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 4551 to 4575 of 5000 results

4551. What's Your Hospitality Quotient?

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

King Duncan

A certain county agent had to go to a farm in his jurisdiction to talk with the farmer about a matter of county business. Walking up the dirt road leading to the farm, he encountered signs that read things like: “Trespassers will be shot,” “Beware of Dog,” “Keep Out . . . This Means You!” Finally arriving at the door, he was greeted by a smiling, congenial farmer. When the county agent was ready to leave, the farmer said to him, “Come and see me again sometime. I don’t get many visitors up this way.” Well ...

4552. Matthew 10:40-42

Matthew 10:1-42

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

These are the final words of instruction to disciples being sent out on mission, and not surprisingly Jesus’ last words strike a positive note. The dire warnings of future rejections, of dissension within families, the specter of carrying one’s own cross: all the negatives are left behind. Now Jesus holds up the prospect of being “received” or “welcomed” as they go out on their missionary journey, and the “rewards” that may arise from that welcome. The rabbinic principle Jesus articulates in v.40 is that ...

4553. The Thrill of Victory

2 Corinthians 2:14-15

Sermon

James Merritt

The three astronauts, Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise, were having a wonderful time watching planet earth become a sun-drenched white dot against the canopy of outer space, while the bright white moon was larger than they had ever seen it. Then, without warning, it happened. Lovell heard a small, but distinct, bang. Swigert felt an almost imperceptible shudder; then the master alarm began sounding in their ear phones. The pulse rate of all three astronauts shot up from 70 to 130. What they did not ...

4554. America in the Mirror

2 Kings 17:5-23

Sermon

James Merritt

Oftentimes the question is asked, "Is America in the Bible?" Well, the answer to that question is both no and yes. No, I do not find America directly in the Bible; I know of no Bible prophecy that can be directly traced to United States. But on the other hand, I do believe we see in the Bible a parallel to America. I see a nation, which in many ways, pictures the past, the path, and the problems of America. Israel was born supernaturally, and almost instantaneously. Like America, Israel was at one time the ...

4555. First-Class Christianity

Ephesians 5:18-21

Sermon

James Merritt

There was a cowboy who was going to take a stagecoach west. When he went up to the ticket agent, the agent said, "Do you want a first-class, second-class, or a third-class ticket?" The cowboy said, "All the seats are the same, why should I buy a first-class ticket?" The agent said, "You'll find out later on. I would advise you to buy a first-class ticket." The cowboy did. When they reached a muddy hill, the driver called out, "All second-class ticket holders get out and walk." He then said, "All third- ...

4556. God Is Pro-Life

Exodus 20:13

Sermon

James Merritt

I read in the paper last week a fascinating article by a woman named Naomi Wolfe. She is an unabashed, avowed, feminist. The title of the article was: "A call for truth." The byline of the article was: "Pro-choice advocates should defend abortion honestly, says a prominent feminist author." I want to share with you just a part of this article: At its best feminism defends its moral high ground by being simply faithful to the truth to women's real-life experiences. But to its own ethical and political ...

4557. The Sin of Robin Hood

Exodus 20:15

Sermon

James Merritt

There are many things you could say about the fictional character Robin Hood. He was handsome, dashing, romantic, courageous, compassionate, kind, and loyal. But, at bottom, he was a thief. Even though he robbed from the rich and gave to the poor, the end does not justify the means. Regardless of his motive, Robin Hood was both a robber and a hood who broke the eighth commandment "You shall not steal." America has become a nation full of Robin Hoods. USA Today magazine ran an article entitled, "How Honest ...

4558. The Truth about Truth

John 8:31-32

Sermon

James Merritt

I honestly don't believe that I will ever preach a more important sermon than this one. I hope after I introduce my topic, your ears will perk up, your back will straighten up, your eyes will light up, and you will focus your attention on me with laser-like intensity. Listen carefully to the next three statements: There are no absolutes. All truth is relative. You have no right to force your idea of right and wrong on anyone else. Currently, sixty-two percent of American adults believe these statements to ...

