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 4426 to 4450 of 4957 results

4426. The Most Dangerous Verse In the Bible

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... who faithfully reproduced what they had been instructed to put down. That is the position Muslims take regarding the Qu'ran, and that is why they insist that it be studied in Arabic, because translations cannot accurately render the original exactly. Those who claim that this is the way we got our Bible will add that it is only exact in what are called the original "autographs." Subsequent copies and translations are possibly slightly flawed. Another way of explaining God's breathing is to say that, rather ...

4427. A Religion That Shows

Haggai 1:15, 2:9

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... nation had gotten the necessary finances together to get the job underway. Granted, it took four years to get the temple finished, but they did get it finished, and that is what Haggai had told them to do. I wonder what Haggai would have to say today to those who claim God as their Lord. Perhaps there would be a strange sense of deja vu. Oh, not that he would come back and see God's house in ruins (although there are some that don't look like much more than that). What he would see is a great collection of ...

4428. The Incomparable Christ

Colossians 1:15-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... who would be specially anointed to carry out God's plan for Israel. The Christ would be great David's even greater son, and a new day would dawn with his appearing. John had been excited at the arrival of Jesus. Jesus asked for baptism, but John was reluctant, claiming to be unworthy even to lose the thongs of Jesus' sandals. But Jesus persisted, John relented, and at the special moment saw the Spirit of God descend as a dove and heard a voice from heaven saying, "You are my Son, whom I love, with you I am ...

4429. Easter 7

Psalm 97:1-12, John 17:20-26, Acts 16:16-34, Revelation 22:12-14

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... for this place, and these companions. Our minds are wide open, expecting you to challenge us, to affirm us, and to give us peace. Amen. Call To Confession Our words and our behaviors declare the beliefs that motivate us. What do you believe about God’s claim on your life? How do you perceive the Holy empowering you? Here are a few minutes to consider the baggage that weighs you down and impedes your inner peace as well as your participation in society. Pray the printed prayer with me and then make your ...

4430. Epiphany 2

Psalm 36:5-10, Isaiah 62:1-5, John 2:1-11, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... year’s errors. Let us exhibit your presence wherever we are. Amen. Sermon Idea In the Isaiah text, we can recognize our roots in Judaism. We have prayed for Jerusalem — Jerusalem as an image of a perfect community and as a contemporary city claimed by Jews, Muslims, and Christians. We are still praying for peace as did the prophets before Jesus himself grieved over its divisions. We can anticipate Passover as we look at the psalm and prophet; the sermon could consider the images of scriptures — Psalm ...

4431. Epiphany 3

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10, Psalm 19:1-14, Luke 4:14-21, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

Call To Worship Leader: Welcome! Together we’ll explore ancient stories about a public reading, the awesomeness of Creation, satisfying life together, and we will claim our God-given abilities. People: We’ve come to thank God for the Holy Spirit, for the wonders of nature, and for the gifts given to humankind. And we’ve come to ask for help in the rough, dark spots of our journey. Leader: Then let our conversations and our ...

4432. Epiphany 8

Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15, Isaiah 55:10-13, Luke 6:39-49, 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... say the atheists) is not the source of moral and ethical, wise and practical information. Contemporary Affirmation Words are important as we speak about God; they reveal the attitudes we hold about faith and about life. Action is important when we claim to be disciples of Jesus; our words and our behaviors must match and demonstrate compassion. Hospitality is important when we invite people to consider following the teachings of Jesus. Neighborliness is a requirement according to the stories Jesus tells. In ...

4433. The Golf Shot That Destroyed an Airforce

Mark 9:42-50

Sermon

King Duncan

... makeshift clinic, we turned our attention to the Nazis: the SS officers in charge of Dachau. Our captain asked for a volunteer to escort a group of a dozen SS officers to the interrogation center, and a guy named Chuck . . . his hand shot right up. Chuck claimed to have worked for Al Capone before the war, and not one of us doubted it. “Well, Chuck grabbed his machine gun and prodded the group of SS prisoners down the trail. They walked ahead of him with their hands locked behind their heads, their elbows ...

