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 4701 to 4725 of 4972 results

4701. Our Task: Acceptance and Challenge

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

Gary L. Carver

... to be formed at the deepest level of consciousness. The way a tiny infant is held and spoken to and cared for in those earliest days is tremendously important, but the process continues in one form or another all during our life journey. We never really stop asking the primal questions, such as: What is the world like? Is it well that I be here? And this underlines the importance of the relational feedback that we get from others. I agree with Myron Madden — nothing is more creative to the formation of a ...

4702. The Bible: Head and Heart

Luke 4:21-30

Sermon

Gary L. Carver

... , volunteered his time to work with young Ruby. Every day he would talk with her, trying to help her weather the crisis. On the news one night, he noticed her walking up the sidewalk and the people were screaming and throwing things, but suddenly she stopped and said something and started backing down the sidewalk. Then the marshals picked her up and took her into the building. That night, Cole asked her what she said to the marshals. She said, "I was not talking to the marshals." He said, "Yes, you ...

4703. Building a Victorious Life

Luke 6:39-49

Sermon

Gary L. Carver

... that he brought beautiful harmony into the world. What are you going to do when your house is beaten by the storms and the wind and the rain? In 1981, my family and I went to the Southern Baptist Convention in Los Angeles. On the way out, we stopped to see that wonderful wonder of the present world, the Hoover Dam. We learned of its construction. For 23 months, they poured concrete day and night into a base 660 feet thick into the solid granite wall of Black Canyon. This is what is called an arch gravity ...

4704. Testing Time

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... fun times! The sooner such episodes go on their way, we are greatly relieved. As we attempt to survey the ages of church history, aren't we strengthened to know there are many similar experiences? It is our common lot but let us not be content to stop there. It is not only Christians who face these times, all of humanity finds it omnipresent. That is the way it is! Before we begin on a non-productive negative binge, let's recount the times our testing has led to blessings untold. Our Lord has not abandoned ...

4705. No Intimidation

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... would not be run over by the political boss in the area. You can be sure Herod Antipas sought only to hurt, compromise, or kill him. How refreshing and brave for our hero to stand up to him, indicating he was on a mission and no one was going to stop him. Our Lord was meek and mild in some ways but never one to back away from his mission, which meant the horrors of the cross. He is the standard whereby you and I are measured. Are we willing to die for others, especially those we don't even know ...

4706. Fish and Sheep

John 21:15-25, John 21:1-14

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... every life we touch. We walk by faith but, like Saint Peter, we are given a glimpse now and then. Those precious moments are signposts, making our pilgrimages somewhat easier. Our faith, how gloriously precious and indispensable to our well being it is! Stop tending to feel sorry for Peter and celebrate his life and death. His imperfections and betrayals were but stepping-stones for someone who, by the grace of God, finally grew up in Christ. Simon Peter is the star "attraction." He is pictured again ...

4707. Call to Oneness

John 17:20-26

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... me. The ministry of ecumenism — perhaps like no other — shows us this. Just when we are ready to throw in the towel, we discover a new and unlikely dialogue is about to take place. Our Father has not forsaken his boys and girls! Our Savior and Lord has not stopped lovingly to be one, as he and the Father are one. The unity of Christ's people, so the world might believe, as an imperative, does not go away. We can avoid, evade, and reject but it absolutely refuses to go away. We are called to be patient ...

4708. What Outsiders Can Teach Us

Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

David R. Cartwright

... healed a hurting boy, a boy who was not even a Jew, not even a Roman, but a slave, a nobody, but in Jesus' eyes, he was a boy who just happened to be a somebody. He was a fellow human being in need of help. The moment the church stops acting like a club for the like-minded, and begins treating nonmembers the same as members, that's the day the church will really become an outpost for the kingdom of God. And when the church begins to act like this, those outside might just want to come inside.

