Sermon and Worship Resources

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2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Sermon

King Duncan

... disown himself. God can do none other than love us and forgive us. God is faithful, no matter who we are or what we’ve done. We’ve seen that kind of love on a human basis and it always inspires us. Maybe you saw the recent movie about singer Ray Charles. Ray Charles never let his blindness interfere with the pursuit of his music career. His mother would never let him indulge in self-pity or helplessness; she forced her young son to take care of himself. The movie ...

2. About That Anger

John 2:12-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... is a time for action. Is there some evil in the world that a voice within you keeps saying, “Somebody ought to do something about that”? Maybe that’s the voice of God. Maybe it’s time you went beyond anger to action. Singer and songwriter Ray Charles tells of having to perform concerts during the days of segregation and Jim Crow laws. Back in the 50s, he was being led into a concert hall in Augusta, Georgia, to perform a show. There were protesters gathered in a picket line outside the concert hall ...

3. Yada, Yada, Yada

John 12:20-36

Sermon

King Duncan

... now to every sigh and twitch, gathers the tiny insect in his hand. He holds it in his open palm. ‘I hear you, too, Mama,’ he says. She weeps with pride and sorrow and wonder.” Later he explains to someone, “I hear like you see.” (6) Ray Charles trained himself to listen. That would be wise for those of us who have our sight. Listen to your colleagues. Listen to your loved ones. Listen to God. It is important to know that God does speak to those who listen. Not audibly, perhaps. We worry when ...

4. Living With The Aches And Alleluias

Mark 13:32-37

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... will it be?" We are to go on with our lives, and live life to the fullest. Many of you are familiar with the Pepsi commercial featuring the outstanding musician Ray Charles as he sings the song, 'You Got the Right One, Baby.' Well, I want to tell you that as far as mothers go, Ray Charles certainly had the right one, baby. Some of you know that Ray Charles went blind during his childhood. His blindness could have caused him to endure a life of defeat and self-pity. It was his mother who said to him, "You ...

5. Handling the Harshness of Life

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... as he sings the song, "You Got the Right One, Baby." Well, I want to share with you today in terms of a mother''s goodness and insight to life, Ray Charles certainly had the right one, baby. Some of you know that Ray Charles went blind during his childhood. His blindness could have caused him to endure a life of defeat and self-pity. It was his mother who told him, "You might have lost your eyes, but not your mind." She encouraged him and at times forced him to be all he could ...

6. Living with the Aches and Alleluias

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... as he sings the song, You Got the Right One, Baby. Well, I want to talk with you today in terms of a mother''s goodness and insight to life, and Ray Charles certainly had the right one, baby. Some of you know that Ray Charles went blind during his childhood. His blindness could have caused him to endure a life of defeat and self-pity. It was his mother who told him, "You might have lost your eyes, but not your mind." She encouraged him and at times forced him to be all he could ...

7. Cross Eyed: Triumph

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... backyard. Taking the lead, the older boy said a prayer. Then he turned and asked little Mark if he wouldn't like to sing a song. With tears in his eyes, Mark clasped his hands, bowed his head, and belted out "Hit the Road, Jack." by Ray Charles. (1) That's exactly what Pilate, Herod, the Scribes, Pharisees, Sadduccees, Caiaphas, Ananias and everyone else who had plotted the death of Jesus was singing on Friday. That was their fondest wish. "Hit the road Jesus and don't you come back no more." They wanted ...

8. Hit the Road Jack

John 20:1-18

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

... the backyard. Taking the lead, the older boy said a prayer. Then he turned and asked little Mark if he wouldn't like to sing a song. With tears in his eyes, Mark clasped his hands, bowed his head, and belted out "Hit the Road, Jack" by Ray Charles. That's exactly what Pilate, Herod, the Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, Caiaphas, Ananias and everyone else who had plotted the death of Jesus was singing on Friday. That was their fondest wish. "Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more, no more, no more ...

9. Uh-Huh!

John 18:33-37

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... as the "right thing," the "right stuff," and the "right one," and once again turn to the Lord. At the time of this writing probably the hottest new media blitz is the stylish and witty Diet Pepsi commercials. With the aid of jazz great Ray Charles, these musical ditties proclaim, "You got the Right One baby, Uh-huh!" It is an ingenious advertising idea that verges on the subliminal: Take one of the most common phrases used in the English language and design a marketing campaign around it so that ...

