Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1 to 25 of 80 results

1. !!!

Illustration

John H. Krahn

With the coming of the Holy Spirit an exclamation point was added to the Christian witness. Excitement had arrived. Power was present. Unbelief vanished. Fear fled. God, full throttle, was busy putting punch into preaching - cracking walls of unbelief, and giving the apostles a spiritual trip that they had never imagined possible. At Pentecost the church is born. It had ceased to be an expectant ...

2. A MIRACLE AWAITS YOU EVERY DAY

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John H. Krahn

Every human being experiences many wonderful miracles every day. Unfortunately, most of us do not recognize them. But just what is a miracle? A miracle is something extraordinary that happens which is not easily explained. It is a stroke of God’s divine genius which adds specialness to ordinary life. I enjoy photography. Often as I look at books of photographs I am amazed that most of the truly r...

3. AMAZING GRACE

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John H. Krahn

God’s grace is amazing in the lives of all his people. For even the most righteous man falls painfully short of the perfection that God requires of those who will be with him in heaven. The Bible says that at the end of time only those without any sin, none at all, will be able to stand in God’s presence. This causes us problems, big problems, for none of us qualifies. If I were to ask you whethe...

4. ARE CHRISTIANS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES?

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John H. Krahn

Are Christians an endangered species? This is really not the most pleasant question to consider. But at some time or another I would imagine we have all thought about it. Faced with an uncomfortable question, we find comfort and assurance in God’s Word. Speaking of Jesus, in John 1:5 (GNB) it says, "His life is the light that shines through the darkness - and the darkness can never extinguish it....

5. BE A DARKNESS DISPELLER

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John H. Krahn

As you got out of bed this morning, did you feel like you belonged to a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God? And tomorrow morning, as the daily grind begins again, will you be thinking as you brush the old ivories, "What ways am I going to declare God’s wonderful deeds today?" Will any of us plot how we might upset the devil, the prince of terrorists? How ma...

6. BE DIFFERENT!

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John H. Krahn

I am told that some people in Massachusetts organized what they called an Apathy Club. The club has no dues, holds no meetings, elects no officers, takes no stand on anything, and makes no contributions of any kind to anything. Does that sound like something you would like? Forget it! If you are interested, that shows you are not qualified for membership. Some people lead a life worthy of an orga...

7. BE EASTER PEOPLE

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John H. Krahn

After the tomb was found empty and Jesus appeared to the early church on many occasions, doubt disappeared, and the early church had overwhelming confidence in the Lord. The church today must live and be about its ministry with the same Easter confidence. We say we rely on God’s mercy for our salvation; we need to give over all areas of our lives to God’s control. What aspects of ourselves are out...

8. BIG DADDY, J.C., AND THE SPOOK

Illustration

John H. Krahn

Many Christians are hurt by even the slightest criticism of their faith. Yet God often uses attacks and slurs on one’s faith to strengthen it. Madalyn Murray O’Hair was invited by the Student Christian Association to speak at a certain college in Ohio. Mrs. O’Hair will go down in history as the one who knocked prayer and Bible reading out of the public schools. Over 350 students, faculty, and tow...

9. BRIDGES NOT WALLS

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John H. Krahn

There are basically two kinds of people in the world: those who build walls and those who build bridges. The great American poet Robert Frost wrote, "Before you build walls, make sure you know what you are walling out and what you are walling in." Unfortunately, most of us have built some walls during our lives - perhaps even a few more than bridges. God suggests we rent a crane, one with a big st...

10. CHEEK-TURNING POWER

Illustration

John H. Krahn

How many of us are in the process of developing ulcers? How many of us are carrying resentments? How much damage is being done internally because we will not forgive someone who hurt us deeply? How much of our daily life is being colored grey by an angry mind quarreling in fantasy bouts with an adversary, an ex-husband, an ex-wife, a relative, a neighbor, a fellow worker, or even a fellow parishio...

