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 676 to 700 of 4977 results

676. Christmas Preparations We Often Forget

Isaiah 35:1-10

Sermon

Robert Beringer

... Christ entered our world, nothing has ever been the same again. Our relationship with God is different. Our call to be a part of Christ's mission in the world is different. Our understanding of what is truly lasting and important is different. The world has never quite been the same place since God's Messiah came among us. There is an old Christmas story that reminds us of what our world would be like if Jesus Christ had not come. It is about a little boy on Christmas Eve who hurriedly checks his stocking ...

677. What Is God Like?

Isaiah 63:7--64:12

Sermon

Robert Beringer

... sin, Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd, Much like the old violin. A "mess of pottage," a glass of wine; A game - and he travels on. He's "going" once and "going" twice, He's "going" and "almost gone." But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd Never can quite understand The worth of a soul, and the change that's wrought By the touch of the Master's hand. As we finish another year and prepare to enter into a new one, many of our lives need that touch of the Master's hand. The God about whom Isaiah ...

678. Forgiving the Bully

Matthew 5:38-42, Matthew 5:43-48

Sermon

John Jamison

... like those people who just aren't likable, who do everything possible to push you away. Later on he even suggests that when we have parties it is more important to invite our enemies than our friends. I'm sure he wasn't talking about birthday parties. I am quite sure that someone like Les has to be the exception. Hey, if you get your exceptions, I get mine! We all make them, don't we? We all remember Jesus' words about enemies, but we also know that there are some enemies that fall outside the rules. We all ...

679. Watching The Eyes

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

John Jamison

... but as far as God is concerned, that won't pay for that cup of coffee you got sitting in front of you." He went on for quite some time, made his way from one table to the next, even the big round one in the back where the Pharisees sat at their weekly ... I find myself asking. I really wonder who this is that has come to be baptized by my hands. I want to recognize him, and am never quite sure I will. Is this child a president, or maybe a doctor or teacher? Is this child a mother, or a father, or maybe even a ...

680. God Forsaken

Mark 15:21-32

Sermon

Erskine White

... lapel and let it go at that? What do you do when you reach the valleys of life, and how do you survive the darkest nights of the soul? How do you go on when all you want to do is lie down and quit? Some people find strength in stubbornness. They are simply too stubborn to quit. They grit their teeth and say, "I must hold on" - and that's all they know how to do. Some people are driven by a fear of failure. They don't want to be the kind of person who gives up. Faced with the ...

681. For One Who Came to Faith While Dying

John 14:1-4

Eulogy

Palmer L. Gedde

... example, there are some folk, and some of you here today might be counted among this group, who believe that God created the world but then went off into some far corner of the universe to let the world run by itself. God is, therefore, a long ways away and quite unconcerned for us, or the events of the world, as we trudge along life's road. There may be others among you who think of God as a kindly old doting grandfather, just waiting in the wings to be asked so that he can share some of his celestial ...

682. Giving

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

Brett Blair

... here. These are my people. These are the ones my Lord has given me to love." "Do you ever get tired? Do you ever feel like quitting and letting someone else take over your ministry? After all, you are beginning to get older." "Oh, no," she replied, "this is where the Lord ... . Jesus had just been watching the Pharisees in their giving practices. Now, we are talking big bucks. And they were quite open about their giving. Everyone knew their giving record; indeed, they made a point that everyone knew it. It was ...

683. A Body Strike

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Children's Sermon

Tim Carpenter

... to see the piano ... she had to stop ... the child's feet decided that they didn't want to work anymore. The feet thought to themselves, "The arms and hands get more attention than we do, and it's just not fair." So they just quit working. Instruct the child to act as though her feet quit working, and to sit down. Now the child could not get to the piano. The rest of the body asked the feet to work, because the eyes wanted to see the keys on the piano. And the hands wanted to touch the keys, and the ...

