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 2626 to 2650 of 4943 results

2626. Stay the Course

Luke 21:5-19

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Can you spot a liar? Can you detect whether someone is telling you the truth or not? Many of us can unconsciously detect a lie without consciously knowing why. Others find it hard to tell the difference. Those who study lying say that if you or I tell a fib, we will reveal ourselves easily by our facial expressions, lack of eye contact, restlessness, or discomfort. This is because somewhere inside, we feel uncomfortable with our own inauthenticity. Most people are terrible liars. A few get better at it as ...

2627. Framed by Love

John 14:15-21

Sermon

April Yamasaki

On my writing desk at home, I have a framed photo of my husband taken a number of years ago. It’s a simple head and shoulders pose on a plain background in a slender gold-toned frame from a drug store. In other words, objectively speaking, the photo and its frame are really nothing special. They have no particular artistic or monetary value in the marketplace. Yet no matter how full my desk gets with books and files, papers and more papers, there’s always room for that photo too, because I think of it as ...

2628. The Paradox of the Yoke

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Most people would not prefer to be fastened into a yoke. Yokes are rigid. They are entrapping. They are hard, and they are inhibiting. Yet, you wouldn’t want to plow a field without one –if you lived in the first century that is. Think of it perhaps this way. You’re going on a hike through the wilderness. In order to survive well, you carry a fairly heavy, bulky backpack on your back. It may feel uncomfortable, hot, and annoying, but without it, you’re left to fend for yourself in the mountains and the ...

2629. “The Words of the Lord Are Flawless, Like Silver Purified in a Crucible”

Psalm 12:1-8

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: In a society where lies and falsehood constitute the “ethical norm,” God’s flawless words reset the standard and are of a seamless piece with God’s character. Understanding the Text Psalm 12 has features of an individual lament (12:1–2), the cause of the lament clearly being the depletion of the righteous and the occupation of society by liars and deceivers. Psalm 12 fills out the picture of the scenario outlined in Psalm 11: “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” ...

2630. Zion's New Name

Isaiah 62:1-12

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

Five Responses to Yahweh’s Promises: Chapters 61 and 62 recapitulate much of chapter 60, but they do so in a new framework. They offer five responses to those promises. Whereas the prophet’s word was a brisk preliminary to Yahweh’s word in 59:21–60:22, in chapters 61–62 the prophet speaks a number of times in a way that has significance in its own right but also introduces recapitulations of the promises. Accounts of a prophet’s own experience or actions appear in the OT because the testimony is in some ...

2631. God Is Like...

Isaiah 40:18-31 · John 1:1-14

Sermon

Kenneth L. Gibble

With some things, once you get started, it’s hard to stop. Things like eating salted peanuts and reading a good murder mystery and doing a challenging crossword puzzle. Or, in my own case, preaching sermons in a series entitled “God is like…” In that first sermon of the series I said: My purpose is simply to help all of us appreciate and understand more about God and to discover appropriate responses to this Holy One. I hope our exploration will provide both comfort and challenge. And I expect some ...

2632. Holy Goat!

Leviticus 16:1-34, John 20:24-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Hide and seek is everyone’s favorite game as a child. And as an adult. What irony that children play and pretend to hide, then are delighted to be discovered and come out of hiding. But adults hide for real! And for very different reasons! We may not physically hide. But can we emotionally and spiritually hide! And we have no intention of being discovered! For any number of reasons, we adults find it extremely hard to allow anyone to discover the deep reaches and recesses of our souls. We adults find it ...

2633. A Call To Community

Acts 16:6-10

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

Years ago, this advertisement appeared in the classifieds of a local newspaper: "Husband says either he or puppies must go. Puppies are playful and cute. Husband is grouchy and unsympathetic. Your choice free." It just may be that our biggest challenge in life is relationships. At home and in the community, we struggle to make positive contributions to our relationship with others. Even within the community of faith, relationships require effort. In today's passage of scripture we see three states in our ...

