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 4776 to 4800 of 4943 results

4776. Proper 9

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon Aid

... One pastor began this way: "In the name of God the Holy One and Loving One. We are here to become energized by the Presence and Power of God, to celebrate the resurrection of the living Christ, and to equip ourselves for mission in the world." He continued with this declaration of joy: Pastor: "For God so loved the world that (God) gave ..." (John 3:16, R.S.V.) Ministers: God loves the world. Pastor: You mean, of course, the good people, the church in the world? Ministers: No! Pastor: Are you saying that ...

4777. Learn to Empty Yourself

Luke 18:9-14

Illustration

R. Curtis Fussell

... defending myself. I want to learn one thing more now. Please teach me about the ways of God." The master took the teakettle and starting pouring the student's cup full of tea. Soon the cup was full and began to spill over onto the saucer. But the master continued to pour the tea until it spilled over the saucer and then onto the floor. The student finally said, "Stop, stop, the tea is spilling over. The cup can't take any more." The master then looked at the student and said, "You are so full of yourself ...

4778. Proper 10

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon Aid

... , keeps us from becoming seeds which produces a crop. Perhaps you could find a large picture which illustrates this idea of sin. (Give at least three minutes of silence for people to consider this.) Following the silence, you may want to continue with Gustafson's idea of salvation, which is "a matter of enlargement, a widening of our interests and capacities for identifying meaningful ways of relationships." (source unknown) Again, you may want to use a picture. Conclude with this, or a similar, litany ...

4779. Proper 11

Matthew 13:24-30

Sermon Aid

... Loving God, good morning. How has God acted in your life this past week? How did you decide to participate in this celebration today?" Ask people to respond spontaneously, or ask several people ahead of time to prepare their response. You may want to continue with this litany between pastor and ministers: Pastor: Who are you to have come here? Ministers: We are Christians, sometimes convinced, sometimes not. Pastor: What is it to be a Christian? Ministers: It is to believe in God, the Father-Mother, and in ...

4780. Proper 15

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon Aid

Liturgical Color: Green Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28 Theme: The faith of a Gentile woman. Pastoral Invitation to the Celebration One pastor began this way: After welcoming the people to celebrate the Good News, he continued to build the invitation around this idea (taken from Frederick Speakman's book, Love is Something You Do.) Faith is something we do, not something we talk about doing. Faith is the willingness to take risks. You may want to follow with this responsive litany between pastor and ministers: ...

4781. Proper 16

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon Aid

... question. If someone asked you to respond right now, what would you say, and what difference does that response make in your life, as you related to your mate, children, vocation, vacation, politics, economics, education? We explore that question today." You may want to continue with this response between pastor and people: Pastor: The Good News is, "God is not hidden to those who want to receive him/her." Ministers: Show us the Parent and we shall be satisfied. Pastor: Has Jesus been with you so long, and ...

4782. Proper 17

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon Aid

... . O Lord, our lives lack the steady strength possible through your promised Spirit. We are slow in accepting the fullness of our new life in Christ. Cover our frailty with your forgiveness, and see us in Christ Jesus as persons made alive to eternity." (Silence) Continue with this assurance: "It's scary to confront God, yet God appreciates our honesty. It's scary to confess our sins, because, in God's Spirit, they are forgiven, and we move on." You may want to print this prayer of assurance: "Grant to each ...

4783. Proper 20

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon Aid

... to God's celebration with Christ's family, bound together by the Holy Spirit. When worship is truly corporate, it is a celebration of the wholeness of life. I invite you to bring your whole being for renewal and refreshment and recommitment today." You may want to continue with this litany: Pastor: Welcome to the celebration of life in Jesus Christ. Ministers: This is our (you fill in the word) response to Christ. Pastor: I invite us to listen with our ears, to see with our eyes, to be open with our minds ...

