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 4943 results

2526. The Coat Off Your Back

Luke 3:7-18

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

Thanksgiving — cornucopias, fall harvests, turkey and pumpkin pie, corn stalks, and scarecrows — outward signs associated with the holiday we celebrated only seventeen days ago. Even before Halloween and Thanksgiving ended, holiday colors had changed. Orange pumpkin lights were replaced by white or multicolored twinkling lights. A small town policeman looks forward every year to hanging his outside Christmas lights. His goal is to measure up to Chevy Chase's outlandish display in the movie, Christmas ...

2527. Ignite: Set On Fire!

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

James Merritt

Without question, perhaps the most famous well-known name outside of politics and entertainment would be Billy Graham. Of all the stories I’ve ever heard about Dr. Graham, probably my favorite is the time when he was going to a certain city to do one of his crusades. There were some critics who didn’t particularly care for either his style or his methods. They didn’t want him to come. They called a press conference and said, “If we let that man come to our city and preach his message he will set the church ...

2528. Out on a Limb

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Anonymity means safety to many of us. Why do people feel more comfortable speaking up online rather than face-to-face? Why do people feel more comfortable blending into a group rather than standing out? Why do people feel more brave and empowered texting rather than speaking in person or on the phone? Why do people feel safer sitting in the back of the room (or the church) rather than up front and center? Why do people feel they can open up to a psychologist or counselor who doesn’t know them rather than ...

2529. Promises Kept In Unusual Way

Jeremiah 23:1-8

Sermon

Robert P. Hines

General Douglas MacArthur was one of the great heroes of World War II. He was greatly admired by many people, and well loved by the people of the Philippines. One reason for the admiration and love was that he kept an important promise. When the Japanese invasion forced MacArthur to retreat from the Philippines, he promised he would return. Standing in the water in March 1942, before he embarked on a voyage to the safety of Australia, the general promised, "I shall return." And he did. In October 1944, ...

2530. Expecting the Unexpected

Judges 4:1-24

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

Whoever started the tradition of referring to the various documents of the Bible as "books" probably meant well. However, it seems to me, this rather generic designation often obscures an important truth: namely, that the "books" are, in fact, an extremely diverse body of literature -- containing everything from laws to letters, and poetry to prophecy. Even a casual reader soon realizes that the so-called "Good Book" is actually an eclectic collection of pieces written over the course of centuries by God ...

2531. The Politics Of The Saints

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

Larry R. Kalajainen

During the last presidential election, you may have seen the comic strip "Frank and Earnest" where Frank is sitting on an airplane with a worried look on his face, and he asks the stewardess, "Are there any air bags on this plane?" She replies, "There are a couple of congressmen up in first class." By the time the presidential election campaign wound down to its final hours, most of us were eagerly looking forward to a little relief from listening to the air bags. All those speeches that said nothing. All ...

2532. Proper 22

Philippians 4:2-9, Philippians 3:1-11, Philippians 3:12-4:1, Isaiah 5:1-7, Exodus 20:1-21, Matthew 21:33-46

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: God's judgment on those who do not produce the fruits of righteousness. In the Isaiah text, God pronounces Israel an unfit fruit and votes to let it go fallow. In the Gospel parable of the Unfaithful Tenants, the Lord promises to take the kingdom away from Israel and give it to a nation producing the fruits of righteousness. COMMENTARY Old Testament: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 God had, in his grace, freed the Hebrews from their slavery in Egypt and was leading them into the Promised Land. To govern ...

2533. Proper 9

2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10, Mark 6:1-13, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: God gives us the authority to bring in his kingdom through our strengths and our weaknesses. COMMENTARY Old Testament: 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 David first serves as king of Judah, with his capital at Hebron, for a period of seven years. The leaders of the northern tribes of Israel come to him at Hebron and they agree to make him king over the northern tribes. David's army captures the city of Jerusalem from its inhabitants and it becomes the capital of the united kingdom. David reigns as king of Israel ...

