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 4851 to 4875 of 4977 results

4851. The Case of the Hardened Heart

John 6:1-21

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... literally cannot see further than our nose allows us, because we are rooted to a selected group of “invisible biases” that keep us seeking truth in only certain places and blocking out what does not fit into our current worldview. In our ... current line of “vision.” Why does Jesus so often speak of the ability to “see” and “hear” differently? Confirmation bias is what keeps people from seeing Jesus as who he is and his mission as different than what they’d like to believe and hope for ...

4852. Wait. Trust Me.

Exodus 20:12 · Ephesians 6:1-12 · Proverbs 22:6

Illustration

Paul Batura

... that same problem, but ‘specially difficult for a youngster, ’cause things rub off on ’em so easy. David Browne: Well, Sheriff, maybe I do look at things differently than other people. Is that wrong? I live by my wits. I’m not above bending the law now and then to keep clothes on my back or food in my stomach. I live the kind of life that other people would just love to live if they only had the courage. Who’s to say that the boy would be happier your way or mine? Why not let him decide? Sheriff ...

4853. “POW!”

Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20

Sermon

John B. Jamison

... of the stones had fallen and left a hole where a sheep might escape or something else might get in to harm them. We cut a few new branches from a thorn bush and put them on top of the wall where the old pieces had blown off. That would keep anything from trying to crawl over the wall to get in. But now it was quiet, and we watched the sheep settled safely inside the sheepfold and felt the cool night breeze begin to blow through the valley. And then, “POW!” The sky lit up. Angels appeared. Sheep started ...

4854. AAA=A

John 6:35, 41-51

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... easy to be led in other directions, even the opposite of the ways we want to go. Even Paul said, “I mean to do one thing, but I end up doing another!” Ever try to walk in a perfectly straight line. How long can you keep that up! Yet, when we intentionally keep aligning our hearts with God, we take yet another step in the right direction. Love God, love each other. So easy, and yet so hard, right! Not one of these three steps is a piece of cake, but alignment can feel especially hard! Especially staying ...

4855. Don't Worry, Be Peaceful

Philippians 4:4-7

Sermon

Scott Bryte & Kimberly Miller van Driel

... . Jesus cares about us all. Jesus is attached. The baby in the manger is proof of that. The healing, teaching, and feeding that Jesus did among us is proof of that. His willingness to face a horrible death for us and his utter refusal to let death keep him away, are proof positive that Jesus cares. Jesus is attached to us. And through Jesus, God is attached to us. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace ...

4856. A Portion of Thyself

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... been on this shift! For twenty years she had worked while others slept! She had given of herself in the darkest hours of the night. “Isn’t it a pretty stressful thing for you?” Thielicke asked her. “Don’t you ever get tired of it all? How do you keep it up, year after year?” Thielicke said she beamed at him, and this is what she told me: “Well, you see, every night that I work sets another jewel in my heavenly crown! I already have 7,175 in a row!” Thielicke said he was stunned! Suddenly his ...

4857. Scandal

Luke 22:14-23:56

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... about. The vineyard master was God. We humans are the tenants in God’s good world. God has sent representatives like prophets to keep in touch, but we reject them. And then, to put things right, God sent his son. The rest of the drama was about ... creation! It was the Son of God! The devil was in a dilemma. He did not have room for the big fish in his boat. He could keep either his current catch or toss it aside and claim the prize of the day, but he couldn’t do both. Like any great fisherman, he chose ...

4858. At the Table

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Sermon

Bonnie Bates

... invitation. It’s by the Sidewalk Prophets and titled “Come to the Table.” The lyrics are online and you may look them up. It talks about finding grace, especially when we need it the most. Clearly those lyrics remind us each that nothing can keep us from the mercy of God, nothing can keep us from the welcome of the Savior. As we focus on this Holy Week, this holiest of weeks, who are those we are excluding from our tables? Who are the others that are unwelcome in our midst? To whom do we fail to say ...

