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 4251 to 4275 of 4963 results

4251. Who?

Acts 5:27-32

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... Communist. In those days that word could destroy a person's reputation. But others thought the idea so good, and so obvious, they wondered why no one had thought of it earlier. Cows were quickly donated by the Indiana farmers. The first three were named Faith, Hope, and Charity. It took a while for the program to get off the ground, and the first cows actually went to Puerto Rico, rather than Europe where they were intended. But when World War II ended, West and the others began to wage peace. Animals were ...

4252. Jailhouse Rock

Acts 16:16-34

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... a moment, right now, close your eyes, and think about it. Think about what you saw. Just take a moment. Have you thought about it? Then turn to your neighbor and tell that neighbor where that spot was and what you saw. (pause for conversations) I hope you saw something worth seeing. Being high up can be a good thing, because we get a great perspective. Perspective is something you can learn from looking over a great distance, but perspective is also something you learn from looking out over a great deal of ...

4253. When Desire Goes Bad

1 Kings 21:1-21a

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... I'm in right now. Because I have a lot of friends and have a big family, too. I do not need a perfect life.1 We might hope that young Nathan, who sounds wise beyond his years, will continue to be that content all his life, but if he is like most of us, he ... Wanda's daughter would get the chance to become a cheerleader. Holloway plotted to have Verna Heath murdered by the hit man, hoping the death would upset Heath's daughter, Amber, so much that the girl wouldn't make the cheerleading team. That would improve ...

4254. Washing in Old Jordan

2 Kings 5:1-14

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... knew, he was planning to go to a faith healer. I can't blame him. It must be awful to suffer constantly — and to have little hope of healing. There are millions like him, people who have an ailment or an agony or an anxiety and are unable to find a cure for ... of what would be helpful but also in terms of what would be right? • Where else are deaths mourned but mourned in the hope of eternal life? Those of us for whom church attendance is a regular practice are doing a great thing for our lives. That's ...

4255. When Nothing More Can Be Done

Amos 8:1-12

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... I'd seen her in the hospital a couple of days earlier, she had not yet received the final report from the doctor, but she'd hoped that he'd have some new therapy or medicine to relieve her of her deepening weakness. So on the first day she was back home, ... from God, and while it was filled with judgment against the people for their sins, there was at least still an element of hope in it: If the people will repent and turn from their sins, disaster could be averted. The people have resisted Amos' call for ...

4256. Song of the Vineyard

Isaiah 5:1-7

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

... and all the singers who ever sang, none can compare with Christ. His divine love song was sung from the cross of Calvary and resounds in the triumph of the empty tomb. The melody still rings on the lips of those whose lives he has restored and it promises hope for our human destiny. There's within my heart a melody Jesus whispers sweet and low: Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still, in all of life's ebb and flow. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know, Fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I ...

4257. God's Eminent Domain

Jeremiah 18:1-11

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

... flood claims our earthly possessions, our community, even our lives. Our destiny is not within our grasp — and we hate that! Neither is our destiny at the peril of merciless forces or cruel fate or even the Supreme Court. Amidst the agony of their exile, Judah found hope within Jeremiah's words. The same potter who destroys the vessel with a flick of the wrist has the power to rebuild and reshape the demolished lump of clay into a new work of art. Amidst the grief and confusion of life's chaos, they were ...

4258. Thanks for Receiving Thanksgiving

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

... would have nothing. For those of you who garden, there should be a special attraction to these verses. There is great joy to those folks who wait patiently for spring and then till the soil and plant the seeds. You watch and water and weed and hope that these tiny seeds will become something special. If you are lucky, in a short while small shoots begin to break the surface of the soil and the anticipation of the harvest begins. There is great satisfaction in reaping that harvest and partaking of its bounty ...

