Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1 to 25 of 186 results

1. A Beautiful Doxology

Matthew 11:25-30

Illustration

James W. Moore

Early one morning some years ago, Robert Raines got into his car and started driving through the mountains. There was no one on the road (at that time) as the mountains were quietly beginning a new day. The beautiful colors of autumn were splashed all over the trees. It was a magnificent and glorious sight as the early morning sun glistened upon the wonders of the mountains and the valleys below. ...

2. A Drink of Water to a Thirsty Soul

John 5:16-30; Mark 5:21-43

Illustration

James W. Moore

For those conducting Communion this Sunday this illustration offers some strong tie-ins for a conclusion: Have you heard the legend of the Fisher King? When the Fisher King was a boy, he was sent out to spend the night alone in the forest, as a test of his courage to be king. During the night, he had a vision of the Holy Grail—the cup used by our Lord at the last supper. He saw it surrounded by g...

3. A Grown Up Christmas

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

Illustration

James W. Moore

Years ago, I was in a department store doing some Christmas shopping. Christmas music was playing and I was getting into the spirit of it all... when suddenly I realized that I was singing along with Natalie Cole. Natalie and I were singing her new Christmas song at the time. It was a big hit, called "My Grown-up Christmas List." Did you ever hear it? In the song, Natalie Cole reminisces about how...

4. A Mother's Love

Mark 7:24-30

Sermon

James W. Moore

Dr. Tony Campolo is a well-known and highly-respected, inspirational speaker. Over the last several years, Tony Campolo has spent much of his time traveling around the world on speaking tours. Meanwhile, his wife, Peggy, has chosen to stay home and give herself and all that she has to the "Bringing Up" of their two children, Bart and Lisa. On those rare occasions when Peggy does travel with Ton...

5. A Voice to Shout

John 20:1-9, John 20:10-18

Illustration

James W. Moore

William Sangster was one of the great preachers of the 20th century. Toward the end of his life, he became quite ill. His vocal chords were paralyzed and he was unable to speak. On the Easter Sunday morning just before he died, he painfully printed a short note to his daughter. In it he wrote these poignant words: "How terrible to wake up on Easter and have no voice to shout, 'He is risen!' but it...

6. Advent 1: Let Us Go Over To Bethlehem And Find The Faith of Christmas

Luke 2:15-20

Sermon

James W. Moore

This sermon is based on Luke 2:15-20: You may not remember Tom Southerland but you know his story. Several years ago Shiite Muslims in the Middle East held Tom Sutherland captive for four years… much of his time was spent solitary confinement. In his speech after his captivity he asked an unforgettable question. He asked, “Do you know what it’s like to be in prison? To be held hostage? To be a cap...

7. Advent 1: Won´t You Let Him Into Your Heart?

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

James W. Moore

Anybody here old enough to remember the decade of the 60s? It was the decade of protests and demonstrations. Let me tell you about one very unusual demonstration that took place in the mid-sixties. It happened in December of 1965. It was Christmas Eve in 1965 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The innkeeper at the local Holiday Inn had had a busy day. It was late now… and he was at the main desk alone. A...

8. Advent 2: Let Us Go Over To Bethlehem And Find The Promise of Christmas

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

James W. Moore

This sermon is based on Matthew 1:18-25: Perhaps you have heard the one about the attractive young woman who boarded a plane in Los Angeles heading toward New York. The young woman was tired. She knew it would be a long flight, so immediately she asked the flight attendant for a pillow and a blanket. She hoped to be able to sleep most of the way to New York. Her head had just nestled into the pil...

9. Advent 3: Let Us Go Over To Bethlehem And Find The Peace of Christmas

Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

James W. Moore

This sermon is based on Luke 2:8-14: Let me begin this morning with a beautiful old Christmas legend… the ancient legend tells of how God called the angels of heaven together one day for a special choir rehearsal. He told them that he had a special song that he wanted them to learn… a song that they would sing at a very significant occasion. The angels went to work on it. They rehearsed long and h...

10. Advent 3: Won't You Let Him Into Your Gift-Giving?

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

James W. Moore

This sermon is based on Matthew 2:7-12. Not the Luke text above. Many of you will recognize the name of Robert Fulghum. He is the author of the popular book, “All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten.” In a later book, he told a wonderful story about his daughter Molly. When Molly was seven years old, she liked to help pack lunches each morning for her brothers, her dad, and herself. ...

11. Advent 4: Let Us Go Over To Bethlehem And Find The Christ of Christmas

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

James W. Moore

This sermon is based on Luke 2:1-7: The Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful and costly tombs in the world. The colorful legends which surround the building of the Taj Mahal are all fascinating. But, there is one that haunts and disturbs. Shah-Jahan, the powerful Mogul emperor, was in grief. His favorite wife had died. He loved her deeply and he was devastated by her loss. He decided to honor h...

12. Advent 4. Won't You Let Him Into Your Christmas?

Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

James W. Moore

This sermon is based on Luke 2:8-14. Not the Luke 1 text above. His name is Matt. He is a grown man now, a six feet, 5 inch tall Texas, but each year his family remembers and celebrates something he did one Christmas when he was just a young boy. It happened in Tyler, Texas in 1966. Matt lived in the best of worlds or the toughest of worlds depending on how you looked at it because, you see, Matt ...

