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 1185 results

451. Behold the Blood of the Covenant

Exodus 24:1-18

Sermon

Larry Powell

... The parsotorium was located directly across the street from our parsonage and when the new minister moved in, I went over to meet him. He was a large man, soft-spoken, articulate, friendly, and blessed with a lovely family. But already, a hidden agenda was being pursued by one of his own members, an agenda quite unknown to him. His member was so bent upon carrying out his own intentions that nothing could stop him. The new minister lasted six months, despite the fact that he was a good preacher and "mixed ...

452. Standing in Awe

Isaiah 6:1-13

Sermon

Roger Prescott

... ), but by peering under the edges of the ordinary." - Belden C. Lane* "The rare moment is not the moment when there is something worth looking at but the moment when we are capable of seeing." - Joseph Wood Krutch** "It is when we mistakenly pursue the unusual and sensational in our quest for fulfillment that we rush past the true meaning of life." - Gerhard Frost*** *The Christian Century, January 4-11, 1984, p. 15. **The Desert Year. ***Blessed is the Ordinary, Winston Press, 1980, p. 1. God is revealed ...

453. A Royal Lament

2 Samuel 1:1-16

Sermon

Roger Prescott

... and the office he held. A more ambitious man than David would have been equally pleased about the death of Jonathan, since the young heir would naturally have succeeded to the throne, had he lived. Instead, David lamented. "He felt no hatred of the man who had pursued him so single-mindedly, nor did he brush him aside like a bad memory. On the contrary, he composed an elegy, a poem to be learned and repeated by the people of Israel, so that the name of Saul, with that of Jonathan, should never be forgotten ...

454. The Establishment of An Empire

2 Samuel 5:1-5

Sermon

Roger Prescott

... was to provide Israel with a period of growth and strength under David’s leadership, a golden age which would set the standard for future systems of living. Golden ages are rare in history but they provide goals for us to aim for, ideals to be pursued. In our present age of confusion and change, we can know that the scriptures and the church have always taught that, ultimately, God is in charge, and that the reign of this Creator will ultimately prevail. Until then we might sing: Nobody knows the trouble ...

455. Overcoming Loneliness

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

... friend, seek a new one. Keep cheerful. Don’t gripe except when no one can hear you. Don’t keep talking about how tired you are. If you lack love and affection from others, give more than your share to others. If you lack creative expression, pursue a new interest as though your life depended upon it. If you lack recognition, give recognition to others. Some of it will come back. If you lack experiences, be planning something all the time. (The exhausted housewife meant it when she said, "I’d scream if ...

456. Twenty-First Century Reformation

John 8:31-41

Sermon

Warren Thomas Smith

... people need a diet of meat rather than milk. We cannot go on pampering; we must minister. Luther put it aptly: A preacher is like a carpenter. His tool is the Word of God. Because the materials on which he works vary, he ought not always pursue the same course when he preaches. For the sake of the variety of his auditors he would sometimes console, sometimes frighten, sometimes scold, sometimes soothe, etc.4 No longer seeking to save herself, but rather seeking the lost: This is the need for the church of ...

457. The Father Who Wanted His Son To Succeed

1 Kings 2:1-12

Sermon

Alton F. Wedel

... years, Dad wants to be around to train, to guide, to mold, to love, and to enjoy the child who has been given as a heritage from God. He entertains great hopes and visions for the future, when his child will follow in his footsteps, perhaps pursue the same profession, and succeed him in the family business. If he is very wise he acknowledges the children’s freedom to make choices of their own, growing to adulthood in a world quite different from his own with possibilities at hand that he could never ...

458. The Word To The Wise

Proverbs 2:1-22

Sermon

Alton F. Wedel

... it that flashes on your mental image? Humanity in its own wisdom has achieved great heights, only to create another pit. We conquer one disease to be engulfed by still another. We solve one problem, only to discover we have aggravated others. The United States pursues one plan for peace, the Soviets another, only to discover that their plans for peace increase the tensions. This is a fallen world, and these are the illusions. But the facts are that we are at odds with God. We have taken the responsibility ...

