Sermon and Worship Resources

Antonyms: keep, claim, continue, stick by, self-control, power through, achieve, defend, bear, hope, acquire, quick visit, adopt, continue along, adhere, remain, pursue, support, take up, keep up, reuse, advocate, stay, persevere, cherish, keep going, carry on

Showing 2526 to 2550 of 4986 results

2526. Successful Soles

Illustration

Stay on your toes and off other people’s toes, and you’ll be known as a successful sole instead of an arch heel.

2527. Silent Letters & Abbreviations

Illustration

Sidney Poitier

... differently and tricky singulars and plurals like "phenomenon" and "phenomena." This soft-spoken, natural teacher, with thick bifocals, bushy eyebrows, and silver-white hair, sat with me night after night in the twilight of his years and gave me a little piece of himself. I stayed there at that job for about five or six weeks and I learned a pattern from him, then I was off to other things. I have never been able to thank him properly because I never knew then what an enormous contribution he was making ...

2528. Which Way?

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

... . The canon’s closed. It’s almost midnight in our universe, and we’re on our own. We’ll do it our way, thanks. We’ll keep our ranks thinned out (inactives are expendable) so we don’t have to suffer with the suffering who stay away for unspecified reasons. Or, we’ll take the other tack and baptize indifferentism, pacifying easy discipleship with preaching, sanctified by anything that resonates with Main Street culture. Either way, no blood is shed. We’ll do it our way, with a trim benevolence ...

2529. It’s How It Ends That Matters

Matthew 21:28-32

Sermon

... destination (only to discover, down the road, that he miscalculated on resources, and that, having gone too far out of the way, he cannot get there after all). Or, he could decide to chart a course that leads directly to the finish, get on the road and stay immovably on course. Which of these travelers will celebrate the great reunion at the other end? It all depends. There are at least four kinds of travelers for whom we can chart progress on this imaginary map. Which of these four sounds the most like you ...

2530. Mary, Let's Go To The Barn

Luke 2:1-20; Matt 1:18-25

Illustration

Brett Blair

... ." For a few seconds poor little Joseph didn't know what to do, and a long silence ensued. Finally though, thinking quickly on his feet, Joseph looked in past the inn-keeper, first to the left and then to the right and said, "No wife of mine is going to stay in a dump like this. Come on, Mary, let's go to the barn." And once again the play was back on course. It is obvious that Joseph cared deeply for Mary. He would not have risked his own reputation and protected her's if he did not. But his ...

2531. Faith isn’t Easy - But it Works!

Genesis 12:1-8

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... and fervor: "Standing on the promises of Christ my King, Thro’ eternal ages let His praises ring; Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing, Standing on the promises of God!" The Pilgrimage - (verses 4-6) Suppose Abraham had chosen to stay in Haran? Remember, Sarai was barren - they had no children, no promise, no future. True, leaving Haran meant risk, but it also meant hope. Abraham heard God’s call - accepted, embraced, and believed his promise - and WENT! He obeyed, asking no questions! How ...

2532. What Do You See?

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... "delayed" parachute opening, the "close-to-the-earth-spin," and gasp and wonder if the pilot can pull the plane out in time. Or we go see a rodeo. Men on nearly wild, bucking horses are propelled out of chutes, and we ask ourselves how many seconds the rider will stay on and how high he will be thrown, and how many bones will break when he lands? Evel Knievel rode his SkyCycle in a leap of death as he tried to jump the Snake River Canyon, and spectators paid twenty-five dollars each for the thrill of a few ...

2533. Death Is Damned!

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... cross to die, but since HE died, we look to the cross to live! That was the worst we sinful humans could do ... and it was BAD! "Him God raised up on the third day." (v. 40) Easter says, "You can put Truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there!" Here is the keystone of our faith: GOD RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD! Christianity stands or falls upon the FACT of the RESURRECTION OF CHRIST! It is not one of the many bricks in the masonry of Christianity; it is the cornerstone, the foundation upon which the whole ...

