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 4276 to 4300 of 4972 results

4276. Easter 2

Acts 4:32-37, 1 John 1:5--2:14, John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... , we may be presented with irrefutable evidence of the truth of the Gospel. In the name of the risen Christ we pray. Amen Prayer of Confession Almighty God, we confess our tendency to deny our honest doubts, and to cover them with denials and self-deceptions, which leave our faith shallow and uninformed. Forgive us, we pray. Teach us to use the inquiring minds that you gave us in pursuit of the truth, and help us to remain open to the kind of evidence that will satisfy us that your Word is real and alive ...

4277. Ascension Day

Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:36-49, Luke 24:50-53, Mark 16:1-20

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... we may also have a glimpse of your Kingdom and a taste of the ultimate bliss that you have promised. In the name of the ascended Christ we pray. Amen Prayer of Confession God of mercy, we confess how much we often long to be rid of this world, to leave it behind and ascend to a heavenly state of bliss. Forgive us our impatience. Impress upon us the commission of Christ. Remind us again and again that there is still work to be done on earth for your Kingdom in his name. Amen Second Lesson: Ephesians 1:15-23 ...

4278. Easter 7

Acts 1:12-26, 1 John 5:1-12, John 17:6-19

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... in ministry for the world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen Gospel: John 17:11b-19 Theme: The followers of Christ as consecrated foreigners Exegetical note This passage is a portion of Christ’s "high priestly," parting prayer for the disciples he is leaving behind. In it, "the world" is treated largely as a hostile environment, under Satan’s control, and Jesus’ followers as foreigners who, like their Master, are "in" but not "of" the world. At the same time, the prayer presupposes that these foreigners ...

4279. Proper 13

2 Samuel 12:1-31, Ephesians 4:1-16, John 6:25-59

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... : Human life is fragile and precious and so easily is lost! People: WE GRIEVE AT EVERY DEATH, FOR IN IT WE SEE OUR OWN MORTALITY AND THE LOSS OF LIFE THAT AWAITS US ALL. Leader: We grieve especially for the loss of loved ones, and for the emptiness their parting leaves in our lives. People: YET, IN MANY WAYS, LIFE GOES ON; AND BY GOD’S GRACE WE CAN SEE EVEN IN THE WAKE OF DEATH THE PROMISE OF LIFE. Collect God of life and love, whose Gospel in Christ Jesus is one of life over death, give us the wisdom ...

4280. Proper 15

2 Samuel 18:19--19:8, Ephesians 4:17--5:21, John 6:25-59

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... name of the Christ we pray. Amen Gospel: John 6:51-58 Theme: The living bread from above Exegetical Note This passage continues the "I am the bread" sayings of the preceding verses, but now in a more explicitly eucharistic, sacramental tone (leaving some interpreters to see the hand of a later redactor). The metaphorical image of Christ as bread is now extended to the eating of flesh which brings eternal life, a notion probably reflecting more the attitude and practice of later Christian communities than ...

4281. Proper 17

1 Kings 2:1-12, Mark 7:1-23, Ephesians 6:10-20

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... of the inheritance of power, prestige, or wealth that is surely involved. David’s parting concern is to pass along to his son a spiritual inheritance: faithfulness to God and the Law. That is the real source of power and the legacy that David most wishes to leave behind. Call to Worship Leader: Faith in God is a legacy: we received it from our forerunners and shall pass it to our successors. People: FAITH IS A TREASURE, THE MOST VALUABLE INHERITANCE THAT WE CAN GET OR GIVE. Leader: If we hand over to our ...

4282. Proper 18

Proverbs 2:1-22, Mark 7:31-37, James 1:19-27

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... is he, that we cannot wait to share with others even that which we do not completely comprehend. People: LET US WORSHIP THE MIGHTY GOD WHOSE POWERS IN CHRIST BEWILDER US EVEN AS THEY DELIVER US. Collect Almighty God, whose healing powers in Christ leave even his followers dumbfounded, deepen the level of our discipleship; that we shall be compelled from within to share with others the good news in Christ, however incredible it may sound. In his precious name we pray. Amen Prayer of Confession Most merciful ...