11. DEATH: THE SAD CELEBRATION

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John H. Krahn

Before one becomes very old there comes the startling realization that one day you will die. Death is the universal enemy of humankind. Although life has been extended through medicine, all eventually die. Death is always decisive. It holds the only perfect winning record. But for the Christian, death loses some of its sting. It loses the sting of finality and eternal separation from loved ones. ...

12. DEFUSE YOUR FUSE

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John H. Krahn

Not all murderers are behind bars. Even churches are full of them. We all know that those who kill bodies are subject to punishment by law. Jesus tells us that it is just as much an act of murder to lash out at someone with our tongue as with our hands. A tongue can destroy lives and reputations as effectively as a tornado can wreck a town. While destruction is accomplished in minutes, restoration...

13. DIPS IN DISCIPLESHIP

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John H. Krahn

Contrary to what some of you may be thinking, this meditation, "Dips in Discipleship," is not a pejorative way of speaking about certain disciples of Christ. Had that been my intent, I would not have used an outdated term like "dip." We are not talking about dumb people who are out of touch with reality. Rather, I am referring to those times in our lives as Christian disciples when we enter into t...

14. DISCOVER THE JOAN AROUND YOU

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John H. Krahn

Joan is a young, single woman about twenty-five years old. While I was a patient in the hospital, I met her under the sign, "Beyond This Point No Patients Allowed." I was exercising my left leg which had been recently operated on. Seeing me, she commented, "You’ve got a bad left side, I’ve got a bad right side, maybe we should get together." At that point the orderly said, "How ya doin’, Reverend,...

15. DOING CHRISTIANITY

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John H. Krahn

Let your actions praise the Lord. Praise is something you do more than something you say. It is an act of kindness which demonstrates that you are a child of God. You can worship God better with your life than with your words. The New Testament book of James says we will be judged at the end of time on whether or not we are doing what Christ wants us to do. Faith without works is dead. Sure we ar...

16. EASTER POWER

Illustration

John H. Krahn

Easter is a magnificent day! It is the most significant day of the entire year. It is a day of celebration ... the finest clothes, lilies trumpeting their beautiful fragrance, Christian fellowship, joyful greetings ... nothing can be too good. On Easter we celebrate new hope and the possibility of living life to its fullest. God is saying to us that his blessings and love are ours. Good and even g...

17. EVERY DAY AND ITS POSSIBILITIES

Illustration

John H. Krahn

In the "Peanuts" comic strip we find Sally waking up in the morning. She jumps out of bed, walks into Charlie Brown’s room, wakes him up and says, "Duck, big brother! Here comes another day!" Every one of us has experienced similar feelings at one time or another. If we visualize the new day as something to be ducked, we will not be anxious to get out of bed. On the other hand, if the world and l...

18. FOLLOW THE LEADER

Illustration

John H. Krahn

A father was filling out the application form for his daughter who was seeking entrance to a very exclusive college. He came to the question on the form asking whether his daughter was a leader. In honesty he wrote, "No, but she’s a good follower." A few weeks later a letter arrived notifying him that his daughter had been accepted. At the bottom of the letter the dean had written, "Since the ente...

19. FOR UNTO YOU

Illustration

John H. Krahn

Imagine with me for a moment what it was like that first Christmas Eve, the night Jesus left heaven to go down to earth. Like any boy leaving home, Jesus left heaven. Perhaps the Father said something like this to him, "Now, Son, I’ve got to send you down to earth because my people have really messed things up. They are unhappy. Many are lonely and down on themselves. I want you to go down to give...

20. FORGIVENESS: PART I

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John H. Krahn

I wish to consider with you something that each of us needs. There is not even one reader who can say, "Count me out, this is not meant for me." I want to look with you at the concept of forgiveness. "How basic, how ordinary, how unexciting," some may be thinking already. Hold everything, you might be one of many people who lacks a full understanding of this wonderful concept. Back in the fourtee...

