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 3376 to 3400 of 4963 results

3376. A Costly Gift

Illustration

King Duncan

... said nothing. His father met him in the living room and said nothing. At dinner that night, the boy looked at his plate. There was a slice of bread and a glass of water. He looked at his father's full plate and then at his father, but his father remained silent. The boy was crushed. The father waited for the full impact to sink in, then quietly took the boy's plate and placed it in front of himself. He took his own plate of meat and potatoes, put it in front of the boy, and smiled at his son ...

3377. A New Day Is Coming

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... has also traversed some dark nights, such as apartheid in South Africa and slavery in the United States, but through perseverance and the good work of many fine people, it has found the light at the end of the journey. Still, many dark nights remain and, thus, we must be like John the Baptist in pointing society toward the light. Racism, anti-Semitism, poverty, ignorance, and arrogance which still exist in abundance, seek to cast our world into darkness. But even with systemic problems the light does exist ...

3378. A Promise Fulfilled: A Gift Given

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... Christian community. We recall the Pauline author in 2 Timothy (2:11-13): "If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful — for he cannot deny himself." The apex of God's plan of salvation is found in Jesus, the ultimate manifestation of God's promise to his people. As we heard last Sunday the Angel Gabriel came to Mary with a remarkable claim, that she, a virgin, would conceive ...

3379. Seeing and Not Being Seen

John 12:20-33

Sermon

David T. Ball

... let him know some Greeks wanted to see him. The gospel account does give us his reply: “Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.’ ” And on he continued, about how those who love their life will lose it, and how those who hate their life will keep it, and serving, and following, and how whoever serves Jesus God will honor ...

3380. Where Are You From?

John 18:1-19:42

Sermon

David T. Ball

Whenever we travel, we come into contact with new people. Often these interactions remain basic and simple, with us exchanging just the bare minimum of information necessary to complete our interaction, like when checking in for a flight. "Good morning, traveling to San Francisco today?" "Yes." "May I see your photo ID?" "Sure." "Any baggage to check?" "Yes, two pieces." "Two pieces." "Yes." "Okay, ...

3381. I Am the King’s Servant, But God’s First

Matthew 22:15-22

Illustration

Michael Manning

If you get a chance, rent the movie A Man for All Seasons. It is based on the life of St. Thomas Moore and is one of the best dramatic movies I have ever seen. It has been a couple of years since I have seen it, but one scene remains vivid in my mind when I think about the importance of persecution as a way of life for followers of Jesus. More was the Chancellor of England. By profession he was a lawyer. He loved his king. He loved his country and he loved its laws. Then a terrible dilemma ...

3382. No More Camping Out

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... king dancing in his underwear in front of the servants, and has a fit. She lets David know in no uncertain terms that she sees this as highly inappropriate behavior for a king. She didn't get what Uzzah got, it's true. But for her loose lips she remained childless the rest of her days. You can see that having a relationship with God in those days was sometimes a rocky road. Finally, though, the Ark came to the city of David and was placed in a tent that David pitched for the occasion. God is settled into ...

3383. Following a God Who Flip Flops ...

Jonah 3:1-5, 10

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... are held to this standard of consistency, and if they violate it for any reason there is heck to pay. I wonder, though, if consistency is such a good policy. Things change, after all. New information comes to light; circumstances and situations change. It seems to me that remaining flexible and responsive to the card that life deals may be a better way of going. But then I'm just a preacher. To me, this consistency thing gets carried too far. It's sort of like saying, "My mind's made up. Don't confuse me ...

3384. Yesterday, Today, and Forever

Acts 8:26-40

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... business guru, says that most good ideas last from five to eight years. This good idea of salvation in Jesus Christ lasts until the end of time. In the midst of whirlwind changes in our culture, it is good to know that belief and baptism into Christ remain the same no matter how many changes we must face. One person described the changes, good and bad, we must endure today like this: Nostalgia If you are near 65, you have been witness to more changes -- good and bad, than any other generation from Adam and ...

3385. Risking Relationships That Redeem

Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... . As an older widow, Naomi's social situation is precarious enough, but as a young widow with no prospects of marriage before her, Ruth faces a future of ostracism. Living in a foreign land with Naomi will further limit her chances for marriage. Choosing to remain with Naomi and electing to share her faith represent a grand and extravagant act of love and commitment on Ruth's part. Ruth knows how the people of Israel feel about Moabites, and that probably no one in her new land will even recognize her ...

3386. Having the Last Word

2 Samuel 23:1-7

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... prospers, ushering in the Iron Age, thus producing richer crops by employing iron farming implements. Under David, the Israelites enter a religious golden age. God is once again worshiped in purity and truth. Worship is centralized in Jerusalem and the covenant remains a vibrant part of national life. The promise God made ten centuries earlier has been fulfilled through David. Still, some people resent the many changes that King David has brought about. They had never done it that way before. David's ...

3387. Staying in Line

Matthew 22:34-40

Illustration

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

At the entrance to the harbor at the Isle of Man there are two lights. One would think that the two signals would confuse the pilot. But the fact is, he has to keep them in line; as long as he keeps them in line, his ship is safe. It is the same with these commands of Jesus: the love of God, love others, and love of self. When we keep them in line, we remain safe and well in the channel of the Christian life.

3388. Humble Acts of Service

Mark 8:31--9:1

Illustration

Brett Blair

... of job, totally lacking in any glory. Most chose to join the various military services. They desired something that could give them more social acceptance and recognition. Something was needed to motivate these men in the work that they were doing so that they would remain in the mines. With this in mind, Winston Churchill delivered a speech one day to thousands of coal miners, stressing to them the importance of their role in the war effort. He did this by painting for them a mental picture. He told them ...

