Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: take action, take steps, take measures, take the initiative, move, make a move, react, do something, proceed, go ahead, behave, function, perform, operate, work, take effect, serve, be efficacious, play, play a part, take part, be an actor, be an actress, be one of the cast, appear, pretend, play-act, sham, fake, feign, put it on, bluff, pose, posture, masquerade, dissemble, dissimulate, deed, action, gesture, feat, exploit, performance, undertaking, maneuver, stunt, operation, venture, effort, enterprise, achievement, accomplishment, law, decree, statute, bill, Act of Parliament, edict, fiat, dictum, dictate, enactment, resolution, ruling, rule, judgement, canon, ordinance, proclamation, command, commandment, mandate, measure, stipulation, direction, requirement, division, section, subsection, portion, part, segment, component, bit, turn, routine, number, item, piece, sketch, skit, playlet, dance, song, pretense, false display, show, front, facade, charade, guise, affectation, appearance

Antonyms: do nothing

Showing 826 to 850 of 1076 results

826. A Way Made Ready

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Darrick Acre

... The human heart is like a stone tablet, chiseled with an iron tool and etched with a diamond point into the contours of sin (Jeremiah 17:1). Israel blew it, humanity blows it, we blow it time and time again, because sin is deeply written into the nature of who ... sin, remaining entangled in its web. We must turn away from envy, selfishness, unforgiveness, disobedience, promiscuity, and every other act that violates the Creator’s intent that we love Him and love others with all we are. All the wondrous ...

827. What’s the Good Word?

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... mind the famous Playboy article in which Mr. Carter admitted that he had lust lurking in the back of his heart, (without acting upon it, however.) At any rate, Mr. Seymour’s tragic experience cost him his job and highlights the fragility of language and ... s Gospel (10:18) Jesus refuses to be called “good,” because for Him, that word was reserved only for God. In John 20:17 Jesus calls the heavenly Father “my God,” and says plainly, “the Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28) Popular piety tends ...

828. Grace Is Not a Blue-eyed Blond

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... , grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:16-17) The word literally mean, “we have received grace heaped on top of grace.” What on earth does the writer mean ... very first. When Adam and Eve disobey, God recants on His threat of death, and instead makes them clothes to hide their nakedness. That is an act of pure grace. God didn’t have to do that. And note carefully, when the sinful pair are ejected from the Garden of Eden, God goes ...

829. How Do You Explain the Resurrection?

John 11:17-37

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... In John the emphasis shifts to the present. Eternal life is something which has its beginning in the here and now. Indeed, John says in 17:3 “...this is eternal life, (present tense), that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Eternal ... of blind happenstance, or human error, or a materialistic determinism... The experience of the resurrection as the foundation act of the church which has carried the whole Western world must belong to God’s plan of salvation.” ...

830. Afraid of Sanity

Mark 5:1-20

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... stirred up by those whose business it is to profit by it. They began to beg Jesus to depart out of their neighborhood.” (v.17) We may exclaim with self-righteous astonishment, “How could they be so blind and stupid as to order Jesus to get out of town!” ... without him, there would be no “us.” He is our forefather in the faith. (However, I sometimes wonder whether we do not act more like the townspeople who got their first real sample of sanity, and couldn’t stand it!) “And he went away and began ...

831. Jesus and the IRS

Mark 12:13-17

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... Then “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (12:17) On the one hand, Jesus seems to acknowledge that the Emperor has certain rights. The government has legitimate claims. The fact ... conflict ever come, the earliest Christians, at least, understood which citizenship would come first. “We must obey God rather than men” said Peter, in Acts 5:29. But one must ask: by our lives and actions, who gets our supreme loyalty today? I have a hunch that there are ...

832. Holy Monday

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... sermon on Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple. Perhaps that is because most preachers are somewhat embarrassed by it. Jesus seems to be acting so out of character. The late Dr. J. Wallace Hamilton wrote a book titled RIDE THE WILD HORSES! which is about the “ ... the light thongs used by the cattle drovers—sticks and weapons were not allowed within the Temple precincts. (See John 2:13-17) Thus the passage cannot be used, as it has often been, to justify capital punishment or warfare. Any doubt about Jesus’ ...

