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 3701 to 3725 of 4972 results

3701. What's A Savior Worth?

Matthew 6:19-24, Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 6:5-15, Matthew 6:1-4

Drama

Joe Barone

... Savior. Even for Peter, Jesus wasn't worth the embarrassment -- yes, I think it was embarrassment, not just fear for his life that made Peter deny Jesus ... even for Peter Jesus wasn't worth the embarrassment of having to claim him when he was about to die. But let's leave all that aside for a minute, and let's go back to what it was that I was saying. The one thing I wish I'd done was to think about my life when it was over. I might not have been able to know who Jesus was or what ...

3702. The Impossibility of Neutrality

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

Robert Allen

... were being a little bit nosey about their personal lives and human foibles. We did our best to determine if each candidate would be a credit to the ordained ministry of the church. Finally, after we had exhaustive interviews with the candidates, they would leave the room and we would discuss their strengths and their weaknesses. Often, the debate would be long and emotional. We would vacillate on certain candidates as we rode the fence trying to determine if we were for or against them. We were torn between ...

3703. The Paradox of the Cross

Mark 15:33-41, Mark 15:21-32

Sermon

Robert Allen

... . Jesus was dead. And this is the paradox. Nearly 2,000 years later, one of the most profound things we can say about the cross is that it tells us there is not anything in this world which can separate you from God. You may sin and that sin may leave you feeling guilty, ashamed and cut off from God. When Adam ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, he had sinned. The guilt of his sin made him feel like he had fallen away from God. He was so ashamed of that sin that he went and hid ...

3704. An Empty Tomb

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

Robert Allen

... of the Colorado Rockies. The story which captured my attention and the interest of people all over Colorado, was about a newborn baby that was left on the doorstep of a Catholic convent. Evidently, some mother felt completely inadequate at raising a child and had decided to leave the baby on the doorstep of the convent. There was one nun who was allowed to meet and talk to the public. She was about 60 years old, but she looked positively radiant as she held the baby and showed her off to the news reporters ...

3705. One More Thing

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Robert Allen

... if someone forgot to tie the rope to the bell tower out of the way, you could walk right into it. It was a typical country church. What I liked about this country church were the words which were painted in gold-leaf over the door. As you were leaving the church, these words were posted over the door so you would see them. The words were: "You Are Entering The Mission Field." Isn't that why Jesus commissioned us as his disciples? We gather in this sanctuary to worship. We gather in this sanctuary to grow in ...

3706. When God Disappears

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Robert Allen

... at 4:00, then I will begin to be happy at 3:00." There was joy and happiness in the hearts of the disciples because they were anticipating his coming again. They were expecting the coming of his Holy Spirit. They believed the promise that Jesus would not leave them alone. I was teaching a Bible class several years ago and a sweet little old lady raised her hand and asked, "Dr. Allen, do you believe in the second coming?" "Believe in it?" I said. "I've experienced it! I've experienced the coming of God's ...

3707. How to Settle an Argument

Acts 15:22

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... that you were right and he was wrong? The big problem is that the people you are arguing with believe that they are right and you are wrong. That's trouble. What do you do when things like that happen? Do you get angry and fight, or do you just leave the person and never see him again? Some people do it one way and some people do it another way. I even know some who do it both ways. St. Paul had a problem like this. He knew that he had to do something about it before it was too ...

3708. Colorizing Jesus

John 20:24-31

Sermon

Carl Jech

... called Honest to God, in which he clearly made a conscious decision to open up such dialogue among all Christians, on such subjects as the status of the Bible and the nature of belief. Such matters are, (to borrow a phrase) "too important to leave to the experts." And as for controversy itself, must we not agree that healthy controversy is much better than stagnant blandness? Perhaps the clearest expression of this tension between the historical Jesus and the biblical Christ is to be seen in the way John ...