13. Ain’t Got Time

John 1:29-34

Illustration

James W. Moore

One of the great celebrative anthems that comes to us out of African-American culture is the powerful spiritual "Ain't Got Time To Die." It was written by Hall Johnson and it has these joyfully dramatic words: Been so busy praising my Jesus, Been so busy working for the Kingdom, Been so busy serving my Master… Ain't got time to die. If I don't praise him, If I don't serve him, The rocks gonna cr...

14. All I Want for Christmas is a Savior

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

James W. Moore

Have you heard about the little boy who loved going to church? He enjoyed the music, the scriptures, the creeds, the sermon, and the fellowship. The only part about going to church that the little boy didn’t like, were those long pastoral prayers! He really liked his minister, but his minister prayed long, long pastoral prayers... and sometimes it seemed to the little boy that the prayer would nev...

15. All I Want for Christmas is Hope

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

James W. Moore

A friend of mine who is a psychologist told me once that he has found the perfect formula for getting through Christmas. He says, “You just put your mind in neutral... and go where you are shoved!” Of course, he was just kidding around... but we know full well what he was talking about. The Christmas rush, the hectic pace, the heavy traffic, the long lines, the frayed nerves, the bills, the deadli...

16. All I Want for Christmas is Joy

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

James W. Moore

Her name was Karen. She was the young mother of two pre-school children: Laurel, her daughter, age 5, and Matthew, her son, age 2. Karen wanted the children to learn the real meaning of Christmas so early in December that year she brought home a small manger scene. All the figurines in the manger scene were made of wood, so they were pretty much indestructible.., and also easy for little hands to ...

17. All I Want for Christmas is Peace

Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

James W. Moore

Have you heard about the young woman who lived on a large ranch in West Texas? She had fallen in love with a local cowboy named Tex...and she wanted to get married. But Texas was inexperienced in the world of romance...and to make matters worse, he was extremely shy. She realized that she needed to help him a bit to move this courtship along.., so she took matters into her own hands. “Oh, Tex,” s...

18. Be Careful Which Ruts You Get Into

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Illustration

James W. Moore

Recently, I was driving on an old dirt road way out in the country when I came to a sign which said: "Be real careful which ruts you get into. You'll be in them for the next 20 miles!" Some people get in the rut of seeing life as nothing more than just coping, just enduring, just surviving, just sticking it out. In a recent Peanuts cartoon, Charlie Brown expressed it like this: "I have a new phi...

19. Bearing the Marks of Christ

Galatians 6:11-18

Sermon

James W. Moore

When I was a young boy, our family made a vacation trip to East Texas one summer to visit relatives there. One of the vivid memories of that trip was a tour of a Texas ranch… where we watched some cowboys hard at work… branding their steers. A mark was made on each steer to dramatically and clearly signify who his owner was. Something like that was done to human beings in Biblical times. In New T...

20. Believe in Jesus

Acts 16:25-34

Sermon

James W. Moore

Some years ago on a ranch in South Texas, an elderly woman was critically ill. She was in her 90’s and was at the point of death. All of the family, the ranch hands and the neighbors had gathered around her bed. Quietly, respectfully, they waited and watched and prayed. The doctors had told them that the end was near and there was nothing else that could be done medically… and that it wouldn’t be ...

21. Breathe on Me, Breath of God

Acts 2:1-4

Sermon

James W. Moore

Let me begin with three quick stories. See if you can find the common thread that runs through them. The First Story is about a woman who lives in Texas. She is a motivational speaker who is often asked to give the key-note address at conventions and convocations. Recently she returned home after speaking five nights in a row. Her husband said: “Honey, I know you must be really tired. Why don’t ...

22. Can You Tell Time?

Philippians 3:7-11

Sermon

James W. Moore

We have a young couple in our church family who are outstanding in every way. Both the husband and the wife are highly successful business executives. They are devoted to each other, devoted to the church, and devoted to their two beautiful daughters. Their daily schedule is hectic to say the least… and Saturday morning is the only time they have to sleep in. So they have a house rule that the ch...

23. Chip It Away!

Matthew 22:34-46; Luke 10:25-37; John 13:31-35

Illustration

James W. Moore

There is a story about a man who had a huge boulder in his front yard. He grew weary of this big, unattractive stone in the center of his lawn, so he decided to take advantage of it and turn it into an object of art. He went to work on it with hammer and chisel, and chipped away at the huge boulder until it became a beautiful stone elephant. When he finished, it was gorgeous, breath-taking. A nei...

24. Choose Life

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Sermon

James W. Moore

Dr. Rachel Remen is a remarkable person with a remarkable story. Her grandfather was a wise and devoted elderly Rabbi… and he taught her (from her earliest days) to search for the meaning of life by… - Studying the Scriptures, - Asking questions, - And, listening to powerful stories. On the other hand, everybody else in her family was either a doctor or nurse (9 doctors and 3 nurses in the famil...

25. Choosing the Way to the Cross

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

James W. Moore

Recently I ran across a story that absolutely amazed me… and yet it’s a story that may well represent the “cater-culture-give-‘em-what-they-want world” in which we now live. A church wanted to improve attendance at their major worship services, so they hired a powerful advertising agency to come in, study their situation, and make recommendations. The ad agency did their research… and then sugges...

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