4283. Proper 25

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40, Hebrews 4:14-5:10, Mark 10:46-52

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... cares for the oppressed and frees them from their captivity! People: THANKS TO GOD, WHO RESTORES THE NEEDIEST OF THE NEEDY TO THEIR RIGHTFUL AND JUST PLACES! Leader: For ours is a God who cares for those in every sort of bondage, who never leaves them, and finally saves them. People: LET US THEREFORE WORSHIP THE GOD OF ISRAEL FOR THE DIVINE LIBERATION THAT IS OURS! Collect Liberating God, who freed the children of Israel from Egyptian and Babylonian captivity, help us to see clearly your restoration of all ...

4284. The Tragedy of the Unprepared Life

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

Brett Blair

... woman found her place in a lifeboat that was about to be lowered into the raging North Atlantic. She suddenly thought of something she needed, so she asked permission to return to her stateroom before they cast off. She was granted three minutes or they would leave without her. She ran across the deck that was already slanted at a dangerous angle. She raced through the gambling room with all the money that had rolled to one side, ankle deep. She came to her stateroom and quickly pushed a side her diamond ...

4285. Waiting With Anticipation

Isaiah 63:7--64:12

Sermon

David M. Oliver

... Advocate, not our adversary; God is for us, not against us; God's name is Emmanuel, which means "God is with us" (Matthew 1:23). Let us pray. Great and Gracious God, thank you for being with us. We praise you for the promise that you will never leave nor forsake us. You have chosen us. We are yours, forever. Guide us through this Advent season of waiting, that we may be formed and transformed by the birth of Jesus Christ. Prepare us to receive him into our hearts and lives afresh. We pray these things in ...

4286. Bell-Bottoms that Scared the Devil

Luke 6:37-38

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... do? Here’s how. Just forgive your friend or enemy for whatever he did to you and the devil will run away as fast as he can. He hates forgiveness even more than he hates bells. When you forgive someone for something that he has done to you, the devil leaves in a hurry. So here is the story. You have a choice. The next time you feel wrong or like the devil is hanging around, you can do one of two things. You can sew some bells on your clothes and see if that works, or you can do what ...

4287. People Are Different, People Are The Same

Drama

Marge Passamaneck

... gift. We’ll use it many times and will think of you each time we do. NARRATOR: When the boxes and wrapping paper were cleaned up, everyone played dreidle, a spinning top game. Tony won more raisins than anyone else. Then it was time for the twins to leave. SUSAN: We had a great time, David. Hanukkah is not only beautiful, but fun too. TONY: Thanks a lot. Don’t forget to come to our house next week. * * * * * * * * * * * NARRATOR: In a few days it was time for David to help trim the Jackson’s tree. The ...

4288. Thomas - The Hard Worker

John 11:16

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... strange land, a heathen priest threw the spear at Thomas and killed him. This priest thought if he killed Thomas the people would stop wanting to hear about Jesus. But he was wrong because Thomas had brought Jesus to the people forever and Jesus would never leave. Sometimes we forget all of the hard workers like Thomas and just remember the good thinkers and good talkers. But Thomas is one hard worker we will never forget for many reasons. He was loyal to Jesus, and willing to go wherever Jesus wanted him ...

4289. Christmas International

Drama

Dory Younger

... : Because winters are so long and cold in Denmark, children often feed the winter birds. At Christmas they hang strings of popcorn on their trees. When they take the tree out of the house after Christmas they plant it in a snowbank and leave the popcorn for the birds. (As NARRATOR continues [Danish child may not be finished] child in Polish costume enters from stage right, hangs cookies on tree and stands next to English child.) NARRATOR: In Poland children hang cookies on their Christmas trees. Often ...

4290. The Discipline of Witnessing

Isaiah 43:1-13

Sermon

Today we talk about witnessing, or "TELLING OTHERS ABOUT JESUS CHRIST." This is even more difficult for most of us. For, quite frankly, we Presbyterians don’t like to think about witnessing. We leave it to the Mormons, or the Jehovah Witnesses, or some of the fringe groups; we much prefer to do things "decently and in order." Somehow witnessing sounds too fanatic! Someone has characterized us as being parallel to those men who belong to the military reserve. We go to drills once ...

4291. The Miracle of Salvation

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

... I actually succeed in buying my way back into the old relationship it really isn’t the old relationship at all. Something is forever missing. Only you can make the movement to set things right. So, in our relationship with God, only God can restore things. Leaving aside, for a moment, the fact that God is eternal and absolute holiness and we are hardly on his level - even if we were our crude bargaining, our promises to live a more righteous and ethical life, our confessions of previous misdeeds are of no ...