4784. Christ the King

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon Aid

... Humanness and Receiving New Life Try this: Introduce the confession with this statement by Nicholas Berdyaev: "Bread [and water] for myself is a material question: but bread [and water] for my brother [sister] is a spiritual question." (source unknown) You may want to continue with Georgia Harkness' poem, "I Listen to the Agony of God," or you may want to use the following litany between pastor and ministers: Pastor: This day, in all the world, for every one well-fed, with fresh water, there are others who ...

4785. Thanksgiving Eve/Day

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon Aid

... Consider this: Begin with this introduction. "Perhaps the greatest sin, especially for people who have so much, and that includes most of us, for we are the richest people on the face of the globe, is the sin of - guess what? - ingratitude." Continue with this litany: Pastor: If we forget that you, O God, created the earth and all that is in it; Ministers: Forgive us, Lord. (Choral response) Pastor: If through carelessness, selfishness, or ignorance, we waste precious resources; Ministers: Forgive us, Lord ...

4786. A Glory Revealed by Abiding

John 8:31-41

Sermon

... shone into his heart, he experienced a dramatic "anno Domini." He was liberated and freed. But he did not just stay there. He, like Lazarus, "rose, went forth, and followed" Christ. Jesus sets us free to follow him that we may remain free. Jesus said, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples." Here Jesus reveals to us his desire not only to free us when we first deceive him, but to see that we remain really free. The powers of sin, death, and the devil were indeed vanquished, defeated, and ...

4787. A Glory Revealed to Faith Alone

Numbers 21:4-9

Sermon

... on me, as if he knew all my heart, he said, "Young man, you look very miserable." Well, I did; but I had not been accustomed to have remarks made from the pulpit on my personal appearance before. However, it was a good blow, struck right home. He continued, "and you always will be miserable - miserable in life, and miserable in death - if you don’t obey my text; but if you obey now, this moment you will be saved." Then, lifting up his hands, he shouted as only a Primitive Methodist could do, "Young man ...

4788. A Glory Revealed in Grace and Love

John 13:1-17

Sermon

... . That makes us brothers and sisters of the same heavenly Father; and we are now followers of the same Lord and elder brother, Jesus Christ. The Son of God exercised his Lordship in service; we are obligated to do the same. In this way Jesus will still continue to reveal his glory to a cynical and self-centered world, a world whose mad pursuit of pleasure and "fun" has driven it to the edge of insanity; a world whose idea of service is self-serving. "Do unto others before they do it to you," well summarizes ...

4789. Ash Wednesday

Isaiah 63:7--64:12

Sermon Aid

... that they could possibly be cared for by a loving God, who loved them like a father. In fact, once that affirmation is made at the beginning, the whole movement of the text is downward into despair. For this people, all the supports of community, continuity, promise and tradition have been taken away. More than that, the exile itself seemed to demonstrate that either God no longer loved them, or that God no longer had power to protect them. Either way, for them everything was gone - hopes and dreams were ...

4790. Three Secrets of A Life Well Lived

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Sermon

Brett Blair

... strength. So, that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the gentiles might hear it.” Did you catch the three secrets: He forgives those who deserted him. He draws his strength from the Lord who does not abandon us. And, he continued to proclaim the gospel. To help people and lift them out of their sins. Dr. Karl Menninger, the famous American psychiatrist, once gave a lecture on mental health & was answering questions from the audience. One man asked, "What would you advise a person to ...

4791. Hail! Your King!

Mark 15:1-15

Drama

... , or else there might have been another riot and a lot of people hurt or killed. Just one of those instances of fanatic religion. And sometimes, even Roman justice has to take a back seat, for the good of the many. (Dries his hands) (Pilate continues, mocking, flippant) After all, how many procurators have the responsibility to execute the "King of the Jews?" (Takes the sign and hands it to the guard) Centurion, you have your orders! (Pilate starts to leave) GUARD: Yes sir. Sir, the man is already beaten ...

