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 276 to 300 of 2404 results

276. How God Gets His Kicks

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

King Duncan

... will generally fulfill that prophecy. Self-esteem will also affect how a young person does in school. In fact the National Institute for Student Motivation conducted a study. It showed that the correlation between self-confidence and academic achievement is greater than that between IQ and academic achievement. Your kid isn't stupid. He simply has a low opinion of himself. How we think about ourselves radically affects how happy and how healthy we are. No fact about us is clearer. "As a man thinks in ...

277. Rise Above It

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Sermon

King Duncan

... and helped make him a star. (5) As Tim Hansel says in his book, YOU GOTTA KEEP DANCIN', "We have two choices when we hit adverse trials. They can break us or we can break them. Not surprisingly, some of the great achievements of men and women in the past have been achieved by those suffering the fires of personal trial. But unlike most of us, these men and women wring from their adversity the determination and insight to do what others have not done. The book "Pilgrim's Progress" was not written from a ...

278. The Mighty Tide Of God Rolled In

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... Christ into individual lives by showing them Christ's love. It is to find those who are unable to help themselves and flood them with the grace of God that requires nothing in return. That is our purpose and a mighty purpose it is. How do we achieve it? We achieve it by committing ourselves without reservation to His service. Let me use what I believe is an exciting analogy. It is from Jack London's masterpiece, THE CALL OF THE WILD. It is the story of a magnificent dog named Buck. Buck was half St. Bernard ...

279. Winning When It Really Counts

Philippians 3:12-4:1

Sermon

King Duncan

... slow, painful recovery. This crisis didn’t have anything to do with the moon or with space travel or weightlessness. What caused it? Over and over again Buzz Aldrin kept saying that the breakdown resulted from the terrible disillusionment he felt after working so hard, achieving every goal set before him and then finding it all empty when it was over. (5) His dreams, fantastic though they were, were not lasting enough. This is to say that what the world calls winning may not be winning at all. Sure its ...

280. Victory on a Broken Knee

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... brings us to the final thing to be said. It is vital, then, that we have a worthy purpose to which we give our lives. What is your life purpose? What is your personal mission statement? Without a sense of purpose driving us, few of us will achieve a very satisfying life. Denis Waitley in his book, The Double Win, gives us a beautiful example of the power of purpose. He tells of watching the Today show one morning years ago when his attention was captured by an interview between the host, Jane Pauley, and ...

281. Don't Apologize For Success (but Give Thanks)

Luke 19:11-27

Sermon

King Duncan

... be successful not because God is like a Heavenly slot-machine. Put in a dime of devotion and get back a dollar of success. Such theology is sickening. But it is true that a disciplined, enthusiastic person who gives his or her best to life is likely to achieve a level of success. That success, then, becomes part of our blessings from God and we are to use it accordingly. Jesus showed us two ways. WE ARE TO SHARE OUR BLESSINGS WITH THOSE LESS FORTUNATE. If you recognize that what you have is a gift from God ...

282. An Empty Stage Or An Empty Tomb?

Luke 24:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... empty stage or to accept the empty tomb. Does Christ merely live in the hearts of his disciples or is he really alive today just as you and I are alive? Remember Woody Allen's comic assessment? "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work," he said. "I want to achieve immortality by not dying." Which is it? Are we immortal because there are those who remember and cherish the fact that once we walked this "vale of tears" or are we immortal because Christ has once and forever battered down the gates ...

283. Let My Little Light Shine

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... professor came across the earlier study. He had his students follow up on the project to see what had happened to these boys. With the exception of 20 boys who had moved away or died, the students learned that 176 of the remaining 180 had achieved extraordinarily successful as lawyers, doctors and businessmen. The professor was astounded and decided to pursue the matter further. Fortunately, all the men were in the area and he was able to ask each one, "How do you account for your success?" In each case the ...

