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 2601 to 2625 of 4976 results

2601. Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

William B. Kincaid, III

... bring instantaneous healing, but it does create a space where healing might happen. A lack of mourning leaves the doors closed to healing and hope. Jesus may have been saying, "Blessed are you who have not given up yet, who continue to live with pain, who keep going even though you miss your loved one more than you can say. Blessed are you who are willing to walk through grief and not around it, for you will be comforted in your honesty." Still another reason to mourn, especially in those losses which can ...

2602. The Rock Of Faith

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

Roger G. Talbott

... 't call them rocks; we call them "pillars" -- the pillars of the church. They are the people who have been there through thick and thin. The ones who have been a source of strength and courage and inspiration to others. The ones who, in one way or another, keep the church going. Now you may say, "I know some of those pillars and they are not all nice people. Some of them can be cantankerous. They play power games. They are hypocritical sometimes. Some of them even ran away when the going got rough and then ...

2603. It's Your Funeral

Matthew 21:28-32

Sermon

Roger G. Talbott

... again, in an honest way? The words that are spoken at a Christian funeral, whether we call them a sermon, a naming, or a witness cannot be characterized as a eulogy. A eulogy praises a person who has died. In Christian worship, we praise God, not people. That does not keep us from saying good things about the deceased. It does mean that we see the grace of God in a person's life and it is the business of a funeral sermon to point out that grace. I think it is important to say that, because a lot of people ...

2604. Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are!

Exodus 1:1-22, 2:1-10

Sermon

... are experiencing. There are times when we turn away from the rotten stuff that's going on around us. There are times when we make excuses for not finding and caring for those who have real needs in our community. But life is too short to keep on hiding. It's too short to keep turning away, too short to come up with new excuses. We only have so many years to live to the glory of God. There comes a time to come out of hiding. Dr. Ervin Staub, a teacher at the University of Massachusetts who studies people who ...

2605. Going Through The Waters

Exodus 13:17--14:31

Sermon

... , someone else cared enough about us to direct us here. We might think we get up out of our own decision to be here, but chances are it is a habit that was instilled in you by someone else. And I would add that it is definitely the Spirit that keeps us coming. In our baptism we profess our relationship to God, but we cannot take the credit. We have been claimed by God. We cannot take the glory for our inheritance. Normally, our lives are not nearly so dramatic as crossing the Reed Sea. For the most part we ...

2606. Do You Not Care If We Parish

Mark 4:35-41, Psalm 50:1-23

Illustration

Harold H. Lentz

... son. Through the dark nights when he could hear the howling of wild beasts, the prince had no idea that the knights were near at hand for his protection. In life we may think we are alone. We need to remember that a loving and caring heavenly Father is keeping watch over his own. We are never alone. God cares and he is watching over us. When trouble arises, where, or to whom, do we turn? If sickness strikes, we turn to a doctor, or perhaps a pharmacist, who will give us the right medicine. When a marriage ...

2607. Easter 3

1 Peter 1:13-2:3, Acts 2:42-47, Luke 24:13-35

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... , they were asking Jesus to stay with them until the night was passed. There is another sense to the word "stay." In this context it means "to stop" something from happening. Sometimes we implore God to keep the darkness away, to prevent us from being beset by adversity. God never promised to keep the darkness from our doorstep but he has promised to share our darkness until the day breaks. Outline: 1. Jesus shared the traveler's journey of grief and sorrow 2. These disciples were hurt and confused because ...

2608. Epiphany 5

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5, Matthew 5:13-16, Matthew 5:17-20, Isaiah 58:1-14, 1 Corinthians 2:6-16

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... , the word mysterion can be interpreted to mean an open secret or a secret that will ultimately be revealed. Paul often employs it as a synonym for the gospel. The secret of God's plan in Christ is revealed to the disciples whose mission it is, not to keep the secret, but to make it known. Through Christ we have revealed the mystery of God's plan of salvation but God himself remains something of an enigma. If God were fully transparent to us, he would no longer be God; rather, we would ourselves be divine ...

2609. The Nativity Of Our Lord

Luke 2:1-20 · Titus 2:11-14 · Isaiah 9:2-7 · Ps 96

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... Energizer battery advertisements with the little pink rabbit beating a drum in a parade; all the other participants run out of juice but as the commentator says of the Energizer bunny, "It just keeps going and going and going." God gave his Son and the Son gave himself for the sins of the world (v. 14). This is the gift that just keeps going and going and going as it is received and shared countless times down through the centuries. As a delightful Christmas song puts it: The gift goes on, the gift goes on ...