4559. Heaven: The Home of a Godly Family

John 14:1-6

Sermon

James Merritt

A Sunday School teacher asked the children in her class: "How many of you would like to go to heaven?" All of the children raised a hand except one little guy named Derrick. When the teacher asked him why he didn't want to go to heaven, he said, "I'm sorry Mrs. Smith, but my Mommy told me to come home right after church."1 Well, like that little boy, heaven is still a desire and a dream for most Americans. 77% of Americans believe in heaven, and 76% of Americans believe their chances of getting there are " ...

4560. How to Connect With God

1 John 5:14-15

Sermon

James Merritt

In a Newsweek cover story entitled, "Talking to God", a Gallup poll reported that 91% of women and 85% of men say they pray regularly. That includes 94% of blacks and 87% of whites; 57% of Americans say they pray at least once every day.1 This survey went on to say that 32% of the people who pray, report that praying gives them a deep sense of peace; 26% said they sense the actual presence of God in their prayers.2 All of that sounded encouraging until I read this final statistic: Only 15% regularly ...

4561. The Agony of Defeat

2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Kings 15:5

Sermon

James Merritt

He was elected on his first try as a United States Congressman. He was elected on his first try as a United States Senator. At 39, he became one of the youngest men elected as Vice President of the United States. He went on to be elected as President of the United States, and then re-elected in the third largest landslide in U. S. history. But that is not how you remember him. I can say just one word, and everyone now, and probably for centuries, will know instantly who is being spoken of. The word is ...

4562. Is Your Conscience Clear?

1 Timothy 1:18-19

Sermon

James Merritt

It may surprise you to know that every year the Federal Government receives hundreds of thousands of dollars, plus items ranging from wrenches to silverware, from citizens with a guilty conscience who have cheated on their income taxes. In 1811, the U. S. Treasury established what is known as a Conscience Fund when an anonymous individual mailed the government $5. Since that time, over $4 million has been received from guilt-ridden citizens with a guilty conscience, with donations ranging from a single ...

4563. A Deserter in God's Army

1 Timothy 4:9-10

Sermon

James Merritt

One of the most fascinating cities I have had the privilege of visiting is the City of Rome, Italy. If you ever go there, one of the main attractions in the very heart of the city is the ancient ruins of the Roman Coliseum. This was the place where chariot races were held, and where the Christians were fed to the lions. Right across the way from that coliseum, underground, dug out of rock, are the remains of what was called the Mammertine Prison. It was literally carved out of stone. There were no windows ...

4564. It's Not How You Start But How You Finish That Counts

Ephesians 4:1, 11-16

Sermon

James Merritt

The name Carl Lewis is synonymous with gold. In the 1984 Olympics he won four gold medals in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the long jump, and the 4X times X 100 meter relay. The only other person ever to do that in history was Jesse Owens in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. In 1988 Lewis won two more Olympic gold medals; in 1992 he won another two gold medals; in 1996 he won another gold medal, for a grand total of nine. In 1991 he set a new world record in the 100 meter dash, covering it in 9.86 seconds. Now, ...

4565. How To Get Better When You're Bitter

Exodus 15:22-27

Sermon

James Merritt

Something that has become a Christmas tradition for our family every year is going to see the play, A Christmas Carol, at an Atlanta theatre. It's one of those stories that I never get tired of seeing. As you know, the central figure is a bitter old man by the name of Ebenezer Scrooge. For much of the play Scrooge is a real downer. But at the end, Scrooge discovers the true meaning of Christmas, and with his heart totally changed, a man who once lived in the desert of bitterness, now swims in the river of ...

4566. The Danger of American Express

Exodus 20:17

Sermon

James Merritt

We have all heard that famous American Express slogan, "Don't leave home without it." The problem is, if some people don't leave home without it, they are going to be without a home. The 80s and 90s are when the "Jet set" became the "Debt set." The new slogan seemingly has become "Buy now, pay maybe." Now a days people can be divided into three classes: The Haves, The Have-Nots, and The Have-Not-Paid-for-What-They Haves In 1994 Americans whipped out their plastic to the tune of $701 billion.[i] Consumers ...

