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 4126 to 4150 of 4972 results

4126. The Source of Self Esteem

Romans 8:14-25

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... president of the College of the Pacific. He was a distinguished president, legendary, famous across the country. Tully Knowles caught up with the little girl. She was apparently taking a shortcut across the campus to go to her house. He starts talking to her. They stop, carry on a conversation while they are standing there. Then it occurs to Tully Knowles that the girl's parents are probably concerned about where she is. So he tells her to go on home, saying, "You tell your mommy that you were talking to ...

4127. The Things That Make for Peace

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... greet Jesus with enthusiasm and with joy because he was the Messiah that they had waited for. According to Luke, that just didn't happen. The only non-disciples who were there as he approached the city were Pharisees, who said to Jesus, "Tell your disciples to stop this demonstration." So it was the disciples of Jesus who are shouting. That's all. And the clue to Luke's understanding of what happened on this Sunday is to be found in what they were shouting. Of course, like all the writers, Luke agrees they ...

4128. This Is Not Rocket Science

Acts 2:1-8

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... , a caring in which you not only receive, but you are also to give. So to be the Church is to have a heritage of meaning, and to be in a fellowship of caring. And finally, to be the Church is to have a mission of serving. We don't stop to think about it, but the Church is responsible for most of the institutions of caring in this world, even for the creation of a sense or spirit of humaneness that did not exist in this world until the Church came preaching the gospel that every single human being is ...

4129. What's The Use?

John 20:19-31

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... God is in control of this life. The Resurrection meant that good will eventually triumph in this world. It meant that love was more powerful than hate. It meant that God's purpose to redeem the creation, including all of us, is going to happen. Not even death can stop God's will for us now. That is what the belief in the Resurrection really meant. It was not just an open tomb. The Resurrection was the recreation of the world. It was possible now to hope, and to dream, and to work for good in this world, for ...

4130. Where Can I Find the Church?

Acts 2:1-8; 4:32-37

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... still poor and in need in Jerusalem, because Paul, in his letters, says he is taking up a collection for the poor in Jerusalem. And we know that they were not necessarily all "of one heart and soul," because also in Paul's letters he is telling them to stop this divisiveness and be united in Christ. So this is undoubtedly an idealized portrait. It is a model of what the Church ought to be. That is Luke's intention in writing this passage. If you interpret it that way, as a model of the way the Church should ...

4131. Where's Your Spirit?

Acts 19:1-7

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... dramatically that God takes the initiative in offering grace. God's forgiveness is not based on something that we do, not on our repentance. God's grace is given to us freely. Before we shape up, God has promised that he will forgive us and never stop loving us, and his love will bring us to repentance, to his forgiveness, and to new life. That is why we don't practice rebaptism. Because baptism is not something that we do. Baptism is God's promise of forgiveness. It is a covenant of faithfulness ...

4132. Two Babes In The Manger

Luke 2:1-14

Drama

Matthew Powell

... of Education invited two American Christian teachers to give a series of courses on biblical principles in Russian public institutions. Storyteller 2: The two Americans taught in prisons, to police and fire departments, and at military installations. One of their stops was a large orphanage for children who had been abused or abandoned. Storyteller 1: Since it was nearing the Christmas season, one of the teachers decided to tell the children, through the Russian translator, the story of the birth of ...

4133. The Tree That Didn't Get Trimmed

Romans 11:33-34

Drama

Matthew Powell

... - Storyteller 1: that he didn't notice what was going on, or up, below him. Storyteller 2: A vine had caught hold of his trunk and was steadily twisting upward. Storyteller 1: One morning, when the farmer's wife came out, intending to shift him, she stopped and exclaimed. Farmer's Wife: Why, I mustn't move this pole. The morning glory has run right up it. Storyteller 2: And so it had. Our bare pole was blue and crimson with the color of morning glories ... as pretty as any Christmas tree. Storyteller ...

4134. Two Christmas Dinners

Luke 21:3-4

Drama

Matthew Powell

... bench at left) Storyteller 1: And lo! an hour later, another ambulance brought Mr. Cabot to the same hospital. They laid him out on another bed and asked, Nurse: Heart attack? Storyteller 2: Soon, the young nurse met one of the young doctors whose eyes she liked, and stopped to chat with him about the cases. Nurse: Mr. Cabot, that nice, old gentleman in room 20 - now you wouldn't think it to look at him, but it's a case of near starvation. Proud old family, I guess. (Pauses) He told us ... that he hadn't ...

