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 4938 results

4701. The Scariest Drug on the Market

1 Timothy 6:3-10

Sermon

Edward Inabinet

It was Pentecost Sunday. The ushers handed each worshipper a bright red carnation to symbolize the festive spirit of the day. The people listened attentively to the reading of the Pentecost story from the Book of Acts. They heard about the "powerful wind from heaven" and about the "tongues of fire." Then came the sermon. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon us," the preacher began. "Like the powerful wind from heaven!" shouted a woman sitting in the first pew. Then she threw one of the red carnations toward the ...

4702. Things That Cannot be Taken Away

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sermon

Edward Inabinet

Most days give us a measure of security. And then suddenly tragedy shatters the familiar. Sorrow comes with its almost unbearable pain. Most people in their anguish almost instinctively turn their thoughts to God for help. If we are Christians, we do so with the assurance that He who has been faithful in the past will now be faithful in our great need. We believe He can be trusted who said, "I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you." So let us turn to Him and His Word for strength and help. ...

4703. Trusting the Truth

James 1:1-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Over the last two weeks we've looked at the first chapter of James and discussed the author''s instructions on Triumphing Over Troubles and Tripping Up the Tempter. Today we continue in our examination of the book of James with verses 5-11 in Chapter one--learning how to Track the Truth and Trust it. James bases his instruction on the realization that the average person tends to turn to God as a last resource in trying to discern truth, rather than at the beginning of the process. He writes in verse 5, "If ...

4704. Biblical Insights for Being a Christian Father

Deuteronomy 1:1-8

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Bill Cosby has suggested that Father's Day is almost as exciting as Ground Hog Day. Among the many problems that he discloses about this observance is the issue of buying a present for Dad. Among the dumbest gifts that Cosby has received on this day of obligatory recognition is soap-on-a-rope-- a remembrance which ranks slightly higher than the time he received a thousand yards of dental floss. There have been other thoughtful gifts, such as a sweater in June (it was on sale), the hedge cutters, weed ...

4705. Waiting

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Brett Blair

As a child I remember that the most difficult part of Christmas was simply waiting for it to come. From Thanksgiving to December 25 seemed more like an eternity than a month. Days seemed like weeks. Weeks felt like seasons. Time seemed to stand still. Waiting is foreign to our society. It seems unnatural. We hunger for immediate gratification. The idea of delayed satisfaction is a stranger to our thinking. The symbols of our unwillingness to wait are all around us. Fast food chains boom because we don’t ...

4706. And God Breathed Into Man

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Forty years ago, in 1948, two of our nation's outstanding educators entered into a debate which was printed. These outstanding educators were Robert Hutchins, then Chancellor of the University of Chicago, and James B. Connant, then President of Harvard. The discussion dealt with the structure of a university curriculum. The basis for the debate was the recognition that persons in leadership must determine what ideals they would like for their country to adhere to. Human values must be ordered so that some ...

4707. Why I Believe In Tithing

Malachi 3:6-18

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Let’s pray together. Come Holy Spirit, Heavenly dove, with all your quickening powers. Come shed abroad a Savior’s love, and that will quicken ours. I believe that preaching is not so much the preparing and the delivering of sermons, as it is the preparing and the delivering of oneself. I hope you know by now that there is nothing I take more seriously than my call to preach. And there is nothing I invest more time, energy, and spirit power in than the task of preaching from Sunday to Sunday. When I ...

4708. And God Breathed Into Man

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

4709. The Little Madness Of Hope

1 Peter 1:1-12

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Zorba the Greek is one of my favorite stories. It was a memorable theatre experience when Anthony Quinn played Zorba. The climax of the drama is two men -- Zorba and his boss -- dancing. The story was that the boss's money is invested in an untried invention to bring timber down a mountain. The wood, badly needed by the community, is to be used to reinforce the walls of an old mine which, it is hoped, will restore economic life. Everyone turned out to watch the great occasion. Anticipation turned quickly ...

