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 3326 to 3350 of 4963 results

3326. Matthew 14:22-33

Matthew 14:22-36

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... struck fear into Peter’s heart. Peter’s panicked plea elicited this retort from Jesus: “Why did you doubt?” (v.31). But while Jesus accuses Peter, the one who had stepped off the boat and into the water, of “little faith,” the remaining eleven disciples huddled aboard ship had a completely different reaction. The first water-wonder Jesus performed (8:23-27) concluded with a question: “What sort of man is this?” The water-wonder worked on this occasion elicits a remarkable, and theologically ...

3327. This Feels Like Where I Came In

Mark 13:1-8

Sermon

... which he said: "They're a bunch of gooks. They all look alike. They all sound alike. You can't tell good gooks from bad gooks. You can't tell our gooks from their gooks. So we ought to douse the entire country with gasoline and tell the last remaining GI to light a match." The girl who brought him over for approval was my sister. The guy who wanted to torch the entire Vietnamese landscape eventually became my brother-in-law. I suppose it will not surprise you when I say that we were never close. War against ...

3328. An Unidentified King

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... , his crucifixion, and then about his resurrection. Finally he informs her that he has decided to become a disciple of Jesus. In her letter of response, Diana says, "What I fear is that this Jesus character might affect you. The story of his life is beautiful. Let it remain so. We don't have to do anything about it, do we?" Oh yes, we do, Diana. This Jesus is still marching down the streets of the world calling people to decision. Jesus is the unidentified king who has no crown to wear or kingdom to command ...

3329. The True Olympians

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... close calls, gut-wrenching defeats, stunning victories, or surprising winners? All these stand out, then fade back, into the haze of the entire Olympic experience. Have you enjoyed it as much as I have? Maybe there is one more thing that will remain as a constant running through these Olympic memories: the haze. The pollution pall that settles over the city of Beijing was a constant concern for all the athletes and visitors gathered there. Olympic athletes were given black designer “pollution masks” to ...

3330. Living By Faith In A Time of War

Judges 6:1-40

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... and the lowly rather than those that crave power and wealth for themselves. We cannot know the future of Iraq or Afghanistan. But those two nations have an opportunity to be free that they would not have had if Saddam and the Taliban had remained in power. That opportunity was paid for with awesome sacrifices, by Afghans, Iraqis, and Coalition forces. We should pray and highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. (1) It seems proper for us to close this message with prayer. 62 years ...

3331. Healed By The Great Physician

2 Kings 5:1-27

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... of healing are still flowing! Let me close with a story from the prominent teacher and writer, Tony Campolo. Some years ago he was preaching at a church in Oregon. On impulse, as he ended the service he said to the congregation that if anyone wanted to remain behind for healing, that he would be glad to pray for them. He told them that he was not a TV miracle worker but that he would be willing to pray for them. Surprisingly, about thirty people stayed behind for prayer. Tony anointed each one with olive ...

3332. The Grasshopper Mentality

Numbers 13:26-33

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... the trainer. “When they are babies, we stake them down. They try to tug away from the stake countless times before they realize that they can’t get away. At that point the elephant memory takes over and for the remainder of their lives they remain convinced that they can’t get away from the stake.” Like elephants, humans have long memories. Often when we are young, some unthinking, insensitive person makes a negative statement about you or me, and we happen to hear it. Maybe they say about us, “He ...

3333. Is There Hope For World Peace?

Matthew 24:1-35

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... world. At that time it was already 1000 years old. It was built of white marble and plated with gold. Some of the temple’s supporting stones were 40 feet in length and weighted 100 tons. The cutting and moving of those massive stones remains a mystery of ancient engineering. The disciples, some of whom were Galilean fishermen, were awe-struck by these huge and beautiful buildings. Jesus’ response must have shocked them. He said, “That temple will be utterly destroyed. Not one stone will be left upon ...

