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 4376 to 4400 of 4934 results

4376. Escaping a Tangled Web

1 Samuel 30:1-31, 1 Samuel 29:1-11

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

Big Idea: When his chosen servants find themselves in a precarious position, the Lord is able to deliver them by his providence and renew their faith through his guidance and protection. Understanding the Text In 1 Samuel 29 the focus shifts back to David as the story continues where chapter 27 left off. A chronological flashback comes in chapter 29. According to 28:4, the Philistine army was encamped at Shunem when Saul visited the medium in Endor. The next day the Philistines and the Israelites fight on ...

4377. “The Span of My Years Is as Nothing before You”

Psalm 39:1-13

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: Once the repressed thoughts about our transitory lives are verbalized, valuable lessons about our status as foreigners in this world can be learned. Understanding the Text Psalm 39 is an individual lament, perhaps prompted by sickness, as was Psalm 38, and the suppliant prays that God will remove his “scourge” (39:10) from him so that he not die. This psalm shares resemblances to Psalm 381and anticipates shared ideas with Psalms 40 and 41 (see tables 1 and 2). It also has striking similarities to ...

4378. “Human Help Is Worthless”

Psalm 60:1-12

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: When life’s defeats have no explanation, we must affirm victory by God’s help, for all human help, without God, is worthless. Understanding the Text Psalm 60, judging from the first-person plural pronouns (“us,” “our,” “we”), is a community lament, prayed by the congregation after Israel’s daunting defeat in battle, perhaps by the Edomites (60:8b). In the psalms of lament, the complaint can take one of three directions, or any combination: against God, against oneself, and against one’s enemies. ...

4379. The Last Supper

Luke 22:7-38

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

22:7–14 With the sinister conspiracy between Judas and the religious authorities in the background, Jesus and his disciples begin making preparations for the Passover meal. Luke notes that Jesus sent Peter and John (Mark 14:13 says only “two of his disciples”) into Jerusalem to meet a man carrying a jar of water (which was a task women usually performed), to whom they will convey the word of the Teacher. The owner of the house, the disciples are told, will show them a large upper room, all furnished. There ...

4380. At the Intersection of Heaven and Earth

Luke 3:1-6

Sermon

King Duncan

It is said to be a true story from the old West. It is about a group of Apaches who attacked a Cavalry unit and successfully captured the paymaster’s safe. They had never seen a safe before. But they knew it contained precious gold. They tried to open the safe but were unsuccessful. They beat it with tomahawks. They dragged it over the ground with their horses. They heated it on a fire. They tried to blast it with gunpowder. Finally, they dropped it off a cliff into a great ravine. In spite of their best ...

4381. Living Between the Times

John 17:20-26

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

On the church’s calendar, today is called the “Seventh Sunday of Easter.” Actually it is not a particularly familiar holy day. It is simply the Sunday that comes between the Ascension of our Lord and Pentecost, the birthday of Christ’s church. In other words, today is one of those “between the times Sunday.” It falls between Jesus leaving his followers by ascending into heaven and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Rather than rendering the day insignificant, I think that is what makes it stand out. Today is a ...

4382. How To Be Truly Happy

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

Is there anybody in this world who is truly happy? There was a Peanuts cartoon years ago in which Lucy asked Charlie Brown if he has ever known anybody who was really happy. Before she could finish her sentence, however, Snoopy the precocious beagle came dancing on tip-toe into the frame, his nose high in the air. He danced and bounced his way across two frames of the cartoon strip. Finally, in the last frame, Lucy finished her sentence, “Have you ever known anybody who was really happy and was still in ...

4383. Godstruck

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Props: Instead of the whale song suggested, you can use as your opening image a dandelion (aka “lion’s teeth” in spore stage), a horn (trumpet or actual shofar–which you can find on amazon for about $30), or a balloon (and some helium if you dare). You may also want to scroll some Hubbel space photos on the screen along with some cosmic music if you begin your sermon with “creation.” We are not the only creatures that sing. Has anyone heard the voice of an Orca whale? It sounds a lot like an erratic ...

