Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2376 to 2400 of 4508 results

2376. At Least One Dollar

Illustration

John Bedingfield

Dr. H. King Oehmig tells a story of the time that a church congregation from Cartersville, Georgia wanted to begin a Habitat for Humanity group. It was in the early days of Habitat, so the group went to Americus, Georgia to meet with Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity. The group toured the Habitat facilities and saw a presentation on how groups operate. Then Mr. Fuller took time ...

2377. The Law of Abundance

Illustration

Doyle Sager

Stephen Covey, in his "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People", talks about the Law of Abundance vs. the Law of Scarcity. There's plenty to go around. And the more you give, the more you have to give. But how interesting! Covey writes about this, and folks act like it is new. Jesus performed it, 2000 years ago, on a rocky hillside in Palestine. There is plenty of Jesus to go around!

2378. There Is Always More Need

Illustration

Roger G. Talbott

You know how the disciples felt when the crowds showed up... The two of you haven't had a night out without the kids in weeks. You finally get away. The waiter has just brought your appetizer when the baby-sitter calls and tells you the youngest has a high fever and has started throwing up. You've been planning this vacation for six months. Your reservations are all made and three days before you...

2379. You Feed the Hungry

Sermon

Roy Howard

One Friday while Congress was arguing over how to manage the debt crisis, the Washington Post drew our attention to another crisis much more severe than the one we were facing as a result of our leaders’ inability to find a common ground for the common good. That was bad enough. But much worse was the fact that “more than twelve million people were at risk of death and starvation in the Horn of Af...

2380. The Suffering Servant

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Shiva is the Jewish custom of mourning. From ancient times, families sat together to mourn those who passed on. It’s clear that Jesus’ disciples understood their responsibilities in these customs. And yet Jesus, while honoring the dead in grief, defies these customs, even while defying death itself. Jesus knows that it is not the custom that defines mourning, but the way one uses grief to honor t...

2381. Stepping into Liminal Space

Sermon

Roy Howard

When Peter stepped out of that boat, he stepped into liminal space to walk on water. Some of you may be wondering what is liminal space? Liminal space is a term used by cultural anthropologists to describe in-between or transitional passages of communities. It describes those times when the past is no longer sustainable, and the future is not yet clear. The present is a time of unsettledness, una...

2382. God Works with People

Illustration

Leonard Mann

Historically, God has always worked with people, and through people, to get things done in the world. Remember, please, that it was with the food the disciples brought to Jesus that he fed the multitude. And he didn't feed them, really; it was the disciples who did that; it was from their hands those people received that food that day. It is the way of God to use human instrumentality to accomplis...

2383. God Lets Us Help

Illustration

Leonard Mann

Ethan Allen was a big, voluble, rather flamboyant Vermonter, Colonial patriot, a somewhat controversial hero of the American Revolution. He organized a rag-tag army of freedom-lovers known as the Green Mountain Boys. On May 10, 1775, Allen and his "Boys" captured from the British the strategic Fort Ticonderoga. Having returned from this successful venture, Allen did something which he was wont to ...

2384. Three Mice in Heaven

Illustration

Jerry Fuller

There were three mice who died and went to heaven. After a couple of days, St. Peter stopped by and asked them how they liked being in heaven. The mice said that it was OK, but since they have such short legs, it was hard for them to get around because heaven was so big. So St. Peter told them that he thought he would be able to help them. After a little while, an angel came to the mice and gave e...

2385. Moving Fences

Illustration

Jerry Fuller

Many years ago, there was a woman who lived in a small village in France. Trained as a nurse, she devoted her life to caring for the sick and needy. After many years of kind and selfless service to the village's families, the woman died. She had no family of her own, so the townsfolk planned a beautiful funeral for her, a fitting tribute to the woman to whom so many owed their lives. The parish p...

2386. How Much Is Enough?

Illustration

Dan Matthews

The Wall Street Journal ran an article some time ago describing one of the fastest growing business in America: the development and the construction of mini warehouses, these small storage facilities that you see in every town and in every city. We first fill the closets and the attic and the basement and the garage and then we go across town and rent some space to store our stuff. The reality is ...

2387. Cookies and Milk, a Sacramental Meal

Illustration

Glenn L. Borreson

Albert Schmidt writes of being at the home of little five-year-old George after the funeral of George's seven-year-old brother, who was also his closest friend and playmate. Little George was so distraught at the gravesite that he had tried to jump into the grave himself. Now at home, he had buried himself and his grief under the bottom of the double-decker bed in their room. He wouldn't come out....

2388. Our Lord's Abundant Table - Sermon Starter

Illustration

Brett Blair

Charles Swindol tells a funny story about a nine-year-old named Danny who came bursting out of Sunday school like a wild stallion. His eyes were darting in every direction as he tried to locate either mom or dad. Finally, after a quick search, he grabbed his Daddy by the leg and yelled, "Man, that story of Moses and all those people crossing the Red Sea was great!" His father looked down, smiled, ...

2389. Use What You Have

Illustration

Brett Blair

In 1872, at the age of 16, Booker T. Washington decided he wanted to go to school. He walked 500 miles to Hampton Institute in Virginia, and presented himself to the head teacher. Washington later recalled, "Having been so long without proper food, a bath, and change of clothing, I did not make a very favorable impression upon her, and I could see at once that there were doubts in her mind about m...

2390. You Feed Them

Illustration

King Duncan

A man was packing a shipment of food for the poor people of Appalachia. He was separating beans from powdered milk, and canned vegetables from canned meats. Reaching into a box filled with various cans, he pulled out a little brown paper sack. Apparently one of the pupils had brought something different from the items on the suggested list. Out of the paper bag fell a peanut butter sandwich, an ap...