10. Loosening Up for Better Production

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... this parable. What kind of soil are we? In Verse 4 we read, “Some seed fell along the path and the birds came and ate it up." Let's face the facts. I. SOME OF US ARE HARD-HEARTED recipients of the seed. Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles recorded a song some years ago entitled “Hard-Hearted Hannah, the Vamp of Savannah", the meanest gal in town. One wonders what had happened to Hannah that made her so hard. You see hard-heartedness comes from hurt, hate, abuse, abandonment, neglect, narrow mindedness. I ...

11. The Problem With Being a Perfect "10"

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

... because of a disease called polio. A young man named Napoleon was teased by his school mates because he came from a very poor family. That was his handicap. But he devoted himself entirely to his books and became one of history's greatest generals. Singer Ray Charles was not only poor, but also the only blind kid in his town. Yet he became one of our greatest musicians. You can see him on Pepsi commercials on television. Sometimes bad things happen to us and we end up on crutches, or in a wheel chair ...

12. You Have a Story to Tell

John 9:1-41

Sermon

King Duncan

... Are Insane,’ Seth Myers Says” by Laura Bradley, March 14, 2019, Vanity Fair https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/03/college-admissions-scandal-lori-loughlin-felicity-huffman-late-night. 3. https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ann_Richards . 4. Lectionary Commentary: “Ray Charles and John 9 — Seeing for the First Time” (for Sunday, April 3, 2011) by Carl Gregg in Patheos March 26, 2011. https://www.patheos.com/blogs/carlgregg/2011/03/lectionary-commentary-%E2%80%9Cjohn-9-seeing-for-the-first-time ...

13. Building Relationships

Matthew 18:15-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Today, he is happily married with a fine family, and a responsible job. (5) Some fathers would have real trouble doing that. But in Ray’s case, it worked. If a relationship is important to you, sooner or later you will need to swallow your pride, Jesus tells us, and ... to Know Them (Grand Rapids, Mi: Zondervan, 2003). 4. Charles L.Allen, The Secret of Abundant Living (Old Tappan, N J: Spire Books, Fleming H. Revell, 1980), p. 91. 5. Ray Bowman, Expressions of Faith (Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing, Inc ...

14. There's God In Them There Hills

Psalm 19:1-14

Sermon

James Merritt

... it life could not exist. Eight kilo rays fall upon this planet continuously from the sun. Without ozone we would be burned, blinded, and broiled in just a day or two. The ultra violet rays come in two forms. Longer rays, which are deadly and are screened out, and shorter rays which are necessary for life on earth, ... 1946. 7. In Other Words, Spring, 1996. 8. Kennedy, p. 42. 9. Charles R. Swindoll, The Finishing Touch, p. 372. 10. Inspiring Quotations, p. 17. 11. Dave Dean, Now is Your Time to Win, p. 122.

15. The Man From Galilee II: The Transformation Of His Call

Matthew 4:18-22

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

... look back at Jesus, we see the reflection of what we can become, and what He can do with what we have. When the London preacher Charles Spurgeon was fifteen years old he was headed to church one Sunday. But the snow was so deep he could not go on. Instead he stopped in ... book; He left in the world as His witnesses a body of men and women on whom His spirit came."3 G. Ray Jordon, Methodist preacher from North Carolina and teacher of preachers at Emory University, wrote years ago, "The hope of civilization is ...

16. Do You See the Light?

Romans 1:16-20

Sermon

James Merritt

... light waves and light rays. The visible light that we can see represents only one one thousandths of a percent of that spectrum. Because there are radial waves, microwaves, infrared waves, ultraviolet waves, x-ray waves, and gamoray waves ... do with the Gospel?” But there is also a word for the saint. A student once asked Charles Spurgeon if the heathen who had never heard the Gospel would be saved. Charles Spurgeon answered “My greater question is whether we who have heard the gospel and failed to give ...

17. The Shepherd Who Loved His Sheep

John 10:1-21

Sermon

George Bass

... "I love Thee, Lord," He would not heed my spoken word, Because my daily life would tell, If verily I loved him well. - Charles F. Richardson Love for Christ is best expressed in obedient ministry - in serving Christ by caring for others who can’t care for ... occasions, we literally lay down our lives in the attempt to save the life of another, but seldom is such a sacrifice intentional. Ray Bradbury once wrote a short story that he called "The Women." It was about a nameless woman and man who had been ...

