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 4943 results

776. Hard Questions!

1 Kings 17:7-24

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... obedience gives us identity as a disciple of his. That means in more matters than just money, too. Obedience is to take to heart, with all earnestness, the commands of Christ, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God," "If any would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me," and all such radical charges of our Lord. It means surrendering my way to his way. Some years ago there was a man at the head of Duke University by the name of President Few. It is said that one Sunday he was ...

777. Resist Temptation

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... face the fact that temptations usually come tailored to fit our situations. They normally come on the heels of perfect rationalizations of why we should and could get away with something. We are willing to set aside what we know, our morals, and our best behavior to take up what we are sure will be for our benefit. Flip Wilson's famous line in The Devil Made Me Do It is to the lady contemplating the purchase of a dress she does not need is, "You owe yourself a try-on." That is where most temptation begins ...

778. Soul Food

John 6:25-59

Sermon

Larry Goodpaster

... of staying with, of living in and with, of trusting and being there. To abide is to know that no matter what comes our way, we will not be deserted nor left to face whatever the matter is on our own. Christ comes to live within us, to take up residence in our spirits, and promises not to leave. Over the years I have witnessed many scenes of this abiding presence played out in the lives of persons I have known. None are more powerful, more moving, more meaningful than the images which walk across my mind of ...

779. Throw Your Heart at the Sky

John 21:1-14

Sermon

Carl Jech

... night. But build no house of it, or it will be your tomb. When you first have an inkling of its insufficiency and begin to decry a dim counter-truth looming up beyond, then weep not, but give thanks: It is the Lord's voice whispering 'Take Up Thy Bed and Walk.' " Living in the Truth means not being afraid of growth and change. In spite of its multi-dimensional complexity, however, personal truth remains fundamentally simple. Jesus as the Living Truth is a symbol for absolute, simple trust in God's grace. As ...

780. The Power To Defy Evil

Exodus 3:1-22

Sermon

Carl Hoefler

... his flocks, a bush burst into flames, and God called to him, "Come, I will send you to the Pharaoh that you may bring forth my people." You would think that Moses would have been overcome with awe and would have been filled with enthusiasm to take up the cause of his people by leading them to freedom. But, not so. He was too comfortable in his present circumstances. So, he attempted to refuse the call by claiming that he lacked the personal qualifications for such a task. But, God cut beneath this self ...

781. Forgiveness

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Burton F. Blair

... meaning of God’s forgiveness. God forgives us just like that. God’s forgiveness is unconditional. There are no questions asked. God does not ask us why. This world says to us, "You made your bed and must lie in it." But, our God says to us, "Take up your bed and walk. Your sins are forgiven." In painful and difficult speech, Jesus prays, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (23:34). "They do not know what they are doing"? What does Jesus mean? Surely, those who encouraged his ...

782. What Is Christianity Without the Cross?

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

Brett Blair

... it would mean not only his death but a certain kind of death for them as well. We call it by many names: Self-denial, sacrificial behavior, servanthood, the golden rule. Jesus explained it this way: If anyone wants to become my follower let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. But Peter will have none of it. Peter stands in the way. He supposes he knows more than his teacher and he is rebuked. And it is a harsh rebuke: Get behind me Satan, says Jesus. Scholars throughout history have tried to ...

783. No Price Too High

Luke 14:25-35

Sermon

King Duncan

... than we ever dreamed possible. But how, we may ask? How can I move from where I am to where God means for me to be? The answer has to do with taking up a cross. When we recognize our worth in the eyes of God, when we understand that we have potential within us yet to be realized, THEN WE HAVE THE POWER TO TAKE UP THE CROSS OF JESUS THE CROSS OF COMMITMENT AND LOVE AND SERVICEMAN TO WALK IN HIS FOOTSTEPS. There is nothing more discouraging than to hear a congregation sing mournfully, like a funeral dirge ...

784. Is Conscience the Best Guide?

John 16:5-16

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... for punishment because that was the popular thinking of the day.) So we must complete the rest of the quotation from brother Finn which I mentioned earlier. "If I had a yaller dog that didn't know more than a person's conscience does, I would pison him. It takes up more room than all the rest of a person's insides, and yet it ain't no good, nohow. Tom Sawyer he says the same." (The Complete Works of Mark Twain, ed. by Charles Neider; Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1964, Vol. I, p. 921) Huck had to learn one of ...

785. Do You Get It?

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... power and wealth will lose real life. Those who can let go of lesser goods, who put them in second place, will be able to open their hands to receive the life that Jesus promises. Those who lose life not just for anything but for his sake will find it. Taking up the cross means to follow Christ and to be given real life. It means that we can begin to know what the world is really all about. It means that we get it.

786. Romans 14:1-12

Romans 14:1-12

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... to accept each other. Paul's reference to all as "servants" (v.4) emphasizes the subservient, indeed, slave-like status of all believers who are members of God's household. Slaves answer to the master - not to other slaves - for their actions. Paul takes up the issue of "days" in verses 5-6. The intention of this reference is not entirely clear. Paul might be speaking of traditional festival days based on the Jewish calendar or a regular schedule of prescribed fast days (such as every Thursday). Others ...

787. Why Must We Carry a Cross? - Sermon Starter

Mark 8:27-38

Illustration

Brett Blair

... for positions of rank and status. To address the confusion Jesus pulls his disciples together and brings them before a crowd. And in front of the crowd he corrects the disciples aspirations for privilege, rank, and power and he gives them this simple little directive: You must take up your cross and follow me. This morning I would like to ask the question "Why must we carry a cross?" and give three reasons we must do so. We must carry a cross to remind us that… We are not the center of the Universe. There ...

