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 3601 to 3625 of 4957 results

3601. Take On Something for Lent

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... this Lent we would find some way to bless them, with a smile, with a compliment, with some word of encouragement? What if we were to seek out and “take on” those who have fallen, those for whom temptations to be other than what God intends for them has claimed a triumph? What if we were to “take on” the mission of blessing certain people ignored by others? What if we were to become a blesser to embolden others to be what God created them to be? Or a blesser that empowers others not just to feel an ...

3602. Changed Lives - The Woman at the Well

John 4:1-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... prejudices that Jews had against Samaritans. The Samaritans were a group of Jews from the province of Samaria who had intermarried with foreigners. The Jews considered Samaritans as social outcasts, untouchables, racially inferior, practicing a false religion. Both claimed to be true descendants of the nation of Israel. Samaritans descended from the northern kingdom of Israel while the Jews descended from the southern kingdom of Judah. The Jews believed Jerusalem was the only true place of worship, while ...

3603. God's Dirty Job

Romans 5:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... , economic, scientific, industrial, military, ideological or indeed religious----do not control and will not have the last word concerning the destiny of the world and humankind. The Lordship of the Almighty relativizes and judges them all; it confronts all other claims to sovereignty, it is a challenge to every form of enslaving bondage . . . To confess the Lordship of the Almighty is to celebrate the liberating strength of the Creator and to proclaim hope for each individual and for the whole universe ...

3604. Changed Lives: The Man Born Blind from Birth

John 9:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... and washed, and suddenly he could see. He experienced first hand the touch of God upon his life. And he gave God the glory. His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” “How then were your eyes opened?” they demanded. He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go ...

3605. John 11:1-45

John 11:1-16

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... feet.” For a split second Mary forgets to focus on Lazarus, on death, on her own fears and focuses entirely upon Jesus, the one who is “the resurrection and the life.” But Mary does not maintain this focus for long. Tears of mourning claim her, and she weeps with those who have accompanied her out to meet Jesus. This sight of Mary and her friends weeping causes Jesus to be “greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved” (v.33). But the term “embrimathai,” translated here as “deeply disturbed ...

3606. The Great Leap of Faith

John 20:1-18

Illustration

Eric Ritz

... authorities had taken their fondest hopes and greatest dreams from them on Good Friday. They were living as victims--when God had achieved for them the victory. How tragic it is for Christian believers to continue to fight the Good Friday battle and always remain a victim when we could claim the resurrection power of Christ and be a victor. However, I understand that it does take a leap of faith to believe that Christ has won the big war when our world looks the way it does today.

3607. A Russian Resurrection

John 20:1-18

Illustration

Donald Dotterer

... resurrection. LATE 2018 UPDATE In Russia, there is a religious revival happening. Orthodox Christianity is thriving after enduring a 70-year period of atheistic Soviet rule. In 1991, just after the collapse of the USSR, about two-thirds of Russians claimed no religious affiliation. Today, 71 percent of Russians identify as Orthodox. One can now see priests giving sermons on television, encounter religious processions in St. Petersburg, and watch citizens lining up for holy water in Moscow. Even Moscow’s ...

3608. When Losing Your Baggage Is a Good Thing

Hebrews 12:1-2

Sermon

James W. Moore

... landing and as often happens when a plane lands safely back home after a long flight from abroad, everybody on board cheered. We got off the plane just fine, right on time. We made it through customs with no problem. Then we went to the luggage area to claim our bags. Just as we arrived, the buzzer sounded, the light came on, and the baggage carousel began to move. Quickly the people in our group began to pull their baggage off the carousel. Each in turn hugged me goodbye and scurried out to head for their ...

3609. The Lost and Found Elder Brother

Luke 15:25-32

Sermon

James W. Moore

... of success. I’m admitting that I’ve failed and cannot ever pay the debt. When I say, ‘I am a Christian,’ I don’t think I know it all. I submit to my confusion asking humbly to be taught. When I say ‘I am a Christian,’ I’m not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I’m worth it. When I say, ‘I am a Christian,’ I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartache which is why I seek His name. When I say, ‘I am a Christian ...

