He Couldn’t Sing, So He Whittled

June 29, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

Description
Just got this great teaching / sermon illustration for Zig Ziglar’s Newsletter. Would be great for a youth sermon or youth talk and addresses a common concern among today’s youth. Many are asking “What is my gift and how can I develop it and use it?” This illustration of a famous whittler provides a fresh perspective on gifts.

Here it is…

He Couldn’t Sing, So He Whittled

Antonio was a lad who lived in Cremona, Italy, during the 17th century. Cremona was a musical town where great acclaim was bestowed on those who could sing or play. Unfortunately, although Antonio wanted recognition for his musical talents, his friends called him “squeaky voice” when he tried to sing. He tried to play the piano and the violin, but his skills were limited.

As Antonio walked through the streets of Cremona with his friends, he listened to their beautiful voices. Unfortunately, the only thing he could do was whittle on a block of wood with his knife. One day, while sitting at the edge of the street, whittling, watching and listening to three of his friends play and sing beautiful songs, he noted that the people passing by frequently dropped coins into their hands to reward their efforts. One gentleman stopped longer than any of the others and even asked them to repeat a song. When they finished, he dropped a coin into the hand of the singer, then moved on down the street. Much to their shock, the boys discovered it was a gold coin, which was quite a bit of money to give a street singer. But the man who gave it could afford to do so. His name was Amati and he was identified as the greatest violin maker in all of Italy.

That evening at home, Antonio thought about Amati and decided that he, too, wanted to become a violin maker. The next morning he went to the home of Amati and persuaded him to let him be his apprentice. For many years Antonio learned from the master and in due time his work became known throughout the whole world.

Antonio’s last name was Stradivari. To this day, musicians still make music from his violins, which now sell for six figures plus.

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Teaching Illustrations, Youth Sermons

Sermon from a Salmon

June 26, 2011 kensapp 1 Comment

“Years ago I got a sermon from a salmon.

Here’s how it happened. While riding on a ferryboat to Galiano Island in British Columbia, I struck up a conversation with Mr. Thompson, a dignified and friendly gentleman who served as the Chief Clerk for the City of Vancouver.

I said, ‘I’ve heard that after a salmon is spawned, it will swim out into the ocean, and that after an extended time something happens inside the brain of the salmon, and it will then have the overwhelming urge to return to the place where it was spawned. The salmon will swim along the coast, find the right harbor, the right river, the right stream; and finally it will get back to the very spot where it started out. How in the world does the salmon do all that?’ I added, hoping it would taken as a joke, ‘After all, the salmon is underwater all the way, and it has no periscope.’

Mr. Thompson chuckled, thought a bit, then replied, ‘Yes, that is true, but it is even more remarkable than that. An experiment was recently carried out in which salmon eggs were removed from the stream where they had been laid and were put into another stream some distance away.’ Thompson then added with a questioning grin, ‘When the salmon grows up and swims out to the ocean and finally swims back home, which location will it swim to? Will it swim to the place where the eggs were laid–or to the place where they had been moved to?’

I paused for a moment, then I gave what I thought was the only sensible answer, ‘The salmon will swim back to the place where the eggs had been transported, of course. That’s where the salmon actually turned into a fish and got to know its environment.’

‘Wrong!’ said Mr. Thompson. ‘The salmon will swim back to the original place where the eggs were laid.’

I was dumbfounded then, and I still am, by the uncanny built- in guidance system of the salmon.

What a sermon on the guidance of God! If God provides such a marvelous guidance for a fish, there is certainly nothing fishy about believing that He can provide guidance for us. We are far more important to God than any fish. We are created in God’s own image.

God only knows how much we need His wise and loving guidance as we try to find our way through the jungle of ‘this world.’ And, thank God, He has personally promised His guidance.”

SOURCE: Donald Russell Robertson “Dear You” 1989, Word, Inc.

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Resource Reviews

Only a Youth?

June 25, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.” Jeremiah 1:7-8 NKJV

“God promised Jeremiah that He would deliver him personally–‘your life shall be as a prize to you…’ (Jer 39:18). That is all God promises His children. Wherever God sends us, He will guard our lives. Our personal property and possessions are to be a matter of indifference to us, and our hold on these things should be very loose. If this is not the case, we will have panic, heartache, and distress. Having the proper outlook is evidence of the deeply rooted belief in the overshadowing of God’s personal deliverance.