284. Getting Rid Of Fear

2 Timonty 1:6-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... ." Where does power come from? For some, it is a birthright. We say of Senator Edward Kennedy that he was born to a powerful family. What he does with that birthright either increases or diminishes his power. Some people earn their power by achieving a place of prominence in our society. Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich came from modest backgrounds, but they attained power through political office. There are many kinds of power. BUT THE POWER ST. PAUL EXEMPLIFIED WAS THE POWER OF AN EXTRAORDINARY PURPOSE. He ...

285. Fishing Stories

John 21:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... a Congressional page. Pryor loved the job so much he vowed to return to Washington someday as a member of Congress. In fact, David Pryor hid a dime in a crack behind a statue in the U.S. Capitol, with the intention of retrieving it when he achieved his dream. Fifteen years later, as a newly elected member of the House of Representatives, he did just that. Today a Senator, Pryor said his experience proves two things. One, that dreams in youth should never be underestimated, and Two, that they don't clean the ...

286. Hey, You Can Only Be Young Twice!

Genesis 12:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... with the seventh decade of life. And that's just the point, isn't it? Aging does not have to mean trauma and tragedy. A lot has to do with attitude. You really are as old as you think you are. A teacher was administering an achievement test to David, a precocious six-year-old. The teacher began by asking him when his birthday was. "February 20," was his quick response. Next the teacher asked him, "What year, David?" David looked at the teacher quizzically at first and then hit upon the obvious answer ...

287. All That From A Little Bit Of Water?

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... on them. Her first order of business was to let the students know she expected the best from them. In her class, she said, they all started out with an "A." Whether or not they kept that "A" was up to them. Johnson inspired her students to achieve more than anyone thought possible. Under Johnson's guidance, many of them graduated and went on to successful jobs. You can read her story in her book, My Posse Don’t Do Homework. Well, here is the dangerous Gospel: On the day of your baptism, you received ...

288. Family Survival

Genesis 37:1-11

Sermon

Stephen DeFur

... of people. 1. Some of you have never worn the robe. Some of you have never received the kind of affirmation and love from your parents that you longed to. You never had the sense of being prized and valued. Maybe you were in a contest with a real high achiever in your family and no matter what you did you couldn't study hard enough, run fast enough or jump high enough. Maybe you were in a family with a real beauty queen and you felt like you were the plain one. Maybe for reasons you still don't understand ...

289. Take This Job And Love It

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

Sermon

King Duncan

... who are most successful in this world--the ones people really look up to--all say the same thing: the greatest joy in life doesn't come from wealth or praise or high honors. It comes from achieving something worthwhile--something of lasting value. "The ancient Romans were noted for their achievements in construction. Many Roman arches are still standing. They've survived for 2,000 years. The Romans had an interesting practice. When they finished building an arch, the engineer in charge was expected to stand ...

290. A Powerful Testimony

Mark 8:27-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... as one. The race was won in just over 8 hours. To Mike first place did not count in this race. The Father and son team crossed the finish line in just over 16 hours. As they did Mike cried watching this man and his son rejoice in their achievement. Mike writes, "We may not be running a race as challenging as the Ironman, but sometimes life is just as hard. We may not be physically challenged, but we may suffer from loneliness, depression, alcoholism or abuse. It is then the Father gently pulls us out of the ...

291. The Forward Look

Luke 9:57-62

Sermon

King Duncan

... another can't let go of the past. There are people sabotaging their future because their lives are so deeply affected by an incident or a series of incidents in their past. Psychotherapist Pat Pearson had a client named Susan--a gifted young woman who achieved success early in her career. For a woman who was raised in near poverty, this was quite an accomplishment. At first, Susan's family and friends were supportive of her career. But soon, they began to make snide comments about how Susan was getting too ...

292. Hugging The Coastline

Hebrews 11:1-40

Sermon

King Duncan

... combined to set Mary Ayotte on the road to success as a gymnast. (5) We could just as easily have said Mary Ayotte had faith in a future promise, she believed she could be a great gymnast. She was obedient to a higher calling. She worked hours without end to achieve her dreams. And she trusted that God was with her. That's what faith is. There's no great mystery to it. You and I can have it, just as easily as Mary or Abraham. "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen ...

