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 776 to 800 of 4963 results

776. Ephesians 1:15-23

Ephesians 1:15-23

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... theology adoption, grace, sacrifice, salvation, redemption, forgiveness and Christ's eschatological glory. But immediately following this condensed version of Christian theology, Paul bursts into a spontaneous prayer full of thanks for the Ephesian Christians themselves and of Paul's hopes for their continued growth in faith. Indeed, Paul's enthusiasm apparently ran away with his pen. For in the Greek, verses 15-23 (with a brief gasp for breath after verse 21) tumble all together into one long, jumbled ...

777. Romans 4:13-25

Romans 4:13-25

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... she had been unable to conceive even when both she and Abraham were young. Nevertheless, Paul writes, Abraham's faith "did not weaken" nor did his trust in God's ability to fulfill the promise ever "waver." It is this attitude of faithfulness, buoyed by hope, that resulted in Abraham's faith being "reckoned to him as righteousness" (v.22). Paul concludes his argument by claiming that faithful Abraham's example takes on a new, deeper relevance for first-century Christians than it always had for Jews. Just as ...

778. Death Has Been Conquered

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... not think about death in the same way our ancestors did. Still there is something about Easter that makes our hearts beat faster. Perhaps it is not an avoidance of the reality of death at all, as our critics would charge. Perhaps, rather, it is because Easter represents hope, hope not only for us as we deal with death but also as we deal with our everyday living. Because Christ lives, we can live! What great good news that is! Easter is tonic for the soul. It helps us lift our eyes from our problems to our ...

779. Pentecost

Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 104:1-35, Acts 2:1-13, Acts 2:14-41, John 15:18--16:4, John 16:5-16

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... your body vv. 7-8. b. For your soul vv. 9-10. 2. Come alive! (37:1-14). Need: Like the Israelites in the lesson we may be dead though we are physically alive. Some die before they are dead. While physically alive we may be dead to faith, love, hope. This sermon tries to answer the need of resurrecting the living dead with and through the Spirit. Outline: Come alive – a. You may be dead vv. 7-8. b. The dead can be raised vv. 4-10. c. The Spirit through the Word enlivens vv. 4, 9, 12. Epistle: Acts ...

780. Christmas 2

Ephesians 1:1-14, Jeremiah 30:1--31:40, John 1:1-18

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... "You are hired?" What is God's Word to us? The Lessons give us several answers. Outline: What is the Word from God? a. A word of hope Lesson 1 (v. 8). b. A word of blessing Lesson 2 (v. 3). c. A word of truth and grace Gospel (v. 14). 2. Sons and the ... the centuries. The coming of Christ inaugurates a new deal, a new era, a whole new day for God's people. This is reason for hope and rejoicing. The Word of the Lord is a good word of redemption and release in Christ. In a world beset with the problems of the ...

781. Superman: More Than A Super Hero

John 1:1-5, 9-14; John 13:31-32; John 20:30-31

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... of Christ-like qualities and a good Christian message in this movie, Superman is not the Messiah. Superman will never replace Jesus. Nor was he intended to. Only Jesus can be the Savior we need. In Superman we might find hope but in Jesus that hope is made flesh, that hope is given life and breath, that hope becomes a reality and is made tangible in our everyday lives. II. The Need A. There's a pivotal scene in Superman Returns that in a sense, defines much of this postmodern world that we live in. A world ...

782. A Chance To Start Over

John 8:3-11

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... and Chance To Start Over the woman in today's passage found. These stones of pain and sin and regret will be transformed and become symbols of hope around this water jug of hope. And, for a time at least, they will be with us in worship every Sunday reminding us of the hope and new life Christ offers. As you drop your stone in the pile, I want you to come by pick up a Candy Kiss. You see in the story of the Prodigal Son when the father ran and greeted the returning son who he thought he'd lost forever, the ...

783. Superman: More Than A Super Hero

John 1:1-5, 9-14; John 13:31-32; John 20:30-31

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

784. Chosen by God

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... ’s where I’d like to close. That’s what it means to be holy, that’s what it means to be called; that’s what it means to be full of love. That’s what it means to be a sign of contradiction and a sign of hope God has put his stamp of ownership upon us. In October, 1979, Pope John Paul II visited the United States. It was the media event of the decade. The details and intricacies of the preparation were mind boggling. The planning required precision and thoroughness. Under the detailed preparation ...

785. A Goodly Heritage

Psalm 16:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... hurt me so bad that I didn’t want to go anywhere with her. At school, I’d eat lunch behind tree…at recess I hid in weeds because kids called me names and tried to guess who my father was…My life was absolutely unbearable, and I saw no hope. I started going to church back in mountains, the preacher there wore split tail coat, had long beard, craggy face and deep booming voice. But I like him. I really didn’t think I was supposed to go to church being the kind of boy I was from names called ...

786. A Parable in a Miracle

Mark 1:40-45

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... The leper does not presume something. He doesn’t know how Jesus is going to respond. He has heard of the miracles and healings, but he doesn’t know anything about how Jesus makes decisions about such things or how he does his mighty work. So he is hopeful in his modest excitement. “If you want to... Now the parable for the church and for us who act out the church’s ministry, and we get back to the earlier question about the nature of the church. Does the church have anything to offer? Does it really ...

787. Engaging the Master Designer

Psalm 139: 1-18

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... goals today. Bless me, Lord. Bless me real good.” What if we found another way to pray? What if we started our prayers with, “God, what have You got going today that I can be a part of? You love this world. You loved the world to life. You have hopes and dreams beyond my imagination. Make me a blessing, Lord. Make me a blessing to someone today!” God’s plans are for our good. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you.” God is not an enemy to be feared but a friend to be followed. You can trust ...

