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 4986 results

4426. Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing

Luke 9:51-62

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

... in word and deed. John Wesley, the great founder of the Methodist church wrote in his diary: Sunday a.m. May 5 — Preached in St. Anne's. Was asked not to come back anymore. Sunday p.m. May 5 — Preached in St. John's. Deacons said get out and stay out. Sunday a.m. May 12 — Preached in St. Jude's. Can't go back there either. Sunday a.m. May 19 — Preached in St. Somebody Elses. Deacons called a special meeting and said I couldn't return. Sunday p.m. — Preached on street. Kicked off the street. Sunday ...

4427. Sister Act(s)

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

... the day?" "Martha, Martha, you are worried...." We are like that couple who had their home broken into. The husband heard a noise in the middle of the night. He went downstairs to investigate and found a burglar emptying the silver chest. He said to burglar, "Stay where you are. I want to get my wife. She has been expecting you for twenty years." We are anxious and troubled about not only our "silver chests" but about many things. Jesus speaks the word of grace: "One thing is needful. Only one. Mary has ...

4428. Finish What You Start

Luke 14:25-33

Sermon

... cafeteria where we worshiped was fancier than any cafeteria I'd ever eaten in. But we wanted our own place. Barely a day passed that someone didn't whisper at me, "If you build it they will come." "Perhaps," I often replied, "but will they stay?" So we put together a building committee, hired an architect, and launched our building program. We dreamed about how we would use our first building. We set priorities for the space and estimated the attendance in five and ten years. Then we put our architect to ...

4429. Where Would You Go to Meet Jesus?

Luke 15:1-10

Sermon

... splendid preaching series for the summer, but we don't spend enough time with them to see if this is what they are looking for or what they in fact need. They may be looking for Jesus only to have us offer them a potluck dinner. So they stay lost. Or, and I must say this, perhaps it is we ourselves who are lost. What would happen to our church if we focused on those outside these walls rather than on making sure that each of us received exactly what we wanted from the church? What would happen ...

4430. Ready Or Not, Here He Comes!

Luke 3:7-18

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... with a look of scarcely disguised disgust, then bellowed, "You area bunch of snakes!" Wow. That should get a congregation's attention. The crowd is equally amazing. After this phenomenal insult, they must know that it is downhill from here, but they stay. "Vipers ... the coming wrath ... repentance ... trees cut down and burned ... winnowing fork ...unquenchable fire" (Luke 3:7-17 cf). What was John trying to do? Scare the hell out of the people ... literally? Then there is the gospel writer's remarkable ...

4431. The News From Nazareth

Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... husband, Zechariah the priest, had been trying for years to have a child but to no avail, and in that society, childlessness was considered a curse ... unless, of course, you did not happen to be married, like Mary. "Welcome, cousin. Come in and make yourself at home. Stay aslong as you like. And what is the news from Nazareth?" We know her news. "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will ...

4432. The Trouble With Stables

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... the quicksand of grown-up reality, the day-to-day grind of a job that is just work, the dull pain that hangs on and on about which the doctors cannot seem to do anything, the emptiness of a home that is now just a house where people stay. The love is gone, the boredom that comes in retirement after a life of fulfilling activity sets in. Nothing dramatic, but then stables rarely are. The trouble with stables is not that they are dark and dirty and smelly — that is the nature of a stable. No, the trouble ...

4433. The Business Of The Church

Galatians 1:1-12

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... onerous; it could be actually liberating as it helped someone deal with life in a pagan environment where questions of morality could be overwhelming. The law was helpful in providing boundaries, just as a yellow line down the middle of a highway helps a driver stay in the correct lane. As to circumcision, even though painful surgery was involved, there was a certain sense of security in the ritual; after all, this was a tangible sign of membership in God's family. Beyond that, realizing that this was God's ...

4434. A Time To Laugh

John 20:19-31

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... , this statement in response to his companions' insistence that they had actually seen the Lord. And we modern disciples, with the benefit of 2,000 years of 20/20 hindsight, want Thomas to get it right, for a change. "You have seen the Lord? Wow! You mean he didn't stay dead? Wow again!" But, you know the story, Thomas's reaction this year is the same as last: "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it" (John 20:25 ...

4435. Year-Round Christmas

1 Kings 17:1-24

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... out with. We live in a society vastly richer than the one our grandparents inhabited. Even as our income has gone up, our spending has gone up even faster. As income has climbed, many people's giving to others has decreased; it may perhaps have stayed the same in dollars, but it has not kept pace with inflation. Recent studies regularly indicate that churchgoing Protestants in America give an average of 2.5% of their household income to the church. Now that may sound fine, as an average (although still not ...

4436. A Fool and His Money

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... his family and helping his friends the money just barely went far enough. One day the men got word that their father had died and the land that had been the family farm was to be divided between the two brothers equally. They both went to stay in their father's house while they tended to the various matters and arrangements of their father's affairs. After their father had been buried, surveyors came and marked the land to allow for equal distribution. One night the older brother was lying in his bed ...

4437. Dinner Guests

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... that. The people of Jesus' time were like people of every generation. They wanted to know, "What gives my life meaning?" The Pharisees answered by saying, "Our lives have meaning because God has a covenant with us. We are the chosen people of God. We stay faithful to God by the careful observance of the Hebrew law. When we keep the religious law, God is pleased with us and the world knows we are the chosen people of God." Jesus answered that "meaning" question in a different way. He understood the special ...

