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 2976 to 3000 of 4977 results

2976. The Preacher Was A Bigot

Jonah 3:1-10

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... unaware that an explosion was about to take place. After the service, several of the leading members of the congregation came up to the usher and asked, "How in the world could you do such a thing?" Serve a black man in this church...INDEED!" The usher was not really quite sure how to respond. Finally he said, "I am sorry you all feel that way. I simply assumed that the man would not have come here in the first place if he had not been a Christian. I noticed that he was getting on in years and since so many ...

2977. Going Fishing

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... had fished, the kind of tackle used, the best bait, and finally about some of the fish they had caught. One of them told of a vicious battle he once had with a 300-pound salmon. The other man listened attentively. He frankly admitted he had never caught anything quite that big. However, he told about the time his hook snagged a lantern from the depths of a lake. The lantern carried a tag proving it was lost back in 1912. But the strangest thing of all was the fact that it was a waterproof lantern and the ...

2978. The Nightmare before Christmas

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... to list all of Mary's options, while the boys were to list Joseph's. This usually would generate a lively discussion, especially once they realized they did not have to stick to nice, neat, happy-ending choices. With not much prompting, they would generate quite a list. Mary could have...had an abortion, claimed she was raped, committed suicide, run away, etc., etc. Joseph, on the other hand, could have...brought her to trial, quietly sent her out of town, left town himself, eloped with her, made up a story ...

2979. The Original "Average Joe"

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2980. Make It Right!

Matthew 5:21-26

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... that all relationships sometimes face...anger. Now, truth be known, most of us do not see anger as such a big problem. In fact, some folks seem to take a strange kind of pride in just how angry they can sometimes get: "Do not cross me, I have quite a temper." But Jesus says you had better not be proud of it, because it can get you in a peck of trouble... eternal trouble. Listen to him again: "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall ...

2981. The Lord's Prayer: Hallowed Be Thy Name

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... little boy said God created the whole world and everything in it. A little girl said that God loves us very much. Another little girl said that God had a son named Jesus who came to earth to save us from our sins. Needless to say, the pastor was quite pleased with all the responses until finally one little lad piped up, "I know what God's name is...it's Harold, same as mine." The preacher looked askance at the little fellow prompting the boy to continue: "Sure, we say it all the time. "Our Father, who art ...

2982. The Lord's Prayer: "Our Daily Bread"

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... is a well-worn story that you may have heard of a farmer who had done exceptionally well on a plot of ground which, prior to his efforts, had proven particularly unyielding. A friend commented on the remarkable change and said, "You and the Lord have done quite a job here." To which the farmer replied, "Yeah, but you should have seen it when the Lord had it all to himself." Yes, God provides what is needful for the well-being of the creation. The Psalmist says, "You open your hand and satisfy the desire ...

2983. The Lord's Prayer: "Lead Us Not Into Temptation"

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... But deliver us from THE evil." We cannot tell whether Jesus, speaking in the vocabulary of his day, meant "the evil one," the devil, or if he meant "the evil thing," the power of evil. But as one writer notes, "It is clear enough that he meant something quite definite: not just the absence of good, but the definite, cunning force that is arrayed against the will of God...There is at work in the world another will, an evil will, a will that resists and struggles against the will of God. This will...wears a ...

2984. Regis and Jesus

Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... therefore thine eye be SINGLE, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be EVIL, thy whole body shall be full of darkness." The "single" eye as compared to an "evil" eye? What is going on here? The King James translators were quite correct in their literal rendering, but what needs to be understood is a certain Hebrew idiom that lies even behind the Greek. When SINGLE eye and EVIL eye are taken together, the contrast is not between ways of seeing; it is between degrees of generosity. Someone ...

2985. Ask the Average Person...

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... with that phrase, "Ask the average person," would the rest of the sentence sound like something you might say? For example, "Ask the average person, and he would say the sky is blue." Or "Ask the average person and she would say she does not have quite enough money (no matter how much she has)." You see? Are you an average person? I have some questions for the "average person" this morning. (1) First, which is more important, making money or being devoted to your family? Ask the average person that question ...

2986. A Labor of Love - Labor Day

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... endless. Whatever your God-given talent might be, it is not yours to hold on to - it has been entrusted to you to share, even though that might be hard work and might well involve personal sacrifice. I admit, I still wish discipleship did not have to be quite so demanding. In the words of one old Texan, "The problem with the Christian life is that it's so daily."(2) Indeed. But perhaps this is all by divine design. Perhaps this work is simply preparation for the glory that awaits us. There is a remarkable ...

2987. The Judas Gene

Matthew 26:14-16

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... He might have heard, "Father, forgive..." Perhaps we can derive some comfort from George Bernard Shaw's quip that "The last Christian died on the cross." There is a certain absolution in realizing that we all fall pitifully short.(6) I am not sure I want to absolve myself quite so blithely (or you either, for that matter), but I do admit that I for one am glad that Judas was there that night. If he had not been, I am not sure I could be here tonight. Are you feeling the same thing? Remember that as you come ...

2988. The Imperatives of the Resurrection

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... that IS the first thing we needed to do because NO ONE thinks straight when they are terrified. One wonders how many folks' first encounter with the divine has been stark terror. They hear about things like the wrath of God, hellfire and brimstone, and then are quite literally SCARED into the Kingdom. Is that the way it ought to be? This first command of the angel at the garden tomb says, "Not at all!" His next order is "COME!" A command, another imperative, but at the same time, it is an invitation. Jesus ...