4384. The Sign of the Servant

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Props: on screen images of the pictographs for shepherd’s staff, ox, and yoke (both together) What do you get when you cross a shepherd’s staff and an ox? A yoke, of course! At least, that’s what you get in Paleo-Hebrew, the pictographic forerunner of the Hebrew language and image-rich metaphorical roots of the Hebrew scriptures. [Put the symbols on screen if you can. Show people the symbols for staff and ox….together they mean "yoke."] So, a Yoke is something that "guides" and "harnesses" the ox –two oxen ...

4385. Rooted and Rebooted

Psalm 126:1-6, Luke 13:31-35, 2 Samuel 15:13-37

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Remember the Lord Your God.” (Deuteronomy 8:18) “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.” (Psalm 126:5-6) Prop: Olive branch with ripe fruit and if you dare a bowl of kalamata olives to pass out for people to hold and taste during the sermon I have here an olive branch, ripe with fruit. The olive is known for its rich oil and its luscious fruit. When you taste it, it leaves with you a ...

4386. Hold Me When I'm Angry

Joshua 5:1-12

Sermon

Carl Jech

The Shadow: Anger Introduction Why was All In the Family such a popular television program? I suspect it was because the "love-hate" relationships between Archie, Mike, Gloria and Edith helped us better to understand the ways in which our love is mixed with anger, our joys are mixed with pain, and our laughter is tinged with sadness and pathos. Even longsuffering Edith with her good-natured naivete could get angry. Who can forget the time when she tells Archie to "stiffle!"? Or the episode where Archie ...

4387. The Transformative Power of God

1 John 1:1--2:2

Sermon

Richard Gribble

The resident bishop at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, who was known to be a great evangelist, reaching out to cynics, unbelievers and scoffers, told the following story. It seems that years ago there was a young man who would daily stand outside the cathedral and shout terrible words and derogatory slogans against God, the church, and anyone who entered the cathedral. He would call these people fools and all sorts of other names. People tried to ignore the man, but it was rather difficult. One day ...

4388. Don't Fall

Luke 22:39-46

Sermon

Timothy W. Ayers

After New Year’s Day an office worker decided to go on a diet. She did fairly well for about a week then she started to think about her one guilty pleasure. It was a cream filled donut from a certain bakery she passed on the way to work. For years she had stopped there regularly to get coffee and a cream filled donut. Not every day but a few times a week. On this one particular morning as she was getting dressed she had a craving for one of the donuts but at the same time she wanted to be strong. And since ...

4389. Chosen and Appointed

John 15:9-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Jesus’ disciples were very different kinds of people. Very different. Let’s just say that the only thing that held them together was Jesus. Other than that, they would have been perpetually at odds and I suspect often were. Otherwise, Jesus would not have had to keep emphasizing the scripture we read today about loving each other! Peter, called “the rock” could be impulsive, forceful, impetuous, and sometimes belligerent. While Jesus would have valued these qualities, as he knew they would be important for ...

4390. Good News/Bad News

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

A doctor says to her patient, “I have some good news and some bad news. Which would you prefer to hear first? The patient says, “Tell me the good news first.” The doctor says, “All right, the good news is that YOU ARE NOT A HYPOCHONDRIAC.” Of course, the bad news is that you REALLY ARE SICK. A doctor takes his patient into the examination room and says, “George, I have some good news and some bad news.” George says, “Give me the good news.” The doctor says, “They’re going to name a disease after you.” AND ...

4391. Held In His Arms

Isaiah 51:17--52:12

Sermon

Paul W. Kummer

Years ago, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young son, shared a passion for collecting art. Together they traveled around the world, adding only the finest art treasures to their collection. Priceless works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, and many others adorned the walls of the family estate. The widowed elderly man looked on with satisfaction as his only child became an experienced art collector. The son's trained eye and sharp business mind caused his father to beam with pride as they ...

4392. Down A Garden Path

Genesis 2:4-25, Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

Gerald Whetstone

Imagine being set in a lush garden with all kinds of flowers, plants and trees. There are lemon trees, fig trees, olive trees, date palms, oranges and apples. Thhe Lord says, "You may freely eat of every tree in the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat." How hard could it be? All those trees, boughs lush with so many succulent and delicious choices. How could you get caught with your mouth full of the forbidden fruit! The subtle pressure of a smooth-talking snake ...

