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 451 to 475 of 4937 results

451. Give To God The Things That Are God's

Matthew 22:15-22

Illustration

Phyllis Faaborg Wolk

"Tell us what you think, Teacher. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" When the Pharisees asked Jesus that question, he responded with a request, "Show me the coin used for the tax," and someone handed Jesus a coin embossed with the head of the current Roman emperor, Tiberius. Engraved around his head was the inscription, "Tiberius Caesar, majestic son of the majestic God, and High Priest." "Whose image is on this coin?" Jesus asked. "The emperor's," they responded. "Well then," Jesus said, " ...

452. Never Give Up

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Because God never gives up on us, we need never give up. From the many true and apocryphal stories about the life of Winston Churchill comes the report of a singular commencement address. After enduring a lengthy introduction, Churchill is reported to have risen from his seat, strode to the podium and stared fixedly at his audience of new graduates. "Never give up!" he pronounced solemnly. Churchill then turned, walked back to his chair and sat down. As the stunned students momentarily sat in silence, ...

453. What to Give Up for Lent

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

The Faithful Followers Sunday School class at the Church of What’s Happening Now was discussing the upcoming season of Lent. The congregation had never had such a discussion. This congregation prided itself on their core value of relevance. Adhering to ancient seasons such as Advent and Lent simply did not rise to that standard. Their church calendar had a softball schedule but no mention of Lent. Their new pastor, however, had suggested the congregation might find the rhythm of a traditional church ...

454. Giving Your All

Mark 12:35-40

Sermon

Erskine White

But she, out of her poverty, has put in everything she had, her whole living. (Mark 12:44) Jesus could really be rough on certain people, especially those whom He perceived to be falsely religious and self-righteous. Judging by some of the severe language we read in the gospels, you didn't want to be on the receiving end of a tongue-lashing administered by one Jesus of Nazareth. When our Lord spoke to the scribes and Pharisees and to the other religious celebrities of His time, He used words like " ...

455. What Christmas Gives to Us

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

James W. Moore

A couple of weeks ago, the Brookwood Community celebrated its 20th Anniversary out at Brookshire, Texas. Brookwood is an amazing place… a modern-day miracle! It’s a God-centered educational, residential and entrepreneurial village for adults with functional disabilities. It’s a God-centered, educational, residential and entrepreneurial village for adults with functional disabilities. It’s a special place for special adults. It enables them to grow and contribute and belong and be productive. It gives them ...

456. There Will Be Singing

Isaiah 35:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

Our theme for this third Sunday in Advent is music. “When the Messiah comes there will be singing.” I think most of us love the music of Christmas. Of course, I realize that not all of us are musicians. A man and his wife were browsing in a crafts store one day when the man noticed a display of country-style musical instruments. After looking over the flutes, dulcimers and recorders, he picked up a shiny, one-stringed instrument he took to be a mouth harp. He put it to his lips and, much to the amusement ...

457. Don't Worry--Give Thanks

Matthew 6:25-33

Sermon

King Duncan

What are you worried about today? If you are like most people, you are probably worried about your weight. That might not be at the top of your list, but according to a survey by Beneden Health in the United Kingdom, that’s the # 1 concern for most people. Here are the Top Ten Worries according to this survey (counting down from #10 to #1): 10. Diet 9. Job security 8. Rent/mortgage payment 7. Credit card debt 6. Low energy level 5. Overdrafts and loans 4. Overall fitness 3. Lack of savings/financial future ...

458. Give Me Your Word

Luke 16:1-13

Sermon

Jill J. Duffield

I am telling the truth. I am not lying. Believe me. It seems every newscast contains a story about truth telling these days. We are in the throes of the election season and talk of “fact checking” abounds. Politifact has the “Truth-O-Meter” (a term that they have trademarked, by the way) that ranks candidates’ statements anywhere from true to half-truth to pants on fire. There is talk of “transparency” ad nauseam, not only in the government but in the church. The Presbyterian Mission Agency Board just ...

459. A Way Back In

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

Thomas D. Peterson

A wise man once said to me that he tried never to let people get so far out on a limb that they could not get back in. He was the head-master of a preparatory school. As an administrator he did everything he could to enable the staff to make meaningful contributions to the school. He positively reinforced good performance; and, when a staff member got out on a limb, he not only initiated efforts to help the person back in, he also avoided putting undue stress on mistakes or attitudes which made it ...