4135. Million Dollar Christmas

Matthew 19:21

Drama

Matthew Powell

... to get them now. What in the world were they? Edgar 1: One by one they began to come back to me. I had wished that my housekeeper Mary's nose might be a half an inch shorter than it was. Another thing was that my sister-in-law would stop her exaggerated boasting about her quite average children. And, oh yes, I remembered another thing I had often said to myself that I desired more than anything in the world: that my sister Jane might have a sense of humor. Well, I am a millionaire now and can have anything ...

4136. In the Darkness of Anxiety, There Is the Light of Peace

Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

... much of our world is cold and uncaring. In a college sociology class, the professor said, “Somewhere in this world, there is a woman having a baby every three seconds. What can we do about it?” One student spoke up and said, “We’ve got to find that woman and stop her!” What we must do is find that baby boy born in a manger and wrapped in bands of cloth. In a world like ours, you have to look for signs of God’s peace, but you do not have to look far. Signs of God’s peace are all ...

4137. Epiphany 6

Matthew 5:17-37, 1 Corinthians 2:6-16; 3:1-23, Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Psalm 119

Bulletin Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... same broken human relations. It is not a matter of one saying, "I have nothing against anybody," but another may have something against you. You say, "Well, that's your problem." Though you may feel you have a clear conscience and go to worship, Jesus says, "Stop! Don't come to God with your gift. Get reconciled with the one who is angry with you. Then come to God and your gift will be accepted." How many church members come to Holy Communion for forgiveness knowing that someone "hates their guts"? Outline ...

4138. Epiphany 8

Isaiah 49:8-26, Matthew 6:25-34, 1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... of judging. Only God is in a position to judge a minister and only he has the knowledge and wisdom to judge. PREACHING POSSIBILITIES Gospel: Matthew 6:24-34 1. Is Living Without Worrying Possible? (6:24-34). Need: The world needs a sermon on how to stop worrying and start living. Who does not worry? It is a universal and perennial problem. Jesus faced it in his day and gave the answer. His disciples were to be different from the Gentiles (pagans) by being free from worry. The secret of not worrying is found ...

4139. Lent 1

Genesis 2:4-25, Genesis 3:1-24, Romans 5:12-21, Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... of fasting. c. Have faith - vv. 3, 6. Satan attacks by sowing doubt: "If you are the Son of God" - cf. Genesis 3:1. "Did God say...?" d. Answer with scripture - vv. 4, 6, 10. 2. All You Need To Know About Temptation. 4:1-11 Need: Few people stop to think about temptation. Some may not recognize temptation when it comes. Our people are in need of knowledge and understanding about temptation. The text tells us all we need to know about it. If we know about it, we will be equipped to confront it. Outline: What ...

4140. Lent 5

John 11:1-16, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Romans 8:1-17, John 11:17-37, John 11:38-44

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... - v. 9a. c. You belong to Christ - v. 9b. d. You are pleasing God - v. 8. Epistle: Romans 8:16-23 Once A Slave, Always A Slave. 6:16-23 - Need: Addiction is one of the most serious problems of modern society. An addicted person cannot stop doing what the person may consider wrong. The addiction can involve smoking, alcohol, sex, drugs, sin. Before Christ, we were addicted to win; we were slaves of Satan. A Christian is a slave of Christ, addicted to righteousness. Every person is a slave to someone or ...

4141. Easter 4

John 10:1-21, Acts 6:1-7, Acts 7:54--8:1a, 1 Peter 2:13-25

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... , not revolution nor revenge. It is the suffering God approves. 2. Sin's dead-end. In verses 22-24 Peter describes what Jesus did with suffering. He absorbed, like a blotter, the evil visited upon him. He did not retaliate but took it all in himself. The sin stopped at the cross. Unless this is done, a feud continues as each one tries to return something worse than he received until it ends in death to one or both parties. 3. Why the cross? Jesus bore our sins on the cross. Why? To placate the anger of ...

4142. Pentecost

John 20:19-23, Acts 2:1-21, 1 Corinthians 12:3-13, Psalm 104

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... The Spirit is of Jesus. b. The Spirit is from Jesus. c. The Spirit is like Jesus. 2. The Breath Of Life (20:21-22). Need: The Hebrew word for spirit is "breath" or "wind." To live is to breathe. We determine whether a person is dead if he stops breathing. On Easter evening Jesus breathes the Spirit on his disciples. This is an experience all of us need. We want and need life, as much as possible. Outline: The breath of life consists of - a. The breath of Spirit - "Receive the Holy Spirit." b. The breath of ...

