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 3226 to 3250 of 4938 results

3226. What Are You Looking For?

Acts 1:1-13

Sermon

John E. Harnish

Usually we move through this passage fairly quickly—ready to get on to chapter two and the excitement of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit: Flames of fire Speaking in tongues Preaching of Peter Birth of the church Or we get hung-up on the Ascension—the aerodynamics of this mystical, mysterious lift-off of the Risen Jesus into heaven. Or we focus on the promise of the Second Coming and all that might mean. But at the beginning of this series of sermons which is meant to lead us into conversation ...

3227. The Great Divide

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

James Merritt

One of the most fun trips I have ever taken in my life was years ago when my wife and three sons went out west to Colorado, and spent a week in a part of the country we had never been in before. We did everything from horseback riding to white water rafting, to just exploring the great outdoors. But one of the highlights for me, strangely enough, was driving up to a top of one of the Rocky Mountains and standing on what is called by some, "The Continental Divide," and others "The Great Divide." Geologists ...

3228. A Clear and Present Danger

Nehemiah 5:1-19

Sermon

James Merritt

There are always two sources of conflict any leader or any organization faces - external and internal. Believe it or not, by far and away the most dangerous type of conflict is internal. We have already seen how the enemy tries to attack from the outside and one of his primary weapons is criticism, but when he attacks from the inside, he uses an even more powerful weapon – selfishness. In the first four chapters of Nehemiah we saw how the enemy tried several things to stop the rebuilding of the wall. First ...

3229. Kill Them with Kindness

Proverbs 3:3, 19:22

Sermon

James Merritt

One of the advantages of growing older and getting a few more years under your belt is the opportunity to learn. In fact, I really believe if you're not learning, you are really not living. The day you quit learning or the day you lose your desire to continue learning, your life basically is over. The longer you live, the more you can learn. One of my goals in life is to try and learn something new every day. I do it either by reading a book or a magazine or perusing the internet or asking questions of ...

3230. A Cloud Of Witnesses

Hebrews 12:1-3

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Last week was actually All Saints Sunday and because of our Stewardship Campaign we kind of set it aside. But, I think it is an important Sunday in the life of the Church and in our personal Journey of Faith so we're going to celebrate it today. All Saints Sunday is a day to remember those people who have been a major influence in our life of faith. If we put it in terms of our Running on Faith study, we might think of these people as the Road Signs along the way for all of the individual saints in our ...

3231. A Chance To Drink

John 4:5-29

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

There was a cartoon I saw sometime back which showed a little boy kneeling by his bed saying his bedtime prayers. He prayed: "As you know, God, Monday is the first day of school. I hope you won't lose sight of me in the crowd. Amen." Then he climbs in bed, thinks for a minute, and then crawls out again and adds to his prayer: "Oh, and by the way God, I'll be the one wearing the red shorts and a Dallas Cowboys T-shirt." Like this little boy, the woman in the passage for today, needed someone to see her. She ...

3232. Harvesting What We Plant

Mark 4:26-34

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Steve Morrison tells a story about a friend of his who likes to read fairy tales to his two young sons at night. This friend has great sense of humor and often times ad-libs parts of the stories just for fun. One day his youngest son was sitting in his first grade class as the teacher was reading the story of the Three Little Pigs. She came to the part of the story where the first pig was trying to gather building materials for his home. She said "...And so the pig went up to the man with a wheel barrow ...

3233. Rich In His Poverty

2 Corinthians 8:7-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

One of my favorite memories is the summer of the treasure hunt. A number of years ago, when my wife's nephews, Chris and Matt, and our son Joshua were around seven or eight, we decided that the two families needed to take vacation at the same time so the boys could get to know each other. So we all met at the farm where my wife's parents live. It's a great place for kids. Well, there were no video games or cable TV to keep them entertained and the boys were starting to get bored. I was out in great- ...

3234. Seeking Christ

Mark 1:29-34

Sermon

King Duncan

Sometime back Dr. Phil Berry took a picture outside a roadside convenience store. The store was on the Texas border on the highway leading to Colorado. It was one of those portable advertising signs with flashing lights along the top meant to lure in passersby. At the top of the sign it read, “Last chance Lotto Texas, clean restrooms, snacks.” Then, at the bottom of the sign, almost like an afterthought, it read, “Jesus is Lord.” “It’s like, on the way out of Texas, whatever you need, they have it,” says ...

