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 4977 results

4776. Summertime Praise

Ephesians 1:3-14

Sermon

Will Willimon

... , daring to launch into unknown space. How tragic that the business of too many churches is just that-- business. The round of programs, basketball games, choir practices, and finance committee meetings keep us all breathless and fatigued as we bustle about doing and working, becoming better and better every day in every way. Keep people busy going to meetings rather than looking for the Kingdom. Rather than being a sign pointing to the kingdom, we become a roadblock constructed by a church which has ...

4777. Fool's Gold

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... , it’s been there all along. We just didn’t know how to recognize it hidden away under all that ore. Hiddenness is the ultimate malady of our humanness. We hide for various reasons. Sometimes, we feel we’ve done something wrong, and we want to keep it secreted deeply within our souls. Sometimes, we feel we must put a good face to the world, even when we feel horrible, hurt, embarrassed, or ashamed. Sometimes, we just feel we have no sacred worth. In all of these cases, our true nature can be obscured ...

4778. Revolutionary Rules For Living

Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... is blocked, but it soon makes a pathway round the obstacle.” Then Chambers zeros in on what this means for the Christian. “You can see God using some lives, but into your life an obstacle has come and you do not seem to be of any use. Keep paying attention to the source, and God will either take you round (it) or remove it…Never get your eyes on the obstacle or on the difficulty, but rather on God!" (Quoted in Jan Karon, Patches of Godlight) Here are some practical thoughts for patience in the midst ...

4779. Rock Stars at the Top

Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a)

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... Instead of utter chaos in society and on the individual level there is a stability and orderly conduct. People grasp what civility means. The law helps us feel secure by giving direction to life. Laws are like fences. A fence keeps those things we want safe inside and keeps unwanted distractions outside as to not harm us (Joshua 1:8). Nine of the Ten Commandments, the exception being about the sabbath, are repeated in the New Testament letters. John Witmer wrote, “…church-age believers are to live on a ...

4780. Understanding What God Expects of Us

Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)

Sermon

King Duncan

... . The man asked to talk to him. The man’s first name was David. He was thirty-two years old, although he looked much older. His clothes were filthy and he smelled horrible. As Pastor Cymbala asked him about his life, he also reached for the money clip he keeps in his back pocket. He was ready to hand over some money and send David on his way. But when David saw the money, he stopped Pastor Cymbala. He said, “I don’t want your money. I want this Jesus . . . the One you were talking about, because I’m ...

4781. A Caring Woman

Acts 9:36-43

Sermon

King Duncan

... ll just read a few quotes from her letter. She wrote, “I’ve often realized that it takes courage to care. Caring is dangerous . . . It leaves you open to hurt and to looking like a fool . . . I have found many places in my own life where I keep a secret store of indifference as a sort of self‑protection.” (4) That’s interesting, don’t you think? “A secret store of indifference.” Do you think that’s why our world seems less compassionate these days? Do you think we’ve lost the courage to ...

4782. When What You Signed Up For...

Acts 16:9-15

Sermon

King Duncan

... he would fit in. At that time, the community around his church had much poverty and many needs. But John resolved that, with God’s help, he would give his very best to this challenging situation. The church began an afterschool program for children to keep them off the streets. They began ministries to men in prison and men battling addictions. Pastor Cochran even opened his own home and invited some of these men to live with him temporarily in order to give them a fresh start in life. In an interview ...

4783. A Day of Passion, Praise and Prophesying

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... to share with our family and friends and neighbors and co-workers and random strangers and everyone. Share it with your words. Share it with your actions. Share it with your life. God didn’t pour out the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, so we could keep God’s glory and power and love and truth inside these four walls. A Franciscan friar from the 14th century once said, “There is little good in filling churches with people who go out exactly the same as they came in; the call of the Church is ...

4784. Amazing Grace

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

Will Willimon

... careless judge. Luke says that Jesus told that parable to show that people, ''Ought to pray always and not lose heart.'' We are to keep at prayer, just like that widow. That parable urges us to act in a certain way. Other parables (I think most of them) do ... God. Let God do for you. As I said, I think we good people, we church people, we don't much care for this story. We keep wanting Jesus to say, ''I've come to gather the good, to reward the righteous. All you high spiritual achievers get in line over at ...

4785. The Unlocked Brain

John 20:19-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... you, to release the hurt and fear that paralyzes you, to restore your faith in yourself, in God, and in others. For Jesus is King of resurrections. He is risen. And he can raise you too, not just in your death, but in your living. May God bless you and keep you, and may Christ live within your heart, keeping you free of fear and doubt, and endowing you with faith to move mountains and love to move others.

4786. Feed My Sheep

John 21:1-19

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... my friend Larry, try to do anything but tell the truth. Instead, we are fed platitudes about getting the government’s hand out of your pocket, which is untrue and meaningless. And after wading through lie after lie, you fall down faint from confusion and dismay and you keep asking, again, and again. Why do we have enough money for death, but not for the things that improve and give life? Why? Why? Why? Ah. I am seeing a glimmer of recognition on faces around the room. You do know it, don’t you? It’s ...

4787. Christianity: A Worldly Religion That Makes Sure That Even Animals Matter

Revelation 5:11-14

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... nose out of politics and all this stuff about polluting the environment. A 2016 Pew Research Center poll found that nearly 1 in 2 of us (47%) feels this way about the church keeping out of politics. And a 2017 poll by Pew found that just over 1 in 2 of us (55%) rank ecological destruction as a major problem. We have had a president who does not want Americans to do much about it (such as Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Accord). ...

