Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 17, 2006
based on 9 ratings
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Lonely Americans have a third fewer close friends and confidants than 20 years ago, a sign people may be living lonelier, more isolated lives than in the past. In ‘85, the average American had 3 people in whom to confide important matters vs. 2 in ’04, finds an American Sociological Review study.
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Contributed by Paul Humphrey on Sep 3, 2006
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Sez I to myself, as I grumbled and growled,
Im sick of my church, and then how I scowled.
The members unfriendly, the sermons too long;
In fact, it seems that everything’s wrong.
I don’t like the singing; the church a disgrace
For signs of neglect are all over the place.
I’ll quit going there, and
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Denomination:
United Methodist
Contributed by Paul Wallace on Sep 19, 2006
We Tend to Copy
Some years ago, musicians noted that errand boys in a certain part of London all whistled out of tune as they went about their work. It was talked about and someone suggested that it was because the bells of Westminster were slightly out of tune. Something had gone wrong with the
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Denomination:
Wesleyan
Contributed by Peter Loughman on Oct 28, 2006
I was a guest at a wedding a couple of weeks ago at the Botanical Gardens here in town. It was a little buggy, but a very sweet and well done ceremony. At the close of the service, the pastor prayed a very touching prayer for the couple and ended his prayer saying.
“we ask all of this in the name
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Denomination:
Evangelical/Non-Denominational
We all know the story of the Little Drummer Boy. I love the line in that carol that goes “…I played my best for him, Berump, pah, pah, pum Berump, pah, pah, pumBerump, pah, pah, pum Me and my drum.” I remember that as a child, I used to envision the little drummer boy, face pinched in
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Denomination:
Presbyterian/Reformed
Contributed by Bruce Howell on Dec 1, 2006
based on 6 ratings
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And then there is the issue of His leaving the rich communion that He enjoyed with His Father. C.S. Lewis addressed this when he wrote, "Lying at your feet is your dog. Imagine, for the moment, that your dog and every dog is in deep distress. Some of us love dogs very much. If it would help all the
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Denomination:
Wesleyan
Contributed by Peter Loughman on Jan 6, 2007
Let me end with this:
The Plant.
We have this plant in our office. I have it right here this morning in this small clay pot.
It is a small tiny little thing.
And there is this note, taped to a pencil, and the pencil is stuck in the soil.
The note says:
African Violet.
Low Sunlight. Set in water.
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Denomination:
Evangelical/Non-Denominational
Contributed by Bruce Willis on Jan 25, 2007
William Herbert Carruth’s poem, “Dreamer of Dreams,” shows how the rise and fall of dreams shapes our lives as well as creating congregational health.
We are all of us dreamers of dreams,
On visions our childhood is fed;
And the heart of the child is unhaunted, it seems,
By the ghosts of dreams
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Denomination:
Baptist
Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 26, 2007
(Illustration) President Eisenhower told this tale, "An old farmer had a cow that we wanted to buy. We went over to visit him and asked about the cow’s pedigree. The old farmer did not know what ’pedigree’ meant, so we asked him about the cow’s butterfat production. He told us that he did not have
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Contributed by Sam Peters on Mar 1, 2007
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(If available, use the clip illustrated here)
In the movie City Slickers, Mitch (Billy Crystal) is on a Baby Boomer cattle drive in search of the real meaning of life. In one scene he is out riding with the gritty trail boss, Curly (Jack Palance). Curly realizes why Mitch is on the trip and
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Contributed by Randy Brooks on Jun 6, 2007
I heard a story about a train traveling through the night in a very violent rainstorm. The lightning flashes were almost blinding, the rain hitting the windows was deafening and the strong gust winds rocked the train from side to side. When the lightening flashed and lighted up the darkness, the
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Denomination:
Church Of God
Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007
based on 3 ratings
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On the NASCAR circuit, they have their own form of church called the MRO (Motor Racing Outreach). Nascar great Darrell Waltrip helped found this organization and he commented that Nascar is a dangerous commercialized place and they can’t always get away to go back to their church. He said: “If you
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Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007
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John Hess Yoder writes in Leadership magazine:
While serving as a missionary in Laos, I discovered an illustration of the kingdom of God. Before the colonialists imposed national boundaries, the kings of Laos and Vietnam reached an agreement on taxation in the border areas. Those who ate
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Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007
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I love to tell the story about the little boy who was scared to death of bees and their sting - one day a bee came flying into his room and he was so afraid.
His Dad walked in the room and saw what was going on. He snatched the bee out of the air and squeezed it. When he did the bee stung him and
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Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007
based on 4 ratings
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In Coping With Your Own Death.
1. WINSTON CHURCHILL had planned his funeral, which took place in Saint Paul’s Cathedral. He included many of the great hymns of the church and used the eloquent Anglican liturgy. At his direction a bugler, positioned high in the dome of Saint Paul’s, intoned, after
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Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007
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THE FLAG AND THE CROSS - Several times during my ministry I shared in military funerals. Finally a very significant lesson dawned. I’ve seen military funerals on the news, and have participated in six or seven across the years. And not once have I seen the American flag go down with the deceased.
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