2610. End times

Mt 24:1-14 · 1 Thess 3:7-13 · Jer 26:1-6 · Ps 105:1-7

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... did. We stay alive spiritually by exercising our faith as the Thessalonians did.. Sermon Title: Holy Love. Sermon Angle: We do not often think of holiness and love as being together. Holiness means to be set apart in God's service. Many people tend to keep so-called holy people at a distance because their presence creates discomfort and guilt. Love is the drive that breeches the gulf between peoples. In verse 12, Paul prays that the church will increase and abound in love with the result that they might be ...

2611. Proper 11

Romans 8:18-27, Isaiah 44:6-23, Genesis 28:10-22, Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 13:36-43

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... . There's good reason marijuana is called "the weed." It grows wild, though it is also cultivated by growers for greater productivity. Marijuana is symbolic of all drugs to which people become addicted. You pull up a weed here and there but they keep rearing their ugly heads. Our government has embarked on a policy of interdiction, trying to weed out the illicit drugs before they reach our shores. Drug agents have sprayed fields of poppies and marijuana with herbicide. They have attempted to stop the flow ...

2612. Proper 15

Mt 15:10-28 · Rom 11:13-15, 29-32 · Gen 45:1-15 · Is 56:1-7 · Ps 133

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... good. Besides, one cannot change the past. We must stand ready to let go of our mistakes and move on. Move closer. The brothers stood at a distance, not only out of deference to Joseph's exalted position, but because they were afraid and full of guilt. Fear and guilt keep us apart from one another and from God. Joseph bid them to come closer (v. 4). A forgiving spirit draws us closer to our God and to one another. Old Testament: Isaiah 56:1 (2-5) 6-8 Good news for outcasts. This lesson speaks to two sets of ...

2613. Proper 16 & Pentecost 14

Matthew 16:13-20, Exodus 1:1-22, Exodus 2:1-10, Isaiah 22:1-25, Isaiah 51:1-16, Romans 11:33-36

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... exert themselves to extend life rather than destroy it. 2. Sermon Title: Children On Loan. Sermon Angle: Imagine going to your local rental store and renting a baby for two or three years and then having to return it. When a monstrous thought! Yet babies are not ours to keep; they are lent to us by God. We had better be sure we return them to their Maker in good condition. We must answer to God for carelessness or abuse of one of his little ones. Old Testament: Exodus 6:2-8 1. Sermon Title: God Hears Our ...

2614. Proper 7

Mt 10:16-39 · Rom 5:12 – 6:11 · Jer 20:7-13 · Gen 21:8-21 · Ps 86

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... they cry out in pain or fear, he hastens to respond. He hears the cry of the mother abandoned by her husband and the child abandoned by the mother. In compassion, he saves those whom life has dealt a vicious and seemingly unfair blow. God will bless them and keep them. Our God hears the cries of the oppressed. Do we? Outline: Recite the story of Hagar and her son The Hagars and the Ishmaels are legion in our sinful world Yet, God is not deaf to their cries and sends angels of mercy Are your ears attuned to ...

2615. What Really Happened Christmas Day

Sermon

Jerry Eckert

... empty if there wasn'ta story or something, so the following was my offering thatSunday. Luke 2:8-20 "It's almost dawn and they still aren't back," Matthalmumbled to himself. The sheep were beginning to stir andhe'd have his hands full trying to keep them together if theshepherds didn't get back pretty soon. A lamb bleated on the far side of the flock. Matthalstrained to see what had startled it. "The wolves areusually bedded down by now," he thought to himself. Then herealized that the road to Bethlehem lay ...

2616. Jacob And The Night Wrestler

Sermon

Jerry Eckert

... 've got no guts. You are scared to faceanything. You could have grabbed Rachel when she camerunning out with Laban's gods and taken her and them back tohim, but no, you had to run. Jacob: This guy was in my face. He wouldn't stop. God: You keep asking God to keep His promises and youhaven't kept yours. What a mess you are! Jacob: I turned my back and started to walk away. Oneof the stones he threw hit me hard just above the hip. Iwent down in agony, pain leaping through my right leg fromwhere the stone hit ...

