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 3101 to 3125 of 4976 results

3101. Picking A Winner, Claiming A Treasure

Matthew 13:44-46

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... forever, an attitude of good will toward all people, and a confident conviction that God has a wonderful plan for your life and will reveal it as you go along. And, as frosting on the cake, there is a profound peace and joy in the depths of your soul that keeps you humming, "Zippity do dah, zippity A." What would you pay for that kind of treasure? $10,000? More than that. People pay $10,000 to get free of back pain. Would you pay $100,000? Sure. Some people pay that for drugs, hoping to get just a portion ...

3102. The Forbidden Anger

Matthew 5:21-26

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... is outlawed. When someone does us wrong, we are labeled as sinful if we get angry; we are told to turn the other cheek. We are commanded to "be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect." It is as if Jesus made the law impossible to keep and then charged us to keep it. What are we to make of these unrealistic, exalted expectations of Jesus? Philip Yancey, the author of a little book entitled "The Jesus I Never Knew" has helped me with this problem. The Sermon on the Mount is God's ideal plan toward which ...

3103. That Horse Called Style

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... . One day Roy asked the machinist why he took such pains with the bolts. He took his hat off and said, "These bolts hold the big drive wheel in line and keep down vibration in the engine. If these bolts don't fit properly, the engine will vibrate and shake to pieces. Each one of these bolts is small, but each one keeps the big engine on track." Many years later Roy Angell remembered that lesson and said, "Sometimes I think of each church member as a bolt. Nothing glorious about being a bolt. Certainly ...

3104. Watch Your Language!

Matthew 5:33-37

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... the irreverent use of holy names. The other practice Jesus condemned was evasive oath-taking. That is, using an oath in a cunning way to evade keeping one's word. In Jesus' day, if you used God's name in an oath, it was binding. But if you took an oath that ... what we said we would, could we get sued?" In our culture, people are always looking for loopholes so they won't have to keep their word. We must be radically different in that we stand by our word even when there is no oath or contract. Jesus instructed ...

3105. The New Birth

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... the eye, smile, and tap on his bat." He was always available. New birth is more likely to happen to persons who make themselves available to God. One rainy Sunday afternoon, a little boy was bored and his father was sleepy. The father decided to create an activity to keep the kid busy. So, he found in the morning newspaper a large map of the world. He took scissors and cut it into a good many irregular shapes like a jigsaw puzzle. Then he said to his son, "See if you can put this puzzle together. And don't ...

3106. Overcoming Fear

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... Shepherd dog with glowing, malignant eyes and pearly-white teeth. I could tell he wanted some of me. I began backing slowly away from that door, in the general direction of my car, as I spoke words of pastoral comfort to the dog. The dog eased in my direction, keeping that same 20 feet between me and him. It must have been a Baptist dog; I never saw a dog in my life have such a problem with a Methodist preacher. Finally I reached my car, slammed the car door quickly, and offered a quick prayer of thanks for ...

3107. Marriage: God's Idea

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts, nor measure words--but pouring them all right out- just as they are-chaff and grain together- certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them-keep what is worth keeping-and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away." Such a friendship was Adam's greatest need. NOTICE THIS OTHER TRUTH: GOD MADE A HELPER FIT FOR ADAM AND ORDAINED THAT THEY BE 'ONE FLESH.' Eve is described as a helper, but that ...

3108. My Love Requires A Symbol

Malachi 3:6-18

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... not worth a lot of money. But it is priceless to me because of its symbolic value. The wedding ring is essentially a symbol. If the marriage loses its luster, so does the ring. But if that relationship is healthy and growing, the ring’s value just keeps on appreciating. Today I want to talk with you about another powerful symbol. It’s called “tithing.” This is the biblically-mandated practice of expressing gratitude to God by giving 10 percent of one’s income off the top for God’s work. What a ...