788. Checking Out the Scene

John 1:35-42

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... some would-be disciples today, “What are you looking for? What are you after? What do you want?” If this same Christ were to lock eyes with you and me through the mysteries of worship and ask this question, I wonder what we would answer? What exactly do you hope to gain from being in church today, alive today, in the presence of Christ today? God has given us a beautiful day today, what do you plan to do with it? If Jesus Christ himself were to meet you face-to-face, what do you need from him? Probing ...

789. Making Sure Our Robes Are Washed

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... their lives. Real survivors are not people who gather on some deserted island to go through contrived challenges only to be voted off at the end of the day. Real survivors are those who go through the “great tribulations” of daily life knowing God to be their hope of salvation and heaven to be their final destination. They know that in all things they are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. And that nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours though ...

790. By Faith

1 Peter 1:3-9

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... real. It has a message for us too. We handle suffering by faith. I. OUR FAITH IS GROUNDED IN THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the ...

791. A Thousand Points of Light

Isaiah 60:1-3; 18-22

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... this one. You see, it's easy to look at the hunger and poverty of the world, the brokenness of war, and the massive issue of AIDS in other countries and just fold our hands in despair. But we are not the people of despair; we are the people of hope and it makes a difference to this one. In the meantime, we, the people of Brentwood United Methodist Church, must keep trying to make a difference, one starfish at a time. In Perovo, Russia, where we have contributed over $350,000 to our sister church so a little ...

792. The Rest of The Message

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Lee Griess

... at the grave. The dead do rise in Christ, for Jesus defeated death. The message of Easter is that life does not end in darkness; life is not over when we die. For Jesus defeated death. That is the message we believe, the words that we hold true, our hope for the future, our joy of life with God. Jesus defeated death. And because he lives we shall live also. His victory is our victory. His resurrection is our resurrection. His rising to new life is new life for us as well. In the fifth chapter of the gospel ...

793. Can These Bones Live?

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... must be in touch with these things before we move on to the big picture. I think that too often we stuff it all down and hope that life will skip on to the next chapter as we learn how to walk around our piles of bones. But no matter how we ... knits together the brittle, broken bones of your past. Do you feel sometimes that this life is like a graveyard? Do you ever feel that hope is just a word for empty wishing? Do you ever let out that heart-wrenching sigh of soul weariness and wonder where the next step ...

794. How, Then, Shall We Live?

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... most beautiful of any of the angels in heaven. I'm sure she wants you to know how very much she loves you." Ben told the little girl a story of resurrection. We all need a resurrection story; to hear it again and again. We have a sure and certain hope in God's promise that because Jesus lives, we, too, shall live. Our work on earth includes sharing the endless joy of our dwelling place that awaits us in heaven. Jesus Christ became one of us that we might know his presence in life and his comfort in death. A ...

795. Can Anything Good Come out of Our Town?

John 1:43-51

Sermon

Robert J. Elder

... of any young man of that time. One day, he is minding his own business, doing whatever fishermen do on their day off, probably stitching a torn net. His friend approaches. Philip is excited. "We've found the Messiah, the one we always heard about and hoped for! He's here among us at last, the one we've waited for so long!" Nathaniel, cautious at first, puts down his work, his pulse quickens. Could it possibly be? After so many centuries, will this great thing happen in his generation? With his heart in ...

796. Small Sin, Large Grace

2 Samuel 11:26-27, 12:1-13a

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... know that songs don't die and New Orleans doesn't die and Chicago doesn't die and that the blues aren't dead yet. If the blues aren't dead, I can stay standing here telling you about the blues not being dead yet. I can also claim some hope for the likes of David and the likes of you and me. That is important news. Even more important is the news about David. He gets a second chance. He rises from the grave of his lust. We, too, can have a second chance, no matter where our lust or ...

797. Are You a King?

2 Samuel 23:1-7

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

... the argument! "One who rules over people justly, ruling in the fear of God" (v. 3b). This is the kind of rule that Israel hoped for and the type of kingship that Israel idealized. One who rules in the fear of God, driven by the values of God, concerned ... a promise to be trusted; but for now we wait. Who is the king? What is truth? We must answer those questions in trust and in hope. We know we have been baptized into the body of this risen Christ. Baptism is the tomb in which we die with Christ, but also the ...

798. Mary's Song

Luke 1:46-56, Luke 1:39-45

Sermon

King Duncan

... turn the world right side up. Jesus came to give dignity to those whom society does not value. Jesus came to give hope to the hopeless, peace to those who hearts are in turmoil, love to those who are broken. In an issue of Good Housekeeping ... world. Jesus came to turn the world right side up. Jesus came to give dignity to those who society does not value. Jesus came to give hope to the hopeless, peace to those who hearts are in turmoil, love to those who are broken. Jesus came to give you the greatest gift of ...

799. Love - The Basic Christian Call

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... and all other ideas are only found in part, but love is eternal. Love is the fulfillment of our life. Paul expresses this idea by seeing love as the adult response to life. In the end, he summarizes his teaching by saying, of all the great virtues of faith, hope, and love, the greatest and, therefore, the base of the Christian life is love. How can we manifest this great love of God? Joan Baez, the famous folk singer of the 1960s, sang a song titled "Love Is Just A Four Letter Word." The lyrics of the song ...

800. Cracking the Code

Revelation 1:4-8

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... cracked the code and are in on the conspiracy are buoyed by a quiet strength. Outwardly they may be bruised and beaten but inwardly they are strong. They may appear to be imprisoned but in fact they are already free. The freedom that is now theirs in hope will soon become theirs in fact. With every late-night clank on the water pipes, with every tap on the dinner plates, with every door left ajar, with every odd pattern of stones on the ground, they are comforted. Their faith in the future is renewed. Every ...

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