2534. The Politics Of The Saints

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

Larry R. Kalajainen

2535. Words As Images

Sermon

Michael Rogness

... we are addressing a generation accustomed to acting primarily on visual stimuli ... In our modern age the preacher must therefore translate the biblical message into one that awakens all the senses, into words that cause a congregation also to see and feel and smell and taste. Otherwise the people listening may never hear the words in which the gospel is framed.15 -- Elizabeth Achtemeier The printed word communicates by a line of thought. Television communicates by images. Clearly we must use language ...

2536. A Seeking Savior

Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

W. Robert McClelland

Christian thinking about salvation has divided itself into two main streams which I like to think of as: "Monkey-hold" salvation or "Cat-hold" salvation. The difference in theological viewpoint is seen in how monkeys and cats protect their young. A mother monkey will sound the alarm when danger lurks. The baby monkeys come running to her and hold tightly to her fur as she runs to safety. A mother cat, on the other hand, picks her kittens up by the nape of the neck and carries them in her mouth out of harm' ...

2537. Small Church Communion

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

Steven Burt

A while ago I attended a wedding at a Roman Catholic church on suburban Long Island. I had never been there before, and when I drove into the parking lot and saw the church, I was stunned. It was huge, almost twice as big as the high school I attended, where our graduating class consisted of 76 students. Inside it was more of the same. The sanctuary was like a small cathedral and it awed me. It could seat between 1,500 and 2,000 comfortably, and the 125 who came for the wedding were swallowed up in it. The ...

2538. The Godness Of God

Exodus 3:1-22

Sermon

Ex-Senator Sam Ervin tells about a man known as the most ignorant man of Burke County, North Carolina. When he was asked if he knew what county he lived in, he said, "Nope." Did he know the name of his state? "Nope." Then he was asked whether he had ever heard of Jesus Christ. "No," he answered. Finally, in desperation, they asked him if he had ever heard of God. "I believe I have," he replied "Is his last name Damn?" This might be considered a very unusual case, but this is just about all that many know ...

2539. Welcome to the Training Table!

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

Much of the business of the human race has been conducted over the dinner table. There are several reasons for that. One of them is convenience: In the harried pace of life - and it was so in ancient times as often as it is today - mealtime, which everybody had to take time for anyway, became as convenient a time as any to communicate, to take care of things, to check signals, and generally to keep in touch. In fact, many families only see each other when they’re eating and, at that, often only at certain ...

2540. The Forgiven and the Forgiving

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

The miracle of Christ is that strange power that enables me to know that I have been forgiven and, therefore, by grace to possess in my own life the strange and wonderful capability of forgiving others. We want justice. No, we don’t! We want mercy. I have done things in my life that I cannot now straighten out. I need mercy. I need forgiveness. I am caught. There is no hope. I have done so much that I cannot un-do. Woe is me. I’ve had it! I can love, and care, and maybe God will love and care for me, so ...

2541. A LITURGICAL DRAMA FOR LENT

Drama

Tom Eberle

Lent In its historical development, Lent was an outgrowth of the fasting prior to the annual observance of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. In addition, those who were to be baptized into the Christian faith on Easter Sunday underwent a period of disciplined training before their baptism. With the ascendancy of the Christian Church in major areas of the Roman Empire during the fourth century, a new problem was encountered. Discipline was no longer imposed upon the church from the outside in the ...

2542. Judas

Luke 22:1-6

Sermon

Carl E. Zahrte

Remorse or Repentance? Were you there? Is that what you people were just singing? Is that what you’ve been thinking? Was I there? Of course I was. Do you have to ask that? My name is Judas, the son of Simon. There are not many people who know anything about Jesus Christ who do not know something about me, too. Yes, I was one of the twelve whom Jesus chose to be his apostles. Almost 2,000 years have passed since I lived and died, but people still remember me. They recall that I used a kiss as the sign to ...

