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 3951 to 3975 of 4936 results

3951. Table Talk

Luke 14:1-14

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: The kingdom of God reverses our conventional ideas of who really matters. Understanding the Text This is the third time Luke has depicted Jesus as an invited guest at a Pharisee’s table (see also 7:36–50; 11:37–54), and on each occasion Jesus makes things uncomfortable, challenging the social conventions and the moral values of his hosts and fellow guests. In this case, the meal setting continues into 14:15–24, in which Jesus will use the motif of a special meal as the basis for a parable about ...

3952. The Risen Jesus Revealed

Luke 24:13-35

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: Luke’s first record of an appearance by the risen Jesus is to two otherwise unknown disciples outside Jerusalem who do not recognize him until he breaks bread with them. Understanding the Text Following the discovery of the empty tomb, Luke’s Gospel records only two occasions (and hints at another one [24:34]) when the risen Jesus appeared to his disciples, both on the evening of Easter day itself, and chapter 24 taken alone would suggest that Jesus’s ascension followed immediately that same ...

3953. New Dominion as a Blessing of the New Covenant: Dead to Sin

Romans 6:1-14

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

Big Idea: In chapter 6 Paul presents another blessing: new dominion. The first Adam forfeited his dominion over the earth. But Christ, the last Adam, inaugurated a new age and new covenant, restoring the lost dominion. Believers enter that new dominion by uniting with Christ’s death and resurrection: they become dead to sin and alive to God. Understanding the Text While Romans 3:21–5:21 developed the theme of justification, Romans 6:1–8:16 is devoted to the topic of sanctification.1On the one hand, ...

3954. Signs of the End of the Age

Mark 13:1-31

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

Destruction and Persecutions to Come (13:1-23) 13:1–2 Chapter 13 of Mark is one of the two large sections of teaching material uninterrupted by other things, the other block of material being the parables discourse in chapter 4. The present discourse begins with a prediction by Jesus that the temple of Jerusalem will be destroyed (13:1–2). This leads to a typical Markan scene in which the disciples ask Jesus privately for the meaning of his statement (13:3–4) and Jesus gives an extensive answer to their ...

3955. David Conquers Jerusalem

1 Chronicles 11:4-9

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

All-Israel Anoints David at Hebron: Whereas the previous narrative about Saul formed the introduction to the Chronicler’s description of David’s kingship, the next section narrates David’s actual anointing and coronation as king and the consolidation of his military power. It is quite clear that the Chronicler wanted to get to this point in his historical description as swiftly as possible. For that reason he skips over some events that are considered important in the Deuteronomistic History (see 2 Sam. 1– ...

3956. David's Mighty Men

1 Chronicles 11:10-47

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

3957. Warriors Join David

1 Chronicles 12:1-22

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

3958. Others Join David at Hebron

1 Chronicles 12:23-40

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

3959. Why Am I Afraid?

Romans 8:14-17

Sermon

King Duncan

It’s not long until some of you will be heading out for a summer vacation. I hope you won’t take a vacation from God. Some of you undoubtedly will be camping. You may appreciate the story of a couple who were vacationing in Yosemite National Park. The wife expressed her concern about going camping because of bears and said she would feel more comfortable in a motel. The husband said that he’d like to camp. To calm her concerns he said they’d talk to the park ranger to see what the likelihood was of an ...

3960. Sheepish Shalom

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

Over 500 hundred years ago, a young man named Francis was living the good life. He was rich, handsome, pampered, popular. And though nominally a Christian, Jesus was a stranger to him. One day, Francis was forced to interact with a loathsome leper. In a moment of dreaded touch, the leper was transformed, literally becoming before his eyes the very image of Christ. And Francis was changed. From that day forward, he felt called to discover the Christ in each person and creature around him, no matter how poor ...

3961. Can We Really Love Our Enemies

Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

Charles H. Bayer

I am often uncomfortable when someone tells me they love me. I am not talking about an honest affirmation, but about a critic who has just taken my hide off and concludes the shellacking with an account of her godly affection. "Brother Bayer, you are a rotten, no good, pagan, secular-humanist, but I want you to know that because I am Christian and I love you." Thanks just the same, but I'd rather be despised. Occasionally someone that I have a difficult time loving will cross my path. When I'm honest I ...

3962. Gratitude

Ephesians 5:15-20

Sermon

Will Willimon

"…be filled with the Spirit,...always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father." I didn't care for him when we first met. He's not the sort of person that you warm up to at first. It takes time, and life, before he becomes part of you. Don't ever think that he comes naturally. You have to work at getting along with him. When we first met, I was young, very young, maybe two or three. My mother never tired, during those early years, of trying to get us together ...

3963. It's No Fun to Move

Ruth 1:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you heard of a game called “Would You Rather . . . ?” You and a partner take turns asking each other to choose one option between two equally unpleasant things. Would you rather do this . . . or would you rather do that—two equally unpleasant tasks? It’s an interesting way to get better acquainted with someone. Here are some examples: Would you rather be wealthy, but only able to walk everywhere . . . or broke, but able to travel anywhere in the world? Would you rather always have an annoying song ...

3964. Down by the Riverside

Mark 1:4-11 · Genesis 1:1-5

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

In one of my favorite commentaries, the comic strip "Peanuts", Linus says to Charlie Brown: "I guess it's wrong always to be worrying about tomorrow. Maybe we should think only about today." To that, Charlie Brown responded: "No, that's giving up. I'm still hoping that yesterday will get better." Haven't you ever fellt like that? The Good News is that Jesus says "YES" even to our yesterdays. He accepts us as we are, forgives us and renews us, and as one preacher put it, "Washes behind the years." Because ...