293. Frustrated By Their Lack Of Faith

Mark 6:1-6

Sermon

King Duncan

... But notice, please, verse 5: "And he could do no mighty work, save that he laid hands upon a few sick folk and healed them." Even Jesus could do no mighty work when people did not believe! The first step in achieving is to believe. If we do not believe, then we will not achieve anything. Verse 6 says: "And he marveled because of their unbelief." Jesus marveled at unbelief, and was frustrated by those who had no faith. He was stymied by those who stopped and stared but left incredulous at what they had seen ...

294. Dare To Dream

Joel 2:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... has noted that God made 7,000 promises to His people in the Bible. Or, as someone else put it, the Bible is not based on a premise but on a promise. That is ultimately where our positive spirit comes from. We are God's people. We believe we can achieve great things in His name, not because of who we are, but because of whose we are. Back in the 17th century an English farmer named Oliver Cromwell was reading from the 4th chapter of Philippians one night. He came to the 13th verse where Paul wrote, "I can do ...

295. Sympathizing With The One Talent Man

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... people who were the weaker students and the brown or darker eyed ones who were stronger students. She told the class that all babies are born with weak or blue eyes and, as they grow stronger or older, they become brown or dark. Up went the image and achievement of the brown-eyed group. Down came the performance of the blue-eyed children. (2) A child's self-image can affect his or her performance in school. If it is expected that a child will do well, chances are it will. Of course, we are all afflicted ...

296. Excellence In Living

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... officers' club, with small gossip and camaraderie. He dreaded his vision with the frustrations and demands. But he followed that vision, and that's what made him extraordinary. (2) It's impossible to achieve excellence with half-hearted effort. History's `geniuses' were just ordinary people who were willing to go the extra mile to achieve their goals. For example, Leonardo Da Vinci worked for 10 years on the masterpiece "The Last Supper." He was often so absorbed in his work that he forgot to eat for days ...

297. Childish or Child-like?

Mark 10:13-16

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... another. DEADLOCK. I recall the words of Belgium’s Paul-Henri Spaak as he presided over the United Nations first General Assembly. When it ended, he told his colleagues, “The agenda is exhausted. The Secretary-General is exhausted. I am exhausted. At last we have achieved unanimity!” “We piped to you and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not weep.” (Luke 7:32) In other words, they were angry, fretful, spoiled little brats who couldn’t see past the end of their noses. They must have their ...

298. The Lord's Prayer: Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... the kingdom of God is contrary to God''s will. Let me tell you a real-life story of one who through the power of prayer carefully "watched the borders" of his life in terms of his commitment first to God, his country, his goals and his achievements in life. Perhaps some of you remember the academy award winning movie, "Chariots of Fire." Perhaps you remember how Eric Liddell struggled with the "borders" of his ultimate loyalty. He was to run in the Olympic Games for the glory of sport, for the glory of his ...

299. Titles, Credentials, or Resurrection Power

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... . This is our first piece of evidence that Paul is hardly a timid preacher. Something has so angered him to warn the people of a power that would attempt to strip the believer of the joy of their salvation by forcing them to focus on human achievement and performance rather than the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Much like our Lord, who spoke harsh words against the Pharisees and their teachings, Paul follows in that same spirit. Now, I agree it might seem out of place and out of character in a letter ...

300. The Powerful Fragrance of Sharing and Caring

Philippians 4:10-20

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... the same purpose--the assertion of authority and power. On the massive desk of the smoothly groomed executive were the symbols of power: his impressive title, his own FAX machine, a battery of phones, and the memorabilia of his athletic achievements. Junior executives stood at attention with notepads in hand, waiting for orders from the top gun. A secretary, who looked as if she would be more adept at an office cocktail party than at a word processor, sat demurely in front of the desk. The rhetoric of ...

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