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 579 results

351. Seen The Doctor Lately?

Romans 12:9-21

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 ...

352. Radical Love is Reconciling (Series: Radical Love in a Risky World)

Matthew 18:15-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... perspective. The more assertive we are by nature the harder it becomes to admit we are wrong. So many of us hold on to trivial truth long after the point has been made. Mediation is hard work. Mediators need the patience of Job, the wisdom of Solomon, the perseverance of Paul, and the hide of a rhinoceros. The Church has a role. Taking it to the church is more than turning prayer meetings into gossip sessions and the parking lot into rumor mills. God save us from that. If the church is a community of faith ...

353. Does Love Really Make the World Go ’Round? (Series: Real Faith for Real People)

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... Nationalism or New Life in Christ, Religion or Righteousness? People who love the Lord are devoted to the Lord. Love is not a second-hand emotion. It is a first-rate devotion. It takes time to be holy. Are you willing to devote time to God? It takes perseverance to be Godly. All great Saints struggled with their faith, so what is all the fuss about Mother Teresa? Are you willing to live with the questions when there are no easy answers? It takes surrender to follow the will of God. “Not my will but Thine ...

354. Lessons from Rephidim - Being the Lord's Intercessor

Exodus 17:8-16

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Vs. 10-12) Then after calling on the Ephesians to put on the whole armor of God, Paul begged them: “Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication, to that end keep alert with all perseverance making all supplication for all the saints. (Vs. 18) So prayer is often a battlefield, where we fortify ourselves to endure, where we deal with our temptations, where we engage the devil and all of his efforts to divert us from God’s way, where we ...

355. Are You Paying Too Much For Your Whistle?

Galatians 1:11-24

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of life Pharisees were proclaiming to the first century Jewish people. Paul could claim he was a “Pharisee among Pharisees.” Paul could claim to be “blameless under the Law.” He had worked incredibly hard. He had paid a big price, in time and perseverance, in commitment and conviction. Paul had paid big bucks to get the anti-Christian, whistle-blower life he believed would bring him everything he could possibly want. Until. Until that moment on the Damascus Road when it was revealed to him that the ...

356. Getting in S.H.A.P.E. for Ministry

Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... back. Love was such a unique Christian concept that they coined a new word for it in the first Century. They called it Agape – the single-minded determination to seek another’s highest good no matter what. Patiently, loving people are long-suffering people. They persevere to the end. Having watched a few horse races over the years, I’ve made a discovery. High strung horses that jump first from the gate are seldom first to the finish line in the race. Winners are usually those who have some mud slung ...

357. Furnishing It with Love

1 John 4:7-18

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... I suppose it is fair to wish for a spouse that is always patient and kind, never boastful nor proud, one who is not easily angered, who keeps no record of wrongs. In moments like that you wish for a love that always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. After 39 years of marriage, I must confess I have not always measured up to such a high standard to love. Sandy might say I have miserably failed at it. So I no longer read that chapter with my name in it. Howard does fail, can be rude ...

358. The Constant God in a Changing World

Psalm 48:1, 9-14

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... says “Love is patient and kind; it does not envy; it does not boast; it is not proud. Love is neither rude nor self-seeking; it is not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs. It always protects; it always trusts; it always hopes; it always perseveres. Love never fails." I shall never forget one day when the wedding party was gathered at the altar and I was about half way through that reading when the groom fainted— he hit the floor and went out cold as a cucumber. Of course, the whole ceremony ...

359. Living on Full Alert

Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17. 20-21

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... John is old now; his body is weary, his friends are gone. Peter is dead; Paul has been martyred. Andrew, James, and Nathaniel have all faded into the background. John is isolated on the tiny island of Patmos trying to encourage a handful of Christians to persevere against the Roman persecution and in the midst of all of that when Jesus says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Is it any wonder that John replies “Amen, Come Lord Jesus, come.” And when someday we cross that river, when we have fought life’s ...

360. David: The Problem of Family

2 Samuel 18:28-33

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... . Power makes David patient, humble, free, joyful, and visionary. Anthony Mayo at Harvard Business School back at the turn of the 21st century did a study on “What Makes a Good Leader?" There were the expected characteristics like vision and integrity, perseverance and courage, hunger for innovation and a willingness to take risks. But Mayo discovered something else. He discovered great leaders like Henry Ford, Esteé Lauder, and Bill Gates of the last century “had an innate ability to read the forces ...

361. The Power to Look Up

Luke 24:44-53

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... the Music City Marathon in which twenty thousand people in our city ran a month ago. Comparing the Christian life to a marathon race, the author of Hebrews says, “Laying aside everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles us, let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." Look up to Jesus. It's Memorial Day weekend in the nation. It's Ascension Sunday in the Church. For most Americans it's time for ...

362. By Enduring

1 Peter 2:19-25

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... hell, keep going." Nurses copied it and shared it with other patients. I have given it to countless other fellow suffers, and it still hangs on our refrigerator at home. The message is clear. Hell is no place to get off the bus and give up! Perseverance is the wisdom to know that no trouble enjoys everlasting life. Peter applies that principle to family life. The scoop is this. Some women had converted to Christianity which was unheard of in the 1st century Asia Minor. You see, men back then not only ...