833. Holy Tuesday

Mark 11:27-33

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... ) According to Mark’s Gospel, the next question concerned one of the hottest issues of Jesus’ day. (Mark 12:13-17) This question was put to Jesus by the Pharisees and the Herodians. The Pharisees were official religious teachers, the Herodians ... who call Him “Lord, Lord,” as with those who actually try to do what he said. (Luke 6:46) In Shakespeare’s KING LEAR, (Act 1, Scene 4) the banished Duke of Kent returns in disguise to take service with King Lear. The king asks him, “Who wouldst thou serve ...

834. The Lord's Prayer: Lead Us Not Into Temptation

Matthew 6:5-13

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... apart over Scotland. It has been in the news media again. It is hard to forget the shock and horror of such a hideous act of terrorism by those in the Arab World. Newsweek magazine had photographs of the blue and white fuselage lying on the ground of a peaceful ... spirits and voices of this world. I encourage you to read and study the word of God as found in Ephesians 6:10-17 for further details on how to be dressed for the battle against temptation. Recently my good friend J. George Mamourian and I attended ...

835. Brokenness and Bread

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... the dead body of Christ. He struck it until he was arrested but 40 pieces were laying on the floor. It was a destructive act that demonstrated well the broken-ness of humanity. A beautiful work of art, battered by the raging beast inside a man. The Vatican ... men and women and creation itself to God. There was no team to do the reassembling. Our Epistle lesson from II Cor. 5:17-21 declares that "God himself, had to come in Christ--not counting our trespasses against us." Paul further declares that any man ...

836. The Power of Remembrance (Part III)

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... Scripture, Paul tells of his dramatic conversion experience. He never got tired of telling the story of what Christ had done in his life and to what Christ had called him to do and be. In Acts 26 we hear him remembering the words of Jesus saying, "But rise and stand upon thy feet, for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose to make thee a minister and a witness both to ... this story he shared in a sermon preached November 3. 1991. 2. Edmund A. Steimle, FROM DEATH TO BIRTH (Fortress Press, 1973), pp. 16-17.

837. Emptying and Exalting (Part XI)

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... of their soul from that moment in which they had the good sense in this lifetime to acknowledge the Lordship of Christ. Yes, by one mighty, supernatural, loving act of God the Father, the body of Christ which was emptied and poured out on the Cross is now exalted and placed at the right hand of God the ... the world to come. 1. Radio Bible Class, Discovery Series, "God: His Trinity," 1992, p. 17. 2. Preaching Today, Tape No. 103. 3. Warren Wierbse, Vol. 2, EPHESIANS - REVELATION (Victor Books, 1989), p. 75.

838. Tripping the Tempter

James 1:1-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... remember Pan Am Flight 103 that was blown apart over Scotland. It is hard to forget the shock and horror of such a hideous act of terrorism. Newsweek magazine had photographs of the blue and white fuselage lying on the ground of this peaceful, picturesque Scottish village. This ... cannot resist the seductive powers of temptation if we are looking and laboring in all the wrong places. In verse 17, James reassures us that "every good and perfect gift is from Above" (not below)-- coming down from the Father of ...

839. The Longest Table in the World

1 Corinthians 10:14-22

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... become a reality. Human hands and efforts are needed but can only be "elevated" to higher ground by faith in God''s decisive salvation act in Jesus Christ. Like the woman portrayed in Luke 13:10-13 as being crippled and bent over and not reaching her full potential, the ... few. Perhaps one of the reasons we have fewer laborers is because of the division in the Christian community. In John 17:21 Jesus prays that "they all may be one." The guards of racism, sexism, classism, nationalism, tell us that God is too ...

840. Thanksgiving: Where Are You Looking for It?

Psalm 103:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... as the food on the table. It kept their souls refreshed and full of joy. This is why Paul could write in I Thessalonians 5:17-18, "Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God''s will for you in Christ Jesus." This is the best place for ... a tradition that is worthy to be kept in every generation. Some Christians unfortunately remind me of the scene in Sister Act in which the Reverend Mother is approached by a priest about keeping a show girl (played by Whoopie Goldberg) in the convent ...

841. Great Feast or Sad Fast

Luke 14:1-14, Luke 14:15-24

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... journey immersed in joy--not guilt. Christ invites us to drink the wine of atonement, not the vinegar of vengeance. Some folks act as if the Christian faith has a bleak message rather than good news. There are no sour saints in heaven--only ... will give our soul, our life, our all. Third, the King has prepared the feast and extends his invitation for all to come. In verse 17, it reads: "At the time of the banquet, he sent his servants to say to those who had been invited, Come, because everything is now ...

