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 3976 to 4000 of 4490 results

3976. Scribe

Ezra 7:6

Illustration

Stephen Stewart and Esther Lense

Ezra 7:6 - "... this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses which the Lord the God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was upon him." In pagan Greek, the word "scribe," had a variety of meanings, including government secretary, recorder, clerk, and notary. In biblical Greek, however, it had a more specialized meaning, being used to translate the Hebrew word "sopher," a term which had undergone a change in ...

3977. The Complex Human

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sermon

Lori Wagner

If you look at a strand of DNA, you will notice what scientists call a “double helix,” two strands winding around each other with connectors in between that contain the make-up of each biological person. If Jesus were a biologist today, I imagine that’s how he might describe the human spirit. For his example of the human spirit as explained by Matthew in chapter 13 is a complex entanglement of roots –namely two plants growing side by side whose roots are entwined together. They are rooted together so much ...

3978. Jesus' Advance Man

John 1:6-8; 19-28

Sermon

King Duncan

I wonder if you have ever given any thought to the extent of the preparations involved when the President of the United States makes a visit to a local community? A former agent with the FBI tells about some of those preparations. “A team of Secret Service personnel checks out every building along the route he will travel and near every place he will be appearing,” he says. “They go over each building with a fine toothcomb from roof to basement in their efforts to prepare for his safety. We often refer to ...

3979. House Rules, Forgiveness, and Why Rat Poison Is not Good for You

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

Roy Howard

I have two public school elementary teachers in my family. I’ve learned a great deal about what goes on behind the scenes long before the students arrive and long after they have left: the seating chart, the reading corner, the attractive posters, imaginative strategies for teaching difficult concepts, and much more. There is a lot to teaching. The same can be said for those people who teach congregations of every size every Sunday. There is so much that happens behind the scenes from Monday to Saturday ...

3980. What Are We Protecting?

Matthew 21:33-46

Sermon

Roy Howard

To say this parable is difficult to hear, much less interpret, is an understatement. To those who have ears to hear, it will make you wince and perhaps wish to throw up at the ending. But, listeners take heart: that very human reaction should not deter us from the considerable challenge of listening to this parable with the hope that we will be sufficiently unsettled to learn from it. In fact, Amy-Jill Levine, the Orthodox Jew who teaches New Testament at Vanderbilt University, argues that we should ...

3981. Abiding by the Word

John 6:51-58

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Language is a fascinating medium. Without it, we cannot effectively communicate with each other. Language is our means for connection with the world, with each other, and also with God. For Christians and many other religions, sacred writings, for us the scriptures, not only give us a history of our faith and the people who came before us, but they also give us a window into what we believe about God, a measuring stick for truth, and a basis for how we wish to live. That said, language is an imperfect ...

3982. Why Did Jesus Come?

Luke 2:21-52

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

My parents did not attend church when I was a child. A godly aunt and uncle asked my parents if I could attend church with them in 1951 when I was four. Fast forward to Christmas 2018 and I could probably count on one hand the number of times I have missed church. I entered pastoral ministry in 1970 while in seminary and have preached dozens of Christmas sermons. Each time I preach an Advent message I have to ask myself the same question, “Why did Jesus come to earth?” The ending story of our text tells of ...

3983. Jesus' Tears

John 11:32-44

Sermon

King Duncan

Today on this All Saints’ Day, we remember those who have served God on earth and now enjoy His company in Heaven. This is not a day of sorrow, but a day of gladness, for we know that because Christ lives, we, too, shall live with the company of all those who are part of the family of Christ. We remember the words of St. Paul when he instructed the church at Thessalonica with these words, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve ...

3984. Hanging Around Jesus Changes You

Philippians 3:17 — 4:1

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

Writing to Christians in a Macedonian city of Philippi, Paul writes: “For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ...” (v.18). People don’t like this message, don’t want anything to do with the cross of Christ. No surprise. Who of us wants to mess with death and suffering? Why, it’s just common sense. Cross-bearing goes against the grain of what pop culture in America tells us about life. It goes against the grain of our desire for instant gratification. After all, we’ve been taught to follow our dreams ...

3985. Why The Resurrection Makes Sense

1 Corinthians 15:19-26

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. (vv.19-20) Christ is risen! But is it true? Where’s the proof? The world and life-experience say there is no proof. In fact, if the great existentialist philosopher of the twentieth century Albert Camus is right, there is nothing in our world that isn’t arbitrary. Camus contends ultimately all there is to life is chaotic ...

3986. Rock Stars at the Top

Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a)

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

If I were a Hollywood writer, the Transfiguration story would be a great setting. I could see it ranking right up there with “The Ten Commandments,” “Samson and Delilah,” “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” or any of the others. I would title it, “Rock Stars At The Top.” The stars would include Jesus, Moses, Elijah, Peter, James, John, and the Voice and I’m still contemplating who I would cast in the roles. It would be a great media-hype type movie with spectacular special effects…a hard to climb mountain, ...

3987. The Power Of The Resurrection

Revelation 1:4-8

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

Christ is risen! Risen indeed! I should have warned you last week when I was praising what a marvelous thing Jesus’ resurrection is that we might not feel the joy and reality of Christ’s resurrection this week like we did last Sunday. It’s true, isn’t it? Last Sunday’s high didn’t last the whole week, did it? And as for today, the church’s isn’t packed like last week. That sense of enthusiasm isn’t as apparent. We’re not as certain in our faith. Why not? Maybe Christ hasn’t risen after all. After all, ...

3988. Recruiting Volunteers

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Sermon

King Duncan

Raise your hand if you have ever volunteered for an organization. I’d bet most of you at one time or another have volunteered for a cause you believed in. Maybe you helped collect canned goods for a community kitchen, or tutored a student, or sold Girl Scout cookies, or ran a 5K race for a good cause. We all have different causes we believe in and motivations for volunteering. But I have trouble grasping the motivation for some people’s volunteer choices. A few years ago, NASA advertised for volunteers for ...

