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 326 to 350 of 579 results

326. Fish Bites

Acts 17:32-34

Sermon

James Merritt

... choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance." (Luke 8: 11-15, NASB) What Jesus taught in Luke 8, we see illustrated in Acts 17. Unchurched people - people who have no relationship with God, will hear and receive the Good News of Jesus Christ with different responses and different levels of receptivity. We are ...

327. One Step at a Time

Nehemiah 2:1-10

Sermon

James Merritt

... told me it would be a five year wait, I might have given up immediately. That is exactly why God wants to teach us to wait, because when God delays at least in our minds and God forces us to wait, He is building into us things like patience, perseverance, persistence and faith. Isaiah 28:16 says, "Whoever believes will not act hastily." (Isaiah 28:16, NKJV) Haste makes waste. The first step you need to take whenever you face broken down walls is simply step back and wait. II. Step Up And Ask "And it came to ...

328. I’m Movin’ On

Philippians 3:12-14

Sermon

James Merritt

... you need to go; it will take determination. You must keep pressing on. You see that's where we baby boomers have a problem. We have been raised to view success as something easy, and our generation doesn't know a whole lot about determination, perseverance and endurance. Our generation has the attitude that when the boss gets unreasonable you quit; when the subjects get too difficult, you just drop out of the class; when the marriage gets unbearable, you simply get a divorce. Well, if you're going to move ...

329. What Gift Do You Bring?

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Gary L. Carver

... further." But yet, people like Reinhold Messner say, "I am going on." And he does so. He does not let failure detour him. He is not put off when people say, "You can't!" He continues to go on. He finds a way. He pursues. He perseveres. He persists. It is somewhat like a bunch of wise guys 2,000 ago who marched through hostile territory, not knowing exactly that for which they were looking. They were subject to lies, deceit, corruption, and theological ineptitude, but they kept on until they found God, the ...

330. Lean on Me

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

... some sort of super discount store that will give us whatever we ask as long as we are as vigilant as the widow before the judge. Rather, the lesson this day for you to take with you is that if what you seek is within God's character, you will persevere over all the evil judges in the world. But, if our prayer is not based on our life-long commitment to Jesus Christ, then we can expect things not to go well in court. Once again, let me say that God wants some "and then some" Christians who are willing ...

331. The End of Time

Luke 21:5-19

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

... jar was gone. It had served its purpose and had been removed. A lump rose in my throat as I stared at the spot beside the dresser where the jar had always stood. My dad was a man of few words, and never lectured me on the values of determination, perseverance, and faith. The pickle jar had taught me all these virtues far more eloquently than the most flowery of words could have. When I married, I told my wife, Susan, about the significant part the lowly pickle jar had played in my life as a boy. In my mind ...

332. Triumphing over Obstacles

2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... well. God has done well in giving us this holy season of Lent, which we enter today. We sign ourselves with the cross, the sign of our salvation, and we hear a lesson from scripture that encourages us to overcome the obstacles of life and through perseverance in our actions to find God. It is certainly appropriate to start this season of grace in this way. Lent encourages us to review our lives, seek change and reconciliation, and find new ways to triumph over the obstacles of life. Saul of Tarsus was a ...

333. Building God’s Kingdom: The Christian Challenge

Romans 10:8-13

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... life that seeks, like the tsunami, to drown out our voice. This should be no surprise, however. Jesus told his followers, "You will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22). Thus we must persevere and never lose hope. Building God's kingdom in our world is not for the faint of heart. It is a task that takes courage, strength, and persistence. Let us never think that if the task is too difficult we can relax and let others take the lead ...

334. Standing Tall in the Lord

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... he was that much more determined to defend the true faith. During his exiles he wrote many important treatises, including The Life of Antony, a biography of Antony of the Desert, one of the first desert monks and a precursor to monastic life. Through tenacity, perseverance, and the fact that he was able to outlive almost all his opponents, Athanasius, in the end, was able to prevail. He died in 373, living his last seven years in relative peace. His greatest triumph came, however, in 381 at the Council of ...

335. Minding the Store of Our Lives

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... the way. As he told his disciples just before he ascended to the Father, "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20b). May this be our hope and consolation as we strive each day to live the Christian life. If we can persevere our reward in heaven will be great! 1. Taken from Margaret Silf, Sacred Spaces: Stations on a Celtic Way (Brewster, Massachusetts: Paraclete Press, 2001), pp. 49-51.

336. Carrying the Burdens of Others

Philippians 2:5-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... highly exalted him and his name, for all people for all time. While Jesus was forced to endure much, in the end he received the promised reward. Similarly, in our daily Christian lives we will be forced to suffer much, and often for unjustified reasons. Yet, if we persevere we, too, will gain our promised inheritance. As the Pauline writer states, "The saying is sure: 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 ...

337. Preparing the Way

Malachi 3:1-4

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... chunks with picks and axes, and hauled it away before it thawed.1 The project lasted forty years, and that persistent engineer in charge stayed on the job until the subway system was up and running. The French government recognized his talent, perseverance, and leadership by presenting him with the Legion of Honor award on four different occasions. Today, the Paris subway system is one of the finest in the world. Millions of commuters depend on it daily to transport them to their destinations, but ...