4567. Try a Little Kindness (Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness)

Galatians 5:22

Sermon

James Merritt

After Confederate General Robert E. Lee retired from the military, he was named President of Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, originally named Washington Academy because of a gift from George Washington. The name was changed in 1871 in honor of General Lee. While Lee was president of the University, a new student came into his office and asked for a copy of the school's rules and regulations. Lee looked at him and said, "Son, we don't have any rules and regulations in print." The young ...

4568. The Greatest Ability Is Dependability (Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness)

Galatians 5:22

Sermon

James Merritt

There are over two hundred geysers in Yellow Stone National Park. But there is one geyser that stands out from all the others. It is not the largest geyser, nor does it reach the greatest height. Yet it is by far the most popular geyser. Its popularity is due to one thing—its dependability. Because once every sixty-five minutes it shoots a stream of boiling water over 170 ft. into the air. You can practically set your clock by it. They call it "Old Faithful." There are many things in life that you could ...

4569. What Child Is This?

Isaiah 9:6-7

Sermon

James Merritt

A little girl came home from Sunday School as excited as her mother had ever seen her. She said, "Mommy! My teacher says I drew the most unusual Christmas picture she had ever seen!" Well, the mother took the picture from her daughter and looked at it for a moment, and was, to say the least, a bit puzzled. She said, "Honey, this is a beautiful picture, but all you have here are people riding in an airplane." She said, "What does it mean?" "Well," the little girl said, "It's the flight into Egypt." ...

4570. Dirty Dreams and Slick Schemers

Jude 1:8-11

Sermon

James Merritt

I'm sure all of us have had dreams that are extremely strange. I have found that dreams basically fall into three categories. Some dreams can be very delightful. The next time you ladies look at your sewing machine you might remember that it was the result of a dream. As Elias Howe was working on the development of the first sewing machine, he had one problem. He could not see in his mind where to locate the eye of the needle. He was running out of money and about to shut down his invention, when one night ...

4571. Glory Guaranteed

Jude 1:24-25

Sermon

James Merritt

Before Woodrow Wilson became President of the United States, he was President of Princeton University. One day he had to endure an hour-long interrogation by an anxious mother who wanted to be sure that Princeton was the best place to send her son. He patiently tried to answer every one of her questions, and assuage every one of her doubts, but finally, his patience came to an end. He held up his hand and looked at her and said, "Madam, we guarantee satisfaction, or you will get your son back."1 There is ...

4572. The One Habit of Highly Effective Christians

John 4:19-24

Sermon

James Merritt

I want you to listen to the following poem and see if you can guess its subject: I am your constant companion. I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden. I will push you onward or drag you down to failure. I am completely at your command. Half the things you do, you might just as well turn over to me, and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly. I am easily managed; you must merely be firm with me. Show me exactly how you want something done, and after a few lessons I will do it ...

4573. The Right Connection

John 15:1-8

Sermon

James Merritt

Larry Walters was a truck driver. But his lifelong dream was to fly. When he graduated from high school, he joined the Air Force hoping to become a pilot, but his poor eyesight disqualified him. When he finally left the service, he had to simply be contented with watching others fly fighter jets over his backyard. One day, sitting in his lawn chair, he dreamed about the magic of flying. Then one day Larry Walters got an idea. He went down to the local Army-Navy Surplus Store, and bought a tank of helium ...

4574. No Excuses

Luke 9:57-62

Sermon

James Merritt

If there is anything that is true about our society it is this: We have become an excuse-filled society. It used to be that to say, "Excuse me," was a gesture of courtesy. It is now a method of getting around personal responsibility. One of the most respected authors in America made this observation: Our culture has declared war on guilt…Perhaps the most prevalent means of escaping blame is by classifying every human failing as some kind of disease. Drunkards and drug addicts can check into clinics for ...

4575. Nothing Great Happens Without It

Luke 14: 25-35

Sermon

James Merritt

There's is an old fable about an Emperor who many years ago gathered together the wisest people in his kingdom and said, "I want you to assemble all of the great knowledge of our civilizations so that it will be available for future generations." They worked many years before returning with ten bound volumes. The Emperor glanced at the stack of books frowned and said, "Too long." The sages scurried back to work and did not return until they had edited the ten volumes down to one. However, when they handed ...

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