3610. The Bridge over Troubled Water

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

James W. Moore

... and boats, - swamped Mississippi’s beachfront, - blew out windows in hospitals, hotels and high-rises in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, - submerged entire neighborhoods up to their roof-tops in flood water, - separated families and loved ones, - claimed numerous lives, - and left thousands and thousands homeless. The dramatic images of Hurricane Katrina are vivid in our minds… - mind-boggling devastation along the Gulf Coast, - unforgettable, heart-breaking flooding in New Orleans, - people on roof ...

3611. When We Are Caught in a Storm

Matthew 14:22-33

Sermon

James W. Moore

... in trouble, His own problems were set aside; the moment for prayer was past; the time for action had come; He forgot himself and went to the help of His friends. That is the very essence of our Lord. The cry of human need surpassed all other claims. His friends needed Him; He must go. The story is clocked in mystery which defies explanation. All of what happened there, we will never know. But, what we do know is that He came to them… and their storm became a calm. With Him beside them, nothing mattered ...

3612. The Three Approaches to Life

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

James W. Moore

... see him doing it. Remember early on how he went out into the wilderness to think through the meaning of His life and the method of His ministry. “What kind of Messiah would He be?” That was the question He was grappling with! And, He was tempted to claim a first-class ticket. He was tempted to go the route of power and pleasure and privilege but No!... instead He chose the way of the suffering servant. He chose a Third Class Ticket. Having made that choice, look at what he did next. He went directly to ...

3613. Changed Lives - Thomas

John 20:24-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... be moved.” In the same tradition, Psalm 104:5 says, “[the Lord] set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.” Further, Ecclesiastes 1:5 states that “the sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.” Galileo claimed that it was never his intent to dispute to the Bible. In fact, he said, this was not contrary to those Scripture passages. He took Augustine’s position on Scripture: that we should not take every passage literally, particularly when the Scripture in ...

3614. To Be a Christian

Acts 11:19-30

Sermon

James McCormick

... a certain denomination. There is only one Christian church and it is divided into many parts and goes by a variety of labels, but there is only one church. And shame on those who are a part of that one church, but claim exclusive validity for their little part of it. I suspect there won’t be many labels in heaven. There won’t be “born again Christians” or “charismatic Christians” or “Bible believing Christians”, or “evangelical Christians” or “high church Christians”. No, there will ...

3615. The Gift of Newness

2 Corinthians 5:17-20

Sermon

James McCormick

... to the business of running plays. There is work for us to do out there as a result of what happens to us in here in the gathered community. Part of our mission is to tell the story, the old, old story of Jesus and his love. We are to claim the world for God and then seek to shape it according to God’s purposes. We are to pass on to others the life-giving gifts which God has entrusted to us. What I mean by that is: we have been loved, so we are to love; we have been ...

3616. The Marketplace of Ideas and Finding Your Faith

John 14:5-14

Illustration

Larry Bethune

... world religions knows they are very different from one another in the way they understand the Divine, the human, and the world. No, it is more honest and more respectful to learn the specifics, to understand the differences, and to know what you believe and claim it. It is possible to honor other people, to respect their religious beliefs, to find common ground where it actually exists, and to assert your own faith at the same time. Having a specific faith, talking about a specific faith does not mean you ...

3617. Christianity's Initial Growth

Acts 2:1-21

Illustration

R. Robert Cueni

... filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, they came to know that peace that passes all understanding. The followers of Christ were known to demonstrate enormous courage under duress. Roman authorities tried to stamp out the Church by persecuting those who claimed Christ as Savior. The plan backfired. Those who were torn apart by wild animals in Roman arenas for the entertainment of the emperor and his entourage faced their deaths so courageously that others were attracted to the faith rather than repulsed ...