3989. Are We Living In The Last Days?

Luke 21:5-19

Sermon

Richard Hasler

Many people in northeast Ohio have visited the Amish Country at least once, if not numerous times. One stop they are sure to make is at Lehman’s Hardware Store in Kidron, Ohio. What I have learned from my visits there is that at one time only other Amish people purchased items at the store because they were committed to using non-electrical equipment in their farming. More recently, however, a new set of clients has arrived, not counting the usual tourists. Some religious believers have the convictions ...

3990. The Mud Room

John 9:1-41

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Homes built particularly in rural areas and on farms in the early part of the 20th century often had within them, usually coming in from the back or side door of the house, a special room called a “mud room.” Has anyone here seen a mud room? Perhaps some of you had one in your homes at some point? A mud room had pretty much one single purpose: it was a place for “messiness.” Farmers coming in out of the fields, work-folk coming in from a hard day’s labor in mines, rivers, farms, or creeks, would shed their ...

3991. With Challenge And Invitation

John 10:1-10

Sermon

April Yamasaki

Jesus loved to tell stories. In his preaching and teaching, a man traveling on the road became the focal point in a lesson on being a good neighbor. A wayward son welcomed home by his father taught a lesson about God’s love and forgiveness. Over and over, Jesus used vivid images to express his own identity: I am the light of the world. I am the true vine. I am the Bread of Life. In our scripture reading for today, Jesus told another story to communicate his identity and mission. Shepherds and sheep would ...

3992. What Polls Won't Teach You

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

Polls are popular these days. Everybody takes polls. We see it all the time in politics. The biggest problem is that people tend to live by what polls say. I’m glad for people who break the pattern. Like Carl Yoder, who said: Seven things I have tried: Laughing at difficulties, and found them disappearing. Attempting great responsibilities, and found them growing lighter. Facing a bad situation, and found it clearing up. Telling the truth, and found it the easiest way out. Doing an honest day’s work, and ...

3993. Stay—Tuned

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Everybody loves a good story. We begin our earliest understandings through stories. The Tortoise and the Hare, The Three Little Pigs, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Ugly Duckling. We learned lessons in behavior from stories like The Little Boy Who Cried ‘Wolf ’ and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The tradition of storytelling is as old as humanity itself. Ancient cultures have stories to tell younger generations about their heritage. Go to the earliest chapters of our scripture and see how our own cultural ...

3994. Human Things

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” ~Abraham Lincoln We have a mantra in our society: power corrupts. Lord Acton, 19th-century British historian noted that “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”[1] He recognizes this in examining the travesties of the Inquisition, in which religiously zealous people of faith took it upon themselves to dictate the “kingdom of God” on their own terms. The result? Bloodshed, torture, travesty, evil. From the ...

3995. Avoiding the “F” Word

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Growing up, we are taught never to use the “F” word. We all know what that means. It’s simply not “nice” language. Not “relational” language. We’re taught that the way we speak matters, that the words we use can either make or break our most important relationships. These kinds of lessons help us to navigate our emotional and relational world. If we want to build bridges instead of burning them down, it helps to use appropriate words, even when we feel angry and bitter. In our western culture, we’re taught ...

3996. Feet and Hearts

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Sermon

Mary Austin

A generation or two after Jesus’ life, when the gospel writers wrote down all their memories, the writers recalled this night differently. John remembered Jesus washing the disciples’ feet — a sign of being a servant to them, a nudge to help them serve others. Matthew, as well as Mark and Luke, all remembered a meal. Both can be true in the heart sense of true, because they call to mind the same thing — Jesus is saying farewell to the people who have been so close to him and giving them a way to remember ...

3997. Body

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

In 2:14–4:6, the first step in his defense of the legitimacy of his apostolic claim, Paul repeatedly refers to heavenly realities he has known as an apostle: He has entered the heavenly throne room of God; he speaks in the presence of Christ; and he has seen the glory of God in the face of Christ (cf. 2:14, 17; 4:6). The emphasis in the previous section has thus been on the glory of Paul’s apostolic ministry. The problem is that Paul’s body does not manifest the glory of God in a tangible way. According to ...

3998. The Art of Restoration

John 3:1-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Have you ever seen an archaeologist uncovering an artifact or a set of bones? It’s a painstaking business. They can’t just dig right in or they could risk harming the remains in the process. Instead, the archaeologist uses light, gentle brushes, blowing off the excess dust, sweeping away debris, until the artifact reveals itself. Then they celebrate the find! Although classified in universities as a science, archaeology, like most restorative processes, many would say, is also an art. Likewise, the study ...

3999. The Case of the Hardened Heart

John 6:1-21

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Cognitive confirmation bias, the core concept of my upcoming book, Slant, on how we understand Jesus, scriptures, and our theology, has also become a current “buzz word” in the confusion of our society today. No matter what “side” of the political spectrum we are on, we want to know “how” others cannot see the “truth” or “facts” that are right in front of them. Interestingly, this inquiry comes from both ends of that divide. That should tell us something. The answer is simpler and yet more complex than we ...

4000. We Live in Hope

1 Corinthians 15:19-26

Sermon

Bonnie Bates

Good morning! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Happy Easter! Several times this week I have revised this sermon message, wanting to incorporate the emotions of this Holy Week, to understand the last week as a journey with Jesus and the disciples. The joy and triumph of Palm Sunday quickly seems to move into the intimacy of Maundy Thursday with its meal shared among friends, the servant leader Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, and the breaking of bread and sharing of cup. We then quickly move ...

Showing results