May be there will be figs this year

Luke 13:1-9
Repent or perish! I have heard that preached before. I’ve even seen people wearing T-shirts with it on. The thing is I’m not sure Jesus meant the same thing as the T-shirt wearers.

5 Sites for Not so Desperate Preachers

There are lots of sites for desperate preachers around. Places where people have uploaded all their sermons for others to replay somewhere else. I’m not sure of the benefit or justification for such desperate action by a preacher, though I do admit to having used the words of others in my own teaching and have often turned to such sites when the panic sets in on Saturday evening. But there are some awful sermons online, and I don’t intend to, nor want to add to them.

Temptations of desert bread

The first temptation of Jesus is pictured in this image, part of this week’s lectionary reading from Luke 4:1-13.

Transfiguration

What do you do when you are confronted with the weight of the total otherness of God (His glory)? Build a tent of course! Well that is what Peter suggested they do. It is a response to the divine that we often emulate because doing stuff seems to come more naturally than simply being. This week’s lectionary reading in Luke 9:28-43 inspired this latest image…

Video Sermon Illustration 3: Bond is back

Bond is back in the cinemas with the new film Casino Royale. When the last bond film came out at Christmas, To Die Another Day, I put together this video clip and used to illustrate the mission of Jesus (Luke 4). This is a few years old, but it is still presentable…

Running a Diary Room

Back in July I helped set up a Diary Room (a la Big Brother), which proved to be a great way of giving people opportunity to encounter the gospel.

I’ve had a few requests for some of the materials and graphics we used. These include stuff for the prayer stations and a tract.

Download the kit

Video Sermon Illustration 2: Widow’s Offering

Mark 12:41-44
This week’s lectionary has Jesus sitting opposite the temple treasury, observing people dropping money into the offering box. A poor widow steps up, a victim of the temple system and gives all she has.

Here’s a short animation (10 seconds) for looping or illustration purposes. Feel free to use.

R Father

Came across the Lord’s Prayer in text messaging competition on the Ship of Fools website.

The challenge was to keep the text below 160 characters. Quite a challenge if you are going to retain its focus and meaning, because the prayer is already pretty concise in full English.

Not sure this will catch on in church, but the winning entry went something like this:

dad@hvn,ur spshl.
we want wot u want
&urth2b like hvn.
giv us food
&4giv r sins
lyk we 4giv uvaz.
don’t test us!
save us!
bcos we kno ur boss,
ur tuf&ur cool
4 eva!ok?

Video Sermon Illustration 1: Changes

Martínez Lara’s "Changes" is an amusing animated short about the desire for change and being willing to step out and be different. Could come in handy for a semon one day, perhaps something along the lines of:

God is kind,… In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change. (Romans 2:3)

There are many good quality animations and short films around on the internet. Check out Aninmiwatch or the BBC’s Film Network.

Is your theology black and white?

Is your theology black and white? Over at reverendfun, this week’s cartoon illustrates a common problem and the turth that the appreciation of other angles brings so much colour and depth to your world and your understanding of God.

(Copyright Gospel Communications International, Inc – www.reverendfun.com)