4709. Family Ties and Good-byes

Luke 12:49-56

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... example, Carol had a low self-image and an inferiority complex. She was sure no man would ever propose marriage to her, but when Harry did, she jumped at the proposal and said, "Yes," immediately. She dedicated herself to making Harry happy. He didn't pray, so she stopped. He didn't go to church, so she didn't go, either. Carol had gone to church as a child and loved it, but her children seldom attended because Harry said that churches were just after your money and were worthless. She had been raised as a ...

4710. Cured Cripples and Crabby Critics

Luke 13:10-17

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... thirty minutes. Then in the midst of their tears, he thought of something. "There's another question," he said. "No one can answer the question about why this happened, but the Bible gives us an answer to the question, ‘Where was God when this happened?' " Joanne stopped crying for a moment and asked, "Where was he?" "He was with Amy," the pastor said. "And he's with you now. God is always with those who suffer. That's why we call Jesus the suffering servant. What Amy went through, God went through first ...

4711. Only the Lost and the Least

Luke 15:1-10

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... their monetary value to a poor family, these coins held sentimental value like that of a wedding ring. A man was playing on his church's baseball team when, suddenly, he looked and saw that his ring finger was bare. He had lost his wedding ring. The game stopped. An extensive search was made, but the ring couldn't be found. When he got home that night and told his wife, she was terribly upset. "How could you have lost that ring?" she said bitterly. "How could you? That ring was one of our most precious ...

4712. Gratitude: A State of Mind

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

... house he began to notice his skin losing that scaly, white appearance. Or maybe they passed people who would ordinarily have turned away in disgust, but now they did not. I really don't know how he came to the conclusion, but when he saw that he was healed he stopped going in one direction, turned around, and began moving in a new direction. He began a new journey of faith and it led him back to Jesus Christ. He had reason to praise God. They all had reason to praise God, but only one saw it. In a little ...

4713. Triumphing over Obstacles

2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... God. We should not fear, however, for as Jesus says when the situation is most problematic, we will be given the words we need (Luke 21:14-15). Lent is the perfect time to renew our prayer lives, remove obstacles that hinder our progress, and stop making excuses for our failures to grow. The basic necessity of prayer is followed by the related ideas of fasting and almsgiving. Members of many Christian traditions choose to give up something, such as a food or drink item, or refrain from some pleasurable ...

4714. Carrying the Burdens of Others

Philippians 2:5-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... before nightfall. As they crossed a narrow path above a steep cliff, a cry for help was heard. Deep down in the ravine a man had fallen and was severely injured. His leg was broken and, therefore, he could not walk. The monk warned Sundar, "Do not stop. God has brought this man to his fate. He must work it out by himself. That is the tradition. Let us hurry on and continue our journey before we perish." But Sundar replied, "It is my newfound tradition that God has brought me here to help my brother ...

4715. Jesus, The Light of the World

Revelation 21:10, 21:22-22:5

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... the darkness so common in our contemporary society. In today's lesson, John speaks of Jesus as the center, the temple of the New Jerusalem. Jesus' return in glory will be obvious for he will be seen as the central figure of the new creation, but John does not stop there. Not only is Jesus the center, the temple, he is also the light of the city. No more will there be a need for sun or moon, for Jesus will provide all the light one could need. The light provides a sense of security, warmth, and welcome ...

4716. Jesus Rewards the Just

Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... up." Well, lots of other plants and insects talked to the boy, trying to cheer him up. They explained that dying and living was part of their existence. The boy did not think that all the conversations helped at all, but maybe they did, as he could not stop thinking about what he heard. Nevertheless, he remained frightened. Then one summer, the little boy began to fail faster and faster, and one day he was so tired that he could not hold his head up any longer. Thus, he laid down on his bed and he looked ...

4717. The Difference between Knowing and Doing

Galatians 2:15-21

Sermon

John Jamison

... . Except for a couple of those laws about food. Some of those probably ought to stay. You know, some of those that tell us which foods are clean and okay to eat, and which ones we should stay away from. I'm sure Jesus didn't mean for us to stop following those laws. Actually, those were some of the laws that really set us apart from all those other folks. They would eat anything. So the laws about what food we can and cannot eat stay. But all the rest of them are finished. Except of course, for the law ...