4438. The Most Dangerous Verse In the Bible

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... as one writer says it is the mother of all proof texts. As the bumper sticker has it, "The Bible says it; I believe it; that settles it." After all, this is God's word we are talking about. As to why I call this verse dangerous, stay tuned. Just what did God's breathing or inspiring entail? Some folks want to say that God dictated the words themselves. The authors of the various books were nothing more than recording secretaries who faithfully reproduced what they had been instructed to put down. That is ...

4439. Ascension

Psalm 47:1-9, Luke 24:44-53, Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... time in the temple giving thanks to God. People: They must not have had to work for a corporation! Or punch a time clock! Leader: In fact, times are very different but the image of Jesus returning to God is essential for our faith. People: He didn’t stay dead and buried! He returned to life and to God! Leader: In all of our texts for today, there is reference to Jesus’ return to the divine home. People: With Jesus absent, people looked forward to the coming of the Holy Spirit. We are thankful for the ...

4440. You're a Treasure!

Mark 7:24-30

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... .” That was the famous declaration made by the early Swedish film star and glamour girl Greta Garbo (1905-1990). But it was that declaration that jinxed her search for solitude. A vast cast of has-been, over-the-hill actors and actresses struggled to stay in focus but swiftly faded out of the limelight and into obscurity. But Garbo, by her very insistence on alone-time, was hounded by media hangers-on until her death in 1990. To get a picture of Greta Garbo remained a paparazzi “holy grail” throughout ...

4441. Ash Wednesday

Psalm 51:1-17, Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, Matthew 6:1-4, 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

Note: This service is an abbreviated order so that people who are taking time from work can stay within their allotted time off. Also, the whole service is somber, including the music, so it ought not be too long. Call To Worship (During Lent, count the Sundays with a candelabrum holding six purple candles and one white candle. For Ash Wednesday, light these candles during the Call To ...

4442. Lent 2

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18, Psalm 27:1-14, Luke 13:31-35, Philippians 3:17--4:1

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... . Amen. Sermon Idea A title/theme for Luke 9:28-36 might be Talking With the Past While Looking Ahead. Another idea to play with could be Mysterious Sky Lights; another might be Personal Auras. Apparently, Peter, James, and John found it boring to stay alert for history lessons and for esoteric conversations. Jesus asked his friends to be with him emotionally and mentally as he made a journey into the past for strength. They couldn’t do it. Some of us cannot accommodate our friends either; but like ...

4443. The Golf Shot That Destroyed an Airforce

Mark 9:42-50

Sermon

King Duncan

... and they went to work on these survivors right away. “I spent two hours in that boxcar; two hours that for me included every known emotion: rage, shame, pity, revulsion. Every negative emotion, I should say. They came in waves . . . all but the rage . . . it stayed, fueling our work. “After we had taken the few survivors to a 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 ...

4444. Potty Training

Humor Illustration

... with his left hand and hits himself on top of his head with his right hand. His mother says: "Billy, are you all right? You've been in here for a while." Billy says: "I'm fine, mommy. I just haven't gone potty yet." Mother says: "Ok, you can stay here a few more minutes, but, Billy, why are you hitting yourself on the head?" Billy says: "works for ketchup."

4445. 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

... Call To Confession Elijah moved among the Hebrews with words of judgment and words of healing. Like the widow in the 1 Kings story today, we have many concerns. Do we have enough food? Will our resources last as long as we live? Will our bodies and minds stay strong? At some point each of us will die but until that moment, let us live fully, doing what is pleasing to the Holy One and caring for one another. Pray the printed prayer with me. Community Confession Story Keeper — we are like the widows in the ...

4446. 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

... him and does not invade her boundaries by suggesting that she help Martha in the kitchen. That’s the way life is; it is comprised of satisfying events and of disappointing events. Jesus indicates how we can make it through the thick and the thin: stay in touch with the Holy Spirit, avoid allowing others to bash our boundaries, and spend time with companions who share our desire to be close to God. A title might be: Problems, Poetry, and Pregnancy, articulating how Jesus meets and affirms the heart’s ...

4447. What Does the Bible Really Say about Divorce?

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... of many families. A few of you remember the days of black and white television when television networks carried shows like “Father Knows Best” and “Ozzie and Harriet.” The norm for these programs was a family with a working husband and a wife who stayed at home lovingly devoted to her husband and her children. At least that was the image the media portrayed. Most families even then were not as idyllic as the sitcoms portrayed them. Nevertheless, we live in an altogether different world today a world ...

4448. Proper 13

Psalm 107:1-9, 43, Hosea 11:1-11, Luke 12:13-21, Colossians 3:1-11

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... ! Hurrah! Yippee! Hallelujah! Offertory Statement We know that Quohelet saw the world as unfulfilling and God as non-helpful, yet he continued to be active in his community. We too may be struggling to remain faithful to Jesus’ teachings, but we can stay engaged with each other, articulating our questions and learning to be tolerant of the ambiguities. We need this sanctuary, this place of holy quietness, to ask, listen, and respond to the Spirit. Give what you can to maintain this building, to minister ...

4449. Proper 18

Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18, Jeremiah 18:1-11, Luke 14:25-35, Philemon 1-21

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... of this Slowdown Season — you know us and this global village. You know what we think and why we behave as we do. Thank you for caring for us even when our minds are narrow and our hearts are hard and our prejudices stubborn. Thank you for staying with us wherever we go! In light and in darkness, we feel your watchfulness. During this hour, we diligently listen for your voice and intently pay attention to our inward responses. Amen. Call To Confession Our human inclination is to do what we want when we ...

4450. A Road Straight to Your Heart

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... training to deal with difficult customers; some stores now keep their top selling items off the shelves on Black Friday so people don’t fight over them. The secular world has almost taken over the celebration of Christ’s birth. 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 ...

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