684. The Prize

Philippians 3:13-14

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

... or after all of the games are over? (response) Correct, you receive it after the games have been played. Do you get the trophy if you quit after the first game, or do you have to practice every day and play all the games and make it to the end of the ... Christian? (response) Yes, heaven. One day, our jobs as Christians will be through here. But if we have been faithful, if we haven't quit, if we've practiced hard, if we have the Bible and believed in Jesus Christ, then we will receive the trophy of life from ...

685. Time and Timing

Habakkuk 1:12--2:1, Habakkuk 1:1-4

Sermon

Paul W. F. Harms

... faith, the Jew first, but the Greek also - because here is revealed God's way of righting wrong, a way that starts from faith and ends in faith: as the Scripture says, 'He who is righteous by faith shall live.' " (Romans 16:17) And again, "But now, quite independently of law, God's justice has been brought to life. The law and the prophets both bear witness to it; it is God's way of righting wrong, effective through faith in Christ for all who have faith - all, without distinction. For all alike have sinned ...

686. L. T.: The Lonely Terrestrial

Drama

Edward Long

... been sent down by Medial Scooter to investigate the sender of these signals ... LEE: But you ... you look just like one of us earth folk ... Pleased to meet you. (Extends his hand.) VISITOR: (Pulls back in fear.) No, don't try to touch me. I am quite different in body-type and appearance than you. Under this "Cloaking Disguise" I can speak and understand you and your people by engaging a trans-terpreter box. My "skin," as you call it, and yours would not feel good to either of us I presume ... (Approaches ...

687. Here Comes The King

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

George Bass

... less than Jesus deserved, what about the identification of Jesus? According to Luke, it was the small band of the disciples who proclaimed Jesus' claim to the crown of Israel. Without their quoting of scripture, the so-called "triumphal entrance" of Jesus would have been quite silent. Luke's story emphasizes: "As he was now drawing near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen ...

688. No Room In The Inn

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Brett Blair

... that Jesus destroyed a herd of swine to heal him. That was hitting them right where it hurt--in the pocket book. It was quite clear to them that if Jesus stayed around the local economy would be disrupted. What they wanted was business as usual and not some ... we don't know, but I would like to venture a guess. I suspect that the conversation went something like this: Jesus, our lives were doing quite well before you came into town. We don't think that we need you, and we know that we don't want you. So Jesus, ...

689. Exasperating Grace

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

Johnny Dean

... after being kicked out of a church after he preached on the grace of God, wrote to a friend, "There is no more repugnant Christian doctrine than the affirmation that we are saved by the grace of God through faith." God gave up on salvation by the book and quit keeping score about 2,000 years ago, gathered up all our IOUs, marked them "paid in full," and nailed them to the cross of Calvary. The only way to "get saved" is to accept the invitation to the party, to forget about our accounting and let God be as ...

690. Been Fishin' Lately?

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

Johnny Dean

... caught two outstanding fish. He was honored for his excellent catch, and immediately a nationwide tour was scheduled so that he could visit all the big meetings and tell how he did it. So he quit fishing at once in order to have time to tell others about the experience. He was also placed on the Fishermen’s General Board, which consumed quite a bit of his time, so much so that he had no time at all for fishing. Now it’s true that many of the fishermen made personal sacrifices and put up with all kinds ...

691. Don't That Just Beat All?

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

Johnny Dean

... pains your spouse had was a heart attack or something else. Suddenly, the door to the trauma unit opens and the doctor walks out. “I have good news,” he says. “Your spouse’s sins have been forgiven. God loves both of you very much.” Somehow that’s not quite what you wanted to hear. I mean, it’s nice to know that, but what does it have to do with curing the problem? Isn’t this typical of our attitude toward God’s forgiveness? If I’m sick, what do I care about forgiveness? I just want to ...

692. Making Christmas Last

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

Brett Blair

... morning after. Well, perhaps we feel a little that way. Perhaps we felt somewhat let down. If you feel that way it is quite understandable. Over the past weeks our emotions have been wound tighter than a toy doll. Our festivities have led up to near ... to believe in a God who comes to earth to bring peace for all mankind. None of us would object to God doing that. It is quite another to have faith in a God who gives peace only to those whom he chooses, or those he is happy with. But, my dear friends, here ...

