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 826 to 850 of 3926 results

826. Your God Shall Be My God

Ruth 1:1-18

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

... . The theme, so far, is one of emptiness and barrenness — empty bread baskets, empty wombs. There was no social safety net in those days. The assumption was that everyone would marry, that they would have some sons, and that the old people would be supported by their sons. Of course, it did not always work out that way. Women often survived their husbands and, if there were no sons to care for her, such a widow became a symbol of the destitute and powerless, along with orphans. When Naomi hears that ...

827. Live Churches

Illustration

Staff

... . Live churches keep changing their ways of doing things; Dead churches see no need for change! Live churches grow so fast you can't keep up with people's names; In dead churches everybody always knows everybody's name. Live churches strongly support world missions; Dead churches keep the money at home! Live churches are full of regular, cheerful givers; Dead churches are full of grudging tippers! Live churches move ahead on prayer and faith; Dead churches work only on sight! Live churches plant daughter ...

828. A Firm Foundation

Illustration

... ground, Wright decided to build it like a ship. Instead of trying to keep the structure from moving during a quake, he incorporated features that would allow the hotel to ride out the shock without damage. Supports were sunk into the soft mud, and sections of the foundation were cantilevered from the supports. The rooms were built in sections like a train and hinged together. Water pipes and electric lines, usually the first to shear off in an earthquake, were hung in vertical shafts where they could sway ...

829. Historic: The Declaration of Independence

Illustration

Staff

... to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor. The signers of the Declaration represented the new states as follows: New Hampshire: Josiah ...

830. How Connected Are You?

John 15:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... us. One study compared 12,000 Japanese men living in Japan with Japanese men who had moved to Hawaii or California. The researchers looked at smoking, diet, exercise, cholesterol levels, and social support (the maintenance of family and community ties). The group with the lowest social support (the California group) had a threefold to fivefold increase in heart disease. The researchers concluded that social networks and close family ties help protect against disease and premature death. (4) Stay connected ...

831. Watch Your Step

Mark 6:1-6

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... differently by each gospel writer, in each account Jesus is rejected by his hometown and as a result his ability to work effectively among the people is curtailed and compromised. The record of such an unflattering portrait of Jesus’ kin and community supports the authenticity of this moment. As was the right of any properly raised Jewish male, Jesus steps up to teach in his hometown synagogue on the Sabbath. In the first century, outside of the temple priests, there was no official “ordained” class ...

832. The Coat Off Your Back

Luke 3:7-18

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

... . He began to sing "Silent Night." "Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright." Entering the parking garage, his mood suddenly shifted. It would be a moment that he'd never forget — a moment that turned his life upside down. Before him a man was supporting himself against a pillar — evidently one of the homeless, he assumed. Trying to avoid looking at the man's eyes, he turned his own down. That was when he noticed the man wearing worn out shoes but no socks. As he raised his eyes, he saw ...

833. Eyes Up!

Luke 21:25-36

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... of those strange and delightful twists of fortune, several years ago, Abuelo and my mom began to correspond somewhat more than they had previously. With the passing of his wife and her husband, both were lonely and both were ready for a relationship of loving support and companionship. It was a hoot watching their reversion to being teenagers in their courtship. It was a joy for me to able to officiate at their wedding (how many sons get such an honor?). Years before, my sweet mother had told me, upon my ...

834. Is It True?

1 Corinthians 15:19-26

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... , their span of life completed. Moses died in sight of the promised land, 120 years old. Buddha died at the age of eighty, peacefully, his disciples around him, after he had collected during his itinerant preaching a great community of monks, nuns, and lay supporters. Confucius returned in old age to Lu after he had spent his last years in training a group of mainly noble disciples, to preserve and continue his work. Muhammad, after he had thoroughly enjoyed the last years of his life as the political ruler ...

835. Epiphany 3

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10, Psalm 19:1-14, Luke 4:14-21, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... of Jesus and to struggle for justice and peace for all creatures. Together, we have an insistent voice, proclaiming that there can be a “kingdom of heaven.” Offertory Statement We each have roles in our life together. One role we share is to be benevolent supporters of the ministry of Christ in this place. Doxology "Now Thank We All Our God" Now thank we all our God with hearts and hands and voices, Who wondrous things hath done in whom this world rejoices; Who from our mothers’ arms hath blessed us ...

836. Lent 2

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18, Psalm 27:1-14, Luke 13:31-35, Philippians 3:17--4:1

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... James, Peter, and John could access the power of that experience for their own ministries. Can we do the same? Perhaps for contemporary seekers, this story alerts us to the wisdom in past heroes, to the human desire to be connected with that wisdom and support, and to the momentary mystery that points to the path that is ours to follow. And we don’t have to understand it! To walk in the footsteps of Christ is sufficient for our own transformations. Contemporary Affirmation (Unison) The Holy comes to us in ...

837. Lent 5

Psalm 126:1-6, Isaiah 43:16-21, John 12:1-11, Philippians 3:4b-14

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... with new language in liturgy, with reframed baptismal vows, or with time in the context of worship to articulate honest response to the sermon? Is it possible that we really could befriend one another in the faith family with financial support as well as emotional support? What would it look like within the faith family to make resources available as well as a beautiful building? According to John, might the church’s goals to feed the hungry and promote justice outside the faith family be secondary ...