3709. Becoming What You Are

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Carl Jech

... of London, wrote that "any minister, standing in the pulpit, who is not an agnostic, is dangerous." His point was that healthy religion encourages us to foster our inquisitive spirit, to avoid giving the impression that we have final and absolute answers, and to leave salvation and perfection in God's hands. I would add that Weatherhead's notion of "the Christian agnostic" is a simple reminder to us to be always humble about our God-talk! To some degree, whether one uses the label atheist, agnostic or ...

3710. Praise God For Adversity

Isaiah 43:14-28

Sermon

Carl Hoefler

... adversity; but, it would still be there to plague us. We could become angry and resent adversity; but, that would only produce ulcers and cause heart attacks. We could judge ourselves and others by saying, "You only got what you deserved;" but, that would only leave us bitter and burdened with guilt. We could complain, grumble and gripe about adversity; but, that would only make us even more unhappy. Or, we could blame God for adversity; but, that would only rob us of all hope and would separate us from the ...

3711. A Baptism of Blood

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

Carl Hoefler

... mother had been baptized and that baptism is a one-and-for-all-times event. He also knew that this was no time to teach his mother a lesson in theology. Then it occurred to him that what his mother desired was a reaffirmation of her baptism. As she was leaving this life, she wanted to hear once again the reassuring words that in her baptism she had been given a life that does not end. What should he do? Then he saw that a tear had fallen on the back of his hand. He dipped his finger into his own ...

3712. Counterfeit Faith

Acts 14:8-20

Sermon

Carl Hoefler

... Book of Acts beyond the limits of our text, you will discover that the people of Lystra, who at first hailed Paul and Barnabas as gods, soon completely changed and called them demons. They drove them from their city - stoning the preachers of Christ and leaving them for dead outside the city walls. But, that is another story. The story of our text is about fitting the Word of God into our own preconceived presuppositions and never hearing anything except what we want to hear. Now, where is the Gospel - the ...

3713. This is My Son, Listen to Him

Luke 9:28-36

Illustration

James Garrett

... what time I had doing something more profitable. I thought about you and your class, and remembered something else you said: ‘The essential sadness is to go through life without living. But it would be almost equally sad to go through life and leave this world without ever telling those you loved that you had loved them.’ So I began with the hardest one, my dad. “He was reading the newspaper when I approached him. ‘Dad?’ ‘Yes, what?’ he asked without lowering the newspaper. ‘Dad, I would ...

3714. Forgiving Others

Genesis 32:22-32

Bulletin Aid

Carl Hoefler

... nation is at peace, we experience the pains of a fractured society. People: We hurt ourselves, because we are not willing to forgive one another. Pastor: When Joseph was mistreated by his brothers, he felt God had a hand in it. People: We are too willing to leave God out of the picture when we feel abused. May God help us to be forgiving persons. Collect Most heavenly Father, who has created all members of the human race to be brothers and sisters: Show us how to turn unbrotherly crimes into strong bonds of ...

3715. God's Forgiving Love

Luke 15:11-32

Bulletin Aid

Carl Hoefler

Call to Worship Pastor: God has many children. Some of us are out in sin and he is anxiously waiting for us to return. People: Others of us have stayed by him, but are unable to appreciate his love for our brothers who chose to leave. Pastor: God's love is the same for each of us, and we all need his forgiveness. People: May we discover God's forgiveness, and choose to be in his presence. Collect O God, whose arms are outstretched to us as a loving Father, in spite of our undesirable qualities: ...

3716. The Spirit Will Lead Us in Truth

John 16:5-16

Bulletin Aid

Carl Hoefler

Call to Worship Pastor: Our Lord did not leave us without his guidance when he ascended into heaven. People: The Spirit of truth is with us to lead us in the way Christ would have us go. Pastor: We feel our Lord leading us, because his Spirit is present even as he promised. People: We are disciples of Christ, ...

3717. Protective Passion

Luke 13:31-35

Illustration

Glenn E. Ludwig

... death about not only Jerusalem, but about all of us. Like a mother, Jesus sees far more clearly than do we, the children, the danger we are in. Like a mother, Jesus knows we tend to overestimate our powers and are prone to go off on our own, leaving the protective wings, to seek our own excitement and adventure. And like a mother, Jesus chases after us. Do you see the image? Like a mother, Jesus' love is so great that his all-consuming passion is to sweep us up into his protective arms. And although there ...

