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 3451 to 3475 of 4957 results

3451. Prayer

Psalm 42:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... been my help, and in the shadow of they wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to thee; thy right hand upholds me. IV. We Pray to Experience God Four, we pray to experience God as real. The first sentence of Psalm 63 is a great personal claim: “God, thou art my God.” The heart of prayer is communion. Communion means being with, in union, sharing. Go back and read the part of Psalm 63 printed in the workbook for yesterday. Nothing is real in our experience except those things with which we habitually deal ...

3452. A Kingdom that Can Not Be Shaken

Hebrews 12:14-29

Sermon

King Duncan

... London has underwritten insurance on nearly everything. Lloyd’s was established originally to insure losses on ships and cargoes. Through the years, the syndicate has expanded to cover nearly every imaginable contingency. Lloyd’s settled claims in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, on the Titanic, and on thousands of less famous disasters. The company has written policies covering pianists’ hands, dancers’ legs, singers’ voices, and actresses’ faces. Coffee crops, space flights--the riskiest ...

3453. The God of Lost Sheep

Luke 15:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan

... in most societies. It is not a good one. There is an old Spanish folktale about a doctor, a rancher, and a shepherd who get into an argument about who is the smartest. The doctor is an educated man, a little on the arrogant side. He claims to be the most knowledgeable. The rancher is wealthy and powerful. He believes that he is smarter. They look down on the shepherd because he is uneducated and, like many shepherds in his region, smells very strongly of sheep. The proprietor of the general store challenges ...

3454. Dark Ugly Clouds

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Sermon

Bill Mosley

... is not the story of “just another martyr.” It was part of God’s plan. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are the ultimate in true obedience and humility. None of us chose to be born, nor would we if we knew what pain we must face just to claim life. Pain and suffering are a part of the meaning of life. We see the real meaning of life demonstrated on the cross. Jesus accepts God’s will of death because God’s will is life. Another reversal. Jesus accepts God’s will of death because God’s ...

3455. The Witness of Being

Genesis 1:1—2:4a

Sermon

James L. Killen

... must have some kind of a relationship. The apparent conflicts between science and religion continue to torment many people. Scientific method demands that scientists require empirical evidence, proof based on things you can see and touch, before they can claim scientific proof of any finding. That scientific method has served scientists and society well. Religious people, on the other hand, learn a lot from experience and from revelation. Those sources of knowledge have served religious people and society ...

3456. The Subject Is Salvation

Genesis 6:9-22; 7:24; 8:14-19

Sermon

James L. Killen

... anxious. That is what we feel is most threatened by the chaos and the non-being that presents itself in so many forms in our personal experiences. That is what we are most driven to struggle to preserve. And somehow, in a way that we cannot really claim to have accomplished by ourselves, it is preserved. Somehow, in spite of all of the storms that rage around us, we continue to exist as persons. If we can catch the vision that our existence is preserved because someone much greater than we cares about us ...

3457. The Problem with Promises

Genesis 18:1-15, 21:1-7

Sermon

James L. Killen

... For one thing, they confine its meaning to one carefully defined little part of their lives called "religion," which they keep carefully separated from the rest of their lives so that it won't get in the way. Then they make it into a single transaction by which a person claims the forgiveness of sins and a place in heaven after death. Faith is something much bigger than that. It is something that has to do with a person's whole way of relating to all of life and to the God who is present and at work in all ...

3458. Discovering that It’s Not about You

Genesis 22:1-14

Sermon

James L. Killen

... of respect that is an aspect of real love. That can make a big difference in your relationships. It can put an end to jealousy and manipulation and a lot of the hurt feelings and bad feelings that often exist between us. It can let you claim your freedom from others while respecting their freedom from you. It can let you make commitments to others that are parts of your commitment to God. Can you visualize what that could mean in your most intimate relationships? Let's consider an example. If parents give ...