788. Carrying the Burdens of Others

Philippians 2:5-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:26b-28). Humility also means sharing our portion of the burden, even when we might not feel like participating. Again, Jesus points us in the proper direction: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it" (Mark 8:34b-35). Humility means that we should never exalt ourselves, and think we are better than others. Jesus ...

789. Preparing the Way

Malachi 3:1-4

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... of reflection and repentance, and John's vocation is to call the world's attention to the one coming, who will save the people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). The ministry of John the Baptist is concerned with purification and righteousness, and Jesus will take up where John leaves off. John thunders a revolutionary message of the one greater than he, who is coming to baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. This one will separate the wheat from the chaff and will burn the chaff with an unquenchable fire ...

790. Getting It, Together

Matthew 10:24-39

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... her mother-in-law; [36] and one's foes will be members of one's own household. [37] Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; [38] and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. [39] Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. At first glance, that passage doesn't seem to support the Christian family at all does it? But it ...

791. Am I My Brother’s Keeper? (Series: Real Faith for Real People)

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... personal disengagement from the poor, the sick, the imprisoned. When J.C. March protested to Wesley that she was too much of a gentlewoman to visit the poor in their wretched homes, Wesley would have none of it. He wrote her back and said, “Take up your cross, woman! Remember the faith! Jesus went before you and will go with you! Put off the gentlewoman; you bear a higher character.” We do good by “ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC CAUSES.” John Wesley not only visited the sick, he also wrote books on promoting ...

792. Making Sure Our Robes Are Washed

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... be cooking; teachers will still be teaching; physicians will be able to treat us without pain. Something better than Beethoven is bound to be written and something finer than Rembrandt is yet to be painted. Building programs will be a breeze. Many of us might take up the exciting adventure of space travel. So it behooves us to learn to serve others down here so we will be more comfortable with service over there. Bob Dylan wrote years ago: But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed, You’re ...

793. The Gentle Healer

John 9:1-11

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... everything must fit. Jesus doesn't fit because he heals a man on the Sabbath. All they can see is the violation of the Sabbath. Some call the Pharisees nit-pickers. You know the source of that word? As school teachers here know, head lice take up residence next to your scalp. Each nit, or tiny egg, must be meticulously combed, picked, or pulled from a single strand of hair. Some folk become obsessed with nit-picking. With meticulous care they find something wrong with everything. The pick at life's joys ...

794. When We Feel Unwanted

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

King Duncan

... God breathed into him on that first Easter Sunday is the life that has been promised to those who believe on him. We shall rejoice and be glad all our lives until that day comes when we witness the heavenly choirs gathered around the throne of God taking up the song sung by a fickle crowd that first Palm Sunday, “Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” But this time, there will be no rejection, no not being wanted. “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone ...

795. The Supremacy of Christ

Colossians 1:15-23

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... permit it, and the meaning has support elsewhere in Scripture (cf. Christ’s baptism and transfiguration). These technicalities, however, should not detract from the essential truth that Paul wishes to stress, namely, that Christ is the dwelling place (katoikēsai, “to take up residence”) of God. As such, another factor of Christ’s sovereignty is established. 1:20 A final tribute is given to Christ as the agent of reconciliation. God was pleased that his fullness should dwell in his Son (1:19). Now ...

796. God's Accusation Against the Wicked

Isaiah 56:9--57:13

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... context here, and the material reminds us of Isaiah 1–12. It thus expounds something of the nature of “justice” and “right” (56:1). At the same time, the concern with shalom is not the only reappearance of a theme from chapters 40–55. The material takes up issues from both chapters 1–39 and chapters 40–55. 56:9–12 The invitation in verse 9 recalls Jeremiah 12:9. It is perhaps an ironic one, as the nature of the closing statements in 57:1–2 may suggest. The point about verses 10 ...

797. The Birth of John

Luke 1:67-80, Luke 1:57-66

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... family. But names were sometimes chosen for their apparent meaning, in relation to the circumstances of the child’s birth. “John” (Greek I?ann?s, representing the Hebrew Yohanan) was understood to mean “God is/has been gracious,” and Zechariah’s song takes up that theme. The announcement of this symbolic name by Gabriel superseded family tradition. The language of the Benedictus is as full of Old Testament echoes as the Magnificat, though it does not have so clear a single model.1It is a typical ...

798. Affluence and the Afterlife

Luke 16:19-31

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... of one’s concern for the poor and oppressed, compare Matthew’s parable of the sheep and the goats (25:31–46). Theologically, the parable provides an opportunity to discuss our understanding of judgment and of life after death, taking up the issues listed in “Theological Insights” above. Discuss how much is pictorial imagery (carried by angels, Abraham’s bosom, fire, the cooling finger, visibility between heaven and hell, the great chasm, etc.), and what are the realities underlying the ...

799. “I Love You, Lord, My Strength”

Psalm 18:1-50

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... love ourselves for our own sake; then, 2. We love God for our own sake; then, 3. We love God for God’s sake; then, 4. We love ourselves for God’s sake only.11 In this fourth step we have fully devoted ourselves to God, choosing to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him (Luke 9:23). Challenge your listeners to consider which rung of the ladder they are currently on and how they might go to the next step.

800. Jephthah

Jud 10:6–11:40

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 7). He then settled in Tob, where he gathered around him a group of ruffians and likely made a living from raiding. He must have made quite a name for himself, thus explaining why the elders of Gilead turn to him when no one else takes up their open offer. In approaching him, the elders initially seem uncomfortable with the idea of making Jephthah head of their people. Thus, they only offer to make him commander, a military office clearly inferior to that of “head” of the people. Whether or not Jephthah ...

Showing results