4859. Going Home – Part One: Which Me Will It Be?

Luke 4:14-21

Sermon

John B. Jamison

... , he seemed to have had two primary goals: First, to explain who Jesus was and who he became, and what it meant. Luke’s second goal was to explain what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus: who we were, who we have become, and what it meant. Keeping those things in mind might help us hear what Luke wanted us to understand about the day: after all of the things that have happened, Jesus made the trip back home. Many of us know what that is like, going back home after being away and experiencing changes in ...

4860. Swimming Against the Tide

Luke 6:27-38

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... change the person who harmed us –to make them see our way, to make them love us back. Sometimes, you have to let them go. It’s the loving thing to do. Because true love is a one-way commitment. It’s not a reciprocal given. As long as you keep someone bound to you, that person will control your reactions. The moment you let go of your anger, you have been set free. When you can love without expecting love back, you are free to set a boundary that will make sure that they can never harm you again. This ...

4861. Faith and Fury

Luke 19:28-40

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... those three years prior, and which had sustained him through a tumultuous ministry, accusations, attempted murder, and now the extremity of the trials to come. He had learned that in order to save the most, he would have to let some go. He would need to keep his eyes on the mission, not take things personally, let others be who they were determined to be, and have confidence in who he was and what God would accomplish through him. Jesus always knew he couldn’t save everyone …as much as God would like ...

4862. The Grey Zone

John 21:1-19

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... priorities.[2] Yet, without trust, risk, vulnerability, and commitment to a common future, a true relationship can never evolve. In today’s dating world, a term has surfaced to describe a relationship that lacks clarity, purpose, commitment, or goals, one that keeps its adherents in “relationship limbo”: a “situationship.”Another word for it has surfaced as well: living in the “grey zone.” The “grey zone” may feel safe for a time, but it’s not fulfilling of people’s needs or goals long ...

4863. Glowing Network

John 14:23-29

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... Jesus’ disciples needed to know on the eve of his departure. Jesus prophesied that they and we would have these times of loneliness in the world. That does not mean that either Jesus or the Father is unknowing or uncaring. It simply means that life is tough. What keeps us going in the right direction has got to be the call of eternity that assures us of a resolution which transcends all of the garbage we have to deal with now. This is the teaching of the Paraclete. It is the presence of peace that grows ...

4864. The Divine Mission

John 17:20-26

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... only seemed, however, that Fred’s inner restlessness got worse. I stepped closer to the bed and placed my hand on his forehead. I spoke directly to him the blessing he himself had pronounced over God’s people so many times: “The Lord bless you and keep you, Fred. The Lord make his face shine upon you. The Lord smile upon you and give you his peace” (Numbers 6:24-26). Immediately Fred settled peacefully, his muscles relaxing and his labored breath easing. “You can go home now, Fred,” I said. Each ...

4865. You Are the Christ....Now What About Them?

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

Will Willimon

... how we live. From what I've seen, most people do not believe in Jesus, not because they think Jesus is a fraud, but rather because they see so little of Jesus in the lives of those of us who profess to be following Jesus! One last thing to keep in mind in your encounters with people of other faiths: When Peter makes this stunning confession, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God," Jesus doesn't say to Peter, “Great! Now you have got the point, go out and arm wrestle everyone else into seeing ...

4866. Motives Matter

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... lessons he wanted them to learn, demonstrate, and impart to others. Yet, he never grew tired of trying! This is the one of the miraculous truths about God throughout the scripture and throughout our lives! God never gives up on us! God never gives up trying to keep our focus on the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Jesus. We can see Jesus’ message in the words of the disciples’ proclamation! Whenever you enter a town….cure the sick….and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you!’ This ...