3965. For The Love of God is Creative

1 Corinthians 2:6-12 · Psalm 8

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

In Bil Keane's FAMILY CIRCUS, little Billy is watching television. The speaker boldly says, "Remember this, my friends, great things never happen until some person in this world makes them happen." Billy's mind gets to thinking about the snow, the reflection of the moon on the lake at night, the waves crashing at the beach, a butterfly breaking out of its cocoon, a gorgeous sunset and a beautiful waterfall and then he says, "Oh, yeah?" (1) Billy had the youthful wisdom to give credit where credit is due, ...

3966. Get Up

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Will Willimon

In her novel The Living, Annie Dillard describes this scene from a funeral: ''Hugh stood with stiff Lulu and supple Bert at the graveside. The Nooksacks stood together with their preacher. ''Before the funeral, in mourning for his father, they had shrieked and pounded on boards... ''At last big-faced Norval Tawes read Scripture and prayed. 'O Death, where is thy sting?' Norval Tawes called out, and his little black eyes glittered on Hugh. ''Hugh thought, 'Just about everywhere, since you ask.''' And it is ...

3967. Have Your ID Ready

Matthew 11:2-11

Sermon

King Duncan

Think of the last time you had to show some proof of your identity. Maybe you used your library card to check out books, or you used your student ID to get discounted tickets, or you showed your driver’s license to gain admission to a concert. Most adults have some form of proof that we are who we say we are. But if you don’t have any physical proof, how can you convince people of your identity? I read a story this week that made me think about this question. Johnny Weissmuller was a 5-time Olympic gold ...

3968. Mandatum

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Sermon

Dr. Ronald Love

Today is Maundy Thursday and the end of Lent that began on Ash Wednesday forty days ago. These forty days were intended to be a time of self-reflection and spiritual renewal as one prepares himself or herself for Good Friday and Easter Sunday. In the early church, on Ash Wednesday, if you recall from my sermon on that day, those Christians who committed grave faults were forced to wear sackcloth and be sprinkled with ashes. They were turned out of the Christian community the same as when Adam and Eve were ...

3969. Let's Get Together

Acts 2:1-21 · Genesis 11:1-11

Sermon

Will Willimon

A few days after we bombed Libya, a letter to the Durham Morning Herald urged citizens to unite behind our President. ''This is no time for criticism,'' she said. ''This is a time to unite against those who are evil.'' The letter was unnecessary, for we were already solidly united behind our leader. War does that to people. Even as we Americans were uniting behind our President, dissident Libyans were reported to be suppressing their differences and uniting against the American enemy. War may seem a heck ...

3970. God's GPS

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

When was the last time you got lost? Was this the result of human error or technological error? Or both? Last year, a news station in Indonesia broadcast a story about an Indonesian groom who went to the wrong wedding and almost married the wrong woman because of an error by Google Maps. It appears that this was an arranged marriage, so the prospective bride and groom did not realize the mistake. Family members from the two families discovered the mistake as they chatted before the wedding. Fortunately, ...

3971. Let's Go Fishing

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

An old-timer sat on the river bank, obviously awaiting a nibble, though the fishing season had not officially opened. A uniformed officer stood behind him quietly for several minutes. “You the game warden?” the old-timer inquired. “Yup.” Unruffled, the old man began to move the fishing pole from side to side. Finally, he lifted the line out of the water. Pointing to a minnow wriggling on the end of the line, he said, “Just teaching him how to swim.”[1] Mark Twain once spent a pleasant three weeks in the ...

3972. It Goes Without Saying

Luke 17:5-10

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Let’s face it. Relationships are hard! Yet, when two people commit to creating a true and nurturing relationship, one that inspires change and challenges both to grow, no greater joy can be found! So, what makes a relationship great? Although that’s a complicated question and in some ways distinctive to each couple, we can identify a few qualities that seem to create a sense of appreciation, goodwill, and trust: 1) each partner works on changing him or herself rather than changing the partner, 2) their ...

3973. Love And Money

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

William G. Carter

A seminary professor named Stanley Hauerwas has a novel idea about how churches should receive new members. A teacher of Christian ethics at Duke University, he has written about the church's need for honesty and has called us to tell the truth as a "community of character." To this end, he has a modest proposal. Whenever people join the church, Hauerwas thinks they should stand and answer four questions: Who is your Lord and Savior? The response: "Jesus Christ." Do you trust in him and seek to be his ...

3974. God On His Knees

John 13:1-17

Sermon

Don M. Aycock

The scene is the upper room. Jesus and his 12 close followers are gathered for this, the last time. Only two of them know that fact. The meal begins. Small talk flows, but then the volume and intensity of feeling rise. John tells us that a dispute has broken out among the disciples. The question surfaces: "Who is the greatest disciple?" All join in, "I am the greatest." You can bet that Peter has his say and Matthew, for he is vocal also, and Bartholomew and John. Each in turn extols his own virtue, ...

3975. A New Name

Genesis 17:1-27

Sermon

Paul W. Kummer

What names did people call you as you were growing up? What nicknames did your parents or grandparents saddle you with? I hope most of the names were endearing. But were others nasty or hurtful? Were you given a nickname because of how you looked or how you talked? Because of where you lived or what you wore? Did anyone ever give you a name because they felt they knew what your future would hold? If so, did that spur you on in your destiny or did it hold you back and discourage you? Did they nickname you ...

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