460. Prepare The Way Of The Lord

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

No shout in Scripture is more familiar than the shout of the prophet Isaiah. "Get ready!", he is saying, "The Messiah is coming. Prepare the Way of the Lord." Isaiah 40 is one of the most familiar passages in the Old Testament, made so in large part by Handel's MESSIAH. It's the call of Advent: "Prepare the way of the Lord." Now I know that the coming of Christ is always gift, always grace. So we need to think a little about how the spontaneous working of God's grace, unearned, unexpected, undeserved how ...

461. The Wise Men: Going Home Another Way

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

There is a story told about two men sitting together on an airplane. As some are wont to do, when strapped together 30,000 feet above where they ought to be, they begin to get acquainted. One man was an astronomer, the other a theologian. After a while, each began to share his understanding of the other’s discipline. The astronomer said, “I believe that all religion can be summed up in the phrase, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” The theologian, somewhat miffed at this simplistic ...

462. Gifts of Lent II: Mary Gives Her Perfume

Matthew 26:6-13

Drama

Donald Neidigk

Dramatic Monologue You're here to speak with the friends of Jesus, are you? Well then, by all means, let's talk! Shall we sit here in my garden? It's the perfect place. The morning air is still cool and each gentle breeze brings with it the scent of my flowers. How I love my flowers, especially the lilies! Their sweetness always reminds me of that evening so long ago when I poured out an entire flask of treasured perfume on the head and feet of Jesus. It was the week of Passover. Our village of Bethany was ...

463. Gifts of Lent VII: Joseph Gives His Tomb

John 19:38-42

Drama

Donald Neidigk

Dramatic Monologue Welcome to my store! I'm Joseph of Arimathea. You're not interested in shopping today? No problem! Let's just sit and talk for a while. My shop's not busy and there's nothing I like better than telling others about my Lord. I haven't always been such a bold disciple of Jesus. My friend Mark says I "boldly went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body." But let me assure you, I was as frightened as anyone on that Friday when Jesus was crucified. As a matter of fact, even though I'm the one who ...

464. Send Me

Isaiah 6:1-13

Sermon

Charles Curley

It was the year of the dying of the king, when Isaiah saw the Lord, high and lifted up in the incense-shrouded heights of the sanctuary. When he heard God say, "Whom shall I send?" he replied simply, "Here am I, send me!" It was the year when the priests robbed the people in the name of God, when Samuel heard the Lord, as he was waking from sleep by the ark in the temple at Shiloh. When he heard God say, "Samuel," he replied simply, "Here I am ... speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." It was the ...

465. The Holy Way

Isaiah 35:1-10

Sermon

Tony Everett

Our text centers on God's promised action in the wilderness. Have you ever seen photographs of the wilderness areas in the land of the Bible; for example today's Israel, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Iran? The wilderness is a rocky, dry, and barren space. In the same day, temperatures may vary from a blazing 100 degrees Fahrenheit to nearly freezing. Food and water are scarce. Wild beasts and even bandits prowl around seeking to devour unsuspecting travelers. The wilderness can be a very scary and lonely space. ...

466. Preparing the Way

Malachi 3:1-4

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

Preparing the way can become an all-consuming endeavor. Unforeseen obstacles often have a way of getting in our way to hamper progress and sidetrack us. Then, Murphy's Law goes into effect: "If anything can go wrong, it will." Plans for the Paris subway system were begun in 1845, but the actual work was not begun until much later. A civil engineer, Fulgence Bienvenue (1852-1936), was assigned the task of preparing the way. His first big task was to dig the network of underground tunnels for the trains. The ...

467. Learning to Give Thanks

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

King Duncan

Did you know that not everyone has been brought up to smile? When McDonald’s restaurants invaded Russia, the bosses--all of whom were American--insisted that the Russian young people working behind the counter give customers the standard Mickey D smile. Russian customers were outraged--and insulted--because in Russia smiling at strangers means you’re making fun of them. How did Mickey D Russia solve the problem? They hired personnel which they called "Smile Explainers" to shout into bullhorns at customers ...