4259. Good News about Faith

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

King Duncan

... .” (3) How sad to see people with every advantage whose journey is a barren waste. How sad to see people who have given up. Bartimaeus heard that a man was passing by who could possibly help him and Bartimaeus quite literally leaped at the opportunity. I hope that whatever your situation is today, you aren’t among those who have given up. Giving up is the antithesis of faith, and it is self-fulfilling. It was faith that caused Bartimaeus to seek help. And it was faith that caused Bartimaeus to speak up ...

4260. A Voice in the Wilderness

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’” John’s message was a word of warning, but ultimately it was a word of hope. Repent . . . our salvation is at hand. John’s task was to prepare the world for the coming of the Christ. Today we read his words with joy as we prepare our hearts for the Christmas season and all it means to our faith. John’s message was ...

4261. Family Matters

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

King Duncan

... approach. Be available and let them come to you. When they do, don’t smother them or cling too tightly. Let them have their moods and offer them understanding. The teen animal, says Ms. Lara, can be tamed with your unconditional love. (6) Good advice, though I hope our teens don’t mind being referred to as animals. Barbara Lohrbach says that her son David’s favorite color was black. His clothes were mainly black and he wore the big wide leg pants with lots of metal studs and all. He had the big chains ...

4262. Mary and Joseph: His Obedient Servants

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... of God’s love appearing in our world. Without the radiant beams of light shining into the darkness, there is little to be seen. I might just pass by these simple people and continue to walk in darkness. But everything changes with the light.” (Genessee Diary) Hopefully, that’s what will happen today. We want to focus the light on Mary and Joseph, two of the primary person in the Christmas drama, that we may not walk through this Holy season in the dark. Get a picture of these two in your mind. Mary ...

4263. Christmas: Before And After

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Lois Anne DeLong

... , we’re going to play a game of “what-if” to try to flesh out four small moments of Jesus’ unwritten life story. We hope it might give you a fresher perspective on the Christmas story, and why it’s a tale worth telling year after year. (Mary enters from ... on the Word of God even when it flew in the face of customs, other people’s judgments, even risking own their lives. We hope that this is the message you take away from here today. Let’s all listen for that little voice inside. It could be that ...

4264. Wait and Watch

Luke 21:25-36; Matt. 28:20

Illustration

Mark Trotter

... preschool. I suspect that is where he got he got that accent. But the words are universally Christian. There is a new covenant now, a new promise, since Christmas, that he will be with us, "Lo, I am with you always till the end of the age." That's our hope. There is a way of living with that hope. It is found in two words that are always associated with Advent: wait, and watch.

4265. Putting Ourselves into the Picture

Exodus 1:1-22

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... year – happy are those persons who so profit by their sorrow and their suffering that there will stir in their spirits a pilgrim heart and make them yearn for Canaan and not want to stay in Egypt anymore. And that leads us to the final word, which hopefully will enable us to put ourselves into the picture. In Pharaoh’s wisdom, which really was foolishness, it wasn’t enough that he oppressed the people, he came to the position where he felt that he had to stamp them out all together. So he instructed ...

4266. Leap Of Faith

John 8:12

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Well here we are. I hope you've anticipated this sermon as much as I have. Somebody asked me why I do this? Why do I use the commercials and comment ... to "let our light shine" so we can point it out the presence of God for them. And that takes a Leap of Faith. So, are you ready to see what I've come up with? I hope there weren't any wagers about which commercials I'm going to use. I. Temptation A. Dwayne Williams & Charles Barker - Temptation Jesus said we're called to live IN the world but not to be OF the ...

4267. A Stone’s Throw From: Heaven

Matthew 16:13-25

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... underworld, the abode of Hades, the god of the lower regions, and home to the disembodied spirits of the dead. I hope you see the significance of where the events of today's passage takes place. Here's Jesus, a carpenter turned itinerant ... a fragrant aroma for God. Like pie dough, if I push this illustration too far or stretch it too far, it will fall apart but I hope you get the idea that our Faith affects everything in life. That Faith Frees Us from the Fear that Freezes. Conclusion For Peter, it was his ...