338. Risky Business

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... big. He struggled to overcome the limits visual impairment placed on him and "see" the world with different senses. His mother had always prayed for him, and his father encouraged him to set sky-high goals, striving for mountaintops. Through perseverance and hard work, Erik became a school teacher, acrobatic skydiver, skier, marathon runner, bicyclist, ice climber, rock climber, and wrestler. Even more amazing, he was the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain ...

339. Simeon and Anna: The Quiet of the Country

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... contagious and insidious. The more helpless we feel, the more hopeless we become. Can you identify with that? The more helpless we feel, the more hopeless we become. Seligman has demonstrated how a different attitude can easily overtake us, reducing our will to persevere and eroding our hope. In certain studies, he has used control groups, exposing them to what at first were hopeless circumstances. The persons looked for a way to relieve their situation, then gave up when they could not find one. He reports ...

340. Angels and Shepherds: Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... of God to a more specific Christian ministry. I know a housewife married to a non-Christian, upon whom the glory of God comes almost daily at her kitchen table as she waits obediently upon the Lord to provide her the strength and determination to stay Christian and to persevere in a difficult situation. I know a young man who slips off regularly during the day from a profane office crowd to pray in the Men’s Room. I know a fellow, who a few months ago, was sitting at his desk in his law office. He didn ...

341. Mark 13:1-8

Mark 13:1-31

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... .” This messianic, even divine, claim of “ego eimi” will be the false calling card many deceivers will attempt to play. Instead of buying into every new claim, every fresh panic, Jesus teaches 3 apocalyptic P’s: patience, perspective, and perseverance. Those easily convinced by each new claimant will be “led astray” and “easily deceived.” Mob mentality is curtailed by Jesus’ insider information. He reveals to his disciples that things will indeed look bad. There will be “wars and rumors ...

342. Leap Of Faith

John 8:12

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... do. We struggle with our place in the Kingdom. (CLIP) In the midst of this adventure of faith, there are going to be questions. We're going to ask "Why." We going to ask if it's worth it. We're going to have problems. But we're called to Persevere. In Philippians 3:12-14 (NRSV) "Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this ...

343. God IS In The Ordinary

Romans 12:1-2, 9-21

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; [10] love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. [11] Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. [12] Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. [13] Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. [14] Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. [15] Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. [16] Live in harmony with one another; do ...

344. A Cloud Of Witnesses

Hebrews 12:1-3

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... who influenced the people of Israel. And then he has this to say: Hebrews 12:1-3 (NRSV) [1] Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, [2] looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of ...

345. Better Than a Spanking

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... you.’” Somebody does care about us. God cares. Gene Ruyle in his book Making a Life put it like this: “Life has taken three and a half billion years to form and fashion itself into you. Never before has life reached this far. Each day it perseveres, sets another record. Tucked away in every cell of your body are the instructions it has taken all those years to produce. It is a set of plans for bringing into being and keeping alive the particular individual you are, and this blueprint will continue to ...

346. God's Getting Better at It

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Illustration

Lane Boyd

... hearts, God took on human form, walking among us and living with us so that we would understand. It is in the living, breathing person of Jesus that we really see all things we call holy, such as forgiveness, sharing, joy, vision, courage, perseverance, and especially love. We might think we understand love, for example, but when we receive totally unconditional love from another person, love takes on a completely new meaning for us. Jesus shows us the ultimate example of love, namely, God's love. Seeing ...

347. Finding ‘Comfort’ Instead of ‘Little Hope’

Romans 12:12-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... look at one another with suspicion rather than looking at each other as children of God and brothers and sisters in Christ. That's pretty much opposite of what the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 12:12-15: [12] Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. [13] Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. [14] Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. [15] Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. When we live like that, when we put ...

348. Do We Live in ‘Why’ or ‘Whynot’

Romans 12:3-8, 16-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... is that the competitive internship required doesn't pay anything, and there is no guarantee of employment at its end. Evicted, abandoned, and nearly penniless, Gardner refuses to let go of his dream. To me, the The Pursuit of Happyness is a modern-day parable about perseverance and the value of family. It's also a modern interpretation of a famous George Bernard Shaw quote: "Some [people] see things as they are and ask why. I dream things that never were and say, why not?" Both lead us to the title of today ...

349. Never Give Up!

Luke 13:1-9

Illustration

Brett Blair

... There was no flinching and no thought of giving in; and by what seemed almost a miracle to those outside these Islands, though we ourselves never doubted it, we now find ourselves in a position where I say that we can be sure that we have only to persevere to conquer." The church at times forgets that this is also God's message. God has promised never to give up on us. Old Testament and New Testaments together, are a record of how God never, never, never, gave up. Adam and Eve disobeyed the very First Rule ...

350. Celebration (Series: Fundamentals of Family)

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... celebrate our being more than our doing. Happy Birthday! We rejoice that you are alive. Birthdays are not about being talented musicians, astute business women, or remarkable athletes. Birthdays are about you being you. We celebrate the gifts of joy, peace, love, perseverance, kindness, and gentleness that you bring to us. A key to life is keeping this wonder alive until we die. Mother Theresa once visited a nursing home in the United States. She came away confused. They have good homes, good food, good ...

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