4292. Wormy Apples Are a Waste

Luke 3:1-20

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... hunger. Has anyone here ever been sick because they had nothing to eat? (Let them answer.) I don’t think so, but there are boys and girls all over the world who do not have anything to eat. Can you imagine yourself being so hungry that you would eat tree leaves, sticks, and grass? Some children get so hungry they even eat dirt and sand. That sounds awful, but it is true. I want to talk to you about what we can do to help people like this so they will not be hungry. Today I want to show you something ...

4293. LORD, I BELIEVE

John 9:35-41

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

... a boy with a peashooter facing a fanfare of machine guns." I would like to add another class, the dead church members. In a small Kentucky church not long ago, the pastor on Sunday morning made a rather unusual announcement. He was just about to leave for another parish, perhaps because he was in the habit of making rather unusual announcements. He said, "On Monday, we will hold the Funeral Services here at the church for Jacob Wellman. What makes this Service interesting is that Mr. Wellman will be present ...

4294. The Good News of the Cross

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

... that scene in which God looks down upon the earth, with His hands clasped behind His back, and He is torn between His justice and His mercy, between His anger and His love, between His vengeance and His compassion; one moment determining to be through with man, leaving him to his own devices, and the next wanting to lift man up in His arms and hold him to His heart. How does God feel? Of course, that goes back to the deeper question, "What is God like?" Studdert-Kennedy, the famous Chaplain for the British ...

4295. THE MARRIAGE GAP

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

William McKee Aber

... GAP IN MARRIAGE (AND ALL OTHER RELATIONSHIPS) IS THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE OTHER PERSON AS A PERSON. The marriage ceremony - like the used-car lots - implies the acceptance of the other person as is. One minister used to say in his pre-marital counseling, "Take him or leave him, but don’t take him conditionally!" To take a partner as a person, you take her as a member of the opposite sex, and there is a difference between sexes! Perhaps not as many as we sometimes assume: men do cry, and women can be strong ...

4296. THE NEIGHBORHOOD GAP

Sermon

William McKee Aber

... . It is things that cause the neighborhood problems - gardens, fences, property lines, and the like. But aren’t things really only means of calling attention to ourselves? So listen ... and realize what your neighbor is saying when he drives up in his new car and makes a point of leaving it out in his driveway for you to see. At least a part of it is, "I want you to be impressed; I want you to think I’m important; I want you to care about me." That his methodology is wrong is beside the point - just as ...

4297. Who Needs a Shepherd These Days?

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Charles L. Koester

... beast when left to itself. It cannot find green pasture by itself; it must be led there. It cannot scent water, and therefore must be led to it. A sheep strays all over the place. And contrary to the nursery rhyme of "Little Bo-Peep" which confides and asserts, "Leave them alone and they’ll come home, wagging their tails behind them," it is not so. A sheep can’t find the way back home by itself. Nor is a sheep prepared to defend itself. It is an easy prey for an attacking pack of other animals such as ...

4298. He Ought to Stick Out!

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon

Charles L. Koester

... ," is his message. "I will live inside you, in spirit, to show you how it’s done." And our life becomes a merger with the very life of God. The unknown God becomes our knowable Father. I made a call on Lillian in a nursing home the other day. Upon leaving, I gave her a kiss. She giggled and said, "Oh, pastor, you make me feel like a young girl again!" Her roommate laughed, too, but with a tear in her eye queried, "How about me? Nobody gives me kisses anymore." And so I did. I couldn’t help but think ...

4299. Zechariah

Drama

Charles L. Koester

... called John." It startled me! For she knew! She knew! I did not tell her. An argument arose, "None of your relatives is called John," they said to Elizabeth. Finally they beckoned to me. I took a writing tablet and wrote: "His name is John." [Zechariah leaves the pulpit, continuing his monologul as he exits toward the rear of the church.] Suddenly, at that moment, I regained my power of speech. I could speak again, praise God! And I began to prophesy in esthetic joy. I cannot remember all I said, but they ...

4300. Simeon

Drama

Charles L. Koester

... , but of all humanity. Because of Him I could now depart from this life in peace. Because of Him every person down through the ages, to you and to your age, and for ages to come, can also depart from this life in peace. [Simeon continues his monologue, leaving the pulpit, exiting toward the rear of the church.] God has given to us His gift of peace, Jesus the Christ. God gives to you the fullness of all life in His Son. Because we believe and have faith in Him, we dare to look confidently to a peaceful ...

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