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 4986 results

3226. Holy Monday

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... Court. You see, Jesus did not clear everyone out on that fateful Monday of Passion Week. Those who really needed Him and who were open to Him were still there. Only those with guilty consciences fled before His righteous wrath. Those who needed Him stayed. Ultimately, I have a problem with the Dayton priest’s angry Christ. He sounds more like the Ayatollah than the Christ of the Gospels, to me. I like formality myself, but I cannot imagine Christ getting angry over something so trivial as what people ...

3227. Whose Hand Is On Your Shoulder? (Part 4)

1 Chronicles 4:1-23

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... of Jesus. We know that only as we remain connected to him can we "get it right." Jabez turned to God to "get it right" in his life. He prayed, "that Your hand would be with me." He knew that he was nothing without God. He knew the importance of staying connected to God. And God granted him his request. "That Your hand would be with me." That is one request God will always honor.

3228. Bread for Everyone (I am the bread of life)

John 6:1-15, John 6:25-59

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... is superficial is a constant struggle in every generation. So, from Jesus we learn an important insight. In John 4:34 Jesus tells his disciples, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." This is where the satisfaction and staying power comes from. The only work I know which can satisfy this inward hunger is the mission of building God''s kingdom revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. This is bread with a capital "B." People who adopt the philosophy of eat, drink, and be merry ...

3229. The Road to Somewhere (I am the way, truth, and life)

John 14:5-14

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... a list of five things you will never hear a man say: 1. We haven''t been to the mall for ages, let''s go shopping and I can hold your purse for you! 2. Forget "Monday Night Football." Let''s watch Melrose Place. 3. Your mother''s coming to stay with us again? Great! 4. Do these jeans come in lavender? And finally, 5: I think we are lost. We better pull over and ask for directions. Perhaps all of us have had the experience of being lost in a strange town--even those of us who don''t mind ...

3230. The Lord's Pryaer: Our Daily Bread

Matthew 6:5-13

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... back to the church for the prayer hour. At nine-ten, I would sit down to my evening meal. I would go to bed at ten o''clock and wake up in glory!" John Wesley trusted God each day for the "crust." Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, in his marvelous book STAY ALIVE ALL YOUR LIFE, shares a story about a church sexton. Each week this janitor would find crumpled-up pieces of paper in the corners of one of the church''s pews. One day he saw a partially opened crumpled-up note which had these words on them, "Clara, ill ...

3231. When It Is Tough to Follow Jesus: The Third Word

John 19:17-27

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... that she would call down upon Joseph and her family if she suddenly became pregnant. However, she accepted God''s purpose for her life and declared, "Let it be to me according to your word." This part of Mary''s religious character never dimmed or lost its staying power. In Matthew 1:18-25, we see that Mary''s fear about Joseph''s reaction to her pregnancy was right on target. Mary knew that she was a virgin, pure in body and mind--but the evidence that Joseph saw declared otherwise. In Luke 2:1 ...

3232. Half-Time is Now Over

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... leader--whom they believed to be the Messiah. Although they do not at first recognize the stranger, there is something about his manner that gives them renewed hope and an inner peace. Toward evening they near the village of Emmaus and urge the stranger to stay with them. It is in a simple outdoor setting. It is not until after the stranger has taken the bread and blessed it, that they finally recognize him as the Lord Jesus Christ. His presence with them transforms their mood of failure and defeat into ...

3233. Living the Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... , "You know, I can think of something even better than that." The man responded, "You can, Pastor? And what might that be?" Brooks replied rather bluntly, "Just this. Instead of traveling thousands of miles to read the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, why not stay right here at home and keep them?" There are few portions of God''s word that are more well known to the entire world than the "Big Ten"--The Ten Commandments. They form the ethical foundations of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. These, of course ...

