Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: captured, trapped, catch, took, arrested, grabbed, taken, seized, stuck, apprehended, picked up, entangled, nabbed, jammed, abducted, acquired, got, bagged, gotten, netted, cornered, appropriated, tangled, snared, ensnared

Antonyms: free, freed, unconfined, loose, unrestrained, set free, uncuffed, emancipated, enfranchised, released, ambiguous, flaccid, let go, discharged, unbound, uncaged, unchained, unfettered, unleashed, unshackled, untied, avoided, discounted, disregarded, missed

Showing 26 to 50 of 2233 results

26. The Womb of Amazing Grace

John 4:5-42

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... . He decided that he should check to see if something might be wrong below the soil. He found a stick and began to dig some holes in the soil. Fortunately for him, he had not been doing that too long when his dad came to check on his garden and caught the youngster digging. "Son, what on earth are you doing?" the dad asked. "I'm checking to see why we don't have any peas yet," the lad replied. The dad had to exercise some restraint, which he did as he patiently began to instruct his little boy that some ...

27. Country Songs and Easter Hymns

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

Thomas Long

... field in the late innings of hopeless games. The foul ball was arching directly toward this boy's outstretched hand, but suddenly, a man of about 35 wearing an expensive knit shirt and horn-rimmed glasses reached over the boy, jostling him aside, and caught the ball. In the jostle, the plastic binoculars were broken, and the boy, despite his mother's comfort, was clearly crushed. Everybody in the left field stands had seen this, and, after a second or two of stunned silence, someone shouted, "Give the kid ...

28. Step Eleven - Spirituality

Mt 26:36-46 · 1 Thess 5:12-22 · Ps 25:1-15

Sermon

John A. Terry

... struggles to get out, the more it becomes entangled. The plea is for God to help get us out of this tangled net. Maybe we got caught up on the way to the drinking place, or somewhere else we may have gone out of habit, probably innocently. But we got tangled up, and ... our own, the worse it got. The psalmist is trying to strike a deal with God to get him out of what he has gotten caught in. Recall Jacob's dream at Bethel, and how Jacob tried to bargain with God. Jacob said that if God would give him clothes and ...

29. That All-Pervasive Snake

Genesis 2:4-25, Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

Joann Hary

... know what the "IF ONLY" is? Yet we succumb to temptation anyway. We know that IF we drink too much, we will be drunk. We know that IF we punch someone else, we are liable to get punched back. We know that when we cheat, we are likely to get caught. We know that when we put ourselves in dangerous situations, we will suffer the consequences. Yet somehow, just like Adam and Eve, we take a bite of the apple. There is one thing for sure, when you hear someone spout, "What can I say, I am ONLY human!" they have ...

30. Breakfast in Galilee

John 21:1-14

Sermon

Robert Allen

... invited them to a breakfast along the shore of Galilee by saying, "Come and dine." Apparently, Jesus had prepared this meal with his own hands. He had used hot coals to build a good fire. He had baked some bread. He used some of the fish they caught and Jesus cooked a breakfast for these tired and hungry disciples that fed their bodies and nourished their souls. Now, why is this story about Jesus cooking breakfast in Galilee here? There are, of course, many reasons suggested. Today, I want us to look at and ...

31. Hid in God

Isaiah 49:1-7

Sermon

... away in Babylon? They wondered if God had forgotten them. Isaiah’s reply was that they were not forgotten. God was with them. They had needed a period of hiding, and they had needed a period of running away. Why? So they could be found and so they could be caught. God had hidden them away until the appropriate time. Isaiah went on. "Listen to me," he said. "The Lord God called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named me. He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid ...

32. "Gone Fishing!"

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... afternoon Papa took me with him to a nearby pond to do a little fishing. I was just learning to use a rod and reel. Papa caught a little bass weighing about half a pound. Then he had to leave for prayer meeting. He asked me if I wanted to stay a ... return from prayer meeting and see my three and a half pound bass. Mama took a picture of us, Papa holding that puny little fish he caught beside my monster of the deep. I can show you the picture at home as living proof. Of course, I was hooked for life. Luke’s ...