3235. Thanksgivings to Remember

Deuteronomy 8:1-20

Sermon

Argile Smith

Joan sat on the sofa reflecting on the Thanksgiving Day holiday that she and her children had enjoyed together. Her children and their spouses seemed to enjoy the meal she had prepared, and she couldn’t have been happier in the kitchen with them stirring around in the living room and helping out in the kitchen. Most of all, she delighted in having all of her family at home and at her dinner table one more time. Even though her grandchildren seemed to be a little fidgety at times, she was grateful they sat ...

3236. Hope from a Stump

Isaiah 11:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

In a radio interview, Nazi concentration camp survivor Gerta Weissman recalled an episode one spring when she and her fellow concentration camp inmates stood for roll call for hours on end, nearly collapsing with hunger and fatigue. She said, “We noticed in the corner of this bleak, horrid, gray place that the concrete had broken in a corner and a flower had poked its head through it. And you would see thousands of feet shuffle every morning to avoid stepping on that flower . . .” No wonder they were ...

3237. Soiled Faith and Watered-Down Churches

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Some of us are born with green thumbs — able to water and plant barren landscapes into lush gardens. Some of us are born with gangrene thumbs — unable even to grow a “Chia Pet.” Some people are born with the ability to take things apart and put things back together. They are handy-dandy, fixer-uppers from the get go. But in the most shallow part of the wading area of that “fixer-upper” gene pool, there are those of us who should never be allowed to handle hammers, screwdrivers, or saws. There are those ( ...

3238. Need a Lift?

Acts 9:36-43

Sermon

Charley Reeb

Journalist Bob Garfield researched health articles in The Washington Post, USA Today, and The New York Times. His research showed that, according to so-called experts, 59 million Americans have heart disease 53 million suffer migraines 25 million people have osteoporosis 16 million struggle with obesity 3 million have cancer 12 million have severe disorders such as brain disease.[1] The results are that 543 million Americans are seriously ill, which is shocking in a country whose population is only 266 ...

3239. Elephants in the Room: Sexploitation

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

Sermon

Charley Reeb

One of the great things about preaching on sex is that I don’t have to work very hard getting your attention! I was in Leesburg this past week doing work for the Board of Ordained Ministry. A colleague asked me what I was preaching about today. I said, “Sex.” He replied, “Are you for or against it?” I said, “I am very much for it! I enjoy sex a lot!” You may be surprised to hear me say that, but it needs to be said from the pulpit. Why? Because over the years the church has done a pretty terrible job ...

3240. You Have a Story to Tell

John 9:1-41

Sermon

King Duncan

Here’s a story from the headlines that all of you will remember. In March 2019, the FBI announced the completion of “Operation Varsity Blues,” a nationwide scam in which wealthy parents paid outrageous bribes to get their children into prestigious colleges like Yale and Stanford. Fifty people were charged in the scandal, including parents, test administrators for the ACT and SAT, and college coaches who all collaborated in getting unqualified students admitted to big-name schools. In addition to the bribes ...

3241. Harmless Hospitality

Luke 10:38-42 · 2 Kings 4:8-17

Sermon

Will Willimon

A few weeks ago I was to speak at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. I took the last flight out of Durham. We landed late. A hair-raising, fifty-dollar, one hour cab ride later, I was deposited at a now utterly dark, locked up tight, Lutheran Seminary. Had no idea where I was supposed to sleep. Wandered about, Willy Loman-like, bag in hand, trying this door and that, everything locked and dark. Midnight. Finally, I saw one last light in a house on campus. In desperation I knocked on the ...

3242. For The Love of God is Creative

1 Corinthians 2:6-12 · Psalm 8

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

In Bil Keane's FAMILY CIRCUS, little Billy is watching television. The speaker boldly says, "Remember this, my friends, great things never happen until some person in this world makes them happen." Billy's mind gets to thinking about the snow, the reflection of the moon on the lake at night, the waves crashing at the beach, a butterfly breaking out of its cocoon, a gorgeous sunset and a beautiful waterfall and then he says, "Oh, yeah?" (1) Billy had the youthful wisdom to give credit where credit is due, ...

