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 2851 to 2875 of 4943 results

2851. Running For Joy

Hebrews 12:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

[Pastor, this self-deprecating introduction is for a non-runner. If you are a runner, you will want to introduce the sermon in a different way.] This morning our theme is "Running for Joy." Most of you don't know that I'm a runner. [Pause.] Of course I don't run five miles any more. [Pause.] Not that I ever ran five miles at any one time. [Pause.] Actually, five miles is the aggregate of a life time of running. [Pause.] Running looks like hard work to me---especially marathons. I read recently a statement ...

2852. Living The Kingdom Life

1 Kings 3:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale tells about walking by a tattoo parlor along one of Hong Kong's narrow streets. In the shop window there was a display of decorations that could be imprinted on your skin--flags, slogans, anchors, daggers, skulls, cross-bones, and mermaids--but the one which caught Dr. Peale's eye was the phrase: "Born to Lose." This made him curious, and he went into the shop. Luckily, the proprietor spoke a little English, and so Dr. Peale asked him if people really did have that message ...

2853. ONE SHRED OF SOUL

Drama

Angela Akers

SUBJECT: Surrender, confession, prayer CHARACTERS: Don, custodian SETTING: Church PROPS: Four folding chairs set up to represent rows of pews Don: "Well, I''m here." Custodian: "So you are." Don: (startled) "Man! I didn''t know anyone was here." Custodian: "Sorry. Do you need to see someone? I can get the pastor for you." Don: "The pastor? No, no, that''s okay. I was just looking around." Custodian: "Well, if you need anything, my office is over there. Nice to have you here." Don ...

2854. Love Is Extravagant

John 12:1-11

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

“But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ “ (John 12:4-6) You’ve got to admit that Judas had a point. His was the voice of sweet reasonableness. “Let’s not let ourselves get carried away,” he said, “Let’s not jump off the deep end. This is wasteful extravagance. This costly perfume could be sold and the money given to the poor.” Never mind that the author of the Fourth ...

2855. Good Old What’s-His-Name

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

In the fifth century, St. Jerome called the apostle we are considering in this sermon “Trinomius,” which means “the man with three names.” In Mark he is called Thaddeus (3:18), in Matthew he is called Thaddeus or Lebbaeus (10:3), and in Luke he is called Judas, the son of James (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13). If the Gospels cannot agree on this man’s name, how can we ever hope to get it straight? Well, I have recently read an advertisement from one of those sheets which fall out of the Sunday newspaper, an ...

2856. The Lord's Prayer: Thine Is the Kingdom

Matthew 6:5-13

Sermon

Eric Ritz

We have learned how the Lord''s Prayer truly encompasses and speaks to the totality of the human experience. We have discovered that no believer can ever really exhaust the meaning of this prayer, but only experience anew its purpose and power. It truly leads us into the "Presence of the Almighty." This prayer has a three-fold purpose for the pilgrim in that it helps us to center our lives, provides a corrective for our Christian walk, and provides comfort for the long haul of life''s sacred journey. ...

2857. Mother's Day

Proverbs 1:1-7

Sermon

Eric Ritz

I think everyone knows today--that this Sunday is the day we celebrate and honor motherhood. It is the day we descend on Mom to show her our love. It is always inspiring as we leaf through the pages of history to see the great influence that mothers have had on their sons and daughters. Our own founder and spiritual mentor, John Wesley, was deeply influenced by the godly character of his mother, Suzanna. There is much debate and controversy today among Christian leaders and pastors over the Biblical role ...

2858. A Passion for Christ (New)

Acts 3:11-26

Sermon

King Duncan

A man was sitting in a psychiatrist’s office. He was complaining about an obsession that was ruining his life. “It’s baseball, Doctor,” he said. “Please help me. Baseball is destroying me. I can’t even get away from it in my sleep. As soon as I close my eyes, I’m out there chasing a fly ball or running around the bases. When I wake up, I’m more tired than I was when I went to bed. What am I going to do? The psychiatrist sat back and folded her hands. “First of all,” she said, “you have to make a conscious ...

2859. And God Breathed Into Man

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Forty years ago, in 1948, two of our nation's outstanding educators entered into a debate which was printed. These outstanding educators were Robert Hutchins, then Chancellor of the University of Chicago, and James B. Connant, then President of Harvard. The discussion dealt with the structure of a university curriculum. The basis for the debate was the recognition that persons in leadership must determine what ideals they would like for their country to adhere to. Human values must be ordered so that some ...

2860. And God Breathed Into Man

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

2861. The Road Less Traveled

Luke 13:22-30

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Scott Peck became famous when he wrote his first book entitled The Road Less Traveled. The first sentence in that book is a perceptive commentary on life — simple and direct: “Life is difficult.” For some, that is an understatement. For all who are alive and aware, it is an experienced truth. Life is difficult. Jesus would concur. Listen to him in verse 24 from our scripture lesson: “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able....” A long time ...

2862. A Longer Stride and a Larger Embrace

Galatians 2:11-21

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, “Look, we are your bone and flesh. For some time, while Saul was king over us, it was you who led out Israel and brought it in. The Lord said to you: It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel.” So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned over Judah ...

2863. Compassion Fatigue

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

I’m excited about being here – I’m excited about what Hope Foundation is doing. As much as anything else we need to pay attention and honor those who are seeking to make a difference for the cause of Christ. I just came from South Africa – Nelson Mandella – In Jail for 26 years – He talked about his Christian faith and the role the church played in dismantling apartheid. Imagine that – in prison for 26 years – often tortured, poorly fed, manual labor all day, sleeping on a straw mat. Coming away from that ...