3459. Out of Conflict

Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon

James L. Killen

... Christ Jesus. If we can find our way into that kind of a relationship with God, we will have a new confidence in our own personhood and that can change a lot of things in our lives. It can enable us to deal constructively with conflicts by claiming God's assurance for ourselves and by sharing it with others. That kind of affirmation of personhood can make a difference. We can imagine that it could have made a difference if both Isaac and Rebecca had made a conscious effort to affirm the unique personhood of ...

3460. Preaching to a Stone

Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... try to mold the tribes into a community that understands who they are. Joshua begins with the authority of a prophet, "Thus says the Lord." We preachers always hope that God has given us the right words, and that God speaks through our sermons. Joshua boldly claims the role of prophet, even speaking in the first person for God. Joshua's sermon recounts what God has done in the history of the community. What God has done is thrilling! The tribes who are standing there listening to this sermon are part of God ...

3461. Writing the Law on Our Hearts

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... if we disregard the immaturity, and look at the issues, we realize we don't know exactly what God thinks. Both sides in any theological debate are positive God is on their side, but who knows for sure? The fact that honest and sincere church people can claim God's support for opposite sides of a debate only highlights that God's true will can be confusing. If we don't know what God wants, God seems even further away. Sometimes God seems far away because somewhere in our past our understanding of God got ...

3462. Are You Ready?

Matthew 24:36-44

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... two and more are gathered in your name, you dwell in our midst. We do not seek the key to your timetable. In our worship today we seek to redeem the time. Move in our midst today. Amen. Prayer Of Confession Lord, from our midst you will call your people. Claim us as your own as we confess our unworthiness and beg for your boundless grace. Salvation lies in you. Let it be found among us. Amen. Hymns "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" "Sleepers, Wake!" "I Know Whom I Have Believed"

3463. Adoption Papers

John 14:15-21

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship God will not leave us abandoned. God is our advocate. God calls us to worship today. Collect We call to mind the promises of Jesus and boldly make the claim that we are all adopted members of your family in love. Hallelujah. We praise you, God. Amen. Prayer Of Confession The tumult and the shouting dies. The captain and the kings depart. Still stands thine ancient sacrifice: A humble and a contrite heart. Lord God of hosts, be with us ...

3464. Before I Was Born

Isaiah 49:1-7, Psalm 40:1-17

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... end of the earth. Prayer Of Confession Lord of Life, is it too much for us to believe in your promises? Your law is written on our hearts. Why don't we read what is written there? Forgive us, Lord, for our timidity and inspire us through your Spirit to claim our commission to the nations. Amen. Hymns "Praise To The Lord, The Almighty" "O Let All Who Thirst" "Blest Be The Tie

3465. Gradually Slipping Away

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... child is ignored. Finally, the people use their God-given talents and knowledge to build themselves up, instead of to serve their Creator. So many sins - and one cross slapped down to bridge the abyss. Collect This First Sunday In Lent we come to consider a sin we might claim as our own, the willful disobedience of God's good will for our lives. Even here there is hope. It is in that hope that we gather to praise the name of the Lord. Amen. Prayer Of Confession May we learn from the sin of our parents not ...

3466. One for All

Psalm 32:1-5, Romans 5:12-19

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and you forgave the guilt of my sin. (based on Psalm 32:1-5) Collect In Adam's Fall We Sinned All. Christ Claimed the Lost And Paid the cost. Prayer Of Confession There is nothing like your forgiveness, your acceptance, your salvation. There is nothing, Lord, to match the boundless grace you offer. In this season of Lent we admit our shortcomings, our failings, our poor choices, our deliberate ...