2634. Anybody Listening?

Mark 6:1-6

Sermon

William G. Carter

His name was George, and he sat in the back row of the sanctuary on the preacher's right. A permanent scowl was chiseled on his face. His posture announced to all that he was a man not easily pleased. Ushers tip-toed around him. Whenever his name came up in conversation around church hallways, someone would always ask, "Why does a grouch like that keep coming to worship?" No one ever came up with an answer. One thing was certain -- George was particularly hard on preachers. "I have heard hundreds of ...

2635. Prepared Servants

Luke 12:35-48

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

Watching. Waiting. Preparedness. Servanthood. These are key words that appear in Jesus' teachings and parables in the Gospel accounts. We are told by advertising experts that a product name must be repeated several times before people remember and can identify it. Either Jesus repeated the message frequently so people would remember it, or it was a constant theme which he used in many different ways and on different occasions. In any event it is a theme that occurs so often in the Gospels that it must be ...

2636. The Pastor Who Created A Monster

Haggai 1:1-15, Haggai 2:1-9

Sermon

Thomas G. Rogers

As Pastor Jenkins walked through the church fellowship hall he could not help overhearing part of a conversation between two members of his congregation. What he heard troubled him. The members were standing in front of the big thermometer sign that the building committee had made. Five years ago the church had begun a fund campaign for a new sanctuary. The building committee had painted a big thermometer on a four-by-ten-foot sheet of plywood. The measurement markings on the thermometer were labeled, not ...

2637. Heaven's Wait

Joshua 24:1-27

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

Some things in life are inevitable. It doesn't matter who you are, where you live, or what you do. It makes no difference how powerful, how popular, or how prominent you've grown. One's accumulated wealth or wisdom is of little, if any, significance. Regardless of effort or endeavor, there are truths so tightly woven into the fabric of human existence that they become unalterable and absolute -- sureties which each and every one of us will encounter sooner or later. Benjamin Franklin, for instance, may ...

2638. Let It Go!

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

Elaine M. Ward

Long ago there was an ancient bell that was famous for its beautiful tone. It had been commissioned by the king. The king's advisors had told him that making a huge temple bell would secure the nation from foreign invasion. The specialist who cast the bell had produced several failures until he concluded that the only way to produce a great bell was to sacrifice a young maiden. Soldiers were sent to find and fetch such a young girl. Coming upon a poor mother in a farm village with her small daughter, they ...

2639. Holy Hype

Matthew 11:1-19

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme: We can miss the man, Jesus, if we become enthralled with His works. We can miss the Father if we cannot see Jesus. Summary: A slick public relations person is telephoning Jesus to set up a glitzy itinerary to promote Jesus' ministry. Jesus tells him He doesn't need that. (A monologue) Playing Time: 3 minutes Setting: Anywhere Props: A mobile phone Costumes: A sharp suit Time: The present Cast: HARRY (This character could be male or female) HARRY: (ON THE PHONE) Hello, uh, hello. This is Mr. Hastings ...

2640. Epiphany 8

Mark 2:18-22, Mark 2:13-17

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Liturgical Color: Green Theme: Jesus Eating with "Sinners," and Jesus Questioned about Fasting. THE COMMUNITY GATHERS Alternative Idea On the last Sunday of Epiphany, begin a seven-week series on "Jesus' Seven Last Words from the Cross." Use this as a liaison between Epiphany and Lent. Then, on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday, speak on the theme, "The Seven Last Words of the Church," namely, "We've Never Done It That Way Before." This will lead in to the Easter theme, "God's Seven Last Words, or First Word ...

2641. Proper 13

Colossians 3:1-17, Hosea 11:1-11, Luke 12:13-21

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Hosea 11:1-11 Yahweh so loves his disobedient people that he cannot give them up to destruction. In one of the most moving passages in the Old Testament (Lesson 1), Israel is pictured as Yahweh's prodigal son. Hosea sees God and the nation as a loving father and his rebellious son. As a loving father Yahweh loves Israel when a child, brought him out of slavery in Egypt, and cared for him in the wilderness. He took his child in his arms, taught him to walk, and nurtured him. In ...

