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 4901 to 4925 of 4977 results

4901. Skull Hill

John 12:20-36

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of pure triumph, of success, of honor. For the world glorification is winning the Super Bowl, sailing undefeated through “March Madness,” investing in something small and watching it go global like Facebook. The gospel definition of “glorification” is something quite different. Even the opposite. According to God’s providence for the redemption of this world, the moment of Jesus’ “glorification” is also the moment when — according to the world — his star isn’t rising, it is becoming a ...

4902. Turn On the Light

John 8:12-30

Sermon

James Merritt

... . Any advice at all (please!) is so appreciated. I am in a dark place right now and I don’t know how to get better.” How about this one? “I am 29. I’ve managed to hold down two retail jobs in the past six years or so, but I quit both of them due to depression and anxiety. In between these jobs I’ve spent long periods cooped up in my room just short of catatonic. Basically, I am a shut-in. I have problems with alcohol off and on. My greater family has always been very success-oriented and ...

4903. The Failure

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

James Merritt

... mile wide over how he treated her baby boy, but that is another story. Though I should have, I never tried out again. I just went and played city-league ball, but I felt like a failure. You’ve been there. You intended to finish college, but you quit. You feel like a failure. You intended to be married until, death due you part, but you divorced and you feel like a failure. You intended to remain a virgin, but you lost your virginity. You feel like a failure. You invested in a business, convinced you would ...

4904. The Reject

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

James Merritt

... public anywhere. It was considered even more undignified for a man to climb a tree, but this chief tax collector wanted to see Jesus. The question is, “Why?” Why was he so determined to see Jesus? Maybe because of the passion of Jesus. Jesus had developed quite a reputation, one very negative to a lot of people but not a guy like Zacchaeus. Here is what was being said about Jesus by the leading religious authorities of that day. “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him ...

4905. Reliable Witness

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

King Duncan

... amazing. They also tell us that our earth is rotating on its axis at 1100 miles per hour; that our earth is rotating around the sun at 481,000 mph; and that our sun and solar system are whirling into space at 57,000,000 mph. Wow! It would take quite a leap of faith to believe all that, but people I know and trust tell me it’s true, and thus I believe that, yes, it is all likely true. Furthermore, they tell us this universe is enormous. Now this isn’t mere conjecture. For four decades two Voyager space ...

4906. What Do You See?

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

James Merritt

... contact with someone.” The couple looked at the man and smiled. The woman motioned for the man to follow them as they turned to walk away. At first, the businessman hesitated. He had only seen people who looked like this on television news reports about terrorism and quite honestly he was afraid. The fear of going with someone he didn’t really know was outweighed by the fear of being with no one at all. Walking out of the airport the couple led the man to their car and drove him straight to a restaurant ...

4907. Can Two Stay One?

John 13:31-38

Sermon

James Merritt

... her. I warned her, “If I tell you I love you I am asking you to marry me.” The next night, on our second date, I told Teresa that I loved her. If I had been a comedian I would have felt great, because I don’t think she has quit laughing yet! I was serious and six months later we were married. Since the wedding we have had our problems. We have fought, pouted, and had a couple of spitting contests. We haven’t always seen eye to eye and sometimes marriage has been more of a battle then a ...

4908. When You Reach the Rejection Hotline

Acts 4:1-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... more impressed by a co-worker’s idea. Rejection. It happens to everybody. It happens to best-selling writers. Ken Taylor’s paraphrased version of the Bible which he called The Living Bible was rejected by 63 publishers. He finally self-published it. Quite unexpectedly, The Living Bible became one of the biggest bestsellers of all time. The Diary of Anne Frank, a book that has inspired millions, was rejected 15 times and called “very dull” by one publisher. Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield ...