2543. Peter Becomes the Rock

Drama

G. Franklin Gray

Cast Narrator Peter Mary of Magdalene John Jesus Nine other disciples Costumes Contemporary dress is recommended for entire cast. For contrast Jesus wears white clothing. Properties Needed Fishing net Short sword about 24 inches long with broad blade tapering from 2 1/2 inches to a sharp point, painted gold. Lights and microphones as needed. The play is designed for presentation in a sanctuary with no scenery. Choir O Come and Mourn McGlohan Narrator Jesus has been crucified and it is now the third day ...

2544. God the Boggler

Psalm 8:1-9

Sermon

David E. Leininger

We made it!!! Pass out the tee-shirts that say "I survived Y2K!" Some have probably had to deal with millennium-sized hangovers, others are still in the process of sweeping up millennium-sized piles of confetti, and the rest of us are generally relieved that millennium-sized fears of Y2K-related disasters never happened - no computer blow-ups, no terrorist attacks. We made it! No Rapture either, by the way. Some of those who sport the bumper stickers on their cars warning, "In case of the Rapture, this car ...

2545. A Firm Grip On Your Balloon

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Bruce Larson tells about leading a renewal conference in a great Gothic cathedral-like Presbyterian church in Omaha, Nebraska years ago. As people came in they were given a balloon filled with helium. They were told to release it at some point in the service where they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts ” during the anthem, the hymns, the prayers or the sermon. Since they were Presbyterians, says Larson, they were not free to say "Hallelujah" or "Praise the Lord." Letting go of the balloon would ...

2546. Way Down In Egypt's Land

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

King Duncan

I hope you had the best Christmas ever. Robert Orben says city kids have a difficult time understanding the Christmas story. When he said that Mary and Joseph had to spend the night in a stable, his daughter asked, "What’s a stable?" he said, "Picture your room without a stereo!" Doc Blakely said his son is so out of it that he got a pair of cuff links for Christmas and had his wrists pierced. Just a little Christmas humor to help you get into the service this morning. Ron Gullion had a recurring dream ...

2547. Working For Love

Mark 7:24-30

Sermon

King Duncan

According to Greek mythology, Sisyphus was once a cruel King of Corinth. And when he died, he was eternally condemned to push a giant boulder to the top of a steep hill. The closer he got to the top, the steeper the hill became, and the harder it was to push the boulder. Every time he had almost gotten the boulder to the top of the hill, he would lose control of it. It would roll over him and down to the bottom of the hill, where he would have to start all over again. On this Labor Day weekend I hope that ...

2548. Heroes

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

King Duncan

Not long ago, a company in California opened Tinseltown Studios, a theme park devoted to celebrities and the power of stardom. Tinseltown had an interesting twist: for a measly $45 entrance fee, the guests would get to feel what it's like to be famous. Park employees were paid to fawn over visitors, cheer for them, line up along the streets and gawk at them, pester them for autographs. Paparazzi lurked around every corner, snapping photos of the park visitors. Reporters rushed up and asked for interviews. ...

2549. What Are You Tied To?

John 15:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

Two men, walking through the woods, come across a big deep hole. "Wow . . . that looks deep," says one. "Sure does," says the other. "Toss a few pebbles in there and see how deep it is." They pick up a few pebbles and throw them in and wait . . . no noise. "Hey, that is REALLY deep," says the first man. "Here, throw one of these great big rocks down there. That should make a noise." They pick up a couple of football-sized rocks and toss them into the hole and wait . . . and wait. Nothing. They look at each ...

2550. Only a Carpenter

Mark 6:1-6

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

William Muehl of Yale Divinity School tells of visiting a fine old ancestral house in Virginia. The aged owner was the last of a distinguished colonial family, and she was proudly showing him through the home. Over the fireplace he noticed an ancient rifle which intrigued him. He asked if he might take it down and examine it. She replied, “Oh, I am afraid that wouldn’t be safe. You see, it is all loaded and primed to fire. My great-grandfather kept it there in constant readiness against the moment when he ...

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