Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2451 to 2475 of 2664 results

2451. No One Over 12 Inches Wide Need Apply

Luke 13:22-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... recognize that making hard choices is a key to a rich, fulfilling life. Even Jesus had to make a hard choice. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” As he prayed, sweat rolled off of his body like great drops of blood. I am confident that if Jesus had turned his back at that moment on the mission his Father had given him, we would never have heard of him again. That is the way life is. He could have gone back to Joseph’s shop and spent his life ...

2452. We Are Not Alone

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Robert C. Cochran

... Sunday school of me and Marlowe. “Thank you, Cody, that’s wonderful,” I said. Little Aubrey, three years old at the time, came thumping up the stairs after him, banged open the door, marched up to my bed and announced, “Your cat is dead.” My mouth dropped open, and after I gathered myself, I said, “Yes, Aubrey, that’s true.” “A car hit him and cracked his head open!” she proclaimed and shook her head once, decisively. God had sent an advocate to help me, but she wasn’t exactly the kind ...

2453. Fire Safety

Humor Illustration

King Duncan

When Keith was in kindergarten his class visited the local fire station to watch a film about fire safety. In the film, children were told that if their clothes ever catch fire they should do the traditional “stop, drop, and roll” on the ground to extinguish the flames. After the film ended a fireman quizzed the children about what they had learned. “What would you do if your clothes were on fire?” he asked Keith, who answered matter‑of‑factly, “I wouldn’t put them on.”

2454. Failure to Fortune

Illustration

Bernard Marr

Bill Gates, co-founder and chairman of Microsoft, dropped out of Harvard and set up a business called Traf-O-Data. The partnership between him, Paul Allen and Paul Gilbert was based on a good idea (to read data from roadway traffic counters and create automated reports on traffic flows) but a flawed business model left the company with ...

2455. Only an Illusion Away

Illustration

Pastor Stephen Muncherian

... he could take him without any trouble. And the piece of meat looked really good. So without giving it another thought, the dog opened his mouth to reach for the second piece of meat that he saw. As he did--the piece of meat that was in his own mouth dropped into the water. The dog walked away sad. In trying to get what someone else had--which was only an illusion anyway--he had lost what he had to begin with.

2456. Free From What? For What?

Luke 9:51-62

Sermon

Robert C. Cochran

... themselves yet, haven’t built up immunity to the toxins. If we look at how our teens are doing, then, we can pretty well judge the health of our society and what’s in store for us. The problem is that for a long time teenagers have been dropping over right and left, and no one’s been paying any attention. So, what is it that teens have to teach us? As adults, our attempts at independence are generally balanced by our need for security: we can’t walk away from our domineering boss because we need ...

2457. Being Neighborly

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Robert C. Cochran

... his eyes. Because we’re told nothing about him, we know that we’re to see ourselves in him. We are to see ourselves falling into hands of robbers: stripped/beaten/left for dead. The land between Jerusalem and Jericho is primarily desert and rocky ground that drops 3,300 feet in eighteen miles. And it is here, in this desolate country, that the story takes place. And then, miraculously, we are to be saved! Here comes a priest, a temple leader. He sees us... and passes by on the other side of the road ...

2458. The Trajectory of God’s Grace

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

Robert C. Cochran

... house. I walked to the end of the deck to dump the bag and then realized that though the boards were down, not all of them were nailed! The one I was standing on flew up in the air behind me, and I plunged headfirst down a fourteen-foot drop! I remember seeing the rocks coming right for me, but somehow I carried beyond them, hit the ground and tumbled head-over-heels down the slope: avoiding trees, sharp sticks, and a lead pipe sticking out of the ground right beside where I ended up. Not wanting to know ...

2459. Afternoon Tea

Illustration

Ruth Bell Graham

In one of F. W. Boreham’s books, he tells of an old Scottish woman living alone and very poor. But she carefully tithed what little she had and gave to the church. When unable to attend service, she expected a deacon to drop by and collect her offering. The deacon knew well she could not afford it, but knowing also that she would be deeply offended if he did not collect it, he was careful to stop by. It was late afternoon one day when he made his visit. Old Mary was sitting ...

2460. Splitting the Grave

Illustration

J. B. Fowler, Jr.

... would be no chance of his body rising if ever there was a resurrection day. Upon his death, his instructions were carried out and the huge granite slab was lowered over his grave. But in the process of preparing the grave, a bird flying overhead must have dropped an acorn seed into the grave before the granite slab was laid. In time, the acorn sprouted and a little green oak shoot peeked over the side of the granite slab. The years passed and the slip of a tree grew into a mighty oak splitting the granite ...

2461. Point of Reference

Illustration

Dick Cupp

... if he didn’t find the comparative warmth and safety of his hut, he would freeze to death in a matter of minutes. Admiral Byrd could not see his hut or anything else in the freezing blizzard that would guide him to safety. His body temperature was dropping. If he struck out blindly, without a central reference point for a sense of direction, he would become hopelessly lost. Refusing to panic, the admiral assessed the situation. In his hand was a 10-foot pole that he carried with him to probe for holes in ...

2462. Thanksgiving Forecast

Illustration

Staff

... sauce creates slippery spots on the other. Please pass the gravy. A weight watch and indigestion warning have been issued for the entire area, with increased stuffiness around the beltway. During the evening, the turkey will diminish and taper off to leftovers, dropping to a low of 34F in the refrigerator. Looking ahead to Friday and Saturday, high pressure to eat sandwiches will be established. Flurries of leftovers can be expected both days with a 50 percent chance of scattered soup late in the day ...

