1. Your thumb is nearest to you. So begin your prayers by praying for
those closest to you. They are the easiest to ones to remember. To pray
for our loved ones is, as C.S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."
2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach,
instruct and heal. This
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Denomination:
Baptist
Suppose that the Super Bowl was being held at Ericsson Stadium (where the Carolina Panthers play but this will fit at any Pro football stadium.) You would love to go, wouldn’t you? What do you need in order to get in? You need a ticket! If you don’t have a ticket, there’s nothing you can do – you
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Denomination:
Evangelical/Non-Denominational
Contributed by Jay Winters on Oct 16, 2006
Arthur Miller, in a play entitled “After the Fall,” describes how we might look at ourselves in this heart attack moment of Lent, when he describes coming home from war. “One day the house smells of fresh bread, the next of smoke and blood. One day you faint because the gardener cuts his finger
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Denomination:
Lutheran
Contributed by Brian La Croix on Oct 23, 2006
I talked last week about the fact that we like to give gifts to our kids, and one of the reasons for that is that we want to bless our kids, and to see their faces when they open the gifts they get from us.
And we hope that the response will be good, right? You don’t want one of these kinds of
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Denomination:
Wesleyan
Contributed by Scott Epperson on Nov 4, 2006
Crocodile Hunter ILLUS. ( one thing to fight with something another to kill it)
In the news the other day it was reported that the world famous Australian Crocodile Hunter had been killed by a sting ray, really by accident.
I loved to watch the Croc Hunter on the animal planet and other
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Denomination:
Pentecostal
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A Modern day example of this is found In the movie Groundhog’s day. Bill Murray finds that he is stuck repeating the same day over and over again. At first, he is very frustrated and thinks he is going to go insane. No matter what he does he cannot affect or change the events of the day. Then
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Denomination:
Lutheran
Contributed by Johnny Creasong on Nov 21, 2006
The year 1636 was unbelievable for German pastor, Martin Rinkart. Amid the darkness of the Thirty Year War, Pastor Rinkart is said to have buried 5000 of his parishioners, including his wife, in the year 1636, an average of 15 per day. In the heart of that kind of grief and pain, his parish
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Denomination:
Church Of God
Contributed by John Shearhart on Dec 2, 2006
You can learn a lot about a person by listening to his or her last words. For example, it is reported that P. T. Barnum’s last words were “How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden?” Supposedly writer Oscar Wilde said, “Either that wallpaper goes, or I do,” right before his passing.
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Not recognizing what is all around us. We feel helpless by our circumstances, missing the help and truth all around us
One ship found itself stranded at sea and unless help came soon, it was certain the crew would all die of thirst. Finally in the distance they saw a ship and frantically
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Denomination:
Christian/Church Of Christ
Contributed by Paul Newell on Dec 4, 2006
Several months ago I read Jim Collins’ book, Good to Great , in it he describes what he calls the flywheel principle (pg.165). I’ve modified his illustration a little and I call mine “the merry-go-round effect”. Here’s the point.
As a kid I used to love to go to the playground with my friends.
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Denomination:
Baptist
Blackaby states this about “Experiencing God” from his book by the same name:
1. Jesus said, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name. He will teach you all things” (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit of God will be your personal Teacher. He is the One who will guide you to
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Denomination:
Evangelical/Non-Denominational
Contributed by Mark Ferrante on Jan 12, 2007
based on 2 ratings
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Stanley Jones writes about a crucial moment in his life when he found himself on his way to what could have been a spiritual disaster:
For months after my conversion, I was running under cloudless skies. And then suddenly I tripped, almost fell, pulled back this side of the sin, but was shaken
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Denomination:
Assembly Of God
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Buddhism has a story similar to the story Jesus told about the Prodigal Son. In the story Jesus told, the father sees his wayward son, and runs to greet him. The prodigal says he no longer deserves to be considered a son, but the loving father throws a party for him and freely restores him to
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Denomination:
Christian/Church Of Christ
Contributed by Susan Blader on Jan 21, 2007
based on 2 ratings
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Captain Jack’s Compass
In the movie, “The Pirates of the Caribbean,” Captain Jack Sparrow has a compass. It is no ordinary compass. Rather than pointing north, it points toward whatever the person holding it wants most. It might be treasure, or a person, or a location. But it only works if the
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Denomination:
Disciples Of Christ
Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Apr 25, 2007
Many of us in this congregation have parents who are deceased. Have you reflected and given thanks for the positive impact they had on your life? One year we put flowers on the altar in memory of my wife’s parents. Barbara wrote a tribute to them and shared it with you.
For the funerals of each
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Denomination:
Pentecostal
Contributed by Ralph Andrus on Jun 3, 2007
John Sculley was president of Pepsi Co during the 1970s and early 1980s
He is best known for his marketing skills, particularly in his introduction of ’the Pepsi Challenge’ at Pepsi Co,
He became CEO of Apple from 1983-1993.
What caused Pepsi Cola president John Sculley’s dramatic shift to become
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Denomination:
Baptist
Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007
based on 1 rating
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Here’s an illustration of delighting in a weakness:
Charlie Boswell was blinded during World War 2. But he didn’t allow his blindness to stop him from playing sports. In fact he went on to become the 13 time USA Blind Golf Champion In 1958 Charlie was presented with the Ben Hogan award. Hogan, of
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Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007
based on 2 ratings
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I want to close by sharing the Devil’s Beatitudes with you.
1. Blessed are those who are too tired, too busy, too distracted to spend even an hour once a week with their fellow Christians – they are my best workers.
2. Blessed are those Christians who wait to be asked and expect to be thanked --
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Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007
based on 3 ratings
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Professor Bruce Riggins of McCormick Theological Seminary met a very dedicated Christian woman working with underprivileged people in London. He asked what it was that inspired her faith and action. She told him this story: she was a Jew fleeing the Gestapo in France during World War II. She knew
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Sermon Central