4909. Paradise Lost

Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

James Merritt

... and say, “I am going to obey the speed-limit, because I want to make this world a better and a safer place to live in.” Do you know what motivates us to obey the speed limit? It is a little piece of paper called “a ticket.” The day police quit writing tickets is the day you may as well take the speed limit signs down. This serpent is crafty. He knows in order to get Eve to do what she shouldn’t do he’s got to get her to distrust God’s goodness and God’s motives. “For God ...

4910. It's All Good

Revelation 21:1-27

Sermon

James Merritt

... chapters talk about the creation of heaven and earth and now the last two chapters talk about the restoration of a new heaven and a new earth. Eugene Peterson who wrote the translation called “The Message”, puts it this way. “The biblical story began quite logically with a beginning and now it draws to an end…also with a beginning. The sin-ruined creation of Genesis is restored in the sacrifice renewed creation of Revelation. The product of these beginning and ending acts of God are the same, ‘The ...

4911. Shockproof

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

James Merritt

... simple. If you have any bitter feelings toward somebody – get rid of them. Are you still mad and upset at someone, because of what they did to you? Stop it. Do you still find yourself sometimes hanging people by their toenails in hot acid? Well, quit it. You may be thinking to yourself, “Well, that is easy for Paul to say” when it really wasn’t, because when Paul wrote these words he was sitting in a Roman cell unjustly incarcerated, unfairly treated and eventually would lose his life for telling ...

4912. Waiting Is So Hard to Do

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... of gasoline can be experienced in two different ways. It can be unleashed, or it can be harnessed. Suppose I were to drop a lighted match in a ten gallon barrel of gasoline. What will happen at that point? I would probably die. Ten gallons of gas can produce quite an explosion. On the other hand, suppose I were to pour that ten gallons of gas into the gas tank of my car. Then, depending on the fuel efficiency of my car, I might be able to drive hundreds of miles. Dropping a lighted match into a barrel of ...

4913. Have You Had Your Caffeine Today?

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit. I want the Holy Spirit to be experienced in our church. If any generation ever needed God’s power in order to provide a witness to their generation, it is the church today. Our society is slipping quite rapidly from being at least tolerant of Christians to being somewhat antichristian. Have you noticed a change, for example, on our television networks? Shows that use to be generally supportive of faith are now openly mocking it. While they exploit sex and violence in ...

4914. Dealing with Cantankerous People

Ephesians 4:30-5:2

Sermon

King Duncan

... from her first workout, Mark asked her how it went. “Awful,” was her immediate response. “Terrible. I think I’m the worst runner in the world. The other people in the club run three times faster than I do. They run; I just waddle. Maybe I should quit the club.” “It can’t be that bad,” Mark said, trying to be reassuring. “Give it another try. I’m sure it will be better.” So Nancy went back, but she returned just as discouraged as before. Still trying to be positive, Mark told Nancy he ...

4915. No Turning Back

John 6:60-71

Sermon

King Duncan

... Sears Tower. I put my suitcases down, and I looked up at the Tower and I said to myself, ‘I’m going to conquer Chicago.’ When I looked down . . . the suitcases were gone.” (1) What a way to begin a boxing career. But Tillis did not quit. He didn’t accomplish all he set out to accomplish, but he was no quitter. Some of the people who followed Jesus were disappointed. As we’ve noted before, they were expecting one kind of Messiah, but Jesus introduced them to a different kind of Messiah altogether ...

4916. Poem: In Memoriam

Eulogy

Alfred Lord Tennyson

... golden hours? First love, first friendship, equal powers, That marry with the virgin heart. Still mine, that cannot but deplore, That beats within a lonely place, That yet remembers his embrace, But at his footstep leaps no more, My heart, tho’ widow’d, may not rest Quite in the love of what is gone, But seeks to beat in time with one That warms another living breast. Ah, take the imperfect gift I bring, Knowing the primrose yet is dear, The primrose of the later year, As not unlike to that of Spring ...