838. Sarah

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

... how to ignore it. This movie depicts mental illness more like a bad back or diabetes or alcoholism. It never goes away but you learn ways to cope with it. That might work with diabetes or depression. We might have wonderful drugs to mask the problems of anxiety or support groups to deal with addiction or exercises to ease lower back trouble. But when it comes to my guilt, I don't want a drug or a coping mechanism. I don't want to have to learn how to live with unresolved guilt, or cope with, live, or figure ...

839. Be a Bethany

John 12:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... him onward, as he approached the roughest waters in his life. Before Jesus entered into Jerusalem he did not need followers. He needed friends. Where is your favorite place on earth? Where do you go — physically, mentally, or spiritually — to find the strength and support you need to travel though your days? Have you cultivated a “Bethany,” a place where you can feel safe, a place where you can be you, whoever that is? Jesus loved Bethany. He loved his friends, those whom he cared for so much that ...

840. A New Kind of Authority

Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

King Duncan

... in life. A pastor writing on the Internet tells about a man he knew, a very proud man who was well off financially. He had an attractive young wife, a good job, lived at the beach, and all the rest. He came to church sometimes and was always friendly and supportive. One day this man read in the newspaper that one of his sons was being sought for committing murder. The man talked to his pastor, at first convinced that his son didn’t do it. As the years went on, the son went to trial and was convicted and ...

841. Are You in Labor?

Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

King Duncan

... , I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me” (Matthew 25:42-43). We are also to be responsible members of our community. We are to support community organizations and to work for peace and justice in the world. And we are to maintain a house of worship and gather each week to worship God and to teach the sacred Word. But, as vital as these things are they are not our main business. Our main business ...

842. Financial Planning

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... are committed to besides making a living? Your family, your community, your church, the American Cancer Society, a scout troop these are some possibilities. At the same time let me challenge you to make a list of the things you do for your family besides simply supporting them. Do you take time for your spouse, for your children? Patricia Clafford once said, “The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won’t wait while you do the work.” What are the ways that you give of ...

843. The Narrow Door

Luke 13:22-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... who came to Evanston, Illinois to speak to a group of young Christians. This bishop was asked, “What is it like to be the church in a Marxist country? Is the new Marxist government supportive of the church?” “No,” the Bishop responded, “but we don’t ask it to be supportive.” “Have there been tensions?” they asked. “Yes,” said the Bishop. “Not long ago the government decreed that we would disband all women’s organizations in the church.” “What did you do?” they asked. “Oh ...

844. Your Home Page

Hebrews 13:1-25

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... final “outcome” (“ekbasis”) of their lives. They stayed the course and remained faithful to the end of their lives on this earth. Dove-tailed to that bit of human constancy, the Hebrews’ author offers the supreme support for human faithfulness: the unchanging nature of divine love and support. In the face of all of life’s changes and challenges, Hebrews’ proclaims: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (v.8). This is not a closed affirmation of any human perception of ...

845. Hebrews 13: 1-8; 15-16

Hebrews 13:1-25

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

846. Wake Up Call

Romans 13:8-14

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... of Atlanta gathers around the Christmas tree. There is one more gift to open, and it’s the one they anticipate the most every year, a plain white envelope. Their daughter-in-law reads the note inside the envelope that states that their parents have supported a local health clinic in the children’s honor. Everyone smiles, some with tears streaming down their faces. “It’s the best part of the holiday,” one of the sons claims. “Our parents raised us to believe that giving back is important,” says ...

847. Framed, Changed, Challenged

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

Tony Everett

... one actual example of what that faithfulness looks like. Some of you may have heard about this. It happened a few years ago at a high school football game between the Lions and the Tornadoes. The Lions belonged to a Christian school with supportive and involved parents, up-to-date equipment, and a 7-1 record. The Tornadoes were from a state juvenile correctional facility. Many of the players had convictions for drugs and assault. Many had been disowned by their families. Their equipment was old and worn ...

848. A Prayer for Persecuted Christians Everywhere

John 17:6-19

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... are trying to survive. Have you been praying for them? Have you prayed that they remain strong in faith and trust despite the physical and psychological abuse? Have you prayed that they will be able to forgive those who persecute them or who fail to support them in their time of trial? Have you prayed that they will experience and love, joy and peace from God in this time of torture? Have you prayed that they will walk humbly in their identification with Christ’s sufferings and be fruitful witnesses to ...

849. Ignite: Man on Fire

Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

James Merritt

... . I want you to listen carefully. When you are really set on fire by the Holy Spirit, when you have seen the light of God’s truth, you will no longer separate the church from Jesus. When you give to the church you give to Jesus. When you support the church you support Jesus. When you affirm the church you affirm Jesus. When you love the church you love Jesus. That is what happens when you see the light of God’s truth. An unbeliever might say, “Well if I saw the light that he saw I would believe too ...

850. All In: Betting the Ranch

Luke 9:18-27

Sermon

James Merritt

... you bet the ranch on Jesus Christ?” Let’s get specific. When it comes to your church are you all in? Are you active in the church where you attend? Are you serving in the church where you attend? Are you faithful to the church where you attend? Do you support the church where you attend? How about your marriage? Are you all in? Have you bet the ranch? Do you need to say to your spouse all over again, “I am all in to our marriage” or “I am all in to this relationship and no matter what else happens ...

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