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 851 to 875 of 1044 results

851. Colossians 1:1-14

Colossians 1:1-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

While Colossians contains some theological content that seems distinct from Paul's more common themes, there is no compelling reason to dismiss his authorship. Things that make it suspicious to some seem to be a function of the theological and personal issues Paul and Timothy are addressing. Perhaps Timothy had a more collaborative role in the authorship than is generally recognized (v.1). But our exegesis of these passages will assume Paul's overall authorship. In overall literary style, Colossians ...

852. Acts 19:1-7

Acts 19:1-22

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Sometime around second or third grade we all start to feel the need to “go clubbing.” No, I don’t mean visiting some late-night hot spot. I do mean joining some kind of club or another. Do you know an elementary school without its own resident organizational savant? You know, the kid who starts “clubs” and who suggests, organizes, and dictates the rules that define their “club.” The whole point of a “club” is to let some “belong” while letting others know they do NOT belong. Being accepted to the group of ...

853. Acts 19:1-7

Acts 19:1-7

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

In Acts 19, when Paul's journeys brought him back to Ephesus, it was the beginning of two amazing, yet difficult, years of teaching, preaching, witnessing, healing, debating and close calls. While Paul's confrontation with the practitioners of magic (vv.11-20) or the near-riot with the Artemis worshipers (vv.21-41) may be the most exciting moments of his Ephesian visit, it is Paul's first encounter with fellow-Christians that has caused the most theological uproar in the church. From Acts 19:1-7, we read ...

854. Mark 12:28-34

Mark 12:28-34

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

This week's gospel text concludes a series of challenges Jesus met when he returned to the temple in Jerusalem for a third day. Since Jesus had asserted his personal authority by ousting the moneychangers and animal-sellers from the temple courtyard on his second visit, it is not surprising that the religious authorities, the Sadducees, Pharisees and scribes, banded together to try to discredit Jesus when he appeared at the temple a third time. The first three of these confrontations (Mark 11:27-33; 12:13- ...

855. The Personal Touch - Sermon Starter

Mark 1:14-20

Illustration

Brett Blair

One day Lamar Hunt, the man who started the American Football League and owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, came across his daughter's Super Ball and was given the inspiration for the name of the championship game between his upstart AFL and the old guard National Football League. "Why not," he wondered, "call our championship game the Super Bowl?" The name caught on quickly and thus, an American tradition was born. Today's the big game! And there is an interesting story behind one of the players. If you ...

856. The Holy Trinity

John 3:1-21, Romans 8:1-17, Isaiah 6:1-13

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Isaiah 6:1-8 Isaiah's experience in the temple occurred in 742 B.C., the year King Uzziah died. For the nation it was a time of mourning as well as confusion and concern, for the king was considered a "son of God," God's vice-regent. At the same time the Assyrians were on a rampage and changing the map of the area. In the midst of these troubled times, Isaiah went to worship in the temple and had an experience with a sovereign God who caused him to confess his sins, receive ...

857. Mark 6: 1-13

Mark 6:1-6

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Of all the most stressful moments in your life, here’s one that doesn’t immediately come to consciousness - your high school and/or college reunion. Talk about an impossible combination of wanting everyone to see how much you’ve changed, and hoping everyone else is just the same. Yet no one is ever “just the same.” Everyone changes, for better, for worse. Some bright stars fade. Some wall flowers bloom. There are always a few surprising success stories as well as some tears and tragedies. Without ...

858. Wise, Worshipful, and Wonderfully Wayward

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

We used to tell these people, “Get off your high horse.” I never knew what that meant literally, for they weren’t on any horse, high or low. But we all knew what the expression meant. Is there anyone more annoying, more off-putting, more “fur-rubbed-the-wrong-way,” than someone who is convinced they are “better” than you? Whether they are richer, or smarter, or prettier, or stronger, there are those who love going around “on their high horse.” In junior highs and high schools “cliques” rule the world. ...

