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

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376. Rule Breakers

Matthew 5:21-37

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... to the rule.” If the transportation manual says that all train doors have to be closed before the train leaves the station, then the engineer walks up and down the length of the train examining and testing each door to ensure it’s fully closed. This perfect adherence to the rule is no better than the previous practice of just looking out his window to see that all the doors are closed. But it does ensure that no train leaves the station on time. It does cause chaos for train schedules all over Great ...

377. Living the FIRE Life

John 17:1-11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... , and continual change preceding death. In the Old English, the etymological definition also notes that life is spiritual existence imparted by God through Christ to the believer.[1] The word comes from the indogermanic (PIE) root leip––to stick to or adhere. Life IS connection. Through relationship, through connection, we find that we have the capacity to grow, to reproduce good things, to continue to change, as long as life persists. In the Book of Genesis, we see that God created everything that ...

378. The Grip

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... with joy. They may even begin to put some initial time and energy into the church, but as soon as they experience any trouble in their lives, they blame God and fall away. Their faith is not strong enough to see them through. They may follow the rules, adhere to the age-old traditions, sing in the choir, participate in events. But they have not allowed Jesus into their hearts in any real or tangible way. As long as things go well, they are willing to subscribe to the “faith.” But they haven’t anchored ...

379. Living In The “In Between” Time

Titus 2:11-14

Sermon

Ronald Love

... behind on Crete after Paul left the Mediterranean Island to continue his missionary journey. Paul left Titus to oversee the churches on the island to be sure they were disciplined, ministered to individuals and to appoint congregational leaders who were moral and adhered to the gospel message that Paul taught during his visit. This letter was to encourage the leaders of the church in the absence of the physical presence of Paul. One of the most significant messages from this morning’s lectionary reading ...

380. The Rant

Matthew 23:1-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... them blind guides who are swayed by money and the opulence of the Temple. He berates them for showing off with their tithes and gifts to the public and yet neglecting justice, mercy, and faith. He berates them for teaching but not acting, adhering to superficial laws, but not loving. Jesus is passionate about God’s mission, about God’s people, and about practicing love, mercy, and justice in everyday life. He’s passionate about living out the faith in real and compassionate ways. Nothing but giving ...

381. We're On the Move Now!

Sermon

Ronald Love

... human being. We confront persons who are callous and insensitive. We sally forth allowing nothing — absolutely nothing — to stave off our protest.” To besiege the opposing forces in society requires single-minded obedience to the truth of the scriptures. Adhering to the sacred text, Christians must be willing to emulate the steadfast nature of Jesus. There came a time when Jesus of Nazareth realized he could no longer effectively continue his public ministry in Galilee; if the gospel message was ...

382. Heroines of the Faith

Mark 1:29.39

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... dissatisfied with the Church of England. They were searching for religious freedom in the new world, but the freedom on these shores was not as free as some might have hoped. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was organized as a rigid theocracy that demanded strict adherence to a code of conduct and did not tolerate dissent of any kind, and certainly not from a woman, because it was widely believed that women did not have the native capacity for spiritual discernment (they should keep themselves only to be wives ...

383. Loving Against the Grain

Mark 3:20-35

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... everyone in the entire state of Pennsylvania into one assumed political category that took me aback, and I realized, how easy it is for us as human beings to draw lines in the sand, keeping some people out and accepting others in, our allegiance and adherence set to our own set of rules, assumptions, or even whims. Even more so, how easy it was to deem some people acceptable and others upside down crazy simply due to their thoughts or affiliations. When and how did we as “socially interdependent animals ...

384. For the Love of Children

Mark 10:2-16

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... leaders, from their pious religious training, from the priests and Pharisees of the Temple, and from their colleagues and families. The Jewish community tended to be a tight-knit group. One of the reasons for this over time was due to their adherence to all of the laws that they fiercely upheld in order to maintain their sense of coherence, identity, community, and faith. One of those lessons involved a hierarchical understanding of family and community: Jew vs gentile, servant vs free, children and women ...

385. Recush

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Thomas C. Willadsen

... . The man wanted to know how to get his ticket to heaven punched. While it does not say this, it is pretty clear that the man was well off. He was educated and later it said that, “he had many possessions” Mark 10:22 (NRSV). He had been a faithful adherent to all the religious laws. Just ask him! But then Jesus said something that is a bit of a paradox. “You lack one thing.” Probably the man did not lack any thing. So what did he lack? Could you describe what he lacked in a word or two? We talked ...

386. The Grey Zone

John 21:1-19

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... .[2] Yet, without trust, risk, vulnerability, and commitment to a common future, a true relationship can never evolve. In today’s dating world, a term has surfaced to describe a relationship that lacks clarity, purpose, commitment, or goals, one that keeps its adherents in “relationship limbo”: a “situationship.”Another word for it has surfaced as well: living in the “grey zone.” The “grey zone” may feel safe for a time, but it’s not fulfilling of people’s needs or goals long-term ...

387. The Art of Reconciliation

Luke 12:49-59

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... community. Reconciliation, as William Massey taught the residents of Atlanta, is not about sameness. It’s not about “getting people to agree with you” or enforcing people to think alike. It’s not about creating laws that encourage like-mindedness or about adhering to the same opinions, politics, or ways of life. It’s about unity within difference –about respect the beauty of individualism while embracing the unity of what makes us and bonds us as human. A quilt is beautiful not because every ...

388. God Is Like...a Parent

Hosea 11:1-4 · Luke 15:1-32

Sermon

Kenneth L. Gibble

... of the deity as a parent. For all children, there is a sense in which their parents are godlike. As a small child, I am very aware that my parents are older, bigger, wiser and more powerful than I am. So it’s not surprising that the adherents of nearly every religion have attributed father and mother qualities to the gods they worship. What is surprising, when we turn to the Old Testament, is how few are the references to God as father or mother. Hebrew culture was strongly patriarchal; men ran the show ...

389. God Is Like...Fire

Malachi 3:1-4 · Luke 3:1-6, 9,16-17

Sermon

Kenneth L. Gibble

390. Against All Odds

Luke 14:25-33

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... I’m destined to carry – even to the death! You’ll be opposed at every turn and challenged beyond belief! Every bit of your faith will be tested and dragged through the gauntlet! You’ll have to give up your dream of accumulating wealth, status, and adhering to the old traditions. This will be the hardest journey you will ever undertake! Ok? Who’s with me? They all take it on. Every disciple – at least initially. Eventually, Judas would break. But the others would go on to risk their lives, their ...

391. The Grande Masquerade

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... humble themselves will be exalted.” The message for us: No one escapes God’s inquiring eye. No one can feign truth, goodness, or a repentant heart. No one’s mask of religiosity can deceive God’s intimate knowledge. No one’s religious status or adherence to human-crafted laws can take the place of a true and authentically humble spirit. When it comes to God’s grace, we all will be equally examined! To be redeemed requires us to stand unmasked and revealed before God! True conversion means that ...

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