3618. A Mother Who Lived Her Faith

2 Timothy 1:5

Illustration

Marian Wright Edelman

"I feel I am the luckiest child in the world to have had a mother and father who lived, rather than just preached, their faith and family values," claims Marian Wright Edelman. Through her parents' example, she learned that being honest was more important than being honored. She learned first-hand that faith was safer and more enduring than fame. Marian was the youngest of five children. Her father was a Baptist preacher who, Marian says, "lived every day ...

3619. Whose Boy Are You?

2 Tim 1:5; Eph 6:1-4; 2 Ki 4:8-37

Illustration

Brett Blair

... began to smile a big smile of recognition. ‘Wait a minute!' he said. ‘I know who you are. I see the family resemblance now. You are a child of God.' With that he slapped me across the rump and said, ‘Boy, you've got a great inheritance. Go and claim it.' The old man looked across the table at Fred Craddock and said, "Those were the most important words anybody ever said to me, and I've never forgotten them." With that, he smiled shook hands with Craddock and his wife, and moved on to another table to ...

3620. Be of One Mind

2 Corinthians 13:11-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... had been Christianized by missionaries. “We, Christians!” they said, proudly pointing to themselves. The bishop was impressed. Did they know the Lord’s Prayer? He asked. They sadly confessed they had never heard of it. The bishop was shocked. How could these men claim to be Christians when they did not know something as elementary as the Lord’s Prayer? “What do you say, then, when you pray?” the bishop asked. “We lift eyes to heaven,” they said. “We pray, ‘We are three, you are three ...

3621. Don't Worry! Be Happy!

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... over planting a firecracker on a railway track. The man had planted the firecracker on a track at his local railway station in 1926, and ran off when he was spotted by railway police. Ever since then, he confesses, he has been tormented with guilty feelings. He claims it was the only bad thing he had ever done--and he decided to turn himself in. He went to the local police station and confessed, asking officers if they still had a file on the case open and asking what his punishment would be. The police ...

3622. God Will Provide

Matthew 6:25-34

Illustration

Eric Ritz

... said, "Eat away little mouse, swim away little fish. God will provide all we need and more." And then addressing himself, he said, "Stop worrying little man, God has enough and more!" The tragedy of most of our lives is that we worry so much about tomorrow that we never claim the resources that God has provided to live today. NEW

3623. What's Holding You Together?

Matthew 7:21-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to the flame that burns in love; O delicious wound-----the flame that liberates and brings a deep inner peace and joy.’ When denial, hiding and false limiting of our own failure are overcome and transformation of self through grace is possible. For, as James claimed, when we confess our sin to each other and pray for each other we may be healed.” Thomas H. Green, Drinking from a Dry Well, pp. 44-45, as referenced in Alan Jamieson, Journeying in Faith (2005), 97-98. “When you sleep underneath the stars ...

3624. Walking the Talk

Matthew 7:13-14, Matthew 7:15-23

Illustration

Suzanne Webb

... back to the two evangelists, he gave them a list of 10 people. "These are the names of my neighbors. Go talk with them. They will be able to tell you whether what I say I believe is truly how my life is lived." Talking is not enough. What we claim to believe has to manifest itself through our very life. And this is not just about activity or specific deeds or works that we can do on a weekend. It is about the building of our character. It is about creating a life that is so steered, so controlled by ...

3625. For Those Who Have Received Much (Father's Day)

Matthew 10:5-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... of God, his own possession. You are a gift to all humankind, God’s gift of love to them.” Pastor Witkowski figured, “Shoot, that’s worth eleven bucks,” and thus, he says, “Against all odds, I bought the most expensive coffee mug I’ve ever owned.” But he claims that this mug is now one of the most valuable things he owns because it reminds him of the mission of Jesus--to share the message that every human being is loved, beautiful, a gift of God, and is a gift to humankind. (4) You and I are ...

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