859. Any Given Sunday

Acts 2:41-47

Sermon

James Merritt

A little boy was standing on the side of the road when a man drove by who was lost. He stopped and rolled down his window and said, "Son, how do you get to town?" The little boy said, "I don't know." He said, "Where is Route 20?" The little boy said, "I don't know." He said, "Where does this road go?" The little boy said, "I don't know." The man, now exasperated said, "What is the name of this street that I am on?" The little boy said, "I don't know." The man sighed and said, "Boy, you don't know anything ...

860. Every Member Matters

Hebrews 10:24-25

Sermon

James Merritt

Thinking about a body, and the various parts and organs of a body, helps us to answer two very vital questions about the church: What does it mean to be a member of a church? and Why is being a member of a church different from being a member of any other institution or organization in the world? Well you will understand why membership matters and every member matters if you will begin to see the church as a body, and the members as the vital organs. In fact, that is what we are told in Rom. 12:5,"In ...

861. Recognizing His Disciples

John 13:31-35

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

Recognition of people, places, and things is a fundamental prerequisite of successful living. We count on signs to guide us. Most of us take it for granted. We move through life in various speeds and count on our powers to recognize who and what is about us. It is so simple and pervasive that we hardly notice. The obvious is with us and yet is it so obvious? Our talents of interpretation and, yes, our prejudices are sometimes awkwardly there for all to see. We can never be quite sure how others will ...

862. The Good News about Money

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

King Duncan

There is one good thing about a recession. It sobers us up. If we’re lucky it causes us to turn our back on things we don’t need and to hold close the things that really matter. After all, periods of recession usually follow periods of wretched excess. Martha Bolton and Phil Callaway, in their book It’s Always Darkest Before the Fridge Door Opens, tell about strolling through a mall one day laughing at all the things in the mall they didn’t need. Here are some of the things they found that they could do ...

863. Gateway to Grace

Joshua 5:9-12

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

When you visit a church camp you're aware that you're separated from civilization. When you take a walk late at night, for whatever reason, and it's usually for whatever reason, you can't help but wonder what that rustling in the darkness might be. It's probably a raccoon, or a smaller animal, as frightened of you as you are pretending that you're not frightened of it. But it could be a bear. It's an unnerving experience to see a bear close up. Bears in the wild are the epitome of untamed nature. They don' ...

864. “Unto Us A Child Is Born... Next, On Omar”

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Lois Anne DeLong

Characters (in order of appearance) Jacob Omar Looseandfree Applause Child (nonspeaking) Shepherd 1 Shepherd 2 Shepherd 3 Lead Angel 2nd Angel Angel Choir Audience Member 1 Wise Man 1 Wise Man 2 Wise Man 3 Servant (nonspeaking) Mary Joseph Audience Member 2 Audience Member 3 Stage Manager Stagehands (nonspeaking) Props Four chairs Handheld microphones (real or fake) Sign with “Applause” written on it Bells Three pillows Baby doll Notes Another one of our “intentional anachronism plays,” “Unto Us A Child Is ...

865. The Word that Changed the World

John 1:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

Welcome on this first Sunday of the New Year. I won’t ask you to raise your hand if you are still keeping the resolutions you made 2 days ago. Andy Simmons, the Senior Editor for Readers Digest says that he keeps all of his New Year’s resolutions, every single one. How does he do it? Quite simple, really. After years of introspection he says he has developed a healthy understanding of what he can and cannot do. Therefore, he keeps his resolutions realistic. For example, a few years ago he resolved to gain ...

866. Every Day God Equips

John 14:15-27

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

I grew up in construction. My Dad worked in construction either for someone else or later for his own construction company. I learned about tools and how to use them early on. If Dad was working on something and hollered for a Magillacuddy's double-barreled left-handed wedginator, I'd better know what it was. When I was in the Coast Guard, I was a marine diesel mechanic and while in school we had a week long class on tools. Until that time, I'd never met anybody who didn't know how to use the business end ...

867. Flying First Class

Ephesians 1:3-13

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Grace. God's unearned, unmerited love is what unites us and binds us together. We never know when it will enter our lives. It's always there; always available, we just never know when the Grace of the Kingdom of God will break in upon us. And it does. Over and over again. Sometimes, out of the clear blue, when we least expect, Grace Happens. Our spirits are lifted. Grace is like having our tickets or seats Upgraded to First Class when we're flying? When we experience God's Grace it's like Flying First ...