3234. The Seventh Commandment: Indecent Proposal

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... going, that "true Christian character and conduct would shine out like a great light in the midst of a dark and perverse generation." So, our final lesson today is the Good News for those who have not fully lived out this teaching. No man or woman needs to stay the way they are. Jesus offers his hand and extends to us, not an Indecent Proposal, but a gracious invitation to come unto him and allow his amazing grace to make us a new creation in Christ. Jesus taught us that you don''t change human behavior by ...

3235. The Tenth Commandment: How Zacchaeus Got His Groove Back

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... woman." And God answered, "You take that onion, then hold it out to her in the lake and let her take hold and be pulled out. And if you can pull her out of the lake let her come to Paradise, but if the onion breaks, then the woman must stay where she is." The angel ran to the woman and held out the onion to her; "Come," said he, "catch hold and I'll pull you out." And he began cautiously pulling her out. He had just pulled her out, when the other sinners in the lake, seeing how she ...

3236. Trouble: A Required Course in LIfe

James 1:1-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... first time on its wobbly legs. Then the mother giraffe does the most remarkable thing. She kicks it off its feet again. Why? She wants it to remember how it got up. In the wild, baby giraffes must be able to get up as quickly as possible in order to stay with the herd, where there is safety. Lions, hyenas, leopards, and wild hunting dogs all enjoy young giraffes, and they''d get it, too, if the mother didn''t teach her calf to get up quickly and get with it..." (1) Trials and troubles are also part of our ...

3237. Hissing in the Garden

Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... church in her rush to leave. Try as she might, she couldn''t get herself back on her feet. Now the contractor (dressed as the devil), really being a nice man, rushed over to help her back to her feet. The woman cried out, "Don''t you touch me, you stay away from me. I have been a member of this church for 61 years. I have sung in the choir and taught Sunday School for many years. I have baked thousands of pies and sliced hundreds of hams for the annual church social." However, now catching her breath, she ...

3238. An Eye-Opening Experience

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... is not in our determination to find God but in God’s determination to find us. There is a story about a young boy who had to travel cross country by train from Los Angeles to Philadelphia to see his grandparents once a year. He had completed his stay with his grandparents and was ready to return home to Philadelphia. He safely boarded the train and began the long trip home. While on the train, a business executive asked him if he was afraid to take the long trip by himself. The little boy boldly declared ...

3239. King of the Road

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... tragic turn of events that had happened to their leader and Messiah. Although they did not at first recognize "Him," there was something about his manner that gave them renewed hope and an inner peace. Towards evening they neared the village of Emmaus and urged Him to stay with them. It was at the simple outdoor table after He has taken the bread and blessed it that they finally recognized Him as the Lord Jesus Christ. He was the real "King of the Road"--and the king on the road with them. He transformed ...

3240. Someday - Today

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... being a respectful admirer of God and being a committed believer. Did Jesus say to the man at the pool at Bethzatha who was sick and paralyzed for 38 years - Would you like to be healed--SOMEDAY? Did Jesus say to Zaccheus, I would like to stay at your home--SOMEDAY? When Jesus was passing along the Sea of Galilee and He saw Simon and Peter, did He say, Would you please consider following me--SOMEDAY? During the Revolutionary War a young man came to George Washington and said, "General Washington, I want ...

3241. Joy: The Echo of God's Presence In Us! (Part I - Introduction)

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... calendar to find two notations: `Andy''s birthday present (my son) and teeth cleaned: 2 p.m.'' I crossed off both and then penciled in, `Modified-radical mastectomy: 12:30 p.m.'' "I was home by 10 a.m. April 25--cancer-free, with a 95 percent chance of staying that way. "Talking about my cancer is not something I want to make a career out of. You would never be reading this column were it not for the fact that I attended a cancer benefit luncheon (before my surgery) where a woman confessed to having a lump ...

3242. Emptying and Exalting (Part XI)

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... way home, they talked about the cat. "Where are we going to keep the cat?" The father said, "I''ll tell you; we''ll keep it outside. We''ll find some way to keep it outside tonight and we''ll work it out tomorrow where...." "No, Daddy, it can''t stay outside." "Well, where can we keep it, children?" "We''re going to keep it in your bedroom, Daddy." When they got home, he started to pick up the cat. It was between the seats. When he started to pick up the cat, the cat arched its back and reached for ...

