Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing all results

1. A Reminder of Our True Home

John 6:35, 41-51

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

At the foot of a great mountain in China lived a father and his three sons. They were a simple and loving family. The father noticed that travelers came from afar eager to climb the dangerous mountain. But not one of them ever returned! The three sons heard stories about the mountain, how it was made all of gold and silver at the top. Despite their father's warnings, they could not resist ventu...

2. A Servant Helping a World in Need

Mark 1:4-11

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

In one of German writer Herman Hesse's books, Journey to the East, the central figure is man named Leo. Leo accompanies a party of travelers as their servant doing menial chores, but he also sustains them with his spirit and his song. He is a person of extraordinary presence. All goes well for the travelers until Leo disappears. Then the group falls into disarray; they abandon their journey. With...

3. Funny Things Are Everywhere

Mark 13:24-37

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

There's an interesting quote - from an unexpected source - that applies to this First Day of Advent, from a book you may have read to your children or grandchildren, or that you may remember from your own childhood. The book is by Dr. Seuss, and is entitled ‘One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.' The quote to consider today is brief: From there to here, from here to there, funny things are eve...

4. Making the Situation Worse

Luke 12:13-21

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

When I was a kid, I was often ravaged by poison ivy. The key to poison ivy, once you have it, is not to scratch. Restraining yourself is hard, for your skin itches and you want relief. But scratching only makes poison ivy worse. Avarice works the same way. We get infected, and we want to scratch, although we know we shouldn't do so. Possessing more and more promises relief, but only makes the sit...

5. Metro Moments

Matt 24:36-44; Genesis 6-8

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

One of the great things about Washington, D.C. is the Metro system, a network of public transportation, much of it underground, that serves the District of Columbia and a growing area round it. One reaches a number of Metro stations by taking escalators deep down beneath the surface of the city. Some of these escalators, I am told, are among the tallest in the world. Once you reach the appropriat...

6. No One Knows What They Will Be Tomorrow

Matt 13:24-30, 36-43

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

Sometimes we are wheat and sometimes we are weeds. St. Augustine, in commenting on this parable, makes this point when he says: "There is this difference between people and real grain and real weeds, for what was grain in the field is grain and what were weeds are weeds. But in the Lord's field, which is the church, at times what was grain turns into weeds and at times what were weeds turn into gr...

7. Preparing the Soil for Unexpected Good

John 12:20-36

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

The movie series based on The Lord of the Rings brought to new prominence the author of the books on which it is based, J. R. R. Tolkien. Tolkien was many things: a university professor, a medieval scholar, a writer of fantasy, and a Christian. During the First World War, young Tolkien served in the trenches with the British army, and that experience is said to have had a major impact on his fic...

8. Reasons for Rest

Mark 6:30-34,45-56

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

Jesus has his reasons for inviting his disciples to rest. They have just returned from a mission on which he had dispatched them. He had sent them out in pairs and in haste. They were not to encumber themselves with gear or supplies, but simply trust local hospitality to meet their needs. They were not to linger where they were not wanted. Instead, they were to be on the move, calling people to re...

9. The Overflowing Tea Cup

Mark 7:1-23

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

Sometimes our insight into Scripture can be enhanced by hearing a story from another source, like the Zen Buddhist story told about Nan-in, a teacher who was active a hundred years ago in Japan. It seems that one day, Nan-in received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the ove...

10. Three Measures of Flour

Matt 13:33

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

"The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened." Three measures of flour! Do you know how much that is? It's between forty and sixty pounds! This woman is not Martha Stewart whipping up a couple delicate exquisite little biscuits that together weigh less than a canary. No, no. This woman is a baker! She's emptying six...

Showing 1 to 10 of 10all results

Showing all results

1. A Reminder of Our True Home

John 6:35, 41-51

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

2. A Servant Helping a World in Need

Mark 1:4-11

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

3. Funny Things Are Everywhere

Mark 13:24-37

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

4. Making the Situation Worse

Luke 12:13-21

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

5. Metro Moments

Matt 24:36-44; Genesis 6-8

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

6. No One Knows What They Will Be Tomorrow

Matt 13:24-30, 36-43

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

7. Preparing the Soil for Unexpected Good

John 12:20-36

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

8. Reasons for Rest

Mark 6:30-34,45-56

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

9. The Overflowing Tea Cup

Mark 7:1-23

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

10. Three Measures of Flour

Matt 13:33

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

Showing 1 to 10 of 10all results