3109. 'Nevertheless': A Word of Faith

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... longer deserves to be called our son.” Then here comes that word again! "NEVERTHELESS, if you want us to persevere with that boy, we will try. If you will help us demonstrate tough love, we will. If you can break into his hard, cold, addicted heart, we will keep up our vigil of love and prayer.” Back we go to the Sea of Galilee. So great was the catch of fish that Simon had to call to his partners, James and John, to bring their boats. Both boats were so overloaded with fish that they could barely make ...

3110. Mary's Revolutionary Song

Luke 1:46-56

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... heard the late Bishop Robert Goodrich say that some of his members were so self- righteous that they have to hold onto the pews to keep from ascending. Our problem is not that we deny our sin. We know our frailties. But deep-down we believe we are so much better ... that is negative in Memphis. The negative is usually associated with the poor and the black. The isolationists want to keep their schools, neighborhoods, and government as undefiled by the poor and black as possible. The attitude is: Let the poor ...

3111. Our Scheduled Appointments with God

Hebrews 10:19-39

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... person who comes to Christ robs the devil of one more victim. But the devil is shrewd and patient. He knows that if he can isolate a believer, he can wear him down and in many cases lure him away from Christ. His strategy is always the same: to keep people off their knees, out of the Bible, and out of church. The writer of the book of Hebrews knew all this. He addressed his book or sermon to Christians in Rome. His concern was religious drift, the waning of enthusiasm, and the loss of courage and zeal. Many ...

3112. Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone?

Luke 9:18-27

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... and movies. Some react as if you had asked them to become vegetarians. Many Christians have so filled their minds with violence, lurid sex, and profanity that they have become desensitized to it. When God’s holy name is trashed, they hardly notice; they just keep on munching popcorn and sipping coke. The British cynic Cyril Connolly spoke a measure of truth when he said, “We are all serving a life sentence in the dungeon of self.” Self-denial is an appeal from Jesus to break out of that dungeon. For ...

3113. How Could A Love So Right Go Wrong?

Genesis 24:1-67, Genesis 27:41--28:9

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... is usually a cop-out. There is an old song by Harry Chapin that one hears occasionally on the radio. It’s entitled “The Cat’s in the Cradle.” It tells about a busy father who never has time to play ball or go fishing with his son. The father keeps promising that sometime in the future they will get time together. “We’ll get together then, we’ll have a good time then” the song says. But the years pass, and gradually, there is a sad reversal. The son is now grown and is very busy, too busy to ...

3114. The Burden Bearing Christ

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

Brett Blair

... action. The moment that he had dreaded for so long was now upon him. He went home and broke the news to his wife and they had a prayer together. John had an appointment that afternoon to talk to someone about war bonds. Despite his personal depression, he decided to keep the appointment He went at 3:00 to the office of a rather prominent and wealthy many in the community. “Bill,” he said, “I will get right to the point. You are a man of some means. You could be doing more and I hope that you do more ...

3115. The Prodigal Daughter

Drama

Maxine Dudley

... is this? What is going on here? Mother: Your sister has come home. We must celebrate with a party. I’m inviting all the family. Martha: What? After all this time? After all the hurt and pain you have suffered by her silliness. I’ve been here, studying, keeping your house, cleaning, cooking for you and not once did you give me fine clothing, or jewels, or a party. The commandments say we must honor our father and mother. I have always tried to bring honor to this family. And this is the way I am rewarded ...

3116. When Towers Fall and People Perish

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Brett Blair

... . It is just too painful to watch. On this first anniversary of 9-11 I believe we are just beginning to confront the pain. III First, we must mourn the loss. Second we must acknowledge the pain. And third we must look to the future. It is guilt that keeps us from doing so. We feel we are betraying those we love when we go back to our daily routine. We feel worse when we catch ourselves laughing or enjoying ourselves again. I know that many of you felt that life would never be the same again after watching ...

3117. Reclaiming Our Covenant

Genesis 9:18-29

Sermon

Donald Macleod

... on our own terms. In a deal, yes; it is no exception or surprise to hear someone ask, "What’s in it for me?" Moreover, both parties can easily and readily swear to the terms of a deal, but neither may have the capacity to keep them. Human and material considerations or sheer selfish interests can break any arrangement even when one has said, "My word is my bond." But in a covenant relationship God, the third party, invites the allegiance of both persons, and in response to their commitment he supplies ...