2534. Christians Die Well

Acts 7:54--8:1a

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... There were two kinds of Jews in Jerusalem who had converted to the Christian faith: Hellenist Jews and Palestinian Jews. The Hellenists were Jews who spoke Greek and who had come from foreign countries, made the discovery of Christ, and had stayed in Jerusalem. The Palestinian Jews spoke Aramaic and Hebrew, were rigidly orthodox, and looked with contempt upon the "foreign" Jews. The Hellenistic widows felt they were being neglected in the daily distribution to the needy. So seven deacons, all Hellenist Jews ...

2535. Jesus Gives Us Tomorrow!

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... summer evening, and the girl said to him, "You know, we really ought to get married." The fellow was silent for a long time, and then he said, "I guess so; but who would have us?" This was a good question the strangers asked the disciples, "Why stay here looking into heaven?" No answer is given by the disciples, maybe because none was needed. The men, besides the question, also had a message for the disciples: "This same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw ...

2536. "Hold Your Horses!"

Acts 1:12-26

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... ill prepares us for waiting. We want instant service at the gas station, the supermarket, the drive-in restaurant, the drive-in bank, and the drive-in cleaners. In some places, we now have drive-in funeral homes which let us pay our respects while we stay in the car. "The Register of Friends Who Called" is shoved to our car window, and we sign it while viewing the corpse in the display window and listening to music by Bach in the background. Our nation somehow equates speed with progress, giving us faster ...

2537. Have This Mind

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Craig Erickson

... a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Humbled himself? That’s Paul for you. A Hellenistic Jew, you know. Every true Jew, who has stayed at home, knows that the Messiah will be a political savior, who will restore lsrael to her former glory, who will expel the hated Romans and usher in God’s Kingdom here on earth, centered, of course, in Jerusalem. Many who shouted "Hosanna" when Jesus entered ...

2538. God Is Not Yet Finished With You

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... is the Bread of Life upon which God’s people feed for growth and strength. To miss a church service where the gospel is preached and Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are administered is to miss a meal of spiritual vitamins. To physically grow and to stay healthy, we know we need physical exercise. Isn’t that why our schools require children to take physical education classes? We walk, we run, we jog, we play tennis, we golf, not only for pleasure, but for good health. The church gives us opportunities to ...

2539. What’s God Going to Do With You?

Hosea 5:1-15, Hosea 6:1--7:16

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... as Greyfriars Bobbie. While Bobbie’s master lived, nobody noticed the dog, but when the master was buried in Greyfriars’ churchyard, people noticed him and offered the dog a home if only he would leave his master’s grave. Days and weeks and months passed, but Bobbie stayed by his master’s grave up to the day of his death. Can our love match the faithfulness of this dog’s love? If we would return to God, our old, traditional values would come back to life, too. Today we are living at a time of ...

2540. Heart To Heart

Ezekiel 18:1-32

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... . In a physical heart, we know that heart trouble can cause death. Are you aware that the Number One killer is heart disease? Each year one million Americans die from heart failure. No wonder, then, we look for a new or repaired physical heart so we may stay alive! In the same way, we die from spiritual heart disease. In today’s Old Testament Lesson, we are told, "The soul that sins shall die." What evidence do we have that the heart of Americans is diseased? For proof of our heart trouble, look at our ...

2541. Jesus' Consecration

Matthew 3:13-17

Illustration

Brett Blair

... the number of sermons preached and the prominent pulpits occupied. But Saint Peter said no one had heard them in heaven. The discouraged servant enumerated his community involvement. He was told they were not recorded. Sorrowfully, the pastor turned to leave, when Peter said, "Stay a moment, and tell me, are you the man who fed the sparrows?" "Yes," the Scotsman replied, "but what does that have to do with it?" "Come in," said Saint Peter, "the Master of the sparrows wants to thank you." Here is the ...

2542. Job’s Joy

Job 38:1--41:34

Sermon

Richard F. Bansemer

... foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements - surely you know! Or who shut in the sea with doors ... and prescribed bounds for it ...' and said, 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed'? ... Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? ... Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a ...