459. The Acid Test of Wisdom

Proverbs 10:1-32

Sermon

Alton F. Wedel

... "... that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," but there seem to be some questions about the right to life and the rights of life, on whether liberty includes responsibility, and concerning what kind of "high" in happiness we dare pursue. What, if any, are the limits? Our sojourn through the Word returns us to the ancient book of Proverbs, the wisdom of the sages based on practical experience and often used to educate and train the coming generation of officials in the courts of ...

460. The Heart of The Gospel

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

Alton F. Wedel

... congregations. A young person of my acquaintance, studying for ministry, told the bishop of the church that she could not give everything she had to that profession. She had her own needs, too, and her own time to be protected, and her own goals to be pursued. "You do not know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" (Second voice) "Whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. Whoever would ...

461. Planting People

2 Samuel 7:1-17

Bulletin Aid

Dallas A. Brauninger

... said to King David, I say to you, "Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you." People: Do you mean to carry out my life hope, to become grounded, to become planted in my own place? Leader: I mean, have plans and dare to pursue them because God is with you. All: We give thanks to God who knows our hopes and is with us. Collect We remember, O God, that while we have hopes in mind, your presence and your promises to humankind encourage and sustain us. We are grateful. Amen. Prayer of ...

462. Bread of Life

John 6:25-59

Bulletin Aid

Dallas A. Brauninger

... to this world, who sees that we have food for the body, who opens the way to nourishing the spirit, we give you thanks. We receive your life-sustaining gifts as we receive your gift of Christ. Amen. Prayer of Confession We become so engrossed in pursuing the work that supplies nourishment for the body that we neglect putting energy into finding spiritual food that endures. Encourage us, O God, to create spaces in our everyday work so we might quiet the gnawing in the soul. In the name of Christ. Amen. Hymns ...

463. Like Trees Walking

Isaiah 6:1-13

Sermon

Gregory J. Johanson

... us the way and it is the Holy Spirit who guides us when we are ready. What then can we do when we leave this church this morning to test our sight and take the first steps toward improving our ability to see and hence to feel, that we may pursue the Christian way and not avoid it? 1) Look at the person nearest you and see whether he or she looks like a statistic or "a case" to you or whether he or she looks like a friend whom you may call by name. 2) Next, take a look at ...

464. The Courage to Be Me

Sermon

Gregory J. Johanson

... is clear. You want to be king (or queen!) of a bigger hill. But in order to do that, you have to come down off the smaller one, and race across, with no certainty that you will again arrive on top safely. Faith is like that. You cannot pursue high adventure until you let go of a small security. A second fear is the fear of self-disclosure. There are times when we feel the need of someone else, but experience great difficulty in telling them so. It is as if the isolation and loneliness are less burdensome ...

465. The Three Poison Pills of Position, Prestige, and Power

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Brett Blair

... a new soul. We don’t need an insurrection; we need a resurrection. We don’t need a coup; we need cure. Position, power, and prestige won’t free us. We need someone who is willing to serve and heal us. Why are we like this? Why do we pursue positions of power when there is so much more reward in reaching out to others? Perhaps you have heard the beautiful children's story about the three trees? The trees were talking in the forest one day about their dreams for the future. The first tree said it would ...

466. Home for the Holidays

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

William G. Carter

... first allegiance to him. In the most radical words possible, Jesus said, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). We are called to pursue a single-minded obedience to God that precedes all loyalties and obligations to our families. And yet, Luke is clear that Jesus learned this obedience from Mary and Joseph (2:51). Thanks to them, his daily life was firmly rooted in the life and ...

467. Splashed with the Spirit

Luke 3:21-38, Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

William G. Carter

... the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will push us into places we would not expect. The Spirit will give us power to proclaim what God is doing in Jesus Christ. The Spirit will protect us from the puny powers of this age. A minister named Al was pursuing a doctoral degree in theology. He worked long hours on his dissertation, so many hours, in fact, that his children often entered the study to interrupt. “Daddy, can you come out and play?” “Sorry, kids,” he replied, “I have too much work to do.” “What ...