693. That All-Pervasive Snake

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

Sermon

Joann Hary

... it." Then, of course, there are the many stories, such as the one about the church billboard that said, "If you desire to be done with sin, come on in." As the people read more closely, they discovered that someone had written in lipstick, "But if you are not quite sure, call 555-5271." What is original sin? Who is the tempter? Or temptress? Is it really a snake? Does the devil still prowl around in this world? Where does it all start? How does it get into our minds, even when we are a very young age? You ...

694. Service -- Rahab and Mary of Bethany

John 12:1-11

Drama

Martha L. Leach

... Rahab Mary Narrator: Tonight Rahab, the Canaanite, meets Mary of Bethany. Their means of "service" were quite different, but each served in her own way. Each of us has some way or ways ... Messiah is of the house and lineage of David. Rahab: I don't understand, Mary. You mean the Messiah has come? Mary: Oh, yes. And he visited in my home quite often. My sister, Martha, and brother, Lazarus, were also close friends of his. He thought of our home as his - a place to recuperate from his busy and often stressful ...

695. Oh, Lord, It's Hard To Be Humble

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

Johnny Dean

... prayer. We come with our hands clenched and full, so it’s understandable that we go back home empty. The hard truth of prayer is that you quite often get exactly what you ask for. Like the Pharisee, we don’t always ask for God’s mercy, so we don’t get it. Now ... that way – some of them work and some of them don’t, and I never know which way it’s going to turn out, and quite frankly, I’m surprised any of them do!) It’s not for us to know when we will go home "made righteous." All we know ...

696. The Children

Drama

William Grimbol

... : Some say he does. JOHN: A leper? What is a leper? KEITH: A person with big ugly spots all over, like you are going to have in a minute if you don't shut-up. PETER: Quit acting silly. You know what a leper is. JOHN: I wasn't sure. Okay! So now I know. JULIE: He cures lepers. Sure he does. JENA: My father is quite educated, as you know ... KEITH: As you let everyone know. JENA: ... and he says that Jesus is just using all kinds of tricks, magic, and that kind of thing, to try and get a big ...

697. The Youth

Drama

William Grimbol

... Elijah, who knows? If he is the Messiah, we will all know about it soon enough. It just doesn't affect me. I could care less. MEGHAN: Quit being so in control ... such a boring rock. DEAN: Knock it off! I didn't say you had to agree with me, I just said that is ... felt so good about finally being a good person ... sharing something ... they forgot they were hungry. JOLIE: Whatever the case, it was quite an experience. SUE: Don't let my parents know we went. JOLIE: I won't. I think mine were probably there, too ...

698. The Invisible God?

Colossians 1:15-23, Colossians 1:1-14

Sermon

Johnny Dean

... great king descended from the lineage of David, the greatest king in the history of Israel. And in that promise, the people of Israel found hope and a reason to endure the hardships that came their way. But Jesus, riding into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey, wasn’t quite what they had in mind. "THIS is a king?" On the other hand, the lectionary reading from Colossians is not exactly a study in humility, is it? As I began studying this excerpt from Paul’s letter to the early church at Colossae, I had some ...

699. Vacillation - Pontius Pilate

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... . The Jews. They are radical about being ruled. Some of them are Zealots who would revolt if I was not firm. They are quite particular about their religious customs. They are fanatic about belief in their God. God. We Romans have gods too. I believed in them ... I could see how foolish these ideas of divinity really are. Men just make the gods after their own images. My wife Procula has always been quite religious, but faith in the gods is not for me. I'm a man of action. Action. I am a man of action. When I was ...

700. In Quest of a Treasure

James 1:1-18

Sermon

Larry Powell

... us if the Almighty must depend upon the Church or any other institution to certify his credentials. Then too, the battle with the "death of God" people was unnecessary because if God should indeed become absent, we will ALL know about it immediately, quite without the formality of an announcement. Many of us have a tendency to wage unnecessary battles within ourselves; feeling guilt for which we ponder God's ability to forgive, insecurities about matters which we wonder if God is able to strengthen us to ...

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