21. FORGIVENESS: PART II

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John H. Krahn

God wants us to be willing to forgive others as he has forgiven us. "This is well and good," we may be thinking, "but I’ve really been hurt and disappointed in life." "I’m tired of two-faced people." "Phonies go home," I sometimes feel like shouting. "How hard I try to be nice, and I know that I meet people more than halfway." How blind we all are. How blind to our own inadequacies. So often we a...

22. FROM SOAP TO CERTAINTY

Illustration

John H. Krahn

Silhouetted figures made their way to the tomb as the first sliver of light graced the darkened earth. Jesus was dead. They still couldn’t believe it. It was like a bad dream of grand proportions. The ring of hammer upon nail still echoed in their ears; the horrendous sight of crucified bodies was burned indelibly into their brains. With him had died the hopes of eleven broken men. The sun had set...

23. GOD - THE STILL POINT IN A TURNING WORLD

Illustration

John H. Krahn

I believe that most of us are experiencing the crunch - the crunch of living - of doing business on the planet called Earth. The simple life has somehow eluded our grasp - even things that we could once take for granted like enough gas for our cars, sufficient oil for our homes, uninterrupted education for our children, and the prospect for a raise that would provide us a little higher standard of...

24. GOD MADE ME, AND GOD DOESN’T MAKE ANY JUNK

Illustration

John H. Krahn

There are times in every person’s life when they suffer from feelings of inadequacy. Sometimes we even move from inadequacy to feelings of worthlessness. We feel we are not attractive enough or intelligent enough or as lucky as others. Success, as we dreamed of attaining it, has not happened to us. As we get older, childhood dreams of being someone important begin to vanish. Entering our middle fo...

25. GOD’S CURE FOR LONELINESS

Illustration

John H. Krahn

"My days are so busy with lawyers, people stopping by, letters to write ... and I’m so lonely through it all," writes a woman who has just lost her husband. After the death of her husband, Prince Albert, Queen Victoria said, "There is no one left to call me Victoria." Even though she was a queen, she knew what it meant to be lonely. Loneliness is no respecter of persons. Loneliness plagues us in...

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Showing 1 to 25 of 80 results

1. !!!

Illustration

John H. Krahn

2. A MIRACLE AWAITS YOU EVERY DAY

Illustration

John H. Krahn

3. AMAZING GRACE

Illustration

John H. Krahn

4. ARE CHRISTIANS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES?

Illustration

John H. Krahn

5. BE A DARKNESS DISPELLER

Illustration

John H. Krahn

6. BE DIFFERENT!

Illustration

John H. Krahn

7. BE EASTER PEOPLE

Illustration

John H. Krahn

8. BIG DADDY, J.C., AND THE SPOOK

Illustration

John H. Krahn

9. BRIDGES NOT WALLS

Illustration

John H. Krahn

10. CHEEK-TURNING POWER

Illustration

John H. Krahn

11. DEATH: THE SAD CELEBRATION

Illustration

John H. Krahn

12. DEFUSE YOUR FUSE

Illustration

John H. Krahn

13. DIPS IN DISCIPLESHIP

Illustration

John H. Krahn

14. DISCOVER THE JOAN AROUND YOU

Illustration

John H. Krahn

15. DOING CHRISTIANITY

Illustration

John H. Krahn

16. EASTER POWER

Illustration

John H. Krahn

17. EVERY DAY AND ITS POSSIBILITIES

Illustration

John H. Krahn

18. FOLLOW THE LEADER

Illustration

John H. Krahn

19. FOR UNTO YOU

Illustration

John H. Krahn

20. FORGIVENESS: PART I

Illustration

John H. Krahn

21. FORGIVENESS: PART II

Illustration

John H. Krahn

22. FROM SOAP TO CERTAINTY

Illustration

John H. Krahn

23. GOD - THE STILL POINT IN A TURNING WORLD

Illustration

John H. Krahn

24. GOD MADE ME, AND GOD DOESN’T MAKE ANY JUNK

Illustration

John H. Krahn

25. GOD’S CURE FOR LONELINESS

Illustration

John H. Krahn

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