3334. I Believe That Jesus Suffered Under Pontius Pilate

John 1:29-34

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... for my wood one day to be used to make a cradle, for a little baby to rest in.” The second tree said, “I’d like to be made into a mighty ocean-going vessel, carrying useful cargo all over the world.” The third tree said, “I want to remain a tree, just to stand here and point upwards, reminding people that there is a God who loves them.” One day the woodcutters came for the first tree. “We’ll make this one into a manger,” they said. “No,” protested the tree. “I don’t want to be a ...

3335. I Am the Keeper of the Zoo

Isaiah 11:1-9

Sermon

... alleged to have begun in the Garden….where the Creator said "Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me," and the serpent said "What does he know?"….maybe that messy business is now about to be healed and restored. Yet I remain cautious. When I once asked the chief resident at RedBird Missionary Hospital in rural Kentucky about the most frequent cause of admission to his hospital's emergency room, he said, "Poisonous snake bites." Leading me, who earlier that day had been hiking those trails ...

3336. A Defiant Response to a Dangerous Theology: Does God Desire to Wipe Us Out?

Gn 6:1-8. 9:6-17

Sermon

... the sky. All things considered, I do not believe God sent the tsunami….meant the tsunami….or bent the tsunami to use as an instrument of his avenging will. I do not believe it is God's intent to wipe "them" out….or wipe us out. But the sad fact remains, many were wiped out. And will be again. So, doesn't God care? Of course, God cares. At least, I hope God cares. So why doesn't God do something to prevent it? I wish I knew. You wish you knew. Both Job and Billy Graham wish they knew. From ...

3337. Bountiful Faith: Two All Beef Patties, Special Sauce, Lettuce, Cheese, Pickles...Etc

2 Corinthians 9:6-11

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... gives balance and discipline to our lives and helps us to live responsibly. Here's one way of doing it. It's called the 10-10-80 plan, and it would be a great help to Stanley Johnson: 10% for God 10% for the future Then to live within the remaining 80% as a wise steward of God It was a great joy to introduce you to my brother this week. I am just so proud of this congregation and am grateful for your gracious welcome. On Thursday he spoke for a conference gathering and used a DVD from their last ...

3338. Saints By Faith: Good to the Last Drop

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... our prayers, presence, gifts and service—to carry out the work of the saints, the ministry of Christ. I make no apology about lifting up the call of God to faithful stewardship and the biblical pattern of tithing: 10% returned to God as an act of faithfulness, the remaining 90% to be cared for as a trust from God. It is our most immediate and direct way of living out our "sainthood," our participation in the Body of Christ, our fellowship with all the saints. Here is a word to the saints…here and now. 2 ...

3339. Abraham and Sarah: Backing Into the Future

Hebrews 11:1-3; 8-11

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... builder and maker is God. Dennis Kinlaw once drew the contrast in a slightly different way: "Abraham pitched his tents and built his altars." If you track Abraham's journey, you find no evidence of castles, forts or fortresses, no palace ruins or glorious remains. What do you find? Piles of rocks where he worshipped God, cairns of worship, reminders of God's permanence in an ever-changing world. He pitched his tents, and he built his altars. He knew the difference between the temporary and the eternal. They ...

3340. Unlikely Election

Acts 1:12-26

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... was not so much his innocence as the fact that he was nine months dead. His successor, Stephen IV, had him dug up and enthroned in full regalia, then screamed at him to answer the charges. When Pope Formosus exercised his right to remain silent, he was condemned, stripped, deprived of his fingers of blessing and thrown into the Tiber River. It was a bizarre new low for the interminable brawls of church politics, but the decline continued. Stephen IV was strangled the same year, his successor lasted ...

3341. Bart and Homer, Father and Sons

1 Samuel 20:24-42

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... is a brat and Homer is horrendous, but no one can question the fact that the Simpson household has become a major icon. And in the end, there is no question about their commitment to each other. Together they are family and they are likely to remain one. They are Bart and Homer, father and son. And in a strange way, that brings us to the biblical narrative. The Bible is very honest about its dysfunctional families. The very first family in the Bible, that of Adam and Eve, struggled with spousal betrayal ...