868. Daddy, Tell Me a Story

Deuteronomy 26:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

“That bass must have weighed 30 pounds,” said the old fisherman talking about a recent trip on the river. “I fought upwards of three hours to bring him into the boat.” His buddy interrupted the story and scoffed, “I saw the picture you took of that fish. You’re lucky if it even weighed 10 pounds.” The old fisherman replied, “Well, a fish can lose an awful lot of weight during three hours of fighting!” Who doesn’t like a good story even the kind that fishermen tell? I know I would hate to listen to a sermon ...

869. A Word to Prodigals

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

King Duncan

Retired seminary professor Fred B. Craddock was preaching on the parable of the prodigal son. After the service a man said, “I really didn’t care much for that, frankly.” Craddock asked, “Why?” The man said. “Well, I guess it’s not your sermon, I just don’t like that story.” Craddock asked, “What is it you don’t like about it?” He said. “It’s not morally responsible.” Craddock asked, “What do you mean by that?” “Forgiving that boy,” said the man. Craddock asked, “Well, what would you have done?” The man ...

870. Your King Comes

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

King Duncan

Belle Starr was one of the few women outlaws in the Old West, and so she gained widespread notoriety. One day, Judge Isaac Parker was attempting to try a case, but he couldn’t get the courtroom’s attention. Even the members of the jury had wandered from the jury box to stare out the courtroom windows. What was the source of all the excitement? Outlaw Belle Starr was riding by on her horse, and everyone in town wanted to catch a glimpse of her. The judge had to call a five-minute recess to deal with the ...

871. He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

King Duncan

It’s an old story. It would be hilarious if it weren’t so sad. A young soldier fighting in Italy during World War II managed to jump into a foxhole just ahead of a spray of bullets. He immediately attempted to deepen the hole for more protection. As he was frantically scraping at the dirt with his hands, he unearthed a silver crucifix, obviously left by a previous occupant of the foxhole. A moment later, a leaping figure landed beside him as shells screamed overhead. The soldier turned to see that his new ...

872. Being A View Master

Romans 2:9-21

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

There's an old Peanuts comic, Charlie Brown is busy with a woodworking project one day when Lucy comes by and asks: "How's the birdhouse coming along, Charlie Brown?" He replies, "Well, I'm a lousy carpenter. I can't nail straight. I can't saw straight and I always split the wood. I'm nervous, I lack confidence, I'm stupid, I have poor taste and absolutely no sense of design." And then in the last frame he concludes, "So, all things considered, it's coming along OKAY!" (1) Nobody would ever claim that ...

873. Shaped By The Fire

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Did you hear about the woman who called the fire department one day. She was very agitated, "Come as quick as you can," she cried, "my house is on fire." Then she hung up. A few minutes later she called back, and "Hurry, hurry as fast as you can, it's spread from the kitchen to the dining room." And then she hung up, again. A few minutes later, she called one more time, this time, with the volunteer fire crew all ready to roll the dispatcher said, "OK, lady, just calm down and tell us how to get there." It ...

874. On Your Mark, Get Set, Hope!

Isaiah 11:1-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Remember when? Remember when: Visions of sugar plums danced in your head, Silent night was an exciting night, Away in a manger didn’t seem so far away, Remember when you couldn’t wait for Christmas? Life has a way of turning our hopes and dreams into obligations and responsibilities. The child within us gives way to the adult that is out daily earning a living, fulfilling roles, meeting the deadlines of life. Maybe here in December it’s time to visit that child again, the child that lives within. The ...

875. Stewardship of the Earth (Series: Stewardship: Discover This Word and Love It!)

Psalm 8:1-9

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

When God made you and God made me, He gave us a wonderful place to be. We have woods and hills and waterfalls; We have varieties of creatures, great and small. When God made you and God made me, He gave us an awesome responsibility. There is a great political debate waging in our world concerning global warming. Some affirm it and others deny it. Meanwhile, the rest of us sweat our way through one of the hottest, driest summers in history, but I have not come to preach about an inconvenient truth. I. I ...

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