4792. My God, My God, ... Why?

Mark 15:33-41

Drama

... this man has! He is not a religious nut; he’s more like a brave soldier following strict orders, and he’s determined to carry them out to the letter. He refused to drink any of the drugged wine we give to the condemned to dull their senses. He continued to remain silent despite all the pain and insults directed at him by the mob. And I thought to myself: Whose orders is he following? Who is it that could give such orders, a command to face such a death, and have them obeyed so completely? (Moves next to ...

4793. A Zealot’s Greatest Battle

Drama

... of my sworn enemies! Matthew I told you, I am Matthew! I am no longer Levi! You’re right: he was a cheat and a crook ... but Jesus changed all of that! Jesus gave ... Barabbas (Not even listening to him) Levi! ... Is this my lucky day! Matthew (Continues while Barabbas speaks) Jesus gave me a new life and a new name. The old Levi made restitution for everything he took dishonestly. Barabbas (Still not hearing him) How well I do remember you, with your Roman bodyguards. But I knew if I waited long enough I ...

4794. "The Return"

Drama

... I will have to admit some consternation at finding that you really exist. Bible Lady See, we told you so and you wouldn’t believe us. You are going to be sorry now. Scientist Well, my good woman, we have yet to see about that. (She turns to Jesus.) To continue I’m not really sure how I’m going to deal with this. But since it does seem to turn out here that you do exist, I’ve got to agree with that woman there; I can’t believe that you would have chosen that dumb skirt for your bride ...

4795. Loyalty: Imperative Ingredient

Ruth 1:1-22

Sermon

... . Thomas Jefferson came up with his own version of the New Testament, entitled The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth. However, there is no record of him even remotely suggesting it should become official for The United States of America. Our illustrations could continue with John Adams, George Washington, etc. No one likes to be referred to as a traitor to his/her country. Men and women have died protecting the USA. To consider, for one moment, they died in vain, is to become impudent and ungrateful to ...

4796. Acceptance: The Keynote

Ruth 2:1-23

Sermon

... membership figures for no other reason than, again, to see who or what is the biggest. Satan tempts us, like the sons of Zebedee and their mother in Matthew 20:20-24 and Mark 10:35-41, we succumb, and perpetuate an unholy syndrome which continually saps our spiritual strength. Work is done, ideally, because it is worth doing. To work for Christian unity is worth doing! I sometimes think of this task in the context of a marriage ritual. Ecumenists, professional or otherwise, have entered into a covenant and ...

4797. Sovereignty: God’s Domain

Zephaniah 1:4-13

Sermon

... not only suppressing the person’s right to say a word similar to Zephaniah’s, but corrupting once healthy perspectives. Christian unity knows, instinctively, that God is active. He is with us, guiding us all the way. Jude’s doxology plays its lofty tune, continually, in the background: "Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you without blemish before the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion ...

4798. Success: Ultimate and Unlimited

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

... eternal life in His kingdom which has no end." No one who is close to what happens before and after church unions would maintain perfection - theologically and ecclesiastically - has been attained. What is evident is the work of the Holy Spirit, continually enabling Christ’s Body to be One. J. Ralph Shotwell, in his book, Unity Without Uniformity, says: "The postdenominational community Church movement is not hostile to denominations. It appreciates the good that has resulted from God’s workings through ...

4799. THE NEW LIFE

Drama

... , the man wakens, stretches, moves around on the bed, swings himself into a sitting position, and goes through a brief wake up routine. He then stands and stretches again and moves stage right to a door. He tries the door, but it will not open; he continues to try, remaining fairly calm; but, panic slowly begins to overtake him. He leaves the door to study the rest of the room and slowly begins to realize that he does not recognize it, that it has no other doors or windows. He searches frantically for ...

4800. ASCENDING

Drama

... he was going to take us with him! A. P. 1: Why can’t he make up his mind? A. P. 2: Now we can spend the rest of our lives just looking at him, and remembering. A. P. 3: No, that’s not too bad at all. [The Player continues to hang in the air and the audience stares up at him.]

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