3342. Yet Alive....Are We?

Romans 12:1-13

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... of love for everyone. This love does not stop with the person's intimate acquaintances, but extends to all of mankind. Even those who hate Methodists receive love in return. Then one of Wesley's most familiar quotations: And so I beg you, let all true Christians remain united. Is your heart right as my heart is with yours? I ask no further questions; give me your hand. Do you love God? This is enough. I give you the right hand of fellowship. It is not that theology, beliefs and social issues don't matter ...

3343. What Ever Happened to Norman Rockwell?

Colossians 3:1-17

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... did you consider those in the congregation who want children but can't have them, or my daughter who suffered a miscarriage, or the couple who adopted a child but then the birth mother took him back? What about single persons, or those who choose to remain childless? We had difficulty having children and always ran into the same thing on Mother's Day. I realize this is something you can't fully appreciate, but I ask for more sensitivity in the future. No, Norman Rockwell doesn't live here anymore. And for ...

3344. Romans 13:9-21

Romans 13:8-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of “authentic love”‑- striving to “surpass one another” in showing honor to others and praising others over oneself. Furthermore, Paul encourages Christians to maintain an attitude of “never growing weary in well‑doing.” Paul says we should remain “ardent” or more dramatically “set on fire” (literally “boil, seethe”) by the spirit that we have received from God through Christ. Yet this fiery, spirit‑infused zeal Paul yokes to another trait of authentic love: “serve the Lord ...

3345. He’s Going to Make It Hard on You

Matthew 16:21-28

Illustration

King Duncan

... hunting with a friend of his on Cherokee Lake in East Tennessee. His friend, Riley, who had just recently given his life to Christ, began to ask some serious questions about his Christian pilgrimage. Riley's old friends were making it very difficult for him to remain consistent in his obedience and commitment to Christ. They seemed to delight in trying to get him to fall back into the old patterns of life. They ridiculed him for spending so much time with "the preacher." Riley asked, "Why is it that I'm ...

3346. Building Relationships

Matthew 18:15-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... that or you cannot appreciate Jesus’ words for today. Relationships matter. In fact, in the long run, the only thing that really matters in life is relationships. When life is over, everything we have in this world will disappear and decay. Only one thing will remain: relationships. This is to say we need our relationships to be strong and we want them to last. Now listen to Jesus’ words: “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to ...

3347. Three Strikes?

Matthew 18: 15-20

Illustration

Johnny Dean

... there are limits. If someone sins against you, confront that person face to face, one on one, and try to clear the air. If reconciliation doesn't result from the one on one encounter, confront the person again in the presence of witnesses. If the situation still remains unresolved, tell it to the church - sic the elders on them! That'll teach them a lesson! But if THAT doesn't work then let the one who sinned against you "be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector." That seems pretty straightforward, doesn't ...

3348. Secret Revealed

Romans 16:25-27

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... security can there be? We have hope in someone far bigger and better than ourselves. Those who seriously follow Christ have a peace that does surpass all understanding. It is not as the world gives. Its peace evaporates in both good and bad times. Our peace remains steadfast, as long as we cling to him and carry our crosses in victory. What the world calls wisdom must fall by the wayside. It must never be allowed to set our priorities or get in the way of serving the one, the only one. The foundation ...

3349. Taking a Necessary Step

Acts 19:1-7

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... description of living the Christian life. At each crucial point in our development there is a step to take. We may find it to our liking. Likewise, we may discover we don't like it at all! Paul's friends had a step to take. Otherwise, they would remain thwarted in what was intended for them. This is so like our lives, isn't it? Hopefully, every step shows forward movement under the banner of Jesus Christ. We may be complimented for our goodness, only to learn it just isn't good enough for the eyes of ...

3350. Looking Out for Others

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... the way to go. The weak are to be treated with dignity and respect. God expects that of us! Our prayers should be focused upon this very concept. We are to aid in forming others and not run away to some safe corner to sit in a rocking chair. Prayer remains the most powerful force in benefiting others. Of course, we are to keep in mind this may be a prelude to actual and open change. In others we set the table and before you know it, luscious food and drink appear to enhance our friends who are on the same ...

Showing results