2391. And Hungry People Were Fed

Illustration

King Duncan

A number of years ago young Matthew LeSage, a third-grader, wanted to do something to help the hungry in his city. So he started a program, Hams for the Hungry. In its fourth year, Hams for the Hungry raised $40,000 to brighten the holiday season for people with limited resources. Matthew's story reminds me of another young man, 13 years old at the time, who read about Dr. Albert Schweitzer's mis...

2392. Compassion Is a Gift from God

Illustration

King Duncan

A man named Al Wiener survived the Nazi concentration camps of World War II. He entered a labor camp when he was 15. Years in those camps took their toll. Over time his weight dropped to 80 pounds and he was weak and always hungry. He was slowly starving to death. In one labor camp he worked in a textile factory. There were German women who worked in the textile factory. They were forbidden from ...

2393. You Feed Them

Illustration

King Duncan

Tony Campolo is a professor of sociology and a popular speaker. He was once invited to a women's conference where he was to give a major address. These women were being challenged to raise several thousand dollars for a mission project goal. While Campolo was sitting on the dais, the chairperson turned to him and asked him if he would pray for God's blessing as they considered their individual res...

2394. The Loaves and Fishes Still Work

Illustration

King Duncan

Educator Parker J. Palmer was en route to a conference when the plane he was on made an unexpectedly long layover at an airport. A truck that was supposed to deliver the refreshments for the next leg of the journey broke down. Finally the pilot decided that it was more important to get his passengers on their way than to wait for the snacks to arrive, so he took off. As soon as they were in the a...

2395. Proper 13

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

The Miracle Of Feeding 5,000 A little lad was asked which was his favorite parable. He replied, "I like the one about the loafs and fishing." The kid may be confused whether the story of Jesus' feeding the 5,000 is a parable or a miracle. However, the miracle of multiplying is also a favorite of the gospel writers. This miracle of Jesus is the only one recorded by the four evangelists. In additio...

2396. Proper 13

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Genesis 32:22-31 is the account of Jacob's fight with God at the Jabbok River, while Psalm 17:1-9, 15 is a psalm of lament that ends with words of confidence. Genesis 32:22-31 - "A Story of Transformation" Setting. An interpretation of Jacob's struggle with God at the Jabbok River requires that we look briefly at the larger context of the Jacob cycle and return to a topic th...

2397. If There Isn’t Enough To Go Around

Sermon

William G. Carter

Nobody could blame the disciples for their concern. It had been a long and exhausting day. People from all over the countryside had followed Jesus with their aches and pains. Rather than retreat or rest, the gospel of Matthew tells us that Jesus sat there and saved all of them, one at a time. Meanwhile his twelve followers were overwhelmed by the need. It was getting late, and all they could see ...

2398. The Reckoning

Sermon

Lori Wagner

How many math wizards are out there today? Anyone? I’ve always been amazed at those phenomenal people who can compute sums and fractions in their heads in the matter of moments. Or how about accountants? Tax accountants! Hear me? Oh man! You have to have a certain personality I think to be a tax accountant, amen? Or what about statisticians? Or those who program AI! Rocket scientists? Physicists?...

2399. Why Not Walk On What Jesus Walked On When He Walked On Water

Sermon

Roger G. Talbott

I wish Matthew, Mark and John had consulted me before they wrote their gospels. If they had only sent me their rough drafts, I could have put a big red "X" through this story about Jesus walking on the water. (Luke apparently had a good editor. He didn't include this story.) I would have written a note in the margin stating that I think it would be best not to include this story because it woul...

2400. What Triggers Your Panic Button?

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

***This sermon focusses on the Markan Version.*** What triggered their panic buttons? The disciples thought they saw a ghost. J. B. Phillips’ version says, “they screamed ... they were absolutely terrified ... they were scared out of their wits ... But Jesus spoke quietly to them, 'It’s all right, it is I myself; don’t be afraid!'" What triggers your panic button? Several months ago, soon after we...

Showing 2376 to 2400 of 4508 results

2376. At Least One Dollar

Illustration

John Bedingfield

2377. The Law of Abundance

Illustration

Doyle Sager

2378. There Is Always More Need

Illustration

Roger G. Talbott

2379. You Feed the Hungry

Sermon

Roy Howard

2380. The Suffering Servant

Sermon

Lori Wagner

2381. Stepping into Liminal Space

Sermon

Roy Howard

2382. God Works with People

Illustration

Leonard Mann

2383. God Lets Us Help

Illustration

Leonard Mann

2384. Three Mice in Heaven

Illustration

Jerry Fuller

2385. Moving Fences

Illustration

Jerry Fuller

2386. How Much Is Enough?

Illustration

Dan Matthews

2387. Cookies and Milk, a Sacramental Meal

Illustration

Glenn L. Borreson

2388. Our Lord's Abundant Table - Sermon Starter

Illustration

Brett Blair

2389. Use What You Have

Illustration

Brett Blair

2390. You Feed Them

Illustration

King Duncan

2391. And Hungry People Were Fed

Illustration

King Duncan

2392. Compassion Is a Gift from God

Illustration

King Duncan

2393. You Feed Them

Illustration

King Duncan

2394. The Loaves and Fishes Still Work

Illustration

King Duncan

2395. Proper 13

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

2396. Proper 13

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

2397. If There Isn’t Enough To Go Around

Sermon

William G. Carter

2398. The Reckoning

Sermon

Lori Wagner

2399. Why Not Walk On What Jesus Walked On When He Walked On Water

Sermon

Roger G. Talbott

2400. What Triggers Your Panic Button?

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

Showing 2376 to 2400 of 4508 results