4867. In Those Days: The Voice Of The Time Keeper

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... , with an extra month added to make up for the spare change of the days missed in order to make that lunar year keep time with the seasons. While we think of time as something that can be measured precisely, sliced and diced to the tiniest fraction ... by the clock, or act like your faith is dependent on your economic status, the car you drive, or what company you think you ought to keep. Instead, you can leave your sheep out in the fields and approach the King of kings and Lord of lords in the manger. You can ...

4868. God Is Like...Fire

Malachi 3:1-4 · Luke 3:1-6, 9,16-17

Sermon

Kenneth L. Gibble

... , it rages on until it burns itself out. But what is it that could rouse Yahweh to such anger? For many of the gods in ancient times, divine wrath was unpredictable. A god’s anger might blaze forth for no apparent reason. Priests had to keep bribing the gods to keep them in a good mood. But for the people of Israel, it was a different story. The wrath of their God did not blaze forth without reason or without warning. What angered Yahweh was wrong doing, injustice, great or small. Listen to the words of ...

4869. Eyes Like a Hawk

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... church, to your gatherings, and you will feel the eyes of God smiling upon you. In Numbers 6:24-26, we find a blessing that God tells Aaron and his sons to employ in order to bless the people of Israel. It goes like this: "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” May we as a congregation of disciples hold this blessing dear to our hearts, and may we bestow this blessing upon the people ...

4870. The Unknowing Evangelist

Luke 16:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... like to be a child of God and a recipient of God’s kingdom riches and grace. Evangelism, though that word has been usurped and strangled by those who would abuse its intent, is so much easier than you think. All you really need to do is keep your heart rooted in Jesus – and allow your actions to follow. As Jesus says, from where your heart is rooted, your devotion and love will flow. Imagine if your heart stayed rooted in Jesus every day of your life! Imagine the lives you will touch, and the hearts ...

4871. The Power Of Proximity

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

Jill J. Duffield

... through your clothing and hair your already physically evident and painful condition. The writer of Luke said they should keep their distance. Those ten with leprosy didn’t dare get close to Jesus, they called out for mercy from ... each time with a commitment to try and do what Jesus says? I’ve shared with some of you a quote from Will Willimon that I try to keep in the forefront of my mind when I read scripture. It is this: “How would God have me to change in order to make this text believable?”[1] ...

4872. Investing Our Inheritance

Deuteronomy 26:1-15

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... God's faithful provision for God's people and the bountiful blessings they received. There is an often-told story about an immigrant shopkeeper who had a son who continuously complained to him. The son would say, "Dad, I do not understand how you run this store. You keep your accounts payable in a cigar box. Your accounts receivable are on a spindle. All your cash is in the register. You never know what your profits are." The old man would respond by saying, "When I arrived in this land all I owned were the ...

4873. Transforming Love

Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... all the children to give personal expression to their feelings of gratitude. The little boy said that he was especially thankful for his glasses. The teacher asked him why he was thankful to have to wear glasses. Very quickly he answered, "Because they keep the boys from hitting me and the girls from kissing me." Perspective can make a huge difference, can't it? Saul began by seeing the Christians as his bitter enemies. But after his encounter with Jesus, his perspective changed. By the time Ananias ...

4874. God's Vision For The Church

Acts 11:1-18

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... spite of our fears and our lack of trust, we cannot completely restrict the Holy Spirit's work in the church. Churches are resilient. In spite of the human factor, there is also the divine factor at work in the church. The criticism expressed to Peter certainly did not keep the early church from growing. The same is true for us. God will have God's way with the church. Despite our personal agendas, it is God's purpose that will be fulfilled in the life of God's church. But there are some things we can focus ...

4875. "No Contest"

1 Kings 18:16-46

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... how truly disabled they are. Then Elijah commands, "If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him." 33 He then proposes a test to see which God they will worship. The choice they make must be clean-cut. They do not have the option to keep straddling the fence, serving God one day and Baal the next. The selections are not both, only one of two: God or Baal. These have always been the only two alternatives we've been given -- and to fail to choose God is always to choose Baal -- or some other ...

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