2543. Doctor Thomas Dooley

Matthew 9:1-8

Sermon

Carroll Gunkel

... by Tom Dooley when he, as a young naval officer, was temporarily ordered to Viet Nam in 1954. He did not go to Viet Nam with the intention of becoming a modern-day Luke or Schweitzer, nor did he go to Viet Nam with the intention of staying for more than a few months. When the refugee evacuation - known as "Operation Freedom" was completed, he expected that his temporary four would come to an end. He did not go to Viet Nam with the intention of beoming a physician to the thousands seeking to escape ...

2544. "American Express Traveler’s Cheques ..."

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Peter Rudowski

... give you an example of a modern day parable. There is a young couple that is watching a rodeo. Suddenly the man realizes he has lost the traveler’s cheques. The vacation is ruined! In wild desperation and panic, they rush off to the inn in which they are staying. You almost expect to see bodies on the ground, as they rush by people who must think these two are mad. They charge through the lobby. After such a charge, they are greeted by a person who holds up his hands and says, "Whoa - what’s the problem ...

2545. Reach Out and Touch Someone

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Peter Rudowski

... Five days later he was trussed to a cross as a common criminal in disgrace. Three days later he rose from the dead, and for forty days he walked with them. He talked with them. He shared with them. On the fortieth day, he said, "Now you just stay right here. Don’t go away, because I will send the counsellor." And, he ascended into Heaven. The disciples waited for a week. Nothing happened. They continued to wait. I can picture the tension and the anxiety building. It seems to me that wait had to have been ...

2546. "Two Men in White Suits"

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

Peter Rudowski

... class, look at the note, look up and say, "Rudowski, the principal wants you." Then would come the chorus, "WOOOOOOOOOOOO." "Quiet, quiet, quiet," the teacher would respond. You’d look at the teacher, and you’d say, "Should I take my books? I hope this is a short stay. I really don’t need to take them for the whole period, do I?" He’d always say, "You had better take your books." Then you’d gather up your books and everybody waited for you to leave. Every eye was on you. Upon leaving, you would ...

2547. A Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

George Bass

... because I felt myself to be an outsider as a Lutheran pastor, and also because I thought my actions might be misinterpreted by my hosts. If I presented myself for a blessing, it might have seemed that I was simply patronizing my hosts. And so I stayed in my place and watched the proceedings and admired the spontaneous flow of humility and love expressed in that action. And later I realized that the "reception interlude of blessing," as I have called it, shows up our lack of humility as we Christians try to ...

2548. A Person Approved by Christ

John 1:43-51

Sermon

George Bass

... baby had died of a type of meningitis, he and the missionary went out to the home of the bereaved couple only to discover that their twelve-year-old son was also ill. The doctor wanted to take the boy to the hospital/clinic, but the parents wanted him to stay with them at home. The missionary spoke to the father, "It’s up to you, but your son may die if we don’t get him to the clinic right away." Pascual replied, "His life is in God’s hands" - a kind of, "we are sure that he will preserve ...

2549. Call Him a Story Teller

Luke 1:1-4

Sermon

George Bass

... it as a martyr’s day for untold centuries; he might have made the calendar of the church as an evangelist, but not as a martyr and evangelist. He had demonstrated his readiness to give up his life for the Lord and the gospel by staying with Paul during his second imprisonment in Rome; Paul told Timothy, "Only Luke is with me." His life was not demanded on that occasion, and he went on to become an evangelist and, according to tradition, a missionary to Bithynia. But that is speculation; his faithfulness ...

2550. What Is Your Mercy Quotient?

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... were to be a patient for a week and find out what it is like to sit and wait, or to be treated like a number, how would he feel? If the nurse were to change places with the patient in the bed and find out how disorienting a hospital stay can be, how might that sharpen the edge of her sympathies? If the minister were to be the sick person and know what a visit can mean, how much more important might that part of his work become to him? What a difference it would make if the teacher could ...

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