4268. Altar Your Presence

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... in love and care to each other. We are called to do all in our power to increase each other's faith, confirm each other's hope, and perfect each other in love." We do that in part by being present for each other. I know a lot of people who say to ... vow to be part of a Herd, or family, who cares for and protects each other. Sometimes we don't do a very good job but our hope and our aim is that others will see the love of God as expressed in Christ in our lives. When that happens, within that family of ...

4269. Altar Your Service

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... out his hand, and the young man tightly wrapped his fingers around it, squeezing a message of encouragement. The nurse brought a chair to the bedside and, all through the night, the young man sat there, holding the old man's hand, and offering gentle words of hope. The dying man said nothing. As dawn approached, the patient died. The young man gently placed on the bed the lifeless hand he had been holding. Then he went to notify the nurse. The nurse began to offer words of sympathy to the young man, but he ...

4270. Altar Your Witness

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... the fuel for his fire, and now he burns very low. Carl is alone on purpose, imprisoned in his home and his memories. Into his life comes Russell, a young Wilderness Scout who is looking for love and acceptance from his father by getting as many badges as possible, in hopes that his father will notice, come to a ceremony and be proud. Russell comes to Carl with an offer of help. Over and over again he is rejected as he reaches out to Carl in his awkward 8 year old boy way. One of the greatest fears that we ...

4271. LOST? Finding Meaning

Genesis 1:1-5, John 1:1-5

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... nearly half an hour, she finally called out to them, "I don't want to bother you men, but will it be cheating if I tell you where the golf balls are?" (3) All around us, there are people searching for lost values, for real meaning in life, for purpose, hope direction and place of connection. There are people looking for peace and happiness, love and forgiveness. And we know where it's found. We can't be silent. We can't keep it to ourselves. You and I don't just have Good News to share with the world, we ...

4272. LOST? Looking For Peace

Matthew 18:21-22, Colossians 3:8-15, Hebrews 11:1

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... the Real Peace which God offers to each of us. And second, I think this Real Peace is based on what some would call "Holy Baloney." I think this Peace we're looking for begins with Faith. In Hebrews 11:1 Paul says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." A lot of normal people hear that and say, "That's a bunch of baloney." But for us, the abnormal people, Faith is what fuels our lives. And that Faith in God through Christ is what empowers our daily life so we ...

4273. Jonah: Run!

Jonah 3:1-10

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... to say "Yes!" to God, too. Just like Evan, Jonah heads the opposite direction God wants. He jumps onto a ship headed to Tarshish and hopes God won't notice. Well, God does notice and sets up a storm to trouble the boat. Now here's the odd thing. The sailors ... destroyed in 40 days." And then he left. He didn't even stick around to see what happened. Instead he went out to wait hoping he was going to get to watch a really good fireworks show. He was already to see Nineveh destroyed like Sodom and Gomorra. But ...

4274. Rahab: Seven Minutes To Midnight

Joshua 6:15-25

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... to which ancestral tribe they belonged. William Barclay says the reason the Jews were so interested in genealogy had to do with the whole religious sense of purity. Well, if that's the case then I'm sure there were a whole boatload of Jesus' ancestors who were hoping Rahab's Birth Certificate had expired. And because she WAS a part of the lineage, some of them were probably caught trying to chop down the family tree. Let's look at Rahab, this less then likely character from the book of Joshua and why she is ...

4275. The Character of Christmas; Wise Men: Seeking

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... the birth of Salvation and Grace. It's the story of our second chance. From my perspective it's the only way we can ever really make sense out of all the unanswered questions floating around in the world. This isn't some fairy tale. This is the thing we hoped for and wanted every day of our lives. We just didn't know it until we saw Him, heard Him and met Him. This is the promise of God, in the flesh. When the angels sang "Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth, goodwill towards all people ...

Showing results