4393. Brothers

Luke 15:1-7

Drama

Pamela Urfer

Cast: Two brothers, Nathan and Joshua Length: 6 minutes (NATHAN is seated on his stool, looking dejected. JOSHUA enters and goes up to him.) NATHAN: (Jumping up) There you are, brother! I thought you'd never come. JOSHUA: (Taking his seat) It was hard to get away. There's so much going on this time of year. NATHAN: I know. And I really appreciate it. Tell me, how is our father? JOSHUA: As well as can be expected. He's getting old, you know. And life has been hard for him these last few years. NATHAN: I ...

4394. The Hope Of A Girl-- And The Hope Of The World

Isaiah 7:1-25

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

Years ago in a small European town a visitor noticed that on one of the streets when the citizens of the town walked by a certain wall they would nod and make the sign of the cross. As he stood there and watched he observed that they all did this. He became curious about the practice and began to ask around. But no one could tell him what it meant. Finally, he obtained permission to investigate the wall. He began to chip away layers of paint and dirt. He discovered underneath them a beautiful mural of Mary ...

4395. I Am The Good Shepherd

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Ronald Lavin

I am the good shepherd. -- John 10:11 (NRSV) These words of Jesus bring us into contact once again with the great I AM. Who is this good shepherd? The one who made heaven and earth, the one from whom we came and the one to whom we go. The Great I AM The situation seemed out of control. The woman was dying of cancer. She had nowhere else to turn. She had tried all the chemotherapy which had been prescribed. She had even traveled to Mexico for a new treatment that a friend had experienced. Nothing worked. ...

4396. Alone

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

George Paul Mocko

The central point of the text before us is contained in that phrase, "It is not good for the man to be alone." (Genesis 2:18) We all need solitude from time to time, to pull away, look at ourselves, ponder and evaluate. We need time to pray with a thorough honesty, to purge, to meditate; and then to find and re-establish and reground our roots and foundations. We all need that. We should take time for it. That is solitude; and it is good. But "alone" - that is something else. There are creatures created to ...

4397. It's A Small World After All

Mark 14:12-26

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

Lately Jude had spent more and more time with his head resting back against the wall, eyes closed, reliving the Galilee years. He had been counted in that select band of followers who moved with Jesus through the quiet country of the Galilee, and then moved with him into the turbulence of Jerusalem. Jude had always been a friendly type, and his friendship within the disciple band was wide and warm. Indeed, one of the nicknames he held was "the hearty one." He had traveled with Simon on some of his journeys ...

4398. Lent 3

1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Exodus 3:1-22, Psalm 126:1-6, Psalm 103:1-22, Luke 13:1-9

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The Third Sunday in Lent had the quality of "looking toward God" in trust, as the introit put it, "Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord" (Psalm 25:6, 2b, 22, 1, 2a), in the classic set of propers. The other readings and parts of the propers concentrated on the preparation of the catechumens for baptism at Easter; this Sunday was known as dominica exorcismi - exorcism Sunday - when the lectionary and the church year were beginning to develop. It also had the title of renunciation Sunday ( ...

4399. Maundy Thursday

John 13:1-17, Psalm 116:1-19, Exodus 12:1-30, 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, Mark 14:12-26, Jeremiah 30:1--31:40, Hebrews 10:19-39, Luke 22:7-38

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The title of this day, Maundy Thursday, would not apply to two or three of the churches observing this day, mainly because "Maundy" was connected to the footwashing ceremony that finds root in John 13:1-15; it would be appropriate for the Roman Catholic Church, which employs John 13 for all three years of the calendar and lectionary. Holy Thursday is more appropriate, if the gospels of Luke and Mark are read as the Gospel for the Day. The "foot-washing," which does not really occur in many ...

4400. Easter Sunday

John 20:1-9, Acts 10:23b-48, Isaiah 51:1-16, Exodus 15:1-21, Colossians 3:1-17, 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Luke 24:1-12

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The Resurrection of Our Lord, Easter Day, exposes the heart of the gospel and the church year, too. It was the resurrection of Jesus Christ that made the difference in the disciples and the early Christians, changing them into bold witnesses for the crucified and risen Lord; all of the disciples, according to tradition, with the exception of St. John, died as martyrs - witnesses - for Jesus Christ. When Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, told them that "men (would) revile and persecute you ...

Showing results