2642. Father's Day

Luke 11:1-13

Children's Sermon

Tim Carpenter

Exegetical Aim: Why God created dads. Props: A jar with a lid that's very tight, a necktie, a TV remote control, and a pair of men's work gloves Lesson: [Bring out the items in a bag or box so that no one can see all of them. First, hold up the jar with the tight lid. Make sure that it is too tight to be opened by a small child. Ask a smaller child if they can open it.] When I was a child and couldn't open a jar, I would always give it to someone who could. Do you know who it was?" (dad) That's right. One ...

2643. Passion Sunday

Mk 14:1 - 15:47 · Isa 50:4-9 · Phil 2:5-11 · Ps 31:9-16

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

THIS WEEK'S TEXT Revised Common: Isaiah 50:4-9a · Philippians 2:5-11 · Mark 14:1--15:47 or Mark 15:1-39 (40-47) Roman Catholic: Isaiah 50:4-7 · Philippians 2:6-11 · Mark 14:1--15:47 Episcopal: Isaiah 45:21-25 or Isaiah 52:13--53:12 · Philippians 2:5-11 · Mark (14:32-72) or 15:1-39 (40-47) COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Isaiah 50:4-9a The third servant song. The Lord gives his servant the task of comforting his beaten people. His efforts meet with rejection and abuse but his faith in Yahweh remains unwavering. Lesson ...

2644. Proper 13

Ephesians 4:1-16, 2 Samuel 12:1-31, John 6:25-59

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: Receiving the true bread of life, Jesus Christ. COMMENTARY Old Testament: 2 Samuel 11:26--12:13a This text continues the story of David's sin with Bathsheba and spells out the consequences. After Bathsheba's period of mourning, David brings her into his household and marries her. He might have thought that he had gotten away with his crime when Nathan the prophet tells him the story of the rich man who took the poor man's little ewe lamb to slaughter for a feast. David unknowingly pronounces ...

2645. Real Solutions To Real Problems

John 21:1-14

Sermon

Lee Griess

There's a story of a man who went to his doctor complaining about terrible neck pains, throbbing headaches, and recurring dizzy spells. The doctor examined him carefully and pronounced, "I'm sorry but I have bad news for you. The diagnosis is not good. But from what I can tell, you must have an unspecified brain tumor causing the problem. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do for you. It seems that you have only six months to live." The doomed man left the doctor's office shaken and crushed, but he ...

2646. 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 ...

2647. Alarm Clocks and Promises

Galatians 4:28

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: Alarm clock Good morning, boys and girls, I could have said, "Good morning to all of the children of promise," but I wasn't sure that you would know what I meant. Are you "children of promise?" You probably don't know what I mean, so I am going to explain it to you. I brought a friend this morning whom I know you are going to love. His name is Albert the Alarm Clock. Good old Albert, he certainly does enjoy his work. Now Albert is part of a promise. What is a promise? (Wait for their reply.) That's ...

2648. Tilted Haloes

Mark 3:20-30

Sermon

James Weekley

And the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for people were saying, "He is beside himself." And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said. "He is possessed by Beelzebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons. "And he called them to him, and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that ...

2649. How To Become What You Are

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

Erskine White

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. (Luke 21:28) What are you? If I asked you that question right now, you might come up with many different answers. You might say, "I am a wife," or a husband, a mother or a father, a grandmother or grandfather. You might say, "I am someone's son," or daughter, or a brother or sister to so-and-so. In other words, you might define yourself in terms of your family relationships or other relationships which are important to you. You might say, "I am Italian- ...

2650. Unpredictable

1 John 1:4b

Children's Sermon

Object: two balloons not yet blown up Good morning, boys and girls. It's past Easter now, but what happens next in the rest of the Bible is almost more exciting than the part about Jesus being alive. I brought two balloons. I like to blow up balloons and see where they go when I let them go. (Blow up a balloon and then let it go without tying it.) Watch out and keep your mouth closed! Where did it go? (While they are getting it, blow up the other one and let it go.) Let's do it a few more times. (Blow them ...

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