363. Hidden in Plain Sight

1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... Christ is a God of love and compassion, not a God of violence and vengeance. But these truths are, as Paul says in verse 1, the "mystery" of God. A mystery, in the way Paul uses the word, is not like a puzzle that we can master with enough perseverance like the rules of cricket. It is something that is hidden to those who have not been initiated and crystal clear to those who have, like a ceremony carried out in a club. This mystery, the good news of the gospel, is available to all. Any person who believes ...

364. Step By Step

Acts 11:1-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... 83 in a 55-mph zone, but rejoices in the truth. Love doesn't give up hope. It always protects our children's self-esteem and spirit, even while doling out discipline. It always trusts God to protect our children when we cannot. It always perseveres, through blue nail polish, burps and other bodily functions, rolled eyes and crossed arms, messy rooms and sleep-overs. Love never fails. But where there are memories of thousands of diaper changes and painful labor(s), they will fade away. Where there is talking ...

365. The Ministry Of Do WOP

James 1:17-27

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; [24] for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. [25] But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act they will be blessed in their doing. [26] If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. [27] Religion that is pure and undefiled before ...

366. Dress For Faithfulness

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. [17] Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. [18] Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. [19] Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, [20] for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as ...

367. Acquired Taste

2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... are offered praise and reward, it would never be hard to do the right thing. But a “nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee” faith is as frozen and oversweet as those deep freeze baked goods. It takes Holy Spirit power, Christlike love, and the pushy perseverance of spirit-pumped self-discipline to acquire a taste for a faith that thrives in a world that rejects it. Among our list of “acquired tastes” there was “haggis.” [Note: it would be great if you had someone make this and invited members of the ...

368. When Christians Pray

Acts 1:12-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... in the Roman Empire. But individually, the leaders of the church often experienced torture and death because of their faith in Christ. If they had not felt that God was with them through the power of the Holy Spirit, they would not have been able to persevere. So, after Christ’s ascension, his disciples prayed constantly. They prayed for God’s power. They prayed for God’s presence. And they prayed that they would stay centered in God’s purpose. Here is where we may fall short as the people of God ...

369. The Forgiveness Factor

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... easy to repair the breach again. So the four men dug out the filling between two of the cross-ties and let their friend down at Jesus' feet.[1] As the lesson has it, "When Jesus saw their faith" — their willingness to overcome any obstacle and persevere in pursuit of the goal — "he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven' " (v. 5). I wonder if they were taken aback by what Jesus said. They had heard about all the healings. This would be one more. After lugging their friend across town ...

370. Cross-Bearing

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... of some spiritual masters. Mother Teresa found ways, starting in the early 1960s, to live with her problem and abandoned neither her belief nor her work. The book was published, not in an attempt to smear her memory but rather as proof of the faith-filled perseverance that may well be her most spiritually heroic act. Self-denial writ large. Jesus says, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (v. 34). This is a tough message because it suggests that nothing ...

371. Never, Never, Never, NEVER GIVE UP!

2 Corinthians 4:5-12

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... be turned aside. Our task is too important. And "earthen vessels" that we are, as the scripture says— plain old jars of clay ... nothing special — the treasure of the gospel that we contain can make an incredible difference in the world when we persevere. No question, giving up is often a most attractive option. But we cannot. We have too important a job to do. And remember Paul: "hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down ...

372. Where Would We Be Without...?

Romans 3:21-31

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... Geneva became a center of international influence. After visiting Geneva to sit at the feet of the master, young reformers from all over Europe returned to their homelands to establish Calvin's principles. That might never had happened but for the persistence and perseverance of William Farel. What would we do without Staupitz and Farel and countless others who have made a difference in our journey of faith? Fortunately, we need not wonder. They were with us, they did their work, and they made a difference ...

373. Oh, The Things We Worry About!

Matthew 6:25-33

Sermon

... , however, living proved to be much more difficult than the trip over. That first winter was hard, the snow was heavy, and by the time spring arrived, more than sixty of their number had died. Over the next few months, and through their own perseverance, along with friendship from the Native Americans, their crops flourished, and they were able to store enough food for the coming winter. In mid-October of 1621, Governor William Bradford called for a day of thanksgiving to be shared with the Native Americans ...

374. Long Live The King

Revelation 1:4-8

Sermon

Patrick J. Rooney

... fixed in my mind until this very day. I remember, with a voice more solemn than usual, the announcer telling us of the death of the king — the king who had led his people to victory in World War II; the king who had come to symbolize bravery and perseverance; the king who had ruler over a mighty empire and seen its dissolution; the king who had not even wanted to be king and became so only after his brother had left the throne to marry the woman he loved. That king was now dead. I watched the newsreel ...

375. Romans 12:9-21

Romans 12:9-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... faith. There will be times to “rejoice” in the hope of faith. There will be times that call for “patience” or “steadfastness” in the face of affliction, day-to-day suffering. Whatever each day brings, Paul affirms the continual need for perseverance in prayer. These attitudes within the community are joined to actions expressed by the community. Later in his letter Paul will specifically discuss the collection for Jerusalem (Romans 15:26-27, 31). Here he broadens his directive, for all believers ...

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