4434. Proper 5

1 Kings 17:8-24, Psalm 30:1-12; 146:1-10, Luke 7:11-17, Galatians 1:11-24

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... . It is an awesome experience to have “walked with the Spirit” and then have no one believe “your truth.” Ask any schizophrenic who has not taken his/her medication. What about the fundamentalist in every religion who perceives God speaking, often claiming personal advantage/reward at the expense of others? Reputation is as important to the apostle as it is to any congregation/individual today; it is part of our identities and must be guarded from theft and defilement. In a culture where it ...

4435. Proper 7

1 Kings 19:1-15a, Psalm 42 and 43, Isaiah 65:1-9, Luke 8:26-39, Galatians 3:23-29

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... to be free. Pray with me the printed prayer and then have your personal conversation with the Holy One. Community Confession God of Jesus and Us — there is insistent clamoring inside our heads and outside our ears: calls to be loyal to this and that, claims for energy from drugs and herbs, promises of satisfaction with certain merchandise. But what we really need and want is freedom from external goods so that we have room for your Spirit. Send away the rogues and set before us, again, the path toward ...

4436. Proper 11

Genesis 18:1-10a, Psalm 15:1-5; 52:1-9, Amos 8:1-12, Luke 10:38-42, Colossians 1:15-28

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... give us strength to take the next steps. God of Work and Play — like Mary, we want to listen for your affirmation; like Martha, help us hospitably welcome guests. Like Jesus, let us not be judgmental or bossy. Like Paul, let our goals honor your claim on our lives. God of the Free and the Oppressed — we pray for peace and food for children and adults in every tribe. Come to politicians raining on them wisdom and compassion, compelling them to share their wealth with people whose blessings are minimal ...

4437. The Truth about Warren Buffet's Secretary

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

King Duncan

... years ago by the amounts cited. The author was an unknown agent from the I.R.S. It’s whimsical, but it will make you think. I quote this I.R.S agent: The other day I checked a [strange tax] return. Some guy with an income under $5,000 claimed he gave $624 to some church. Sure, he was within the 20% limit, but it looked mighty suspicious to me. So I dropped in on the guy and asked him about his return. I thought he’d become nervous like most of them do, but not this guy. “Have you ...

4438. A Road Straight to Your Heart

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... . It is difficult for us to stay focused on the real meaning of Christmas. I’m glad you’re in worship this morning. This is a time for you to take a deep breath and relax. Tune out all the responsibilities, all the busyness, all the claims on your time and attention of this hectic season and listen to the voice of God. Are you prepared internally to properly celebrate the birth of the Messiah into our world? Preparation is the key to success in almost every endeavor. You wouldn’t invite friends to ...

4439. Proper 27

Job 19:23-27a, Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21, Haggai 1:15b–2:9, Luke 20:27-40, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... better tomorrows and restful nights. People: The year is coming to an end. Another calendar will lead us to Epiphany, Lent, and Easter. Leader: Each week we come here to recall where we’ve been and who we are; each Sunday we rest from the culture’s claims on our time; our bodies and our brains have a chance to be refreshed. People: Each Sunday, we make time to refresh our souls with music, conversation, and prayers; we listen for God’s voice and we yearn to be enfolded in Great Mystery. Leader: Today ...

4440. Mark 10:35-45

Mark 10:35-45

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... is completely omitted from the request the brothers make to Jesus — not to mention all the other disciples. The “sons of Zebedee” appear to be attempting a post-kingdom “coup,” cutting off all the other disciples, most notably their compatriot Peter, from claiming any special seats in the world-to-come. Since Mark’s gospel only rarely invokes the names of individual speakers, and in this case the connection is so negative, the Petrine source of this scandalous request is hardly far-fetched. Even ...

4441. Christ the King

Psalm 46:1-11, Jeremiah 23:1-6, Luke 1:68-79; 23:33-43, Colossians 1:11-20

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... Heal us; relieve our distress and free us from dis-ease. Give us strength for each day and rest for each night. God of Jesus and Mary — expand your Spirit in us. We give you our loyalty as did Jesus and Mary. Order our priorities to manifest your claim on our living. Empower us with Sermon on the Mount Ethics and Kingdom Decision-making. Help us live “forgive as we are forgiven” and “love others as we love ourselves.” Let it be so! Amen. Benediction You are a child of God! A “chip off the divine ...