3118. Song of an Exile

Psalm 16:1-11

Sermon

Gordon Pratt Baker

... Conviction The psalmist has come a long way from the Babylonian exiles who hung their harps on willow trees with the lament, "How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?" (Psalm 137:2, 4). For his somber lot to the contrary, and in keeping with his lifelong habit of trust, he is certain that where the heart is right God is there. The Eternal, he insists, never deserts his own. In fact, so deep is the singer’s conviction regarding the matter that he confidently proclaims: The Lord is my chosen ...

3119. Rules For Living

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Robert Allen

... , I think it is more appropriate to look at them as rules for living. The Jewish people did not need to make their own rules when they were in Egypt. They were too busy trying to survive the bondage of their Egyptian taskmasters. They were too busy trying to keep the many rules given to them by the Egyptians. They were too busy working as slaves in Egypt to worry about any rules for living. But, then Moses led them out of Egypt and toward the Promised Land. Once they were on the road to freedom, they needed ...

3120. I Believe In Prayer

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

Robert Allen

... as a child. Even before I can remember, I was taught to pray. The first prayer I was taught was the bedtime payer that almost all children learn. It is a simple little prayer which says: Now I lay me down to sleep; I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake; I pray the Lord my soul to take. As I grew older, prayer was simply a natural part of my life. I was firmly convinced that prayer was important ... that prayer was real ... that prayer made a difference. And through all the years ...

3121. The Scandal Of Redeeming Love

Hosea 2:2-23

Sermon

Frederick C. Edwards

... to formalize the sacred vows that constituted the covenant. Israel was bound to Yahweh not just loosely and casually, but by a covenant, whereby Yahweh chose Israel to be his people, and Israel in turn chose Yahweh to be its God. Keeping the covenant with God, or failing to keep it, was the determinant of prosperity, of life or death, of blessing or curse. The scripture narrative is essentially the story of the fortunes of the people in regard to how faithful they were to that sacred covenant. So anything ...

3122. Easter: The Festival Of Joy

Isaiah 25:1-12

Sermon

Durwood L. Buchheim

... my Redeemer lives!3 Yes, Easter is the festival of joy. That is why an unhappy Christian is a contradiction in terms. Easter tells us there is life and where there is life there is hope. Where there is hope, there is joy and laughter. We can keep celebration alive in our lives and our congregations. We don’t have to become cynical and depressed in the face of the many problems of our time. We can throw ourselves into the thick of life with exuberance and great expectations knowing that we are sustained by ...

3123. The Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Brett Blair

... church, look with me at Exodus 20. Notice the first four commandments. 1) You shall have no other god’s before me. 2) You shall not make for yourself an idol. 3) You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain. 4) And, remember the Sabbath day and keep it Holy. These first four speak to our relationship with God and The first commandment is the linchpin: I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before you. All of the commandments are important in their own way, but the first is clearly the most ...

3124. The Ten Commandments - Part 2

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Brett Blair

... Sunday. Last Sunday I slept in late. When was that? Well, I do regret that I am quite busy and do not have time for you and your church. I really need to go now. Signed, Your Friend.” IV The Fourth Commandment reads: Remember the Sabbath day and keep it Holy. For the Jews two factors justified the observance of the Sabbath. First, when God created the heavens and the earth he did all his work in six days but on the seventh day he rested. And second, the observance of the Sabbath was a commemoration of ...

3125. Egypt: Unlikely Refuge

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

J. Ellsworth Kalas

... You can’t mean Cyrus, the Persian, the pagan, the roughneck military man?" None other. God can use whom he will. This is, it seems to me, an expression of common grace, God’s practice of working in the midst of secular, unsanctified life. Perhaps God does so to keep you and me properly humble. Just when we think we have figured out the kind of people God should work with - our kind of people, or the kind of person we think should be his kind of people - God up and makes a refuge in Egypt! We seek, even ...

Showing results