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 4151 to 4175 of 4943 results

4151. Connected To God

Sermon

Lee Griess

... has gone up. Gone up and away. God has left us to our confusion. Abandoned us in the midst of the angry shouts of the mobs, the sound of gunfire and the rhetoric of the revolutionaries." God indeed has abandoned us. However, as he sat there and continued to listen, Willimon noticed that the boys were not singing "Deus Abscondit," which would mean "God has abandoned us," but rather they sang "Deus Ascendit," God has gone up. And the words of that song led Willimon to understand that God had not given up on ...

4152. The Mark Upon Us

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

Lee Griess

... . Through our baptism we are claimed by God and made part of GOD'S family. In baptism we receive our name and are marked with God's grace forever. Perhaps you haven't noticed but during the Service of Holy Baptism the pastor says the person's name and continues saying, "Child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever." And as the pastor says that, the pastor traces the mark of a cross on the person's forehead. It is a moment of grace. The canceling of one ...

4153. Real Solutions To Real Problems

John 21:1-14

Sermon

Lee Griess

... to us is the same. "Lo, I am with you always." Did you ever wonder about these resurrection appearances of Jesus -- how he keeps popping in and out of the disciples' lives? Here one moment and gone the next. It began the first evening of Easter and continues in the story today. What is the message he wants us to know? Could this be Jesus' way of underlining the words of his promise -- "Lo, I am with you always"? There each moment they needed him most. There with the disciples in the grief and sadness ...

4154. A Shepherd To Lead Us

John 10:22-42

Sermon

Lee Griess

... and they follow me." Hearing is believing and believing is following. Hearing the voice of Jesus means trusting that God is greater. It means listening to Jesus and following him. Missionary Herb Schaefer tells about a thirteen-year-old Chinese girl who continued with her family to worship God secretly in their home during the Cultural Revolution in China, that time when religion was forbidden and worship was banned by the Chinese rulers. One evening the Red Guards burst into their small home and threatened ...

4155. Love One Another (or Strike Up The Band)

John 13:31-38

Sermon

Lee Griess

... a piece of iron in the presence of an electrified field, that piece of iron itself will become electrified. And in the presence of that electrical field, it is changed into a magnet. As long as it remains in contact with that field of power, it will continue to attract other pieces to itself. We are like that piece of iron. In the presence of Christ, we experience his love and take on his likeness. We are changed, electrified by the Holy Spirit, to attract others to the same love of God that we experience ...

4156. Who Lives In You?

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon

Lee Griess

... , our interest in Scripture reading, our attention to prayer. For the reality of our Christian faith is our relationship with Christ, the same kind of response that Jesus gave those Pharisees. "Look and see how I act," he said. "See, I go about my business. I will continue to care for the sick and proclaim God's Word." Who lives in you? The answer must always be "Christ lives in me." The same love, the same compassion that Jesus had is present in me. The same life, the same power of God that was present ...

4157. Advent 1

Mark 13:1-31, Mark 13:32-37

Bulletin Aid

David M. Oliver

... , watch; for you do not know when the time will come." (Mark 13:33) People: We watch and wait in anticipation for the coming of the Christ Child. We prepare our hearts and minds for his coming. We submit our lives to the transforming power of his continued return. Leader: The first candle in the Advent wreath represents our anticipation of Christ's coming. (Light one candle.) We ring the bells as we prepare for and announce the Coming One. We proclaim that he came, he is coming, and he will come again. Amen ...

4158. Fourth Sunday In Advent - Joy!

Luke 1:46-56, Luke 1:39-45

Bulletin Aid

David M. Oliver

... descendants forever" (vv. 54-55). Mary's song, together with the story of the Scripture as a whole, is a testimony of God helping those who are God's servants. The biblical story is one of God remembering the promises made to our foreparents and continuing to honor these promises with those who live in this lineage. In radical contrast, conventional wisdom would want us to believe that we cannot trust anyone, that God only helps those who help themselves, and that we must distinguish ourselves or we will be ...