33. Peter’s Net

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Richard F. Bansemer

... did Jesus know about this lake and this profession? It was bad enough for Jesus to tell Peter to go fishing, after the nets had been cleaned and he was through for the night, but to go out into the deep, in the daytime, was just too much. Fish were caught in the shallows at night as the fish fed! Every youngster in those villages knew that much, but Jesus says, "Out into the deep. Put down the nets." Peter still does not believe, but he doesn’t dare be disobedient. It’s one thing to doubt. It is yet ...

34. God Is a Giver

Sermon

James Bjorge

... harsh words for the Pharisees who were dedicated in giving gifts at the temple and throwing alms to the poor. It bugged Jesus because they were doing it for display. They wanted to be seen by their peers and wanted to be praised for their generosity. We still get caught in this trap of giving for show. Sometimes a man might buy his wife a corsage as they are going out for the evening, but he would not think of buying a big bouquet for the dining room table. Why? Well, everyone will see the corsage and will ...

35. OUR LORD RISEN

Sermon

E. Jerry Walker

... I do not know where they have laid him." The men turned to the tomb, and as they walked toward it, the early light caught their white robes and through her tears it seemed they were luminescent, a dazzling white. When the men had looked into the tomb ... , she saw it was John, the beloved of the master, and close behind was Peter. As John came to her she put out her hand, caught his robe and restrained him, and laughing through her tears she cried, "I have seen the Lord! I have seen the Lord!" When Peter came ...

36. "Job" Is Our Name Too

Job 6:1-7:21

Sermon

Richard L. Eslinger

... take a quick turn for the better. And in response to Job’s questioning as to why the universe works this way, his friendly advisers assure him that God’s ways are beyond knowing. After spending days explaining to Job how the divine machine works and why he got caught in it, they piously report that God is a mystery. But for Job, this explanation is untrue. He has not sinned, and yet he suffers. He knows this, and we know it too. Now what is odd here is that we hear the argument of Job’s friends and ...

37. Human Nature Revisited

2 Samuel 18:1-18

Sermon

Roger Prescott

... I like the way the Bible writer says And Absalom chanced to meet the servants of David. - 2 Samuel 18:9 In the forest of Ephraim a battle was fought between David’s loyal men and Absalom’s rebels. Riding through the forest on his mule, Absalom was caught (maybe by his long hair) in the branches of a great oak tree. He was left helplessly hanging when his mule ran out from under him. David’s commander Joab found him in this situation and slew the young traitor, knowing that an enemy of the king surely ...

38. A New Perspective

Deuteronomy 7:1-26

Sermon

Gregory J. Johanson

... an allegory he wrote for his wife Nancy. (See VOICES: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy, Summer, 1979, "A Boy and His Kite.") In it he attempts to help us understand the shift in frame of reference, or the mind’s imagination, that is involved with our being caught up in "faith" or "belief." Most of you here are old enough to remember what it was like to ride trains. Maybe you’ve had the same experience I’ve had. You would be relaxed in your seat waiting for the train to start, idly looking out the ...

39. One-Fired Up Preacher!

2 Kings 2:1-18

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... not the grave but a graduation into glory. Everybody’s favorite Psalm speaks of walking “through the darkest valley,” not of being caught in it. Moreover, you will recall that David, the psalmist, says that when that moment comes he will “fear no evil; for ... ’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. — 1 Thessalonians ...

40. What the Maid Said to the Fisherman

Mark 14:66-72, Mark 14:53-65

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... when he was seven. He quit school at age 10 and went to sea with his father at age 11. At 18 he was “impressed,” compelled by force to enlist on a British man-of-war. He was en route to becoming an officer when he deserted, was caught, was whipped publicly, and put in irons. Before long, he found himself on a slave ship, almost a slave himself. Eventually he became captain of a slave ship. But then he came under the influence of English evangelist George Whitefield, and finally became a clergyman in the ...

41. A Forgiving Presence

John 7:45--8:11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... in a no win situation. If he elects to show mercy on this woman and free her, he will be clearly disobeying the Jewish law, for the law was that any person caught in the act of adultery had to be stoned. But if he doesn’t intervene, and not condemn her or prevent her condemnation, he is caught in what we down in Mississippi used to call a double whammy. If he doesn’t do that, then he is going against everything that he has been teaching about compassion and forgiveness. The problem is clear, but Jesus ...