4143. Proper 8

Genesis 22:1-19, 2 Kings 4:8-37, Romans 6:1-14, Romans 6:15-23, Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... 22:1-14 (C) God orders Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Yahweh puts Abraham to the toughest test of his life. His son, Isaac, was to be sacrificed as proof of Abraham's love and loyalty to God. At the moment Abraham is about to plunge the knife into Isaac, God stops him and provides a substitute sacrifice of a ram. Lesson 1: 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16 (RC) Opening our lives to God's messengers. Lesson 1: Isaiah 2:10-17 (E) Pride will be destroyed and God will be exalted. Lesson 2: Romans 6:12-23 (C) Be ...

4144. Proper 10

Genesis 25:19-34, Isaiah 55:1-13, Romans 8:1-17, Romans 8:18-27, Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... reason, biblical preaching is the most effective kind of preaching. 2. Victory (v. 11). God's Word has a built-in victory. This is because God is in his Word. The Word also is the hearer of the Holy Spirit who is power. Nothing can stop God's Word from accomplishing its purpose, because God is omnipotent. For this reason tyrants and dictators fear the Bible and ban its publication. Let the Word be read or proclaimed and evil is in danger of destruction. This fact provides hope, confidence, and assurance ...

4145. Proper 14

Genesis 37:1-11, Genesis 37:12-36, 1 Kings 19:9-18, Jonah 2:1-10, Romans 9:1-29, Romans 9:30--10:21, Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... that it was he and not a ghost, Peter asked Jesus to let him come to him by walking on the water. When Peter saw the waves, he lost faith and began to sink. In desperation he cries to Jesus for help. Jesus took him to the boat, the wind stopped, and the disciples in awe confessed that Jesus was the Son of God. THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33 1. Made (v. 22). The disciples were "made" to go to sea. Jesus wanted and needed to be alone to pray about John's recent murder by Herod. In their ...

4146. Proper 21

Exodus 17:1-7, Ezekiel 18:1-32, Philippians 2:1-11, Philippians 2:12-18, Matthew 21:23-27, Matthew 21:28-32

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... used to answer his opponents and to justify his position. He used the inductive rather than the deductive method. He did not say, "Listen to me. I am telling the truth. You righteous people will not get to heaven, but repentant sinners will." This would have stopped the discussion and the leaders would have gone away more convinced than ever that Jesus was wrong. But, Jesus used an open-ended method. "What do you think?" He let them come to the conclusion that they needed to repent. In this sermon we need ...

4147. Swept Away!

Matthew 24:36-44

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

... writers always greet us with images of cosmic catastrophe and jolting judgment - stories that warn us that all that is predictable and all that is comfortable in our lives will be swept away. And, they tell us, there is nothing we can do to stop it. Matthew's predictions this morning were written to a complacent and lethargic community - Christians who had lost the expectation of the Second Coming - lost the vision of God's rich and peaceable kingdom on earth. After all, the church in Jerusalem had been ...

4148. The Offense of Grace

Matthew 5:43-48, Matthew 5:38-42

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

... to initiate a new form of confrontation and healing that will lead to the well-being of all the parties involved. An ethic of grace - far from being an offense - is an invitation to take the offensive, to live positively instead of negatively, to stop playing the role of victim, and to start living a life of proactive discipleship. Martin Luther King, Jr., once wrote: Forgiveness does not mean ignoring what has been done. It means, rather, that the evil act no longer remains as a barrier to the relationship ...

4149. Worry and Wonder

Matthew 6:24-34

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

... be asphyxiated by lethal chemicals. Then there is the anxiety of meaninglessness. If we are fragile targets of insanity, then what really is the meaning of our lives, the meaning of God, the purpose of creation? And finally, there is the anxiety of guilt. If I can't stop Osama bin Laden, if I can't protect my family, then what am I worth, how relevant am I, how effective am I as God's image in the world? What Jesus is suggesting this day is that this awareness of our possible non-being, this acknowledgment ...

4150. Sharing the Pain of Others

Matthew 26:14-27:66

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... woman looked at the Ragman with disdain, yet there was something in what he said, or how he said it, that attracted her. She took the bandage from her head and replaced it with the fresh one given her. As she placed the bandage on her head, the blood flow stopped. No longer was her face tortured with pain. When the Ragman placed the old bandage on his head, he began to bleed in the same place the woman had been injured. His face took on the look of one in pain. I continued to wonder at what I saw, and ...

Showing results