2617. Children

Sermon

Jerry Eckert

... touch. The sun can't melt me like her gentle hands can. And she gurgles gladly when a new sound comes to us. There is nothing that keeps me more interested in life than seeing her interest in some new thing she's never seen, like an olive on a tree, or a peg ... . I've been in this crowd of pilgrims now for a week, and I have sometimes been within a few yards of the Rabbi Jesus. I keep hoping for a chance to get close enough to actually speak to him. But it hasn't happened. So I decided to push through and see ...

2618. The Poor In Spirit

Sermon

John A. Terry

... are poor in spirit is a blessing. Billy Graham's biographer notes the quality of a "continuing sense of inadequacy" and dependence on God as a key to Graham's success. Billy once said, "The Lord had always arranged my life so that I have had to keep dependent on Him. Over and over again I went to my knees and asked the Spirit of Wisdom for guidance and direction. There were times I was tempted to flee from problems and pressures and my inability to cope with them; but somehow, even in moments of confusion ...

2619. The Righteous

Sermon

John A. Terry

... to be satisfied, for things to be put right with the world, so that no child ever goes to bed hungry at night. At one point, Jesus criticized people for saying "Peace, peace" when there is no peace. Feeling content because we are well fed can keep us from feeling the unquenchable hunger and thirst of a needy world. We cannot be content with anything less than the peace and righteousness of God's kingdom. Blessed are the dissatisfied. Blessed are those who possess a divine discontent. Blessed are those who ...

2620. Rainbow In The Sky

Genesis 9:1-17

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

... the lingering doubts. And now? He is happily married to a wonderful woman in a home with fine, happy children. He considers his life richly blessed, nor can he find any explanation for the richness of all that has followed, except that God did, after all, keep the promise. After the darkness, a rainbow. This story I can verify. It's mine. This is the covenant, then, the divinely given agreement into which you and I are called by God: an ever present Spirit, one which is most evident in the simple moments ...

2621. Written On The Heart

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

... a dishonest act. People remember. And once a person reveals himself as dishonest, later claims to having changed can sound empty since the person who will steal and cheat may easily lie. This is not to say we don't give such a person another chance. But reality is, we keep a close eye on such a person and his or her reputation is never the same. Family. How would it feel to know that one of your parents or one of your children had cheated? Of course, that should not in any way reflect on you. And yet, there ...

2622. Standing Firm

Isaiah 50:1-11

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

... wrong, and we know it. We've already figured that out and are trying to make amends. Sometimes we run afoul of the judgmental person. Ann Landers included in her column a poem which concluded with these lines: I am willing to trust in thy mercy, to keep the commandments thou'st taught. But deliver me, Lord, from the judgment of the saints who have never been caught. But some criticism is legitimate. The healthy-minded person is one who can listen to criticism and weigh it honestly. I recall the time a woman ...

2623. Invitation To Community

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon

William G. Carter

... is evidence of how difficult it is to be married these days. We live in a fast-paced society that undermines our ability to know one another deeply and intimately. Our culture worships self-fulfillment over patience, mercy, and steadfast love. It's difficult to keep a long-term commitment when popular books push instant gratification and self-help. It is not easy to pledge your troth to anybody in a "me-first" society. God wants us to live in peace with one another. Therefore the church is called to support ...

2624. Something To Do While The World Falls Apart

Mark 13:1-31

Sermon

William G. Carter

... of reading the Sunday Times before I went to the worship service." Esther leaned forward. "Tell us," she said warmly, "how did the newspaper keep you from coming to church? Did you get caught up in the sports section and lose track of time? Or the comics?" Mr. ... have been claimed by the strong Son of God. Even when evil and unbelief swelled up to kill him, God raised up Jesus to keep confronting his enemies, until the day they are put beneath his feet. Yes, this is a world where things fall apart. But God ...

2625. Double Image

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

William G. Carter

... the beatitudes in terms of their promised final reward. "If you are mourning now, someday you will be comforted." "If you are hungry for justice today, in the future you will be satisfied." The problem with this interpretation, however, is that Jesus doesn't keep his tenses straight. He mixes present tense with the future tense. "Blessed are the meek," he says in the present tense, "for they shall inherit the earth," in the future tense. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven ...

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