4710. Concerning Miracles

Mark 7:31-37

Sermon

King Duncan

A mother and her three-year-old son were playing in the front yard. There were squeals and giggles galore. Dad came to the door and asked them to play a bit more quietly so he could get his work done. The three-year-old put his hands on his hips and said indignantly, "Daddy, I don't do quiet!" That is true of a lot of three-year-olds. They don't do quiet. A cartoon shows a large van. On the side are the warnings, "Danger! Explosives!" Inside are two men. The driver of the van turns to his buddy and says ...

4711. From Empty Nets to Full Lives

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

J. Ellsworth Kalas

It's funny what experiences and phrases will stay with you from childhood. I still remember a line from a song which apparently was popular, for at least a short period of time, in my early childhood. It was a half-funny, half-pathetic little lament from someone who felt rejected and unsuccessful. As I recall, each verse ended with the phrase, "I guess I'll go eat worms." Most of us can understand the mood of the song, if not the dietary remedy. Every one of us feels like a failure at one time or another. ...

4712. Headlines and Holiness

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Frank G. Honeycutt

Imagine for a moment that Jesus is watching television with his twelve disciples. They're on furlough from teaching and healing, taking it easy in the living room of Peter's mother-in-law, doing a little mindless channel surfing. Maybe they catch a little of an NCAA Tournament game, March Madness. These are guys, you know, just relaxing from a demanding schedule. But eventually the evening news comes on. They put down the popcorn and listen intently to the day's tragedies. One disciple says, "Hey, Jesus, ...

4713. A Friend in Low Places

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

Mark Trotter

I've just returned from a study break, which I spent in a cabin in northern California, back in the woods, all by myself. It was a wonderful time. Some of you have asked me, "Did you do any fishing?" I am really shocked that you would even ask that question. I was there for study, not for fishing. Besides, the river was too muddy to fish. Up there I listened to country western music, because in that part of the state, that is about all you can get on the radio. I am not a great student of country western ...

4714. How to See the Future

Matthew 26:17-30

Sermon

Mark Trotter

There have been many interpretations over the years about what happens in the sacrament of Holy Communion. For instance, back in the Middle Ages, many pious Christians saw what happened here as a kind of magic. The faithful were sitting out in the nave, where you are sitting, and up here, what was called the "east wall" in gothic architecture, the priest faced the altar, his back to the people, reading the service in Latin, a language the people couldn't understand. They knew, though, that a miracle was ...

4715. Lighten Up

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

Mark Trotter

I have selected the hymn you have just sung to bring back memories of Sunday School. Imagine this image: a little girl in a white Sunday School dress, in a church pageant, holding a little candle, singing, "This Little Light of Mine." That is the image that most of us, I imagine, have in mind when we think of this hymn, "This Little Light of Mine." It is so sentimental, and cute, even. Which is the danger of using diminutives like "little,"...."This Little Light of Mine." It is like "dear" or "sweet." It ...

4716. You Are Somebody!

Galatians 3:26--4:7

Sermon

King Duncan

There is a time-honored story which you may remember that comes from the French Revolution. King Louis XVI and his queen were condemned to death. They were escorted to the guillotine in a public square in Paris where they were beheaded. The mob was not satisfied. "Bring out the Prince," they cried. "He is next!!" The young boy was terrified. He was only six years old, but he was next in line to be King. In the mind of the crowd, he had to be eliminated. According to the story, the young prince stood on the ...

4717. Oskar’s Cruelty

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Sermon

Bill Mosley

Schindler's List is a true story of World War II. It focuses on the heroism and self-sacrifice of Oskar Schindler, a Catholic from Krakow, Poland. Schindler goes from wanton war profiteer to a conspirator who tries to free condemned prisoners from concentration camps. In one sequence, we see Jews being herded like cattle onto freight trains, hungry, hot, and thirsty. The train is taking them to the death camps. The German soldiers are lolling about the station docks and enjoying the suffering they see, ...