18. Loving Deeply (Mother's Day)

1 Peter 1:13-2:3

Sermon

King Duncan

... orders. They were casually eating chocolate bars. Suddenly the unthinkable happened. A deadly hand grenade landed next to Ray Brennan. Then Ray Brennan did something quite extraordinary. Brennan casually tossed aside his candy wrapper, threw his body on the ... no exceptions. 1. Edward K. Rowell, 1001 Quotes, Illustrations, and Humorous Stories (Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing, 2008), p. 330. 2. Charles Swindoll, Day By Day (Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group, 2000), p. 130. 3. http://www.day1.net/index.php5?view ...

19. Here I Am

Hebrews 12:18-29

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... and if He was still there, I'd stop and look. Well, he was still there. I know you can explain it as the sun's rays coming through the clouds but to me it will always be a vision of the Risen Christ. But I stopped, stood up on the tractor and ... You can have the money, but what you really need is to give your life to the Lord Jesus Christ." And that day, Eddie Charles Spencer gave his life to Christ. After Eddie was released from prison, he traveled all over the country speaking to school children about the ...

20. Barriers to Grace

Exodus 6:28--7:7

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... to the Lord. As someone has reminded us, “The same heat softens wax and hardens clay.” There’s no difference in the rays of the sun, but in the material on which they shine. It’s an awesome, even awful thought to consider, that whoever ... mail to Charles P. Robin son, an inmate in a Colorado State Prison. A friend of mine who was a part of the ministry in that prison discovered that Charles was an outstanding poet, very sensitive and with a capacity to speak profoundly to human issues. Charles and I ...

21. Lift High the Christ!

John 12:20-36

Sermon

George Bass

... s efforts at reconciling us to himself and renewing all of his creation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The cross is an emblem of death for unbelievers; it condemns them whom Christ would save. Ray Bradbury wrote a story called "The Coffin." It is about a seventy-year-old man, Charles Braling, who is building his coffin in the belief that he would soon die. His brother, Richard, looked on, "bitter-eyed, for a long moment. There was a hatred between them," says Bradbury. "It had gone on ...

22. How Do You See It Now?

Haggai 2:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... you get. Coach John Madden gives a beautiful example of the effect of perception on performance in his book, KNEE. He tells about Ray Wersching, kicker for the San Franscisco 49ers'. It seems that Wersching doesn't even look at the goalposts when he lines up for ... courage...says the Lord...for I am with you...." 1. THE LISTENING EAR, (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1986). 2. Charles Sell, THE HOUSE ON THE ROCK, (Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, 1987). 3. Donald Strobe 4. ONE KNEE EQUALS TWO ...

23. The Vulnerable Christ

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Gregory J. Johanson

... of Professor of Pastoral Theology and Supervised Ministries at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., CHARLES STEWART also taught at the Institute for Advanced Pastoral Studies in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and Illif ... balanced now by his ascent; his humiliation by his exhaltation. An artist has portrayed this by a beautiful wall hanging. It is done in the various rays of the spectrum, with light coming down from heaven to the dark cross, and light now coming back up to heaven in all the colors of ...

24. Can A Christian Brag?

Ephesians 2:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... the world with lots of sunshine developed darker pigment in their eyes and skin which protected them against the damaging rays of the bright sun. People who lived in areas with reduced sunlight developed lighter pigment--ideal for allowing the skin ... blue "grace ribbon" they'd have to work harder. She never caught the contradiction--the hidden curriculum--of working for grace." (4) Charles Colson writes that many people believe Christianity to be a contest with a set of rules and regulations we have to follow ...

25. Cross Connections

John 18:1-11

Sermon

Robert Noblett

... day. A woman once went downhill skiing out west and took a fairly significant tumble. In the process of being x-rayed for possible internal injuries, it was discovered that she had a completely encapsulated malignant tumor in need of surgical removal. She ... boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Amazingly, the throne of grace is the cross. Charles Allen Dinsmore had it right: "There was a cross in the heart of God before there was one planted on the green hill outside ...

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