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 801 to 825 of 1354 results

801. In the Waiting Room

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

King Duncan

... , when I hear their tawny voices, I can always find my way home.” (2) Be faithful. Remember Albert Einstein’s words after the Second World War: “As a lover of freedom, when the revolution came in Germany, I looked to the universities to defend it, knowing that they had always boasted of their devotion to the cause of truth; but no, the universities were immediately silenced. Then I looked to the great editors of the newspapers, whose flaming editorials in days gone by had proclaimed their love of ...

802. Goodness and Mercy Will Win

Luke 21:5-38

Illustration

Erskine White

... 's fine," he said, "and furthermore, I'm going to fine everyone in this court room fifty cents for living in a city where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Baliff, collect the fines and give them to the defendant." The following day, the New York Times reported that $47.50 was turned over to the bewildered old woman. It was given by the red-faced store owner, some seventy petty criminals, people with traffic violations and city policemen on duty that night in the chambers ...

803. The Thing With Two Heads

Matthew 16:13-24

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... chose the title is because it made me think of Peter. He was a man of two heads, two hearts. I was a walking flip side. One moment he is bold and confident, the next moment he falls flat on his face. One minute he takes up a sword to defend Jesus and minutes later denies even knowing him. I think Peter was two people. Now I don't mean that the Bible got it wrong and there were actually thirteen disciple. Simon and Peter were the same person. But in actuality, he was two people. Simon Peter was a man ...

804. Thursday: Broken Bread And Broken Trust

Mark 14:10-26

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... called friend. And then they grabbed Him. IV. The Sword (A Short Sword) The sudden movement, the noise, the sound of the kiss, I didn't know what but it startled the sleeping disciples. And that's when Peter jumped up with sword swinging. In startled anger, He wanted to defend Jesus. But even more, Peter wanted the events of the evening to cease unfolding. He didn't want to be put to the test. He didn't want to be put to the test and fail in denial. The sword swung. The blood flew. And the ear of Malchus ...

805. He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

King Duncan

... trusted disciple, Simon Peter denied he ever knew him. According to Jewish law, all legal proceedings in which a man’s life was at stake were to be conducted during the day. That way, there could be no secrecy in the trial; it was a way to protect defendants from unfair trials. But the Roman authorities broke this law when they conducted Jesus’ trial at night. They didn’t care about justice or a fair trial; they just wanted to get rid of him. (3) Even though they could find no wrong in him they made ...

806. Five Smooth Stones

1 Samuel 17:1, 4-11, 21-24, 32-50

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... made life difficult for the boy, and he told his father that they threatened to do more harm the next morning. The boy was greatly disturbed; he didn't know what to do. That evening the father taught his son some basic techniques on how to defend himself. Together they explored all the possibilities, including the possibility that he might try to win them over as friends. The father worked hard to build up his son's self-confidence. The next morning the father and son prayed together. And with a reassuring ...

807. Harmony and Humor: The Ties That Bind Christianity’s Many Christianities

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of his own head (as referenced by Timothy Radcliffe, Why Go To Church, page 1, from a 1969 interview broadcast on BBC’s “Sunday,” 13 July 2008). Our ancestors in the Middle Ages used gargoyles to laugh at the devil. Gargoyles with grotesque faces defended the church and its holy places with the power of parody, laughter and mockery. After all, the promise of the beatitudes was this: those who mourn or weep will be comforted and able to “laugh.” It has been our ability to “laugh” at ourselves ...

808. A Collapse of Concentration

Luke 4:1-13

Illustration

David Humpal

... and tested our faith. Christians are not immune from troubles. I played in nationally-rated chess tournaments for years. The one thing all tournament chess players had to guard against was making a mistake when your position was under attack. The pressure of defending a difficult position would often cause careless errors. I'll never forget a game I was playing against a much-higher ranked player than myself who was from Fresno. Even though the position was relatively even, I was applying a lot of pressure ...

809. Abysmal Heights

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... first century love of secret “gnosis” and turns it upside down. All the impressive elements that had made Paul one of the most “in the know” religious know-it-alls within Judaism . . . a “Hebrew among Hebrews,” a Pharisee, a zealous, blameless defender of the faith . . . all those great achievements Paul suddenly declares as “loss,” as absolute “excrement.” Paul put a big, fat, minus sign in front of all that had been previously seen as positive in his life. What replaces all these human ...

810. When I Pause the Longest

John 12:1-11

Illustration

Robert Beringer

In the biography of Leonardo da Vinci, Antonio Vallenten tells of a time when the great artist was at work in Milan on his famous painting of the Last Supper. Da Vinci spent many hours meditating in the chapel of the monastery where he was working. The monks resented these "idle periods" and accused the artist of wasting time. But da Vinci defended these periods of reflection by saying, "When I pause the longest, I make the most telling strokes with my brush."

811. Getting It Right

Romans 5:1-8

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... nodded and said, "Yes." The attorney then turned up the heat and boomed out his last question. "Are those two men present in court today?" (1) There was no need for the witness to answer or for the jury to deliberate very long because the two defendants both raised their hands. Even though those two crooks weren't very bright, they do teach us a little about our spiritual journey. We start our journey toward justification and acquittal before God when we acknowledge our guilt and put our faith in Christ. II ...

812. Radical Love is Risky (Series: Radical Love in a Risky World)

Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... you would have them do unto you? Isn’t it a kind of lightness of being? Why not travel lightly? You immediately say to me, but what about self-defense? I know, self-defense is a natural human instinct. There is enough mammal in the best of us to defend our territory, take care of our own, and protect ourselves from harm. Who could expect us to do anything else than fight for the right to take care of ourselves? If we are not predators, we are at least protectors. My question is this. If the only means of ...