4718. After Good Friday

Hebrews 10:16-25

Sermon

Richard W. Ferris

Obsolete. Superceded. Null and void. Those are words that could be used in a court of law to describe legal contracts or agreements that are no longer in effect. Stipulations become obsolete with the passing of time or when two partners break off their partnership, whether it's a business or a marriage. Procedures can be superceded by new practices when old stipulations become obsolete. Whole contracts can become null and void when one side or the other fails to live up to the agreement. Now the happiest ...

4719. The Problem Is Not Faith

Luke 17:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

Christians are funny people. In one of his books, Chuck Swindoll tells about a lady who wanted desperately to go on a tour to Israel. But she wanted a sign to confirm that it was God’s will. The morning after she began planning the trip, she woke up at 7:47 a. m. The tour group to Israel was planning on flying over on a 747 jet. That was her “sign” that confirmed God was going to bless this trip. Another young man needed to buy a car. But he wanted to know that whatever car he bought was in God’s will for ...

4720. Road Rage

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

When our children were small, a nice church lady named Chris made them a child-friendly creche. All the actors in this stable drama are soft and squishy and durable - perfect to touch and rearrange - or toss across the living room in a fit of toddler frenzy. The Joseph character has always been my favorite because he looks a little wild - red yarn spiking out from his head, giving him an odd look of energy. In fact, I have renamed this character John the Baptist and in my mind substituted one of the ...

4721. Proper 15

Genesis 45:1-28, Matthew 15:21-28, Romans 11:1-10, Romans 11:25-32, Psalm 133:1-3

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS In Genesis 45, Joseph provides his brothers with a theological interpretation of the events that have befallen him, while Psalm 133 celebrates kinship. Genesis 45:4-20 - "The Power of the Promise" Setting. Scholars have long since noted how different in character the Joseph stories are from the other ancestral stories. The sharpest point of contrast is the absence of God as a central character in the Joseph stories. God does not appear as a visitor at mealtime, does not talk directly to ...

4722. Trinity Sunday

Genesis 1:1-2:3, Matthew 28:16-20, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Psalm 8:1-9

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS The two Old Testament texts for Trinity Sunday focus on the creative power of God, and, as such, they provide commentary on the Gospel lesson, where Jesus proclaims to his disciples in Matthew 28:18 that "all authority in heaven and on earth" has been given to him. Genesis 1:1-2:4a is the sweeping account of creation of order from chaos. Psalm 8 is a hymn that celebrates the creative power of God. Taken together these texts provide the vast stage upon which we must interpret this final ...

4723. Freedom Faith Brings

Galatians 5:1-15

Sermon

James Merritt

January 6, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt shared with America what has become known as "The Four Freedoms." He believed that all people should enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. Those degrees have been wide achieved in America. Freedom and America are practically synonymous. America is known as the land of the free. We have political freedom; we are a democracy, and therefore a free society. We have economic freedom; we are capitalists who believe ...

4724. The Near Edge of God

Jn 1:1-3, 14

Sermon

When I was three years old, I used to think that the true measure of things was how big they were in comparison to how big I was. There were Billy-sized things. And there were bigger things. But when I was three, almost everything fell into the category of "bigger things." Most everything was huge when I was small, but seems to have shrunk, now that I have become huge. Whenever I go back to the house in which I previously lived ... the school in which I previously studied ... the fields in which I ...

4725. Final Instructions

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Ron Lavin

(Note: Suggestion for reading the lessons on Ascension Sunday: In order to get the proper historical flow you may want to read Acts 1:1-11 after reading the Gospel, Luke 24:44-53.) When you love someone, you try to fulfill their final deathbed directions. If your loved one has a last will and testament, you try to carry out the final instructions contained therein. In Acts 1:1-11 we have Jesus' last will and testament, his final teaching about the kingdom of God and his final instructions to the apostles ...

Showing results