2463. You're Too Late

Illustration

Edward Cornish

... found something new he considered a terrible evil--atomic bombs. He went around the world protesting nuclear weapons. Then something happened that changed his thinking completely. While in Japan in 1960, he interviewed a man dying of leukemia as a result of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The man said, sadly, “Now you protest against the bomb, but it’s too late. You always begin too late.” Jungk suddenly realized that he had spent his life protesting against things that had already happened.

2464. The Pearl of Great Price

Matthew 13:45-46

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... was one that was still better. There was no choice, he had to go and see this pearl. Everything they had said was true. (Hold up another pearl.) This was by far the very best. It had the best shape and it glistened in the sun like a pure rain drop from heaven. He had to have it, but what could he give in exchange! There was only one thing left to give and so he gave it. He offered the men in Africa his beautiful home with all of the exquisite trimmings, and they took it. He had given all ...

2465. The Law of Unintended Consequences

Matthew 5:13-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... as he headed back to his room. The young man spotted the objects on the table. He studied them for a moment. Then, the moment of truth arrived! The young man picked up the Bible and placed it under his arm. Then he picked up the silver dollar and dropped it into his pocket. Finally, he uncorked the bottle and took a big gulp of the whiskey. “Lord, have mercy,” the old man whispered, “He’s gonna be a politician!” (4) The crowds of people that day were waiting and watching to see if Jesus would be a ...

2466. Scrubbing Our Social Media Accounts

Romans 5:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... I want you to let him use you for his glory.” Shannon would learn later that Gary’s insurance company wanted him to sue her parents, but he refused. The district attorney wanted to press charges against Shannon, but Gary insisted that all charges be dropped. He wanted Shannon to get a second chance at life, a chance to live in God’s grace and mercy. And that is exactly what she has done. Today, Shannon Ethridge is a best-selling Christian author, speaker and counselor. (8) Without Gary’s forgiveness ...

2467. Bless the World

Luke 6:20-31

Sermon

Molly F. James

... it would be the lens through which she viewed the world and she would let tragedy define her. It would be a lens that would be a source of stress and worry. It would be an approach that would mean she would always be waiting for the other shoe to drop. It would be an approach that would not add hours to her span of life but instead would diminish the quality of her life. Or if she chose the latter, if she chose gratitude, then she could celebrate the life and joys of her children. She could be an active ...

2468. The Garden of Betrayal and the Garden of His Burial

John 18:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... be taken from me.” But then he adds, “Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Luke adds a detail that helps drive home for us Jesus’ agony. He writes, “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” (22:44). Some medical dictionaries have described this condition as “chromidrosis,” a state in which intense emotional stress may actually cause the blood vessels to expand so much that they break where they come in contact with the sweat ...

2469. Blessed

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... be. Ah! how imperfect and deficient. “I am not what I might be, considering my privileges and opportunities. “I am not what I wish to be. God, who knows my heart — knows I wish to be like him. “I am not what I hope to be. Before long, I will drop this clay tabernacle, to be like him and see him as he is! Yet, I am not what I once was — a child of sin, and slave of the devil! Though not all these — not what I ought to be, not what I might be, not what I wish or ...

2470. The Proof is in the Roof

Luke 5:17-26

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs." There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where rain, bugs, and others debris were dropping. When people started using wooden beds, this “problem” could mess up your nice clean sleeping space. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence. The floor was dirt. Only ...

2471. Soul Food

Luke 9:10-17, Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, John 6:1-15

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... , it became slippery, and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs." There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence. Did you know that some people subscribe to the notion that animals are superior to ...

2472. Syrophoenician Lives Matter!

Mark 7:24-30, Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... us with the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, and that pouring out is an outpouring. An overflow of abundance. In fact, just one “touch” and you are blessed by grace and glory. Anyone here love pudding? To flavor pudding, it only takes a little drop of vanilla. More than that is too much. It’s overkill. Same thing as in music. Most musicologists lift up Mozart as the greatest musical genius who ever lived. Every Mozart piano piece is abundant with what musicians call “grace notes.” Grace notes are ...

2473. Praise God! Selah!

Luke 1:67-80, Luke 1:57-66, Luke 1:46-56, Luke 1:39-45, Luke 1:26-38, Luke 1:5-25, Luke 1:1-4

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... of doing is glorifying God, right? In fact, even when things go extraordinarily right, we make all kinds of excuses why something wrong is going to happen. Some people can’t even celebrate a good thing….they are too busy waiting for the other shoe to drop. Even if we are promised something good---we don’t want to believe it until we see it, …right? But we were created, as our Puritan forefather Thomas Watson reminds us…to glorify God!** Glory God no matter what!! And to trust in God’s gifts ...

2474. Here I Am

Luke 1:26-38, Luke 1:39-45, Luke 1:46-56

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... rabbis explain it as “being truly and completely present in the moment with someone –being available and willing to make a sacrifice!” It’s like that time a young child fell into the lake, and a woman walking her dog nearby holding her bags of groceries stopped and dropped everything and dove in to bring the child to safety. It’s like that time when a man saw a woman fall onto the tracks of a subway car, and jumped down in pushing her out of the way. It’s like that time a young girl stood on ...

2475. What If It's True?

John 20:1-18 · Matthew 28:10

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... poured some water on the little horned toad’s body. Immediately the body reacted by moving, curling up, its tail twisted. It had life again. But the first reaction of the little girl to a toad come to life was not rejoicing, but screaming in horror and dropping the box. It is one thing to hope for a life come back to life. It is another thing to accept that there actually may be an indestructible spirit that can overcome death, that resurrection may be real. Most of us are caught somewhere between wanting ...

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