468. The Kind of People Whom God Chooses

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

William G. Carter

... answer the call of Christ with such smug self-confidence that they know exactly what they are going to do. The person who thinks that she or he has all the answers frightens me. People like that are scary, because they follow their own agenda — and do not pursue what is most healthy for the whole body of Christ. A self-righteous servant is a contradiction in terms. The only person whom God can use — and by this I mean the only person — is the person who can hold humility in one hand, and in the other ...

469. Even Our Business Belongs to God!

Jeremiah 32:1-44

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... giving up your will to the will of God; and continually aiming, not at ease, pleasure, or riches, not of anything “this short-enduring world can give,” but merely at the glory of God. Now, can any one deny, that this is the most excellent way of pursuing worldly business?10 Wesley says that you are to give God the glory by giving everything you have on your job back to him and his people. Christian workers are people who finish what they start, who think of the customer, their co-workers, and God ahead ...

470. Why Earthly Powers Need No Longer Enslave

Daniel 7:15-28, Daniel 7:1-14

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... , would we build superb houses, [wear the latest fashions, embrace the latest media values, conform to our company’s culture], etc.? We should unhesitatingly look for the truth. And, if we refuse, it shows that we have a higher regard for men’s esteem for pursuing the truth.9 Is that not what we have succumbed to? We have made the esteem of our fellow human beings, especially the ones who exercise power in our institutions, more important than truth. Our text, the whole Bible, teaches that the truth is ...

471. There Could Be, Couldn't There?

Jeremiah 2:1-3:5

Sermon

John W. Wurster

... things (2:5). Things that seemed important, but really weren’t; things that seemed to matter, but really didn’t. They wasted lots of time and lots of energy going after these things. In the end, it seems, they also wasted a lot of themselves. Pursuing worthless things, it seems, only makes you worthless in the end. Why would people do that? Why would they stray from a worthwhile God to go after worthless things? Didn’t they know better? Perhaps they just forgot. Perhaps they just forgot what God had ...

472. Not Your Leftovers But Your First Fruits

Deuteronomy 26:1-15

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... God, and give only condescending reference to the possibilities of God. We do not give God the first fruits of our time. We spend our time in concert halls, malls, and dance halls, ballparks, theme parks, and water parks, bars, movie theaters, and golf courses, pursuing amusements and bemusements. Not that we should not have a good time; not that we should not enjoy ourselves. But what about God? What about the God who gives us life and eternal life, the God who makes this life of enjoyment possible? Some ...

473. While He May Be Found

Isaiah 55:1-13

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near. The great Karl Barth tells us that man does not find God, but God finds man. But there must be a mutual seeking. Whatever you are looking for is looking for you. We must seek God, pursue God’s presence, invoke God’s spirit, and celebrate God’s joy and power. What happens to a people who no longer seek God or a people who believe God is no longer worth seeking? The people are no longer hungry, no longer poor, no longer broken. Not having ...

474. A Blood That Passes Over

Exodus 12:1-30

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... sin legal rights, we give sin a dominion and providence which foments the conditions for our continued persecution and estrangement from God. We are persecuted by our sin. Our sin is a sign of our ongoing persecution by the adversaries of God. We pursue our own persecution through our acquiescence with sin. Our persecution can therefore become self-inflicted, self-generated, and self-perpetuated. Christ our lamb of God was offered up as a way out of the persecution; a way out of the damnation, oppression ...

475. The Child of Promise

Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... understanding and behavior in the creation. Mr. Sagan was born to a common home not likely to serve as an incubator for the sciences that occupied his entire career. However, as a youngster his curiosity about the lights in the heavens propelled him to pursue his scholarship in the sciences. Sagan’s work, The Demon Haunted World, was a final bequest to us to warn against the superstitions, myths, and fables about the creation which haunt people. Dr. Sagan believed that science is the candle to offer light ...

Showing results