The Sermon on the Mount indicates that when we are on a mission for Jesus Christ, there is no time to stand up for ourselves. Jesus says, in effect, ‘Don’t worry about whether or not you are being treated justly.’ Looking for justice is actually a sign that we have been diverted from our devotion to Him. Never look for justice in this world, but never cease to give it. If we look for justice, we will only begin to complain and to indulge ourselves in the discontent of self-pity, as if to say,’Why should I be treated like this?’ If we are devoted to Jesus Christ, we have nothing to do with what we encounter, whether it is just or unjust. In essence, Jesus says, ‘Continue steadily on with what I have told you to do, and I will guard your life. If you try to guard it yourself, you remove yourself from My deliverance.’ Even the most devout of us become atheistic in this regard–we do not believe Him. We put our common sense on the throne and then attach God’s name to it. We ‘do’ lean to our own understanding, instead of trusting God with all our hearts (see Proverbs 3:5-6)”

Source: Oswald Chambers “My Utmost for His Highest” (An Updated Edition in Today’s Language edited by James Reimann)

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Youth Sermons

Never Ending Youth Sermon

June 24, 2011 kensapp 1 Comment

There was a youth who was visiting the youth service one Sunday. The youth sermon seemed to go on forever, and many in the youth group were nodding off to sleep.

After the service, to be social, she walked up to a very sleepy looking teen, extended her hand in greeting, and said, “Hello, I’m Gladys Dunn.”

And the teen replied, “You’re not the only one. I’m glad it’s done too!”

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Teaching Illustrations

Are Your Youth Part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed?

June 19, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed.
I have stepped over the line.
The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ.
I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure.
I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning,
smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity.
I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded.
I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.
My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear.
I cannot be bought, deluded, or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ.
I am a disciple of Jesus.
I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me.
And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me–my banner will be clear!
–Source unknown

[Updated with a video. Thanks Alex]

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Teaching Illustrations

When I Say “I am a Christian”

June 19, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

By Carol Wimmer

When I say . . . I am a Christian
I’m not shouting “I am saved.”
I’m whispering “I get lost”
That is why I chose this way.

When I say . . . I am a Christian
I don’t speak of this with pride.
I’m confessing that I stumble
and need someone to be my guide.

When I say . . . I am a Christian
I’m not trying to be strong.
I’m professing that I am weak
and pray for strength to carry on.

When I say . . . I am a Christian
I’m not bragging of success.
I’m admitting I have failed
and cannot ever pay the debt

When I say . . . I am a Christian
I’m not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are too visible
but God believes I’m worth it.

When I say . . . I am a Christian
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
which is why I seek HIS name.

When I say . . . I am a Christian
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority
I only know I’m loved.

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Humor

For Sale? Funny UK Classified Ads

June 16, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

These classified ads supposedly actually appeared in UK Newspapers.

FREE YORKSHIRE TERRIER.
8 years old.
Hateful little dog.
Bites!

FREE PUPPIES.
1/2 Cocker Spaniel, 1/2 sneaky neighbour’s dog.

FREE PUPPIES.
Mother is a Kennel Club registered German Shepherd.
Father is a Super Dog, able to leap tall fences in a single bound.

JOINING NUDIST COLONY!
Must sell washer and dryer £100.

WEDDING DRESS FOR SALE.
Worn once by mistake.
Call Stephanie.

FOR SALE BY OWNER.
Complete set of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 45 volumes.
Excellent condition, £200 or best offer.
No longer needed, got married, wife knows everything..

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Humor

Misconceptions about Worship

June 9, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

We often have a lot of misconceptions about worship.

For a long time my idea of worship was what I saw in church in my small town in Poteet, Texas. I grew up initially in a Methodist church. When we sang, we sang the first, third and fifth verses. A friend of mine in a Presbyterian church only sang the first and fourth verses. When I was old enough to drive – age 16, I attended a Baptist church. They sang all the verses most of the time, but usually split the congregation into women and men on different verses.

So, the difference for me and worship was the difference between Methodists and the Presbyterians and the Baptists; the Methodists had the third verse, the Presbyterians cut that one out, The Baptist had them all, but only the women were allowed to sing some of them. Then there was the Church of Christ right next door to the Baptist church. They sang the same songs, but didn’t have any music. And there were also the charismatics, they not only had music, but they danced!

There was also a difference in Communion. In the Presbyterian and Methodist church you went forward to receive communion. In the Baptist church they brought it to you then passed around a bag and asked for a tip! At the Catholic Church down the street, you weren’t even allowed to touch it and were fed by a priest.

Methodist preachers tended to be boring and monotone. The Baptist preachers seemed to think the congregation was hard of hearing and shouted a lot. In the charismatic churches, the congregation seemed to talk as much as the pastor!