4159. God, The Holy Spirit

Acts 2:1-13

Drama

Jerry Eckert

... . I've never experienced anything like it before. We had been in prayer together. We've been waiting for a little over a week for some kind of sign as to what to do. After Jesus died and was raised from the dead, things were pretty strange around here. We continued to meet and Jesus somehow was with us. And he taught us, much like he did before his death. Ten days ago, we were out walking together with him. On one of the hills near the city, we stopped. He called upon us to go into all the world and ...

4160. The Pageant

Luke 2:8-20, Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Jerry Eckert

... to do their job of watching. As our shepherds come forward, let us sing a song of such people, "O Little Town of Bethlehem" (v. 1). (The shepherds come up and stand behind the reader, across from the wisemen. They all stand quietly while the reader continues.) Angels are also a part of the story. They travel the earth as messengers for God, returning to God with messages of what is happening down here. They sometimes deal with specific people and they sometimes go to everyone. The angels are truthful, open ...

4161. Twelfth Night

Luke 2:1-7, Luke 2:8-20

Drama

Jerry Eckert

... effect. The innkeeper and his wife are good people. They may be able to help you. I hope you find what you are looking for. (Light 3 is turned on.) Field Announcer 1: Thank you for your help. As I head over toward the inn door, I notice the evening continues to be calm. There is no one out on the streets now. The sky is clear. The stars are plainly visible in the sky. Over to the east I see what may be the star of Bethlehem. It is brighter than anything else in the night sky. Here we are ...

4162. Can Anybody Really Hear Me?

Luke 8:1-15

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

... never "preached" at me. Maybe I'll talk to my old boss at the Deli. Sam: Hi, Mary. (Jokingly) You're late or very, very early for work. (Laughs) Mary D: Hi, Sam. (Laughs) No, I'm just stopping by to say "Hi" and ... Sam: Good to see you, Mary. (Continues to work at baking a pastry) Mary D: ... and I just need to talk to someone who will listen to me. Sam: (Interrupts) Thanks for staying over the noon hour yesterday. We sure were rushed and with Nancy gone and all. Mary D: Oh, no problem. (Pause) Sam: You're ...

4163. Same Old, Same Old

John 8:31-41

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

... eat. Supper's ready and we'll finish our discussion, eh? (Ties bib on George, sets food in front of him, starts to feed him) George: Alma! I'm not an invalid. I can feed myself. I'm ... Alma: I'm a grown man ... I know, Georgie Porgie ... I know. (Continues to fuss over him) George: My arm has healed, you know. Alma: How long has it been since you broke it? George: Two years ago last September and you still treat me like a cripple or something... I just... Alma: I just will do it myself. I know, I know ...

4164. A Monolgue from Peter

Mark 8:27-30

Drama

Dr. Raymond Bailey

... niche in life -- and we never aspired to anything else. Indeed, when the Master called us to follow him, we left our nets -- but we also kept our boats and equipment. You may have noticed in your gospels that we were in our boatsquite a lot -- we continued to be fishermen at times. It never dawned on us that we might become rabbis.Jesus even preached from my boat once when the mob kept pushing closer and closer along the Galilean Sea. And -- do you not recall -- even after the resurrection -- Jesus came to ...

4165. An Outcast · The Woman Of Samaria

John 4:1-26

Sermon

Gordon Pratt Baker

... ," Jesus said, glancing toward the well, "will thirst again; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14) He was, of course, speaking symbolically as a means of offering the woman his continuing concern and support. Even as he spoke, however, the woman's eyes gleamed with a cunning that robbed her of his meaning. Curling her lips in ridicule of his metaphor she scoffed, "Sir, give me this water that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw ...

4166. A Scholar · Nicodemus

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Gordon Pratt Baker

... 3:3) It was a request Nicodemus was bent on honoring when he went out into the dawn. IV Nicodemus had barely left Jesus' presence when he found himself challenged to make good on his resolution. To the consternation of the Pharisees Jesus' popularity had continued to grow. In fact, there was common talk that he was the King the Jews had been so long anticipating. (Mark 15:12) The very idea was freighted with emotion and might all too easily launch a messianic movement spawning an insurrection. Let Caesar ...