3389. Keeper of the Springs

Proverbs 31:10-31

Sermon

Peter Marshall

... that womanhood is a sacred and a noble thing, that women are of finer clay, are more in touch with the angels of God and have the noblest function that life affords. Wherever Christianity has spread, for nineteen hundred years men have bowed and adored. It remained for the twentieth century, in the name of progress, in the name of tolerance, in the name of broadmindedness, in the name of freedom, to pull her down from her throne and try to make her like a man. She wanted equality. For nineteen hundred years ...

3390. The Rooster’s Crow

Matthew 26:69-75, Matthew 26:31-35

Illustration

Scott Hoezee

... guest. As he sat in his booth a little ways away from the counter, Craddock wrestled with saying something to chide this manager for his shameful, racist conduct. Eventually the black man quickly slurped down some coffee and then fled the diner. Craddock meanwhile remained silent. "I didn't say anything," he confessed. "I quietly paid my bill, left the diner, and headed back to my car. But as I walked through the parking lot, somewhere in the distance, I heard a rooster crow." With that poignant, final ...

3391. Where Is Loyalty in an Age of Immediacy?

Mark 1:1-8

Illustration

Elton Richards

... of belonging to a succession of generations originating in the past and stretching into the future." There is little loyalty in the workplace. Our language gives us away when we speak of "headhunters," "corporate raiders," and "hostile takeovers." Few athletes remain with the teams that signed them. Free agency reigns in professional sports. The assumption among religious shoppers is that we operate in a buyers' market. The consumer makes choices based on present needs with little thought for the past or ...

3392. No Comment

2 Kings 2:1-12a

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of the greatest temptations of his life. Arrested and hauled before first the Sanhedrin and then the Roman authorities, Jesus was given numerous opportunities to explain away his actions and attitudes. Having wrestled with his doubts in Gethsemane, Jesus remained obedient to the unfathomable will of God, to the mystery of the impending crucifixion and the resurrection, by maintaining a consistent "no comment" in the face of the apparently reasonable requests by the authorities to explain himself (cf Mark ...

3393. The Three Stages to Truth: A Biblical Philosophy of Education

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Ours is an educated era. Yet we seem to be filled with facts while remaining ignorant of true understanding. In these texts the greatest teacher we have ever known, Jesus, demonstrates an educative scheme designed to fill our hearts as well as our heads, and destined to get our feet moving along with our minds. The texts examined this week demonstrate the biblical understanding of ...

3394. Don't Count Sheep

John 10:11-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... admired. And sheep are notoriously stupid. Hold up a stick in front of the lead sheep in a procession of the animals and it will nimbly leap up and over the slight barrier. So far, so good. Unfortunately for the reputation of "sheep-sense," the remaining sheep will also obediently leap up to clear the stick - even if the obstacle is removed after that first beast jumped it. All the other sheep leap to avoid something that isn't there. The strength of their flock mentality forces them into the air. Yet ...

3395. The Bonds of Love

1 John 4:7-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... the sexual bond fades and withers. A bond of decision and commitment was also part of the love relationships Grunebaum studied. While the seeds of this bond take root in childhood they do not bear fruit until maturity. The decision to marry or not still remains one of the most important decisions any person makes in his or her life. However unromantic it may sound, it appears to be true that both men and women use what is called "balance theory" when trying to come to that crucial decision - balancing what ...

3396. When C Is Not Average

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... from the dead, transformed, redeemed, glorified, given a new body of glory. And what happens? According to Luke, one of his first appearances is to a person, unnamed and unknown, and to a man named Cleopas, who after his witness to the remaining disciples is never heard from again. Psychologist Eugene Kennedy is famous for talking about "the wonder of the ordinary." He observes that "when persons suffer mental illness, they lose something of their individuality, they exhibit common kinds of behavior that we ...

3397. Speaking the S-word

1 Samuel 16:14-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... We need to possess a faith and trust in God so that God's love possesses us. We need to work the fat off our souls. So how do we disarm the Devil? Martin Luther gave good advice: "The Devil hates to hear God's name and cannot long remain when it is uttered and invoked from the heart ... I have tried it myself." And again: "Pastors would so occupy themselves with God's Word that they teach the Devil to death." Jesus knew that his teaching and preaching, as well as his healing exorcisms, were weapons against ...

3398. A Postmodern Coat of Crayola Colors

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... more concerned than the children. It is as if the validity of treasured childhood memories depends upon these rainbow hues never changing. Our fears of adult life, of the decisions we must make, the roads we must follow or avoid, do not depend on the world remaining the same as we have always known it. Don't wake Jesus up! This is not the way for the church to recover its identity as a "peculiar people." The Spirit of God reaches every generation differently, and God's spirit can use the more postmodern ...

3399. The Job Description of a Leader

2 Samuel 23:1-7

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... . The surprising nature of their faith, their lives, and their words combine to write what might be thought of as a Christian's "job description" of a leader. As Warren Bennis points out in his book On Becoming a Leader (1989), leadership still remains the most studied and least understood topic in all the social sciences. In spite of all the recent studies on leadership by MacGregor Burns, Tom Peters, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Cary Cooper, Alistair Mant, et al., leadership is all too often still "like beauty ...

3400. The Golden Calf and the Golden Table

James 1:17-27

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... calf of information. In 2 Chronicles 13:8-11 the author contrasts the golden calves worshipped by the rebellious idolaters with the golden altar table prepared for the Lord by the faithful Levite priests. It is a division in the standards of humanity that remains even today. Some choose to worship that golden calf of knowledge - which takes nearly as many forms as there are bits of information. Others continue to petition God for the gift of wisdom, placing their request on the golden table of true worship ...

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