813. Called by Many Voices

John 10:1-42

Illustration

John H. Pavelko

Now if I had to nominate one animal to represent the word mediocre, a sheep would easily be in the top five. Sheep are not independent. They cannot defend themselves like cattle. They are not strong, creative, brave nor will they initiate. They cannot even work up a good stampede. Normally, they just sort of meander. Also, sheep will not be driven, like cattle. They will scatter in a thousand different directions. This type of behavior did not earn ...

814. Go

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... for the weak. He's available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and He saves. He's strengthens and sustains. He guards and he guides. He heals the sick. He cleansed the lepers. He forgives sinners. He discharges debtors. He delivers the captives. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged. He rewards the diligent and He beautifies the meager. I wonder if you know Him? He's the key to knowledge. He's the wellspring of wisdom. He's the doorway of ...

815. The Short List

Micah 6:1-8

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... to instruct the bailiff to pass around a hat to everyone in this courtroom, and I am fining everyone in this courtroom fifty cents for living in a city where a man has to steal in order to have bread to eat." The money was collected and given to the defendant. I love that story, because it's a perfect example of justice being meted out in full and paid in full, while at the very same time, mercy and grace were also enacted in full. (7) You and I are called to act in the same manner as that Judge ...

816. No Instant Maturity

Matthew 7:15-23

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... two brothers - same environment, same parental and social influences, same educational opportunities, only two or three years difference in their age. One brother became a lawyer and a counsel for racist organizations. The other became a Methodist preacher. The lawyer defended Byron de le Beckwith, accused assassin of Medger Evers. The preacher became a voice for sanity and brotherhood. What made the difference? Commitment. This is the way growth and maturity take place, this is the catalyst that brings it ...

817. Discipline and Means of Grace

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... call to surrender to Cod’s will for his life and work. About two years later, Pascal began making notes for what he hoped would become a full-scale apology of the Christian religion. He wanted to use the brilliant mathematical mind Cod had given him to defend the faith. Pascal’s notes now fill up several hundred pages in the book we know as Penses, or ‘Thoughts’. The scope of what Pascal intended must have been enormous because he stated that it would take ten years of good health to bring the book ...

818. Galatians 1:11-24

Galatians 1:11-24

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... term “zealotry” depict a willingness to do violence to protect and uphold the Law. This zealous form of Judaism had been popularized during the period of the Maccabean revolt. Retaking and re-sanctifying the Temple, upholding and defending the traditional Jewish faith rituals such as circumcision, kashrut, the observation of the Sabbath and the holy festivals, against a creeping Hellenization, were the hallmarks of “zealous” “Judaism.” Paul declares himself to be the poster boy for terrorizing ...

819. The Shared Life of the People of God

Galatians 6:1-10

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... the universality of Paul’s gospel and the encompassing passion he had for all. So he prays for peace and mercy for all. B. The stigmata Paul’s opponents had accused him of preaching a man—made gospel and pleasing men. He was forced to defend apostleship because some said his preaching was not valid because he was not recognized as an apostle by the church in Jerusalem. Others took an opposite approach. saying he was sub missive to the hierarchy. Even the Galatians whom he loved, regarded him as their ...

820. Two for the Price of One

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... of the risk he took, and the extremes to which he went. This also teaches us about faith. Remember now that Jairus was “one of the rulers of the synagogue.” This put him in a position of having to support the rigid rules and regulations and defend the hidebound doctrine of the Law. This would have certainly put him in opposition to Jesus. But he was desperate. His daughter was gravely ill, so he made a deliberate decision. “Here we enter the realm of speculation, but it seems to me that we can say ...

821. The Miracle of Peace

Psalm 85:1-13

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... to his friend and comments, “Adults love to say stuff like that, but kids know better. Kids know it's always better not to get caught than to admit anything." If we had no savior, all of us might be better to stuff our sins, keep a straight face, and defend our innocence all the way home. If all that juggling is making you tired, I have good news for you. Christ the Savior is born. If we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John ...

822. Unusual Joy

Psalm 126:1-6

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... reputation, your standing in society in a silly pursuit to prove the existence of Santa Claus?" The determined attorney replies, “Because it's more than Santa Claus on trial. It's love, hope, peace, fairness, and goodwill on the witness stand. I intend to defend these principles in the courtroom of humankind." May I ask you today, “What are your dreams for this Christmas?" No, I'm not talking about the weather. Whether or not it snows for the holidays is a matter of personal preference. There are other ...

823. Finding Our Place In All Creation

Job 38:1-18

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... to people in their moments of trouble, just sit with them in their sorrow. It is when they started talking that they got into big trouble. When these three friends decided that they would make sense out of the senseless, explain the unexplainable, and defend God who seemed so feeble, they really got into trouble. They tried to give explanations about the events of life that are too awesome for any of us to understand or comprehend. Eliphaz said, “Job, you know, things like this just happen. Every vine ...

824. How To Triumph Over Terrorism

Ephesians 6:10-18

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... a civilian, I know that when the military is put on “Full Alert” things start happening. Officers start planning, planes start flying, ships start sailing, soldiers start moving, reserves get called to active duty. In a matter of minutes, all of that which would defend us from the enemy is brought to attention and ready for action. George Barna says that last September when the Church needed to be on “High Alert,” it got caught sleeping. Thousands who never or seldom pray suddenly found a need for ...

825. What Would Jesus Say About the Marginalized?

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... public scales proved to be discriminating against the poor, the Prophet Micah said, “what does the Lord require of us but to act justly, to love mercy and walk humbly with our God." Even the worship liturgy of the Hebrew people included instructions to defend the cause of the weak and fatherless. Maintain the rights of the poor and the oppressed. If you like to count, there are over 900 passages in the Bible reminding Christians not to forget, ignore, nor persecute the marginalized. Within the lifetime of ...

Showing results