3718. Some Things Money Can Buy, For Everything Else There's Grace

Isaiah 55:1-13

Children's Sermon

Tim Carpenter

... : Give everyone a nickel, a dime, or a quarter. The money should work out so that the children can make the first two purchases. Additional props: Can of Sprite, a toy from a gumball machine (e.g. small deck of cards or one of those gooey toys—leave the toy in the container), a freshly cut tree branch that is budding, and a communion chalice. Optional: A small table to set the objects on while they are being sold. Lesson: Good morning. (response) How much money do you have on you this morning? (response ...

3719. The Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Brett Blair

... to somebody. Every body wants to be connected. Some people are in the far country through sexual promiscuity. It becomes a pathetic search for love. Some seek it through drugs. It becomes a way of escaping reality. We can be in the far country and never leave home. The far country is nothing more than seeking love in the wrong places. Everything goes well for the prodigal until one day he awakens and discovers that all of his resources are gone. It had never occurred to him that there could be a limit ...

3720. Preaching Because We Have Something To Say

Sermon

James Angell

... . Another came on that Easter morning when our daughter Susan was killed in an accident on the way home to spend Resurrection Day with us. The sermon (the book came later), with the stolen title, "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever," also seemed to leave the people feeling that I had been speaking directly to them - that God was present in undeniable ways. Little is here about lectionary preaching. I am not hesitant to affirm its values, so long as it does not become wooden or mechanical. It doesn't have ...

3721. Make Way For Poets Of The Heart

Sermon

James Angell

... thinking about a place called "Gethsemani," a dozen miles or so down a country road east of Bardstown, Kentucky. Then a stunning discovery: Father Louis was Thomas Merton - "Louis" being the religious name he took when he joined the Order. When we got ready to leave about 7:30, I spoke for a few moments with Father Louis, asking if I might some day return and have time to talk to him. Thus began a cherished friendship. The subsequent visit, about a month later, resulted in this original verse: Meeting With ...

3722. To See Your Face Is Like Seeing The Face Of God

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

James Angell

... charges dropped and spouted. Then, out of Neptune's chambers there arose, dragon-like, the gray prey, as the enemy submarine's crew manned the deck guns and brought our ship under brief but withering fire. Then the ocean became blood. The submarine was abandoned, leaving two dozen crew adrift in yellow life vests, each stenciled with swastikas. Later there would be a sunset burial of all the dead. And along with other of our own young officers I would move among the survivors held in the mess halls, looking ...

3723. The Aim Of Preaching: To Bestow The Kiss Of Life

John 20:19-23

Sermon

James Angell

... to the conclusion that life is a spiritual enterprise for which no secular achievement, no source of pleasure, and no material convenience is a substitute. A Walter Brueggemann book titled Finally Comes The Poet borrows its name from a passage in Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass that offers a hopeful note to end on. After the seas are all cross'd, (as they seem already cross'd,)After the great captains and engineers have accomplish'd their work,After the noble inventors, after the scientists, the chemist, the ...

3724. ASAPH: The Fish Who Taught Courage

Jonah 1:1-17

Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... could continue with his journey. It sure was a funny feeling riding inside of a great fish but Jonah had a lot of time to think and one of the best thoughts that lie had was that if he couldn't run away from God then maybe God wouldn't leave him alone when he needed him as he spoke to the wicked people. Do you know what? Jonah was right. You can't hide or run away from God. But neither will he ever hide from you or be away when you need him. Well, that is the story of ...

3725. Reuben:The Rooster With a Reminder

Matthew 26:69-75

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... my mother used to tie around my finger so that I would not forget about the time that I was supposed to be home or the job that she wanted me to do. That was one kind of reminder but there are a lot of others. For instance whenever I leave the dentist's office there is a nice lady in a white uniform who gives me a little card with the time written on it for my next appointment. It says "Don't forget to come back and see us next Tuesday at 10:15 a.m." How about the ...

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