3243. Thanksgiving Day, North America

Luke 17:11-19, Deuteronomy 8:1-20, Psalm 65:1-13, 1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Deuteronomy 8:7-18 is a sermon by Moses calling Israel to remember that their good life in the land is a gift from God. Psalm 65 is a hymn. Deuteronomy 8:7-18 - "Giving Thanks" Setting. Deuteronomy 8 is part of a larger section of literature that includes chapters 6-8, in which Moses exhorts Israel to keep the law. This section looks at law from a number of different perspectives. Law is introduced with the promise of blessing in 6:1-3, and it is equated with love in 6:4-9 ("Love the ...

3244. There's More To Thanksgiving

Deuteronomy 26:1-15

Sermon

Thomas G. Rogers

As Christian people we have come together to observe a time-honored American tradition. We have gathered for worship on Thanksgiving Day. Consequently, it may surprise you a little to learn that I plan to begin this sermon by telling you a story that could be labeled as downright un-American and blatantly non-Christian. Interestingly enough, it is possible that, if I had not said anything about it, you might have listened to this story and not have noticed anything unusual. In fact, even though I've now ...

3245. Divine Liturgy, Divine Play, Divine Comedy

John 13:31-38

Sermon

Carl Jech

My dear children, I am only to be with you a little longer. You will seek me; (but) "Where I am going you cannot come." A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you. (John 13:33-34) Has it occurred to you that in those parts of the United States where it comes on at 11:30 p.m., "Saturday Night Live" is also Sunday Morning Live? It might be good if we could bring a little more of the humor of that show with us to church on Sunday mornings. The skits on Saturday Night ...

3246. A Most Amazing Night

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

"But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. (Luke 2:19) The shadows are getting long in late afternoon as Joseph comes running into the house bursting with news: Caesar Augustus has ordered a census for the whole Roman Empire. Everyone will have to go to their family’s hometown to be counted and to pay a tax. For Joseph and Mary, this means travelling to Bethlehem. Mary wants to know more, but Joseph can’t answer her questions. The Romans are not in the habit of explaining themselves to ...

3247. A Wonderful Sacrifice

1 Chronicles 21:1-22:1

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

My brief sermon today is focused on two words: "Wonderful Sacrifice." At first glance these two words seem almost contradictory. If you put a Methodist through a free-association exercise, don't expect him to respond to the word "sacrifice" by saying "wonderful." The word "sacrifice" causes many Methodists to grab their wallets and run for cover. I heard a story about a little boy who attended church one Sunday with his grandmother. All went well until offering time. Gramma began to search through her ...

3248. Who's Your Daddy?

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

King Duncan

(Father's Day) Comedian Johnny Carson said his son gave him a paper which read, "To the man who has inspired me with his fatherly wisdom." Carson said, "Son I didn't know you felt that way about me." His son said, "I don't, can you fax this to Bill Cosby?" Fathers have a hard times nowadays getting respect. Maybe there's a reason for that. Many Dads in our society disappear. And, sad to say, others stay around who perhaps should disappear. Actress Suzanne Sommers has earned a new reputation in the show biz ...

3249. Constantly Abiding

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

For nearly 40 years now, I have practiced a discipline that is one of the sustaining forces in my life. A couple of times a year now, four times a year when I was a pastor, I go on a private retreat. Sometimes just for 24 hours – sometimes for 2 or 3 days. These occasions are essential for me -- I am with people all the time. My life is intertwined with so many lives. Daily “quiet times,” snatches of solitude now and then, are not enough for me. I run down and I run out! So occasionally I have to set aside ...

3250. Proper 17

Matthew 16:21-28, Romans 12:1-8, Romans 12:9-21, Jeremiah 14:1--15:21, Jeremiah 20:7-18, Exodus 3:1-22

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Exodus 3:1-15 Moses is called to deliver God's people from bondage in Egypt. While tending his father-in-law's sheep Moses is called by Yahweh to return to Egypt to lead out his oppressed people. First Yahweh must get Moses' attention by having a bush burn without burning up. Because God is present, Moses is ordered to remove his sandals, for he is on holy ground. Wherever God exists, the place becomes sacred. Yahweh tells Moses that he is concerned about his people in slavery and ...

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