3467. Night Crawler

John 3:1-17

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... ) Prayer Of Confession Are we like Nicodemus, Lord, so afraid of the opinion of others that we laugh off any accusation that we seek you in your sanctuary? Let it not be said of us that we are ashamed of the gospel. Instill your bravery in us that we might claim our own cross, carrying it secure in the knowledge that you walk beside us to share the load. Amen. Hymns "To God Be The Glory" "God Sent His Son" "Beneath The Cross Of Jesus"

3468. Get AaMap, Ask for Directions

1 Samuel 16:1-12

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... lot of time to something, whether in a financial investment, a relationship, or an endeavor, we are reluctant to let go, stop, and turn around, even when we know that this is a dead end and it is finally time to admit it. Samuel had qualms about God's people claiming a King but he had given in, at the Lord's command, and had anointed Saul. For a time things had gone well, but the situation had soured. God insists he will do a new thing, and that Samuel needs to let go, but it's hard to do that ...

3469. Making a Change

Romans 6:12-23

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... the giver of all good gifts. Collect We demand not for our due, but beg for the gift of free and flowing grace! Amen. Prayer Of Confession Lord we know exactly what we would get as the wages for sin. Why do we show up every payday demanding what we claim we deserve? It's time we change jobs, where we are paid nothing and give everything. We humbly ask for your free gift of grace! We've sinned enough. Enter into our lives and remake us according to your will. Amen. Hymns "Take My Life And Let It Be" "Eternal ...

3470. Call on the Name of the Lord

Romans 10:5-15

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... to you, our God, that we ourselves have failed to be instruments of your peace and plenty. Today as we listen to your Word spoken from the Book of Life we will strive to hear your Word spoken directly by the Spirit into our hearts, so that we may claim your plan of righteousness for all and help in our way to bring it into being in a time of your choosing. As your blessings are multiplied miraculously in our midst, we pray together the words which we were taught by your Son and our Savior, saying in one ...

3471. The Pioneer of Our Salvation

Hebrews 2:10-18

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... you. These things we pray in your mighty name. Amen. Prayer Of Confession God who walks with us, who never abandons us, how often we think we deserve a straight path with no bumps or bruises on our way. Yet you were made perfect through suffering, and we claim we want to walk in your footsteps, at least when it suits us. Make us worthy to be counted your disciples in good times and bad. Mold us into your people. We follow your steps, knowing they lead to glory. Amen. Hymns "Marching To Zion" "O Come All ...

3472. A Hope for Peace

Romans 15:4-13

Sermon

James L. Killen

... hope that should already be shaping our lives. But what does that offer us in our real world today? What can it have to do with those real conflicts that are making our hearts hurt right now? And what can we do about it? First, believe the promise and claim the hope that there can be peace. When we talk about the conflict in the Holy Land, we often hear people say, "Those people have been fighting over there for thousands of years and they always will." We can't let ourselves give up to that. Peace is still ...

3473. With a Song in Your Heart

Ephesians 1:3-14

Sermon

James L. Killen

... the foundation of the world to be adopted as God's children. He has provided for our redemption, the forgiving of our sins, and he is at work to make us holy and blameless before him in love. We who have believed, who have set our hopes on Christ, have claimed our inheritance and are privileged to live in praise of God. A person who can sing that hymn with confidence has plenty to be happy about, no matter what is going on in his or her life. Can you sing that kind of a song? It makes a difference what ...

3474. Light Is as Light Does

Ephesians 5:8-14

Sermon

Richard W. Ferris

... darkness. What light does is to make darkness disappear. Light and darkness cannot exist in the same space, because anytime light shows up, it pushes the darkness away. Darkness can exist on the edge of light, but it can never invade the space light has claimed. Our lives seem to be filled with gray areas. Areas that are not fully illuminated nor are they fully darkened. Yet, while we try to convince ourselves that these gray areas exist to give us choices, we know deep down inside that the right choices ...

3475. No Shame

Romans 1:16-17; 3:22b-28 (29-31)

Sermon

William G. Carter

I am very taken by what Paul says. He claims, "I am not ashamed...." Most of us have known people, maybe a lot, maybe a few, and they are ashamed of something. I struck up a conversation with a woman I had known for a couple of years. I thought I knew her fairly well. One day she blurted out ...

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