4788. Rejoice: Hints Of Heaven Are Here On Earth!

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... and before the Lamb of God (standing before Jesus Christ). This great crowd was not silent. No, the crowd wasn’t silent. It was busy singing praises to God and rejoicing, busy creating new good along with God. Recall, it is God’s nature as Yahweh to keep on creating new good. And he will not quit that habit in heaven, as we noted. Our lesson continues. The author of Revelation notices a special group in the great crowd, those who are clothed in white. He learns that they are martyrs, who died for their ...

4789. Acres of Diamonds

1 Timothy 6:10

Sermon

Russell Conwell

... there an opportunity so great for the poor man to get rich as there is now and in the city of Philadelphia. The very fact that they get discouraged is what prevents them from getting rich. That is all there is to it. The road is open, and let us keep it open between the poor and the rich. I know that the labor unions have two great problems to contend with, and there is only one way to solve them. The labor unions are doing as much to prevent its solving as are capitalists today, and there are positively ...

4790. Christian: Don’t Get So Hung Up On Churchy Things!

Revelation 21:10, 22--22:5

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... with three gods. And you can’t stress his unity to the point that no real distinction is made between the three persons. You have to have it both ways. Same with the idea that Christ is both divine and human, but still one. You want to keep those two natures of Jesus distinct. But you can’t stress that so much that you wind up with two different people living inside Jesus’ body. The unity of Jesus’ person must be protected, but not to the point of abolishing the distinctions between his divine and ...

4791. How to Pray

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... the village.” The father pointed toward the horizon. “Do you see the trail as far as the big tree down there?” “Yes, I can see it that far.” “When you get to that tree, you’ll see the trail a little farther ahead. Just keep walking and you’ll see the next leg of the trail. Just keep following what you see, and you’ll be in the village before you know it.” (5) There is so much in this life that we don’t understand, that we can’t anticipate, that we can’t control. It’s easy to get ...

4792. Graciousness and Grumbling

Matthew 20:1-15

Sermon

Will Willimon

... right so right will be dealt to us in life. Do what Jesus says, read your Bibles daily, say a little prayer for good luck, keep your nose clean, and you'll do well. That's religion. But what does Jesus say? Let me tell you a little story . A man ... is as it should be. Tit for tat. Cause-effect. Labor-wages. Study-grade s. Yet…just enough of those shirkers DO get by to keep us conscientious ones wondering: What if Jesus was right when he noted that God “makes his rain to fall upon the heads of the good ...

4793. The Steady March Forward

Luke 9:51-62

Sermon

Dave Zuchelli

... had they known what was coming. A less likely scenario might be one where they kidnap Jesus themselves in order to keep him from going into the city. However wild that may sound, it’s unlikely simply because he would still have gone ... try to put our hand to the plow, and virtually every one of us looks back from time to time. I know I do. The only thing that keeps many of us headed toward Jerusalem is the promised kingdom. Were it not for that promise, many (if not all) of us would turn and run. We’d ...

4794. The Dare Prayer

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... ” the impact of what Jesus was saying with the prayer he asks his disciples to pray. So let’s take a journey into the original Greek and take a look at Jesus’ famous prayer: “When you pray, he said, say this:” Heavenly Father of all of us, help us to keep your name holy [revere and honor you]. Let [may] your kingdom come to us and your will [not ours] be carried out here on earth, just as it is in heaven. Give us each day the bread we need, and forgive us our sins, to the degree that we forgive ...

4795. Bigger, Better, Basta!

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... can store up everything he has. Now, it’s clear from this that he doesn’t need that much to feed his household. He can’t possibly eat that much in a year. But his inclination is not to share it with those who need it. He simply wants to keep it for himself, thinking he can find “rest” with all of this “stuff” he has! In the story, the Greek word for “take it easy” is actually “rest.” This is the twisty trick to Jesus’ story (and he always has one). For we all know that only God can ...

4796. Christ's Grand Entrance Song

Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)

Sermon

King Duncan

... there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all ...

4797. The Joy Of Being Found

Luke 15:1-10

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... yesterday on the train, which you did not hear.’”[1] That was the strange way in which the hymn “The Ninety and Nine” was first sung at a Moody revival meeting, a hymn based on our first parable. As we seek to understand this first parable we must keep in mind the context in which it is written. Luke had just noted that the tax collectors and sinners were coming to listen to Jesus. Also, Jesus had eaten with such people. Therefore, Luke used this parable to show that God’s love reaches out to even ...

4798. To See and Be Seen

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... , hoping that we can fill or cover up that gaping hole inside that longs to be seen, accepted, known, loved.The more we hide, the more our longing to be seen and loved gnaws at our heart and soul. When we keep ourselves from God, we also frequently keep ourselves from others, creating not only a shameful feeling inside of ourselves but a deep longing for relationship, companionship, and emotional intimacy which can come out in other less healthy ways. It takes courage to stand before God and those we ...

4799. A Trick Resurrection

Luke 20:27-38

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... ’ ‘ He spoke a little louder, “It was Friday and Mary was cryin’ her eyes out. The disciples were runnin’ in every direction, like sheep without a shepherd. But that was Friday and Sunday’s comin.’“ Some of the men we’re yelling, “Keep going. Keep going.” The preacher kept going. He picked up the volume still more and shouted, “It was Friday. The cynics were lookin’ at the world sayin’ “As things have been they shall be.” You can’t change anything in this world; you can ...

4800. If It Had Been a Snake

John 1:29-42

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... to snake bites. Tim decided to risk his own life in the hopes of creating a universal antivenom treatment that would work for all species of snake. He did that by letting poisonous snakes bite him, then recording his physical reactions to the bites. He keeps a journal detailing the effects of the bite, from mind-numbing pain to excessive swelling to hives, muscle wasting and anaphylactic shock. He has come close to death more times than he can count. One entry in his journal reads, “Since dying was no fun ...

Showing results