Sermon and Worship Resources

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1. Embrace the Sense of Community

Matthew 20:1-16

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

There's a play by Timothy Thompson based on this parable in which he depicts two brothers vying for work. John is strong and capable; Philip is just as willing but has lost a hand in an accident. When the landowner comes, John is taken in the first wave of workers, and as he labors in the field he looks up the lane for some sign of Philip. Other workers are brought to the field, but Philip is not ...

2. How Wide Is Your Circle of Faith?

Mark 7:24-30

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

There's a little scene in the Broadway musical, Shenandoah, in which this older mountain couple sit down to eat with their son and daughter-in-law. Before they break bread together, the father offers this prayer: "Lord, bless me and my wife, John and his wife; us four, no more. Amen." That's an expression of faith, all right, but it's not very inclusive. Its boundaries are pretty restricted. ...

3. I Am No Longer My Own

Mark 8:31-38; Rom 7:7-25

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

In his covenant prayer, which he offered every year at midnight on New Year's Eve, John Wesley prayed, "I am no longer my own but Thine, put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt, put me to doing, put me to suffering, let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee; let me be full, let me be empty; let me have all things, let me have nothing...

4. It's A 12 Volt Volt System

John 12:24; Mark 2:22

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

In the old days – I'm talking about the 30s, 40s and 50s here – cars came equipped with a six-volt electrical system. That's all they needed. The engines were small – a hundred horsepower, or so – and they had few accessories – a starter (you had to crank the old Model T by hand), windshield wipers, a cigarette lighter and, if you were in tall cotton, an AM radio. As cars got bigger and more po...

5. Little Acts of Kindness

Matthew 25:31-46

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

Julia Carney wrote these words in the mid-19th Century. They still speak to us today: Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty ocean and the beauteous land. And the little moments, humble though they may be, make the mighty ages of eternity. Little deeds of kindness, little words of love, make our earth an Eden, like the heaven above. I like to think it's the little acts ...

6. Lord, Excuse Me

Matt. 22:1-14; Luke 14:15-24

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

Luke tells the same parable in a simpler, less militant way. (Luke 14:16-24) According to Luke, the host invited three friends, but each was predisposed. One had just bought some land, another five yoke of oxen, and another had just gotten married. Given the particulars, each had a reasonable excuse. Years ago, a friend of mine put this together in a song and sang it to the tune of "The Beverly...

7. The Friendship Mirror

Mark 7:24-37

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

A psychologist friend of mine once developed a personal growth seminar entitled, The Friendship Mirror. It began with an exercise in which you were asked to write down the names of ten people you consider to be friends – people you enjoy being with … people you like … people you feel most comfortable relating to. Then he’d ask you to describe them in terms of their age, race, height, weight, educa...

8. The Right Spirit

Matthew 20:1-16

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

This story is told of Yogi Berra. The New York Yankees were at their peak and were negotiating contracts for the next year. A group of reporters interviewed players as they emerged from the owner's office, and one of them asked Yogi Berra about the terms of his contract. In his characteristically, plain-spoken style, he said, "I'm gonna get to play baseball again next year for the Yankees, and wou...

9. What Is a Parable?

Matthew 13:1-23

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

I had the privilege of studying the parables in seminary with Dr. William Farmer, who, at the time, was one of the foremost New Testament scholars in the world, and I'll never forget the first lesson Dr. Farmer taught us. He said, "A parable is a simple story, using concrete imagery, to make a single point." Simple as that: "A parable is a simple story, using concrete imagery, to make a single po...

10. Who Do People Say You Are?

Matthew 16:13-20

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

A principal of an elementary school in North Texas told this story to Pastor Philip McLarty. One day there was a minor altercation on the playground – a second-grader pushed one of his classmates off the slide, and while she wasn't hurt, it could've been dangerous. The teacher sent for the principal. She talked with the children in the hallway outside their classroom. She got their story and th...

11. You Can Read All Day

Matthew 22:34-40

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

The story is told of a little boy whose father taught mechanical engineering at a prestigious university. One day he came in the back door and asked his mother, “What time is it?" She wasn't wearing a watch; plus, she was busy, so she said, “Your father's in the living room, go ask him." The little boy shrugged his shoulders and said, “Never mind. I don't want to know how to make a watch; I ju...

Showing 1 to 11 of 11all results

Showing all results

1. Embrace the Sense of Community

Matthew 20:1-16

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

2. How Wide Is Your Circle of Faith?

Mark 7:24-30

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

3. I Am No Longer My Own

Mark 8:31-38; Rom 7:7-25

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

4. It's A 12 Volt Volt System

John 12:24; Mark 2:22

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

5. Little Acts of Kindness

Matthew 25:31-46

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

6. Lord, Excuse Me

Matt. 22:1-14; Luke 14:15-24

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

7. The Friendship Mirror

Mark 7:24-37

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

8. The Right Spirit

Matthew 20:1-16

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

9. What Is a Parable?

Matthew 13:1-23

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

10. Who Do People Say You Are?

Matthew 16:13-20

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

11. You Can Read All Day

Matthew 22:34-40

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

Showing 1 to 11 of 11all results