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 351 to 375 of 4977 results

351. Ignite: Fight Fire with Fire

Acts 4:1-22

Sermon

James Merritt

... When problems come into your life, don’t look for a place to run; find a place to stand. You heard the old saying, “Fight fire with fire?” You are going to find that is a biblical principle that is illustrated in the chapter we are about to study. Keep in mind, everything that is happening in this chapter is simply because of a man that was physically enabled to stand. Whether you are facing a problem or you are facing persecution, we are taught by God’s Word and God’s Spirit how to stand. God’s ...

352. All In: Betting the Ranch

Luke 9:18-27

Sermon

James Merritt

... missionary, who died trying to take the Gospel to the Auca Indians in South America famously said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Here is what is at stake. “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world ... two things: either the world or Jesus Christ. Jesus says, “You are foolish to try to hold on to what you are never going to keep.” One of my favorite people is Dolly Parton. Teresa got to meet her one time and said she is just so sweet and just ...

353. Up Close & Personal: Drawing Near

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Sermon

James Merritt

... need a journal? After all I’ve gotten by without one for all of these years.” Let me tell you that journaling can be a life-transforming. But I realize that some people need steps along the way to get from not journaling at all to keeping a spiritual journal. So let me suggest two ways to get started in journaling. The first is to take notes during the sermon. As I am preaching and sharing information, Scriptures, illustrations, take down notes. Write on your bulletin or a piece of paper. You are going ...

354. Everything Must Go: The Treasure Principle

Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

James Merritt

... carefully. All we have is a lease on life. When the lease is up you have to turn it all back in. You don’t get to keep anything. Just as the car goes back to the dealer your life goes back to the Creator. There was a millionaire that was stingy and selfish ... serving money. I want to help you apply the treasure principle in your life. Here is how we are going to do it. I want you to keep a running tab for the next two weeks and every time you spend any money, put down where it goes. It can only go in one of ...

355. Paul's Charge to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... decision. Recently, D. Cook ( has argued for non-Pauline authorship on the basis of language and style. But all he has shown conclusively is that these verses are of a piece with the rest of the letter, not who actually wrote the letter itself. 4:7 For the phrase “keep the faith” as referring to loyalty to one’s trust, see such diverse authors as Polybius (6.56.13; 10.37.9) and Jos. (Wars 6.345). For other texts, see D-C. See V. C. Pfitzner, Paul and the Agon Motif, for a thorough discussion of the ...

356. Titus' Task on Crete

Titus 1:1-16

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... but is a sacred trust (see 1 Tim. 1:11; cf. 2 Tim. 1:11; 1 Cor. 9:17; Gal. 2:7). And all of this, finally, is by the command of God our Savior (see disc. on 1 Tim. 1:1). Paul’s preaching, like his apostleship, is in keeping with God’s command, his divine injunction on Paul’s life. 1:4 After that long elaboration on the purpose and authentication of his apostleship, Paul now moves to the address and greeting proper. As with Timothy (1 Tim. 1:1), Titus (see the Introduction) is to be recognized by ...

357. Children of God

1 John 2:28--3:10

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... affirmations. If what is stated about Jesus in v. 5 is correct, then it is impossible to claim (as the schismatics were doing) that they live in him, have seen him, or have known him, when they prove by their continued false teaching and rejection of love that they keep on sinning and continue to sin. Verse 6 also contains the second pair of the four pairs of antithetical statements which form the structure of this unit (2:28–3:10) of 1 John: 3:6a: No one who lives in him … 3:6b: No one who continues to ...

358. God’s Love and Ours

1 John 4:7-21, 1 John 5:1-12

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... 5, 7). Everyone who shows this kind of love (agapē) in action also shows that he or she has been born of God. The author wants to keep the issue of being God’s children a matter of practice, but he is not introducing, as some have tried to see here, some new way ... character, one of the signs of which is love. 5:3 In v. 3 the author gives a reason for connecting loving God and keeping God’s commands, as he did in v. 2. He argues that love for God is expressed in obedience; that is how it is demonstrated ...

359. The Glory Departs

Ezekiel 8:1-18, Ezekiel 9:1-11, Ezekiel 10:1-22, Ezekiel 11:1-15, Ezekiel 11:16-25

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... conducted temple reforms and took unclean things (including idols and the accoutrements of their worship) from the temple and destroyed them in the valley of Kidron. However, the vision report need not refer to an actual image still standing in Ezekiel’s day. We need to keep in mind what Ezekiel tells us: that this is a vision, not a temple tour. After showing the idol to the prophet, the Lord says, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing ...

360. Personal Accountability

Ezekiel 18:1-32, Ezekiel 19:1-14

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... it also be the case that our past need not determine our future? Verse 21 affirms that this is so. If a wicked man turns away (the Heb. verb shub, here rendered “turn away,” is the same word translated “repent” in 14:6; 18:32) from wickedness, keeps all my decrees (compare vv. 9, 17, 19), and does what is just and right (compare v. 5), the past will be erased: “None of the offenses he has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live” (v. 22 ...

361. Paul Reinterprets the Story of Israel

Romans 2:17-29

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... . In the end, the mark is gone, but she has died. He has worshiped at the altar of perfection instead of loving his wife. The Gentiles and the Restoration of Israel Big Idea If in 2:1–24 Paul argued that Israel’s attempt to keep the Torah results in continued sin and exile, in these verses the apostle to the Gentiles offends all Jewish sensitivities by asserting that (Christian) Gentiles are part of the new-covenant people whose conversion to Christ constitutes a part of the long-awaited restoration of ...

