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 4977 results

4151. When Words Are Not Enough

Ephesians 5:15-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... subway: * You can punch my lips so I can't blow my horn, but my fingers will find a piano. * You can slam the piano lid on my fingers, but you can't stop my toes from tapping. * You can stomp on my foot to keep my toes from tapping, but my heart will keep on swinging in four/four time. * You can even stop my heart from ticking, but the music of the saints shall never cease.[5] After all, there are times when words are not enough. 1. Kemp P. Battle, Great American Folklore (New York: Barnes & Noble Books ...

4152. Winning Over Worry

Matthew 6:25-33

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... sparrows); they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (v. 26). That made sense. It has always been true that the God who has provided life also provides the necessities to keep that life going. The point, of course, is not that the birds and animals are taken care of without work; that is obviously not true - it has been said that no one works harder than the average sparrow to make a living. The message is that they do ...

4153. Looking Up: Looking Out

Mark 9:2-9

Sermon

Robert J. Elder

... future. I used to run for exercise until my knee put me out of the running business. I remember when my daughters were little, they used to like to race their dad. It was fun, and of course, I could beat them running backward or sideways. But I would always keep the race close to prolong the fun. You know what happened. The day dawned — I don't even recall precisely when it might have been, but the exact date doesn't matter — the time came when not only could I no longer play this game, but I could not ...

4154. The Elephant in The Living Room

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

John Smylie

... toward me because I could leave and he was stuck in the profound sickness of this family system. The younger brother was also at a loss because I had named the elephant in the living room and for him it was better to simply work at compliance and keep the peace, contorting himself and his soul, his heart, his whole being, in any direction to avoid the violence that would ensue when reality was named. Jesus is the one who names the elephant in the living room. Peter and the disciples are the ones who want to ...

4155. Fred and Barney

John 10:11-18

Sermon

John Smylie

... small portion touching the road in front. The previous owners had dug a hole in the backyard and filled it with water so they could keep some ducks. The pond was stagnant as there was no source of fresh water except what little water could be pumped from the stream that ran ... not own the flock that he tends, he is trusted with care of the flock and trusted to do whatever it takes to keep the flock safe from the dangers which surround it. The shepherd is trusted to bring the flock home when the season of grazing ...

4156. It’s Anybody’s Guess

Mark 4:30-34

Sermon

Kristin Borsgard Wee

... That's how much he trusts you to go on planting the seeds: a mother's prayer, a father's encouragement, a little girl's joy, a young boy's imagination, a vacation Bible school teacher. That's how much Jesus trusts God to bring in the harvest. Just keep planting the seeds of the kingdom. Leave the outcome in God's hands. Pope John XXIII was one of the great leaders of the last century. Someone said that he ended his prayers each night by saying to himself, "But who governs the church, Angelo? You or the Holy ...

4157. When God Says, “No”

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Steven Molin

... a child, or be healed of their depression, or find a marriage partner? How many centuries must we pray for peace in the Middle East? Perhaps you have been bringing an issue to God for years, but without resolution. Same prayer, same pain, same result. Keep praying, friends! Keep laying your requests before God's throne, so that his, "Not yet," may turn into a resounding, "Yes!" To do anything less would be to doubt the power and the grace of God. Finally, I believe there are times when God says, "No." We ...

4158. Busy with a Purpose

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

... which lane will go fastest by factoring in the number of carts, number of items and the competency of the clerk. Then I keep track of the lane I didn't choose. The family calendar has replaced the family Bible for nightly reading. "Okay, children, open ... went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed" (Mark 1:35). Jesus was a very busy man but he was not running aimlessly. To keep centered, he needed to be still. There is an off button to the phone, the computer, the palm pilot, the radio. Use it. We are a ...