3243. The Servant Who Delivered the Mail

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... it meant to die for a cause, didn't take sacrifice for granted. After writing the phrase, he must have leaned back against his prison wall and smiled at the mental picture of his old trail-buddy Epaphroditus. The only thing longer than his name was his staying power." (1) I think it is safe to say we are deeply moved and inspired by most of the mighty miracles that were read about in the Bible. We are inspired by leadership given by some of God''s Hall of Famers like Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Peter ...

3244. Tripping the Tempter

James 1:1-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... near the front of the church in her rush to leave. Try as she might, she couldn't get herself back on her feet. Now the contractor, who was actually a nice man, rushed over to help her up, but the woman cried out, "Don''t you touch me; you stay away from me. I have been a member of this church for 61 years. I have sung in the choir and taught Sunday School for many years. I have baked thousands of pies and sliced hundreds of hams for the annual church social." Catching her breath, she finally blurted out ...

3245. The Telling Trademarks of Truth

James 3:13-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... done." "In the oven," he shouted in a state of shock. "Good heavens, woman! That bird could speak eleven languages!" The wife indignantly replied, "Well, why didn''t it say something?" The man had knowledge--but little wisdom. If he had spoken the words, "I love you," and stayed at home where he belonged on her birthday--he would have been happier and $3300 richer. His knowledge did not help him act as a wise man. The Bible has a great deal to say about wisdom. In a wonderful way, the Bible is God''s wisdom ...

3246. Still Waters

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... down.'' And after my friend had gone, I lay there thinking about those words from the 23rd Psalm. "The Shepherd knew His sheep needed to rest, so He made them to lie down. And somehow I knew there was a lesson in this Psalm for me. The longer I stayed in the hospital, the more clear it became. Study the lives of the faithful people, and you will find every one of them drew apart from the hurry of life for rest and reflection. "Great poems are not written on crowded streets, lovely songs are not created in ...

3247. A Rod And A Staff

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... to the Shepherd. I said I could almost see David crying out, "THOU ART WITH ME." God is no longer simply an abstract idea but a hand that we lean forward to grasp with force and feeling. I further shared how Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, in his book STAY ALIVE ALL YOUR LIFE, relates a story about a hurricane that arose while he was on a ship in the Atlantic. Under the skillful guidance and knowledge of a seaworthy captain, the ship managed to sail around the storm. Before leaving the ship, Dr. Peale had an ...

3248. A Cup Overflowing

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Now, let us shift gears and travel on to the beginning of verse five: "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies." A distinguished colleague wrote of the time he experienced such gracious hospitality when he stayed at the home of a friend. He wrote: "They received me into their lovely house, which the wife had labored all day to clean for my arrival. They ushered me into the most comfortable bedroom, where their own clothes had been removed from the closet to make room for mine. ...

3249. The Lamb Wins

Revelation 5:1-14

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... Sirs: We notice the intention of Lewis'' to expand, and we notice your willingness to buy our building at a price we name, but we wish you respectfully to know that we have been on this spot longer than you have been on yours, that we are determined to stay where we are, and if it would help, we are willing to buy Lewis'' at any price you are to name." It was simply signed "Cadbury." It happens that Cadbury is the biggest maker of chocolate in England and they are Quakers. Dr. English made the point that if ...

3250. Depression: When the Spirit Is Faint

Psalm 142:1-7

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... in the fresh air. We never create power--we assimilate it. So, a man with a real faith in GOD senses around his spiritual life a spiritual presence as truly as the physical world is around his body. He knows of the deep well of staying power that divine companionship can replenish." (3) I also believe and celebrate with Dr. Fosdick the resources that the Christian faith provides when we walk the lonesome valley of despair and depression. I marvel at the utter honesty of God''s people in the biblical witness ...

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