42. Which End Is Up?

Ephesians 3:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... repeated the process over-and-over again until soon he had captured a dozen fish. The two fishermen watching were flabbergasted. Finally one of them approached the lad and said, “Young man, we’ve been here now for more than three hours and haven’t caught a single fish. You’ve caught at least a dozen in just a few minutes. What’s your secret?” The boy mumbled an answer but the man didn’t catch a word of it. Then he noticed a large bulge under the boy’s left cheek. “Take the bubble gum out ...

43. The Sin of Robin Hood

Exodus 20:15

Sermon

James Merritt

... nation full of Robin Hoods. USA Today magazine ran an article entitled, "How Honest are Americans?" The article began this way: Is stealing as American as apple pie? How honest is the average person? Would you steal if you knew for sure you wouldn't get caught? Did you ever feel you would be justified in stealing from your employer? Have you ever felt that the temptation to steal can be just too strong to resist? Anyone looking for an honest man or woman in the US today would have lots of problems according ...

44. Sex and the City

Exodus 20:14

Sermon

James Merritt

... person or just watching fifteen minutes on the internet won't hurt. Staying in this solaces chat room for awhile is just a little titillating fun. Then comes the transaction where before you know it, you have either wound up in someone else's bed or your mind has been caught in a spider's web of pornography that you can't get out of. I know what some of you are thinking right now, so listen to this verse. "So be careful! If you are thinking 'I would never behave like that - let this be a warning to you for ...

45. Fish and Sheep

John 21:15-25, John 21:1-14

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... relates his will and ways through common and ordinary means. Who didn't know what a fish was? Yes, and who didn't know a sheep when he/she saw one? Additionally, the Psalm 23 was deeply engrained in those who called themselves religious Jews. To have caught the scene(s) on videotape might be something all of us wished could have happened. Obviously, that didn't happen, at least, as we understand those things. Perhaps in heaven it will be played back to us in all its magnificence but there is no need to ...

46. A Stone’s Throw From: New Life

John 8:3-12

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... have the light of life." Just to make things clear, A posse of self-righteous, vigilante Pharisees, dragged a poor woman to Jesus. They had caught her in the very act of cheating on her husband. But the Scripture says they did it in order to test Jesus and trap him. ... his past and into the light of a New Life. As the person God created him to be. B. That is exactly what Jesus told this woman caught in sin; this woman used as a pawn to trap him. "It's time for you to come on out the shadows. It's time for ...

47. You Can't Fool God: Ananias and Sapphira

Acts 4:33 - 5:11

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... from ourselves it sets us up for a giant fall. Which would be more embarrassing? Admitting you have a problem and seeking help? Or having the problem and the fact that you've been trying to hide it and lying about it suddenly being discovered by everyone when you get caught. The truth is, the one who it matters to the most, God, already knows about the problem. You can't fool God. And when you try, you're only fooling yourself. The best thing to do is get rid of the guilt. Get rid of the lie. Get rid of ...

48. Catch of the Day

Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 4:12-17

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... , said he would accept only hard cash. So Steve Wozniak and Steven Jobs did without the chrome, fixed up their booth, and kept the stock in Apple Computer to themselves. Presumably, Jim Egan is still decorating booths for hard cash. (1) But I'll bet he wishes he had caught onto the dream of those two young men. Just like the IBM official who told a young Bill Gates, "Why would anyone want to have a computer on their desk?" We have to have dreams don't we. We may even need dreams before we can catch a Vision ...

49. The Elephant in The Living Room

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

John Smylie

... out how to have a relationship with a girl. Yet, at times, he acted very foolishly and his foolish behavior was more glorified than seen as a cry for help among his peers and his family. He'd once been busted for driving naked. Fortunately for him, the policeman who caught him simply told him to go home, to get off the road. Had he been a few years older he likely would have wound up in jail as a sex offender. The year before Luke's death, his best friend took his own life. One year later, on his friend ...

50. They Are Biting

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... fish. As they drive home, they are both really depressed. One turns to the other and says, "Do you realize that this one lousy fish we caught cost us $1,500?" "Wow!" says the other, "It's a good thing we didn't catch any more!" Another one. A cold winter day. An ... . "Son," he said, "I have been here for over an hour without even a nibble. You have been here only a few minutes and have caught a half dozen fish! How do you do it?" The boy responded, "Roo raf roo reep ra rums rarrm." "What was that?" the old man ...

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