2864. Why Being A Christian Has Worn You Down v2

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

A mild little boy, not known for being ugly or mean, was being chastised and about to be punished for pulling a little girl’s hair. His mother asked him, “Son, why did you do it? That’s just not like you.” “Mama,” he responded, “I just got tired of being good all the time.” It happens to all of us, doesn’t it? We get tired of being good. But it’s not just a periodic getting tired now and then – the truth is we get worn out – being Christian and practicing ministry wears us out. We talk about fatigue in all ...

2865. The Seven Delightful Blessings of the Word of God in the Believer's Life

Psalm 119:169-176

Sermon

Michael Milton

On the Fourth of July we went to Washington, D.C., and while there, we watched the fireworks. I love fireworks anywhere, but I especially loved these because the finale was spectacular! This section of Psalm 119 is the finale! It is a veritable fireworks of blessings that come to us through the Word of God, the Bible. Taw Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word! Let my plea come before you; deliver me according to your word. My lips will pour forth praise, for you ...

2866. A Cloud of Witness

Hebrews 12:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

It was baseball season in a small Pennsylvania town. If you know anything about Little League baseball, you know it is also a time when little boys’ hearts and egos are on the line. A certain ten-year-old had ridden the bench most of the season. But in the championship game, his coach finally called him up to bat. The little boy’s whole extended family had turned out for this very special game. His parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, second cousins--they were all there, cheering and ...

2867. With a Song in Your Heart

Ephesians 1:3-14

Sermon

James L. Killen

What kind of a song does your heart sing as you go through your days? Almost everyone sings some song. Of course, we may sing different songs from time to time, depending upon what is happening in our lives, but most of us have one song that is our song, a song that expresses our feeling about life. Some people dance to meet life, singing something like, "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay; My, oh my, what a wonderful day." Others drag themselves into life singing something like, "Nobody knows the trouble I' ...

2868. Someone Is Trying to Get Through

Acts 10:34-43

Sermon

James L. Killen

Someone is trying to get through to you. Someone with an important message for you is trying to get in touch with you. It would be greatly to your advantage to make contact with the one who is trying to get through to you. That is what Epiphany is all about. This is the season of Epiphany in the church year. "Epiphany" is a Greek word that means the showing forth of God, or God's self-revelation. Epiphany means that God is trying to get through to us to make God's self known to us, to help us experience ...

2869. Lord of the Dance

Mark 2:13-22

Sermon

Mark Trotter

The song we have just sung, "Lord of the Dance," declares that the proper response on learning the meaning of the Gospel is to celebrate, to dance. This hymn is one of the less traditional hymns in our hymn book, written in the 1960's, which you may have guessed, when the Church began experimenting with new music. It was finally included in the 1988 hymnal. It was written by an Englishman, a man named Sydney Carter, who put the words to the arrangement of the American Shaker hymn, "Tis a Gift to be Simple ...

2870. History: His Story

Matthew 21:33-46

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

There have been many who have sought to write a history of the world. Cavemen painted the story of their civilization on the walls of their home. Around 70 A.D., a Hebrew soldier named Josephus surrendered to the Roman army rather than die. Dead men tell no tales, and he said he wanted to live to tell the story of the fall of Jerusalem. Today, his history of the Jewish wars is an invaluable tool to historians. Many of you are familiar with Will Durant. For half a century, he and his wife wrote the multi- ...

2871. How to Love God

Matthew 22:34-46

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

In the rock opera Jesus Christ: Superstar, Mary Magdalene sings, "I don't know how to love him." You see, Christ had saved Mary from prostitution and demonic possession, and now she wanted to live to please Jesus, to offer him her lifelong devotion. But how could she express her love? In her earlier years she had easily known how to please men. But Jesus was different. What did he want from her? How could she serve him? Isn't Mary like most of us? Here we are saved and wanting to be devoted to God, but not ...

2872. Wondering Wonder

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Two Christmas movies that have become such a part of popular culture that they both rate their own 24 hour marathon showings during the days before the twenty-fifth. The first of these is the sentimental Depression-era story It's A Wonderful Life. In this story George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) gets to see what life would have been like for his family and his town if he had never been born. After George sees just how much influence he had on others, how big a difference his presence made for his community, he ...

2873. Gross Personality Disorder

Romans 12:9-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

"BTK." Seldom have three initials struck such terror into the hearts of a local population as BTK (which stands for "Bind, Torture, Kill"). When the BTK serial killer was finally captured in the summer of 2005 people in the Wichita, Kansas area first breathed a sigh of relief, then drew in a gasp of surprise. The man who had left a sadistic trail of tortured and murdered women since 1974 turned out to be the most average appearing, normal neighbor anyone could imagine. No one suspected Dennis Rayder of ...

2874. The Seven Deadly Fears

2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Probably all of us know someone who has a phobia of some kind or another. Someone who is afraid of small, enclosed areas - they're claustrophobic. Someone who is afraid of wide open, sweeping spaces - they're agoraphobic. There are phobias named for fearing heights, depths, snakes, spiders, clowns, dirt, cats, dogs. (You might want to make this a karaoke moment and get your people talking about their own fears.) In fact, almost everything, real or imagined, has rated a phobia listing. FDR even gave fear ...

2875. Let the River Flow

Colossians 1:15-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Although the moment the Thanksgiving turkey cools down much of Western culture plunges into the Christmas frenzy, in the church calendar there is one more Sunday before Advent officially gets underway. This is the last Sunday of Pentecost, Christ the King Sunday. It seems pleasantly paradoxical that the church devotes a Sunday to celebrate Christ's exaltedness, his lordship, his omnipotence, just before we begin the weeks of Advent that contemplate Christ's entrance into this world as a frail and tiny ...

Showing results