4917. Moving On Up

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

King Duncan

... any field? Learn to serve. Note this: In the Greek, Mark uses the word “diakonos” for servant and not “doulos,” which can also be interpreted as slave. The word “diakonos” suggests one who attends to the needs of others freely and willingly. This is quite in contrast to “doulos” which refers to one who acts in servitude and under obligation and compulsion. This is an important distinction. We are to serve God and others freely and joyfully out of a sense of love and not a sense of obligation ...

4918. Wanna Fight?

Mark 9:38-41

Sermon

King Duncan

... of clergy decided, as did others around the state, that something must be done. After attempts at persuasion, it was decided in their church to confront the issue head on with a press conference, which surprisingly got a lot of press. Afterward, local realtors were quite angry and one called Dr. Porter the very next day. “Why didn’t you consult with us before you went to the press?” asked the realtor. A little intimated, Dr. Porter could only reply, “Why didn’t you first check with the religious ...

4919. How God Looks at Marriage

Mark 10:2-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... Not a word,” her mother affirmed. Well, she thought it was certainly worth a try. The loving couple was finally married in a beautiful ceremony. Not forgetting the advice each had received, he with his perpetual socks and she with her morning silence, they managed quite well. That is, until about six months later. Shortly before dawn, the husband woke with a start to find that one of his socks had come off. Fearful of the consequences, he frantically searched the bed. This, of course, woke his bride, who ...

4920. When Is Enough...Enough?

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... they possessed or how many opportunities they once had.” (3) Of course, the ultimate decision is what or who will you worship? Once you decide to worship the God revealed to us in Jesus of Nazareth, then all the other important decisions can be made quite readily. If you choose instead to worship an idol--whether wealth or comfort or work or any other temporal god--then life becomes much more complicated and the end result will only be sadness. That is not the message of our culture, but it is Christ ...

4921. A Man with No Name

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

King Duncan

... like this, there are just three ways out of it--there is drink, there is despair, and there is God. By [God’s] grace, the last is for me.” (3) Some of you know what he was talking about. It is so easy to give in to despair and depression. Quite often the only thing that keeps us going is our faith in God. So it was for the man with no name, known only as the son of Timaeus. He refused to give into despair. Instead he called out to Jesus and he was healed. What good news that is ...

4922. What Kind of King Is This?

John 18:28-40

Sermon

King Duncan

... cynical question, “What is truth?” But Pilate was in no hurry to pass judgment on Jesus. In truth, he could find no fault in him. It was Pilate who tried to bargain with the crowd by asking them to choose between Jesus and Barabbas. Finally he quite literally washed his hands of Jesus. But the story has an interesting ending. When it was clear that the mob would have its way, Pilate had Jesus brought forward and said, “Here is your king,” But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify ...

4923. A Cry in the Dark

Luke 21:25-36

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... , he shouted, "Oh God! Must we all die?" Certainly there are times when each of us goes through that agony. It's one thing to experience trouble and torment when you've been living an ungodly existence. You know that you're getting what you deserve. But it's quite another thing to be close to God and still to feel such pain and frustration each day. The specter of death bumps against us in the marketplace. If we run for cover, it follows us right into the caves of refuge. Too often we wear Van Raalte's tear ...

4924. The Joy of a Thankful Heart

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... . How happiness must have traveled throughout the region. Ten lepers healed in one day. The story, however, is not finished. Luke tells us that one of those lepers, who happened to be one of the hated Samaritans, returned to thank Jesus. Apparently, our Lord was quite disappointed in the behavior of the others for he commented on it. "Were there not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they?" (v. 17). Personally, I don't like to be too critical of the other nine. After all, do they not represent ...

4925. The Wrong Gift

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... Caesar Augustus, the mighty Roman emperor who brooded over the world at the time of Jesus' birth, and Christ himself. All who saw what Caesar looked like never expected him to gain exalted position in society. Here is how those who knew him described him: He is quite short; he has such sensitive skin that he dares not be out in the sun too long — and never without his head covered; he walks with a limp; his right hand fails him from time to time, so he rarely uses it; bladder stones cause him daily ...

Showing results