4159. It’s about Grace

Ephesians 2:1-10

Sermon

Nancy Kraft

... love them no matter what they do, so they want to do good stuff. Saint Paul makes it clear that we're not saved by good works, yet we're not saved without them either. Jesus says, "I love you. If you love me, you will keep my commandments." He doesn't say, "You must keep my commandments, and if you do, I will love you." Once we know God's grace, it changes us. We are free to grow into the people God created us to be, "created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our ...

4160. Bothered and Bewildered

2 Corinthians 4:5-12

Sermon

Gibson “Nibs” Stroupe

... and like us. When Paul speaks here of earthen vessels, he is asking us to remember who we are: children of God, adopted and called by God to be bearers and messengers of this great treasure. He asks the Corinthians to listen, to have hope, and to keep working in their "ordinary" journeys, for they are now rooted in the reign of God through Jesus Christ. Like the Corinthians, we are asked to remember our "ordinary" status, that we are not the treasure. Yet, we are also asked to be defined not by our ordinary ...

4161. Eyes on the Prize

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1

Sermon

Gibson “Nibs” Stroupe

... remains unknown to us. Life after death and the second coming are powerful ideas, and given our limited imaginations, they remain metaphors for us to use in talking about the forces in our lives. After 2,000 years, however, I believe that Paul would urge us to keep our eyes focused on those two prizes but that he would also add one more focus: We not only believe in life after death, but we also believe in life before death. Paul would urge us to ground ourselves in the "here and now," rooted here because ...

4162. Antidote for Bad Times

James 5:13-20

Sermon

Thomas Lentz

... about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip." The minister answered, "I know what you mean. It's the same in my business." The Bible gives us some helpful antidotes to life's challenges to keep us from waiting until the last minute. • When you're in trouble, pray. • When you are sick, seek the prayers of your friends. • When you have sinned, confess. First, "When you're in trouble, pray." It is so easy to neglect this spiritual gift. You are I ...

4163. God Is the Hound of Heaven

Jeremiah 31:7-14

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... poor and those who have less in society. The goods of the earth are not simply for those who have the material resources to possess them. The world is for all peoples and thus all peoples must share. We must break down barriers of discrimination or hostility that keep us apart and build bridges that will bring us closer together. Yes, we must do what is necessary to be present to others. One of the great hurdles that we must negotiate in understanding God's presence among us is to let go of the past and see ...

4164. Thanks for the Memories!

Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14

Sermon

Ken Lentz

... a bit, then we have a glass of wine, and after more conversation we say another prayer. It's a bit of a family thing. If you keep going the way you're going, you'll be done in twenty minutes."1 Those who have joined hands around the Seder meal have felt the power ... altar of Christ who feeds his earthly family and pours out upon it the power of his blood. But there is more: Keep on adding the countless hosts of those past, present, and future, who stand before the throne of the Lamb in heaven. Thirdly, the ...

4165. What a Way to Start a Church!

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

William J. Carl, III

... church in Guguletu on the outskirts of Cape Town where the people beat their Bibles with their bare hands to provide percussion and set the rhythm for the hymns. The glow on their faces was overwhelming. Clearly something had happened to them and they just couldn't keep quiet about it any longer. Think of that first Pentecost. There was a big disturbance with lots of commotion. The world said, "They must be drunk!" But Peter, a real have-sermon-will-travel kind of guy, said, "No, they can't be drunk. It's ...

4166. The Real Underdog!

1 Samuel 17:1, 4-11, 19-23, 32-49

Sermon

William J. Carl, III

... back resoundingly, "God is in charge of our world and your life and mine." In the end, evil will not have its way. Oh, sure it thrashes around here and there pushing us off our compass course. It terrifies us and tempts us into more nefarious sins. It threatens to keep us turned in on ourselves. David shows us a better way. David shows us how the Goliath who stands for evil really is the underdog in this story. That's why David won that day, because God was with him all the way. We see it again in the cross ...

4167. When Necks Break

2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... to appreciate even in a situation or person you adamantly dislike. Let what you say take the form of praise and appreciation. We truly can shape our tongues so that they speak the truth in love. Small actions like this result in large matters like peace. Small actions keep our sons and daughters alive. It was too late for David to save his son once the war had started. The point is to stop the wars in the first place. The picture I would really like to see in Sunday schools is a picture of Absalom riding ...