4718. Be Real

Colossians 1:3-8

Sermon

John Jamison

... some God that existed in Babylon, and is written up in the old stories. He is not asking us to follow some God that the Greeks admire, or a God who once did some amazing things for a bunch of people who sacrifice the right stuff. Paul simply stopped by the house, and wrote to us in some letters, to tell us what God had done in his life. It's that original source thing. Others can speak from tradition and stories and hopes, while Paul speaks to us from his own personal experience. And there were enough ...

4719. Unlocking the Power of God

Hebrews 11:29 – 12:2

Sermon

Clayton A. Lord

... Marvin Pipken believed that you really could frost a light bulb with some kind of solution that would reduce the glare. Everyone else laughed at the idea. For years it was the running gag pulled on new engineers who joined General Electric. When Marvin came along, they all stopped laughing because he believed he could do it. As a result, he managed to create a process to use an etching acid on the inside of the glass and today we are indebted to him. You see, faith is a powerful thing in its own right. When ...

4720. God Is Rock Solid

Hebrews 12:18-29

Sermon

Clayton A. Lord

... of Jesus Christ as Lord. Whenever we gather together, the church cannot be shaken. It is the most powerful force on earth, for it is the body of Christ. It is the hands and feet, ears and eyes, heart and soul, of our Lord. Truly nothing can stop him when he goes to work. The true church, made up of those who have given their lives to Jesus, cannot and will not be turned upside down. It is secure, permanent, and abiding. That is why the church survived the persecution in Rome, the Protestant Reformation ...

4721. The Cost of a Priceless Gift

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Sermon

Clayton A. Lord

... She knew how to live a life pleasing to God. Catherine Lawes was a young woman with three small children when her husband became the warden. Everybody warned her from the beginning that she should never set foot inside the prison walls, but that didn't stop Catherine! When the first prison basketball game was held, she went ... walking into the gym with her three beautiful children, she sat in the stands with the inmates. Her attitude was: "My husband and I are going to take care of these men and I believe ...

4722. The Promise that Won’t Be Broken

2 Timothy 1:1-14

Sermon

Clayton A. Lord

... the world is looking for as it strives to find joy and happiness. These treasures are what will make a teenager sit up and smile. These are the gifts that God offers and we are called to share with the world. These are the promises that cannot be broken or stopped as long as there are witnesses to tell the story. So let's take up the challenge and share these promises with the world. Amen.

4723. Flying Coach to Nirvana

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... tickets. We will experience some of these costs of community building as emptying. We will fear that we will run dry. The promise of God, however, is that Nirvana, heaven, wonderful, eternal life is at the end of the tunnel. We will be filled again. So stop worrying about being poured, spent, or "done." You ain't finished yet. Nor is God finished with you nor is your journey finished. God will stick with you, whether you spread yourself thinly or thickly in life. God will pour you out — and fill you up ...

4724. Weary in Well Doing

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... point is that God uses small powerful virus-like seeds to get Jesus launched into the world. We become inoculated positively, with faith and hope and love by Jesus' entry into the world. From there, we become contagious — and spread the news. We try to stop the vinegar — and start the wine. Some of us try to inoculate a whole confirmation class for their confirmation of their baptism. We have so little time to tell them the whole Christian story, but we can't worry about curriculum overload so much as ...

4725. When Christ Is King

Colossians 1:11-20

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... king. We are free for the wise foolishness, the foolish wisdom, of the crucified God, and are blest by it. It is a freedom that can be enjoyed only by people who are ready to admit their own utter incapacity to achieve it on their own. We have to stop being our own king and our own ruler. It is not the freedom of the rich who "have" everything. It is instead the freedom, according to Douglas John Hall, "of those who are conscious enough of their emptiness and lack to realize that they must ‘ever ask anew ...

Showing results