4442. Hebrews 7:23-28

Hebrews 7:11-28

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... . Jesus has no need to offer sacrifices on a daily basis to expiate his own sins or shortcomings. Why? Because he is, by definition, “holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.” No Levitical priest could ever make such claims. Only Jesus, who was “sworn in” to the priesthood by a promise from God — “the Lord has sworn . . . you are a priest forever,” (v.21) can stand before the Lord in such an exalted state. The division between what has been and ...

4443. From Self-Help to God-Trust

Hebrews 7:11-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

4444. Showing Faith

Mark 10:46-52

Illustration

James W. Robinson

... turned anyone away. Rich and poor were alike to him, it was said. He had restored hearing to the deaf, speech to the dumb, health to lepers and the lame, and - to Bartimaeus - most wonderful of all, sight to the blind. Some of Bartimaeus' most generous givers claimed to have been cured by the man. It all had the ring of truth. Would Bartimaeus have made more than a feeble effort to reach the Master if he had not been certain that his sources of information were trustworthy? They added substance to his hope ...

4445. Finding Redemption in the Midst of Judgment

Malachi 2:17--3:5

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... as a holy day and to bring their tithes and offerings faithfully to the temple of God. True to human nature, once Nehemiah returned as he had promised King Artaxerxes in 433 BC, the people fell back into their sinful lifestyles. They claimed pessimism and discouragement was their excuse to sin! Their discouragement centered on several issues. * Their glorious future announced by their prophets hadn’t come to fruition (Malachi 3:1). * Their God hadn’t come to his temple in all his majesty and glory ...

4446. Ambassadors of The Lord

Ephesians 3:1-13

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... to the place called Golgotha, just outside the walls of the city, to see two robbers and a man named Jesus of Nazareth, who are being crucified on crosses. The man Jesus calls himself the Son of God, and Pontius Pilate has sent him to be crucified because he claims to be the king of the Jews." Artaban knew instinctively that this is the king he had been searching for his whole life. Thus, he rushed to the scene. On the way he encountered a young girl being sold into slavery. She saw his royal robes and fell ...

4447. Raised to New Life Today

1 Corinthians 15:12-20

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... know how to respond. Thus, he told Jesus, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" But Jesus told him that in the future he would be fishing for men (Luke 5:1-11). Saint Paul as well was given a second chance. Indeed, he claimed that he should never be called an apostle as he had been so fervent and zealous in his earlier persecution of Christians (1 Corinthians 15:9-10). Yet, God transformed him into the most famous evangelist and missionary of all time. Paul's efforts transformed Christianity from ...

4448. Cracking the Code

Revelation 1:4-8

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... the realm of the eternal, he actually is redirecting our attention to a different place. He directs our attention to Jesus, to his life, death, and resurrection that took place here, in this world, in this time and space, down-on-the-ground. John claims that the worldly suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus was more than what it appeared to be. It was more than just another execution of another criminal by the brutally efficient Roman empire. It was a first-floor event with second-floor consequences ...

4449. God as a Consuming Fire

Hebrews 12:18-29

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... have come home from Sunday school or vacation Bible school in tears and trembling because some misguided adult had tried to frighten them into faith with horrifying images of the punishment that awaited them after death. The adults behind such fear-mongering often claim that they have to do this in order for the children to understand. Such tactics might get a quick walk down the aisle, but the damage shows up later. Some people in their seventies, eighties, and even nineties were introduced to the faith ...

4450. The Unchanging Christ in a Changing World

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... and imagine ourselves in their shoes. The author of Hebrews could never have known how relevant his next message might be to American Christians in the twenty-first century. He tells us to minister to those who have been tortured. How can our country, which has claimed such a legacy of Christian influence, have allowed itself to get caught in the web of torture? What Hebrews calls us to is so necessary for us, in case we ever are tempted again. He says that we should see ourselves in those being tortured ...

Showing results