4168. Wise Leadership

1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... too preachy about it. While we work to reverse the appreciation deficit disorder, we can't boast about what and how we are doing it. That is both manipulative and a sneaky way to pat ourselves on the back. Leadership, such as that to which Solomon was called, keeps the boasts transcendent and the details immanent. We may boast about God, the cosmos, and the largeness in which we all reside. We may ask God for wisdom but not boast about it when God gives it to us. What changes the world back to its creation ...

4169. Having a Good Name

Proverbs 1:20-33

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... have said that I like (don't love) creeds because they give a shade, a collective comfort, to the issue of being born Christian and being part of this living room as opposed to a Buddhist or Islamic one. I have a rug on my floor, as well. Creeds keep me somewhat protected and shaded from the hot sun of my 100 years on the globe (if I am lucky) and the resulting short term it is. They also propel me intro strategic behavior while allowing me openness to serendipity. Creeds name me. Stephen Jay Gould who sang ...

4170. Finding the Good Woman Part in Us All

Proverbs 31:10-31

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... as strong as any river or any set of healthy veins. Sometimes if you lay still at night, you can just feel the blood flowing through your body. It is her, or so I think. You see, at Gettysburg, whenever the housemother locked the front door, so as to keep her girls safe, we slipped out the windows. That's how Mary Magdalene survived, too. She survived by trickery. She survived by being hidden in plain sight. What a relief it is to hear about a full and generative woman as far back as the book of Proverbs ...

4171. Your God Shall Be My God

Ruth 1:1-18

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

... , no one would notice or care. The church is just a random collection of people who happen to make the same choice that Sunday. Not much is expected of you. The church is not a voluntary organization, which needs to mimic the world in order to get and keep members. It is the body of Christ and there is nothing "individual" about it. In the body, we are members one of another. When you bring your children to baptism, you give them to the church. You give them away to Christ and to the body of Christ — so ...

4172. From Emptiness to Fullness

Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

... :16, 17a). With that, Naomi relents. When they get to Judah, to the town of Bethlehem, Naomi recognizes the bitterness of their situation. She says, "I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty" (Ruth 1:21). In the face of this emptiness, Ruth sets out to keep the two of them alive by gleaning in the fields behind the reapers. It was a custom during harvest not to be so miserly as to gather up every bit of grain, but to let that which is missed lie there for the poor to pick up (not unlike the ...

4173. The Victories in Business

Illustration

Source Unknown

... like good pens. Always arrive at work 30 minutes before your boss. Be sure to sit at the conference table-never by the wall. Help other people that network for jobs. What goes around comes around. Don't take sick days-unless you are. Assume no one can/will keep a secret. Always have an answer to the question "What would I do if I lost my job tomorrow?" Go to the company holiday party. Don't get drunk at the company holiday party. Avoid working on the weekends. Work longer during the week if you have to. The ...

4174. The Testimony of a Good Conscience

1 Tim 1:19

Illustration

C.F.H. Henry

... toward God or toward what it regards as the highest authority. If I am in the habit of steadily facing toward God, my conscience will always introduce God's perfect law and indicate what I should do. The point is, will I obey? I have to make an effort to keep my conscience so sensitive that I walk without offense. I should be living in such perfect sympathy with God's Son that in every circumstance the spirit of my mind is renewed. The one thing that ...

4175. Evangelism: Three-Phase Youth Ministry

Drama

Ken Davis

... the crowd. The second phase: We told the audience about the person attempting to get the volunteer to accomplish the vital task. At this point we chose another person from the audience to add a new dimension. This person's goal was to, at all costs, keep the volunteer from doing the vital task. While the rest of the audience was to remain in their seats, these two people were allowed to stand next to the volunteer and shout their opposing messages. They could get as close as they wished; however, they were ...

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