2989. The Forgiveness Factor

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... that this case needed a word of absolution before any healing could take place. That wonderful New Testament scholar William Barclay recalls the case of a girl who played the piano in a movie theatre in the days of the silent films. Normally she was quite well, but once the lights went out and cigarette smoke filled the auditorium she began to be paralyzed. She fought against it as long as she could, but at last the paralysis became permanent and something had to be done. Examination revealed no physical ...

2990. Peace in the Midst of the Storm

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... worried in the first place. For whatever consolation it might provide, you are not alone in your thoughts. Your companions there in the boat have also been sitting with eyes cast down. They have the same questions going through their minds and they too are not quite sure how to deal with them. For that matter, down through the centuries, Christians have struggled with precisely the same thing - we say we have faith, but when times of crisis come, we have this deep dark fear that we have been left alone. Too ...

2991. The Healing Touch

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... healing. Most Christians continue to believe in healing (we PRAY for people's health regularly), and Scripture makes clear that healing IS part of our ministry. But to find fourteen modern incidents of legitimate cure such as we encounter in the Gospels would be quite a chore. The ministry of healing has fallen away to almost nothing. What can we do to return the healing touch to its rightful place in the church? First, there must be a decision to even consider it. Most mainline Christians have little or ...

2992. When Evil Wins

Mark 6:14-29

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... we encounter it in our lesson for the day, and it is presented in retrospect. We get the sordid details only because Herod is worried about what he is hearing concerning Jesus. Something powerful is happening, and everyone is talking about it. No one quite understands it - some are saying Jesus is Elijah reincarnate. That would mean the Messiah was about to arrive, because Jewish legend said Elijah would come back to announce the coming conqueror. Others were saying it was John the Baptist come back to life ...

2993. Ephphatha...Be Opened

Mark 7:31-37

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... Methodists, the Lutherans, the Episcopalians, the Baptists have all gone through the same thing. As of a few days ago, the Catholics have their own fuss going as the Vatican announced that THEY are the only REAL church - the rest of us do not quite "get it." Lots of American Catholics involved in ecumenical activities about choked on their oatmeal on that one. Yes, we can be pretty CLOSED...especially CLOSED MINDED...in the church. But then there is this word from Jesus: "EPHPHATHA!" BE OPENED! And, miracle ...

2994. The Apostles' Creed: I Believe

Mark 9:14-32

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... - an epileptic, subject to violent seizures. I know how it feels to have a sick child. Dad has heard the neighborhood scuttlebutt about a certain Nazarene rabbi who had been touring the countryside with a reputation for being able to heal all sorts of diseases. He is not quite sure what to make of the word on the street, but when it comes to your child, you do whatever it takes. He loves his little boy and wants to do something... anything...to help him. I know...up to a point. This Dad is desperate, and I ...

2995. A Lesson in the Snow

Mark 10:13-16

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... weather conjures up - dangerous driving, accidents, heart attacks, cancellations...trouble! But what do the kids see? Sleds, snowmen, snowball fights, laughter. It is a different perspective. And I am not about to say ours is better than theirs. Jesus didn't. In fact, he was quite clear in our lesson in saying that youthful view was crucial when it comes to the life of faith: "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Why would Jesus say ...

2996. Sunday's Coming

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... . A husband or wife was NOT delivered from the cancer. A son or daughter was NOT kept free from drugs. A deserved promotion went to someone else. Or perhaps there was disappointment with the Lord's Church, disappointment because the church sometimes proves to be not quite that "fellowship of kindred minds...like to that above." Those things can rob us of hope. Indeed, the cynic would say that those who would live on hope will soon starve to death. Well, I have some good news for you this morning. I could ...

2997. When Your Church Provokes You

Matthew 13:1-23, Hebrews 10:19-39

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... than it had ever been. His most notable contribution was the magnificent stonework of the Temple platform which was greatly enlarged.(2) Beautiful. But Jesus said that it would not last; "Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down." Quite something to imagine when you realize that the stones were about the size of a mini-van. And with the benefit of our perspective...20/20 hindsight...we know he was right. As Jesus and his friends continued to walk and talk together, they made ...

2998. Surprise!

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... was Saul of Tarsus. If you remember the story from your Sunday School days, Saul got bounced on his babushka on the Damascus Road and he became the greatest missionary the Church has ever known. Surprise! Think through the centuries of church history to a time not quite 500 years after Christ, to the young man in the north of Africa who led such a wild, riotous life, that even after he decided to become a Christian he refused baptism because there was still some sinning he planned to do, and he wanted to go ...

2999. Mary's Complaint

Luke 1:26-38, Luke 1:39-45, Luke 1:46-56

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... ." A strange complaint indeed! Then, of course, there was the birth itself. I suppose any of us would like to know that we have been "favored" by God, and that we have been selected for some signal service. But there are some types of service, quite honestly, with which we would just as soon see someone ELSE "favored," particularly service that involves a great deal of pain. I cannot speak from first-hand knowledge, but I hear there are NO pains to compare with those of childbirth. Now, here was a "favored ...

3000. The Trouble with Stables

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... God in human flesh, the birth of the baby Jesus. It is a rather romantic picture, the way we do it at our house. At yours too? And the reason it is romantic is the same as so many things we make romantic - they are not real. And to be quite honest, our popular picture of that manger scene is wildly inaccurate. Be that as it may. I wonder whether we do the Christmas story an injustice by trying to pretty it up. To be honest, I do not think God wanted it to be pretty. If God had wanted it ...

Showing results