . It was no accident that Pentecost undid Babel. That's what the activity of the Spirit within us always empowers us to do. May we be open to let the Spirit work within us and God's love come through us. 1. My thanks to Carlos Wilton for this illustration, The Immediate Word, June 8, 2003. 2. I heard this broadcast sometime in the spring of 2003, but it comes from a column Anne Lamott wrote for Salon Magazine, January 6, 1997, called "Knocking on Heaven's Door." www.salon.com/jan97/lamott970106.html.

2371. The Smell of Bread

2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... ' words this way: "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places ... And if I go and bake bread for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, we can enjoy bread together." 1. Thanks to Elizabeth Achtemeier for connecting this illustration with 2 Kings 2, in her book, Preaching and Reading the Old Testament Lessons With an Eye to the New, Cycle B (Lima, Ohio: CSS Publishing Co., 2001), p. 79.

2372. Two Main Expressions of Faith

Mark 10:46-52

Illustration

Christopher D. Marshall

... entailing ethical conversion and a commitment of reliant trust upon Jesus as the bearer of the Kingdom. (1:15) (b) Petitionary faith denotes the concrete act of believing trust required of those who seek the operation of kingdom power. The very fact that Mark uses the response of Bartimaeus to illustrate simultaneously petitionary faith and kerygmatic faith (10:46-52) is clear evidence that he conceives of no fundamental structural difference between both expressions of "pistis."

2373. A Day of Singing

Zephaniah 3:14-20, Luke 3:7-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... musical terms. Here were some of their answers: Music sung by two people at the same time is called a duel,” one young man wrote. Then he added, “I know what a sextet is but I had rather not say. A xylophone is an instrument used mainly to illustrate the letter X, answered someone else. Dirges are music written to be played at sad, sad occasions . . . such as funerals, weddings, and the like. [Did they play a dirge at your wedding?] Here’s one I like: What’s a refrain? Refrain means "don’t do it ...

2374. Good News for Widows

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

King Duncan

... to offer to God is ever really lost. That which we give to God is ours for all eternity. 1. http://www.jameslove.com/sermons/Sermon_Mark_12_38-44.htm 2. http://www.lectionarysermons.com/novem_12.htm. 3. Edward K. Rowell, 1001 Quotes, Illustrations, and Humorous Stories (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2008), p. 195. 4. Rev. Daniel Meyer, http://cc‑ob.org/sermons/2003/03sermons.htm. 5. Pastor Ken Kelly, http://www.chapinbaptist.com/sermons/20040125.html. 6. Home By Another Way (Cambridge, MA: Cowley Publications ...

2375. Home By Another Way

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Lois Anne DeLong

... Man 3 Servant 1 Servant 2 Servant 3 Merchant Caravan Shepherd 1 Shepherd 2 Angel Angel Choir Mary Joseph Merchant Dream Narrator Props Campfire Table Two chairs Star Three gifts Bundle Tambourines Notes This play uses the journey of the Wise Men to illustrate that God doesn’t always call us down the expected path. It also shows the way God often prefers to work through the simplest of people or situations to bring about his plan. It has thirteen speaking parts, plus an “Angel Choir” and “Merchant ...

Showing results