468. Home By Another Way

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Lois Anne DeLong

Characters (in order of appearance) Narrator Wise Man 1 Wise Man 2 Wise Man 3 Servant 1 Servant 2 Servant 3 Merchant Caravan Shepherd 1 Shepherd 2 Angel Angel Choir Mary Joseph Merchant Dream Narrator Props Campfire Table Two chairs Star Three gifts Bundle Tambourines Notes This play uses the journey of the Wise Men to illustrate that God doesn’t always call us down the expected path. It also shows the way God often prefers to work through the simplest of people or situations to bring about his plan. It ...

469. There's A Better Way Than Shooting Somebody

Matthew 18:15-20

Sermon

King Duncan

There is a story that Alfred, Lord Tennyson once invited a Russian nobleman to his estate to do some hunting. The nobleman went off by himself one morning and returned later in the day. "How did you do?" asked Tennyson. "Not too well," replied the nobleman. "I shot two peasants." "You mean two pheasants," Lord Tennyson said with amusement. "We pronounce it with a ph. Pheasant." "No," the nobleman said, "I mean two peasants. They were insolent to me, and so I shot them." The story is outrageous, of course. ...

470. Don't Give Up Now!

2 Corinthians 4:16 - 5:2

Sermon

Have you noticed that some people can’t seem to win, no matter what they do? It’s like one lady I heard about. True story. In 1957 Richie Ashburn, center fielder for the Philadelphia Phillies, swung and hit a foul ball that went into the stands and hit a spectator named Alice Roth. As she was being taken away on a stretcher, Ashburn slammed another foul ball . . . and hit her again. (1) Poor Alice. I guess it just wasn’t her day. I’ve had days like that, haven’t you? I would guess we all have. Pastor Alan ...

471. The More Excellent Way

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sermon

Robert Allen

The 1988 Winter Olympics were marked by controversy for the U.S. team. The controversy centered around the fact that we had not won as many medals as expected. In fact, the last time we had done so poorly was in 1936. We won a few medals, and those winners have become household names. Debi Thomas went head to head with the East German, Katerina Witt, and came away with only a bronze medal, Bonnie Blair won the gold medal in speed skating as well as a bronze, Brian Boitano picked up the gold in figure ...

472. In Prayer’s Way

Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Who is our newest parent here this morning? . . . How old is your baby? May I hold him/her? Let’s bow our heads and offer a prayer of blessing for this child . . . This little baby is embarking on a journey. And it’s an awesome journey to be a part of. All new parents here - is there anything as exciting as watching your baby go from a snuggly little lump you cradle in your arms to a roller, then a crawler, then a “cruiser,” and finally a walker? Babies seem absolutely driven to get on their feet. No ...

473. A Way of Seeing

Genesis 21:8-21

Sermon

Stan Purdum

Remember your childhood suspicion that both your mother and your teacher had eyes in the back of their heads? As you got older, you realized it wasn't literally true, but it was a way of describing their awareness of what you were doing. Well now, we are coming to a place where it could be a much more literal statement. In fact, they could even have eyes in the back of their mouths. There have been some interesting developments in the field of perception, spurred in part by research to help the blind, but ...

474. The Unwanted Christmas Gift: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

“Survivor” is a reality tv game show that has proven to be one of the most successful franchises in television history. Starting in 1992 as the brainchild of a British tv producer, Survivor has spread throughout the world to play in over 50 countries as diverse as Chile and China. If you’ve watched CBS’ “Survivor” with its $1,000,000 prize, you notice how quickly the sixteen to twenty strangers separate out into two groups, no matter how many “tribes” there are. In one group are those who, in the face of ...

475. The Road to Somewhere (I am the way, truth, and life)

John 14:5-14

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Someone has made a list of five things you will never hear a man say: 1. We haven''t been to the mall for ages, let''s go shopping and I can hold your purse for you! 2. Forget "Monday Night Football." Let''s watch Melrose Place. 3. Your mother''s coming to stay with us again? Great! 4. Do these jeans come in lavender? And finally, 5: I think we are lost. We better pull over and ask for directions. Perhaps all of us have had the experience of being lost in a strange town--even those of us who don''t mind ...

Showing results