842. New Wine in New Wineskins

Mark 2:18-22

Sermon

Paul E. Flesner

... to confront it and make changes because we are afraid of the new and unknown. I also wonder how often we act out our boredom in ways that are unhealthy and hurtful. The writer of John's Gospel frankly acknowledges this phenomena in ... puts it, "If any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Notice that the setting for this sacramental power is communal. New life in Christ is never a "solo" experience. I think of people who have told ...

843. Party Time!

Mark 2:18-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... set by pretending that it’s his birthday. In the morning, as the makeup crew is preparing him for the shoot, he will act a little sad. Invariably, some kind-hearted makeup lady will ask if he’s feeling all right. Walken will mention off-handedly ... apostle Paul writes a letter to the believers who are arguing over petty matters. In essence, Paul says, “Get over it!” In verses 17 and 18, he writes, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in ...

844. Have You Gone Far Enough?

Mark 8:27-30

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... more than an egotistical and self-serving liar trying to get rich, famous, and powerful? That is one option. Yet his gentle acts of healing, his role as a suffering servant, his refusal to be made a king, his poverty, and his willingness to die ... all creation" (1:15). "In him all things were created" (1:16). "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together" (1:17). "For in him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell" (1:19). "... through him to reconcile to himself all things" (1:20). "... ...

845. What Are You Going to Do with My World?

1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Sermon

Fredrick R. Harm

... Perhaps this is a question more of us parents ought to take to heart: what are we going to do with our children's world? The New Testament describes the life of the writer of today's text; he was one who did something about his world. Acts chapter 17 records it for us. Paul and his friend Silas had come to Thessalonica, anxious to share the gospel with the people there. After a short time, one of the residents who was not pleased with what Paul was doing and saying complained to one of the local authorities ...

846. The Holiness of the Sacred

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

Paul E. Robinson

... , to God, to the abundant life, is not to be discovered simply by thinking it through. It comes from a separate realm. It is of God. It is holy. Which is why the scriptures call us to pray constantly (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and remain an intimate part of the Body of Christ, the Church (Acts 2:42). It's the only way we will have the wisdom and the strength to live the Christian life. The way of the cross, such things as radical compassion for all people, voluntary weakness, and crushing defeat, all of these ...

847. Grace in the Midst of Limited Resources

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Sermon

Glenn McDonald

... radically different. God's vision requires us to imitate the sacrificial generosity of Jesus. Paul observes in verse 9, "For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you ... are managing. The farmer in Jesus' parable in Luke 12 is extremely confused on this point. He has been reaping bumper crops. In verse 17 he says, "What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?" (emphasis added). That's why God roars in ...

848. Going, Going, Gone

2 Kings 2:1-18

Sermon

Curtis Lewis

... understood that Elisha is not asking to be twice as powerful as Elijah. His request relates to a custom which in Deuteronomy 21:17 informs us the firstborn son was entitled to a double share of the father's estate, while the younger sons would get only ... God loose on another generation. The Church in each generation must pick up the mantle by retelling the stories of God's mighty acts, thus releasing God's word on a new generation so that they can be empowered for mission. Elijah has passed his leadership to ...

849. Follow the Signs to God and Eternal Life

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... the evening (Exodus 16:1-36). Immediately thereafter God provided water from the rock when the people again complained that they were famished (Exodus 17:1-7). In today's First lesson we hear of the greatest sign of God's presence with the people. The Hebrew law, ... with others, whether it be with our family, friends, business associates, or a stranger on the street. Each word, each act that issues from our person provides a special opportunity to be a sign to others. We, therefore, must ask ourselves ...

850. Being Christ

Ephesians 1:15-23

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... to know that this is not Maxie Dunham’s idea, this is the New Testament picture of life in Christ. Paul’s powerful prayer in Ephesians 1:17-20, which we read as a part of our second scripture lesson is a profound expression of our call to live a life in Christ. It is ... deal with power by serving. I don’t know a more beautiful sight in all the world than to see a powerful person acting as a servant. We’ll talk more about that in the sermon next week. Let me try one more time to clarify meekness. ...

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