362. Job's Third Reply to Eliphaz

Job 23:1--24:25

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... for his own steps assures Job that his life path is without offense to God. I have not departed. Job now speaks more directly of the manner in which he has kept to the path set by God. Here he describes following the divinely marked path as keeping God’s commands. While God’s “commands” (Heb. mitswah) might refer to the divine expectations laid out in the Torah, they are most likely the wise instruction of the divine sage to whom Eliphaz referred Job in 22:22. I have treasured. In a parallel but ...

363. Suffering for Doing Good

1 Peter 3:8-22

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... opposed to God. But at the same time, those attuned to God’s mind on the subject have long admonished believers not to pursue the settlement of accounts: vengeance, when and where necessary, is the divine prerogative (Deut. 32:35). The believers’ sole task is to keep facing the light and to seek to reflect that light to others by their lives. They are to “get even” by blessing those who are antagonistic. In this they will be following both the example of their Master (2:23) and his teaching (Matt. 5 ...

364. Faith in the Son of God

1 John 5:1-12, 1 John 4:7-21

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

365. How to Have a Rich Future

Mark 13:24-37

Sermon

King Duncan

... Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back--whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to ...

366. No Reason to Worry

Matthew 6:25-33

Sermon

April Yamasaki

... of all things. One young woman started a personal experiment to address what she saw as overconsumption in her life. The bookshelves in her home are already full, and she already has more clothes than she needs, so for the next year she's decided not to keep on buying. Instead, she's going to read the books she already has and wear the clothes already in her closet. She's not going to concern herself with adding to her collection. Her needs are already well met. Jesus does not deny our physical needs. He ...

367. What to Give Up for Lent

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... person is not likely to feel tempted to take a nose dive off a high building just to test whether or not God will send a choir of angels to the rescue. There must be some psychiatric diagnosis for that. On the other hand, we are tempted to test God. Keep in mind that our relationship to God is not dissimilar to a small but ornery child’s relationship to a loving, patient parent. “Jimmy, how many times do I have to tell you not to stand on the furniture?” “If you kids don’t stop fighting I am going ...

368. Jesus Destroys the Power of Sin

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... , as if reluctant to break the spell. “Sarah,” he said, “we’ve had a lot of ups and downs together during these forty years, and when I’ve thought of all you’ve meant to me, sometimes it’s been almost more than I could do to keep from telling you.” Sometimes things just “leak” out of us, no matter how hard we try to plug them up. Sometimes we spring a “leak” that should have sprung long ago. Other times leaks spring that never should have sprung. You might call “leaks” one of the ...

369. Your Faith Has Made You Well

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... you couldn’t move forward at all. Without that person leading you, you wouldn’t know what you might bump into. You trusted that person to keep you from harm and to lead you to a safe place. I want you all to recite a psalm I know you all know by ... enter into your soul and into your life. Close your eyes for a moment, and let go of all of the inhibitions that keep you from putting your entire trust in Jesus’ healing power. Now come forward to receive your Holy Communion with the living and powerful ...

370. Lazarus Rising

John 11:1-16, John 11:17-37, John 11:38-44, John 11:45-57, John 12:1-11, John 12:12-19

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... or resistance, as we see in the story of the chief priests. Jesus was stirring up the status quo. We learn from John’s scripture that the chief priests feared losing control to Rome. When the Romans would arrive for the Passover, as they always did to keep control over the crowds, what would happen…..people were flocking to Jesus and Lazarus, more and more each day. The priests did not appear to be able to control the people. What if the Romans feared revolt? What if they felt the need to crack down on ...

371. The Good Husband

Isaiah 54:1-17, Isaiah 55:1-13, Isaiah 56:1-8

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off. “Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath and holds fast My covenant; Even those I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; For My house will be called a house of ...

372. Fever Pitch

Mark 1:29-39

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... was usual, what the people wanted, what they preferred. They wanted a break from the relentless traveling. They hoped Jesus would put down roots at least for a while and build up some momentum in the people he had already touched. But Jesus was determined to keep on walking. Jesus’ urgency comes from the same kind of passion, drive, and initiative that drives us onward in the face of a pandemic, even though we desperately want to stop and take a breath. Deep in his heart, Jesus must have been aware of the ...

373. Invincible

John 14:15-21

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... see what we’d like them to see at any given moment. When our hearts are aflutter and hormone-soaked with glee, these loyal people keep our feet planted on the ground. When our minds play tricks on us and undermine our confidence and well-being, our “truthtellers” remind us of ... in their corner –that’s the Holy Spirit. The “Spirit of Truth,” as Jesus calls it. That Spirit of Truth will keep them (and us) on track, will guide us, will be with us, will “abide” with us until the end of time, ...

374. The Lord Is With Us

Luke 1:26-38, 2 Samuel 7:1-17, Romans 16:1-27

Sermon

Will Willimon

... much like them in his appearance and life, that he confused their expectations for the eternal. He came to them ''not as a stranger''. We can tolerate the alien and the strange more easily than that which resembles us too closely. Therefore we keep the religious safely blurred, abstracted, generalized. But once the abstraction, the hope and expectation became too solidly outlined in Jesus of Nazareth, he was too close for comfort. The Holy One whom we await must be exalted;·high and lifted up. The Messiah ...

375. The Kings of the South and the North

Daniel 11:2-35

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... Macc. 3). Seleucus was assassinated in 175 BC. Theological Insights Three truths about God and his work are evident in 11:2–20. First, God knows the future precisely and, in his wisdom, reveals measured portions of this knowledge to his people. Second, God keeps his covenant by bringing a just punishment, requiring an extended and hostile foreign domination of his people. Third, it is futile for God’s people to seek safety in the violent plans of powerful kings that die with them, rather than in God’s ...

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