Yet, these were not worship, but merely differences in how worship was expressed.

What is worship to you? Would love to hear your definitions of worship.

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Youth Sermons

4 Reasons Youth Stop Attending Worship

June 5, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

If you ask youth why they don’t attend worship, there are four common reasons given.

The sermons are not seen as relevant to the lives of youth.
As preachers of God’s Word, we often take time to explain how God’s Word relates to employees in the workplace, to parents in the family, and to lost people outside the church, but we rarely explain to youth how the Bible relates to their situations. It is natural because the majority of our congregation is comprised of adults. But we need to remember that youth also need to hear stories and illustrations of youth in real-life examples and applications of God’s Word in the lives of other youth.
Youth often feel stereotyped.
When youth are mentioned by pastors or other worship leaders, too often it is with negative stereotypes of behavior that needs to be corrected rather than desired behavior that needs to be encouraged. In our sermons we need to balance correction and rebuke with praise, encouragement, and exhortation.
Youth often feel that they are not understood or feel misunderstood.
Youth are eager for church leaders who make an effort to step into their world and understand teen life, youth challenges, and the needs of youth. They want church leaders who are open and ask questions, giving youth opportunities to voice their views, share their ideas, and express their feelings.
Worship doesn’t make a difference in the lives of the adults they know.
Youth have a hard time dealing with the gap between what people say and what they actually do, especially when it comes to parents and other significant adults in their lives. They don’t expect perfection, but want to see living examples of lives being transformed by God’s Word and by adults in the congregation that do more than give lip service to living as a Christian.

If we address these four issues in our messages and in the way we live our lives as Christians, youth are sure to sit up and listen the next time we share a sermon from the pulpit.

For more Ideas on Reaching youth in worship check out Creative Sermon Ideas.

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Youth Sermons

Youth Sermons: Answering the Questions of Youth

June 4, 2011 kensapp 1 Comment

Sometimes it is difficult to find ideas for sermon topics that will interest your youth and have them sit up in their seats and intently listen. One of our responsibilities as youth ministers (or youth pastors) and teachers of God’s Word is to help translate the timeless truths of God into the context of today’s youth. To do this, you need to know the questions your youth are asking. One way to do this is to simply ask your youth to anonymously write down some of the questions they have about God and spiritual matters. You are sure to get lots of ideas from your youth.

Sample Questions for Youth

What are some of the questions you have about God as a youth?
What are some of the struggles that youth today have in living for God?
What is difficult for you in your Christian walk?
What is one question you would like to ask God?
What are some the things in the Bible that you find difficult to understand?
What are some of your doubts about Christianity?

These are just a few sample questions you might ask. Make it simple. I’d recommend you don’t ask them all at once. Just ask one new question every couple of months and you’ll have lots of Ideas for your youth sermons as well as some great ideas for youth Bible Studies.

WHY NOT add some questions of your own to the comments. If you are a youth, let us know some of YOUR questions. If you work with youth, what are some other questions you might want to ask. Please add them to the comments at the end of this post. I’d love to hear your ideas. ~Ken

Here are some of the questions my church youth were asking:

How can I prove God exists now? That he is real? (THIS ONE WAS THE MOST COMMON in my youth)
What should I do when I am discouraged because prayer is not answered the way I expect?
What happened to 1st century Christian’s miracles? Why don’t they happen today?
How do I deal with temptation?
What does it mean if I don’t feel God?
What do I do about bad habits I am unable to give up?
I seem to get stumbled more by Christians. Why is that?
What do I do if media, peers, and laziness hinder my Christian life?
What are the sins the Bible says can’t be forgiven?
Will God forgive unforgivable sins?
Is the tribulation scary for Christians?
Will I really be happy in heaven?
How do I know that I have really accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior?
How do I know that I am going to heaven for sure?
How do we know that if we accept Christ we will get to heaven? Don’t other religions also say the same?
How come even though I prayed about it I cannot draw nearer to God?
How do I know that “God” is the god we are talking about?
How come the Bible Study Guide “Experiencing God” never worked for me?
When will I truly know that this is a work of God?
Why is life unfair?
Why isn’t God there in my worst periods of time?
What do I do about distractions in life?
Why is being a Christian so hard?
We do Christians seem so obedient?
It’s not cool to be a Christian. What if I don’t fell like being a Christian?

Looking over this list, you might find some ideas for your youth sermons. But it would be even better if you ask your own youth. Why not do that this week!

With YOUth on my heart,
Ken

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