4167. A Mother · A Canaanite Woman

Mt 15:21-28 · Mk 7:24-30

Sermon

Gordon Pratt Baker

... refused to go, however, her very persistence a public testimony to the strong faith she had in the Master. Accordingly, instead of quietly withdrawing as the disciples were urging her to do she followed the little band wherever they went, the earnestness of her petition a continuing witness to her faith in the compassion and power of Jesus. IV How long the woman pressed her appeal we have no way of knowing. But one thing is certain. Not only did she believe in the Master's ability to heal her daughter, she ...

4168. The Condition Of Mercy

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

Donald Dotterer

... upon the love of God for you. Think about how God can help you find peace and happiness by enabling you to do those things which you never thought you could do. Let us then praise and give thanks to God for his love and mercy this day. May you continue to have a blessed and happy Easter season! Benediction: Gracious and eternal God, we have worshiped you and given thanks for all that you have done. As we go from this place, may we and those we love walk with your Spirit now and forever. Now may the Lord ...

4169. Marriage: Endearing And Enduring

Psalm 128:1-6

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

... . Finally, how can I talk about what we call trust without sounding parental? It's just the way it is: you have to be able to trust each other to go into his or her own private practice room, or boxing ring, for that is where each of you will continually be enriched and enabled to bring back to the center ring, some freshness, some variety, and some real unearned charm. We don't want to see you cloning each other. If there is ever an inkling of a problem, consider it an SOS signal. Don't let an SOS threaten ...

4170. Wedding Sermon: The First Marriage

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

James McKarns

... the divine plan of God was all in order. God saw it was very good and rested. The exact time and manner in which these events occurred, we don't know. But we do know these same types of wonderful meetings between men and women have continued ever since. They happen every day, all over the world. It is that original love, created by God, which has brought this couple (__________ and __________) to the altar today. They have discovered each other, shared their histories and dreams, looked into each other's ...

4171. Your Journey Of Life - A Wedding Ceremony

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

Mark P. Zacher

... eternally sure and certain and that we can carry with us forever. There is faith and there is hope and there is love! The faith of both of you is what has brought you through the difficult experiences that you have had. Your faith is what has enabled you to continue along the path of life, even when the road got difficult and the way got rough. It was the hope of both of you that allowed your lives to intersect and to cross. And, it was that hope that allowed you to see a new day and a new life ...

4172. When The Boat Keeps Rocking

Psalm 46:1-11

Eulogy

Robert Noblett

... rock and reel under the force of anything in life that shakes us to the foundations. Hence the psalmist's simple and yet utterly truthful declaration: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear ..." And the psalmist continues: "There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High." Ever wonder about that river and what it means? I did for years. The poetry is beautiful but it is even more beautiful when we realize the ...

4173. Death And Birth

Psalm 23:1-6

Eulogy

Henry G. Brinton

... though his true calling was to serve his family, his church, and his community. (Here thanksgivings are given for the deceased's character and forms of service.) We give thanks today for ____________ life on earth, but we also give thanks that his life continues in God's heavenly kingdom. His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whose birth we are about to celebrate, has come again and received him into everlasting life. "Let not your hearts be troubled," said Jesus to his followers; "Believe in God, believe also ...

4174. The Circle Of Life

Eulogy

Charles R. Leary

... a circle. It might be your ring, or the circle in the cross (pointing to the Celtic cross above the altar). I use the word, circle, because I feel that deep inside God's universe there is no real beginning and no real ending. There are continuous circles marked by all kinds of events, some natural, some traumatic, some glorious, and some just ordinary. Some we plan, some happen, some we memorialize. But all in all, we call them beginnings and endings by the nature of them. Birth we call a beginning. Death ...

4175. Healed Once Again

Matthew 9:1-8

Eulogy

Anna M. Ritter

... Jesus said something else besides "Rise and walk" to that sick man. He also said, "Your sins are forgiven." Physical healing is not the only healing God provides. There is also spiritual healing, the forgiveness of sin. Physical healing of illness leads to continued life on this earth. Spiritual healing of sin leads to life in heaven. Physical healing is temporary, because we all will die eventually, no matter how often God heals us before that time. Spiritual healing is forever. In fact the word "salvation ...

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