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 876 to 900 of 1185 results

876. The Revolutionary Values of the Kingdom of God

Luke 18:31-34, Luke 18:18-30, Luke 18:15-17

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R.T. France

... the top. It was generally assumed, as indeed much of the Old Testament wisdom literature had taught, that wealth was a sign of God’s blessing and of a life lived according to his standards, and thus was a goal to be eagerly pursued. The wealthy deserved respect and exerted social influence over those less successful. The specific reference to “the Gentiles” in 18:32 reminds us that Judea, unlike Galilee, was directly subject to Roman power, and that the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem had only limited ...

877. Use It or Lose It

Luke 19:11-27

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R.T. France

... disciple must be responsible with the gifts that God has given. Theological Book: Pensées, by Blaise Pascal. This complex work (published posthumously in 1669) by Pascal (1623–62) in itself is a testimony to an unusual discipleship and would be worth pursuing as background to the quotation that follows. A scientist and mathematician, Pascal received an illumination from God and was converted in 1654. Pensées was to have been a careful and thorough defense of Christianity, a work that would convict the ...

878. On the Mount of Olives

Luke 22:47-53, Luke 22:39-46, Luke 22:7-38

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R.T. France

... fulfill his suffering role despite the agony he experienced in anticipation of his suffering. This obedience can serve as a model for us as we face testing, temptation, and suffering in our Christian lives. Here are some other themes that might be pursued by the teacher: 1. Encourage listeners to consider the meaning of Jesus’s instruction to buy swords, and whether the disciples’ response was appropriate. Does the NIV’s phrase “That’s enough!” convey the right sense of Jesus’s reaction, and ...

879. The Commissioning of the Disciples

Luke 24:50-53, Luke 24:36-49

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R.T. France

... will direct this mission (24:47–53). All of these set the stage for Acts and the missionary expansion of the gospel. The story that began in Jesus’s ministry continued in the expansion of the early church in Acts. And it endures today as we continue to pursue the mission to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Be sure in your teaching to stress this continuity: the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts are the beginning of our story, which continues through our bold witness to a lost world. Here are ...

880. The Christian’s New Dominion: Dedicated to Righteousness

Romans 6:15-23

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C. Marvin Pate

... a hobbit of the River-folk, but later is called Gollum because he has a habit of making a “horrible swallowing noise in his throat.” Gollum has lived longer than expected because he possessed the One Ring. It becomes his obsession, and he pursues it for decades after losing it to Bilbo Baggins. This obsession has caused a split in his personality. While his one side, Smeagol, has vague recollections of beauty, love, and friendship, Gollum, his other side, is deceitful and violent. Then Smeagol’s dual ...

881. Israel and the Present Curses and the Past Blessings of the Covenant

Romans 9:1-29

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C. Marvin Pate

... hesitation, the man exclaimed, “I shore did my part. I was doin’ my part running away from God as fast as I could for thirty years, and God took after me till He run me down. That was His part.”4 This is an example of how God pursues his people. God’s ways are not unfair. Human Experience: Many teachers have experienced a student’s insisting on a higher grade. The student says to the teacher, “Look, I missed the A by only one-tenth of a point.” The teacher may, on occasion, give that student ...

882. Ethics and Eschatology

Romans 13:8-14

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C. Marvin Pate

... reality, attempts to follow the Torah bring about disobedience and the Deuteronomic curses. If so, Paul’s reversal motif in 13:8–14 becomes clear: faith in Christ (who already obeyed and thereby terminated the Torah) brings the Deuteronomic blessings; but efforts to pursue the law in one’s own power do not lift the Deuteronomic curses. Interpretive Insights 13:8–10 whoever loves others has fulfilled the law . . . love is the fulfillment of the law. Verses 8–10 present the ethic of love. The key ...

883. Christian Success and Christlikeness

1 Corinthians 4:1-21

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Preben Vang

... most Christians I know,” “You’re not all wimpy like other Christians in this office—you go for the jugular,” or “Most Christians I know never quit talking about Jesus, but you always make me feel comfortable.” It is tempting to want to pursue this kind of praise from the world, but if we really look at these kinds of comments, they may actually reveal that we have failed to exhibit the integrity, witness, and compassionate honesty our faith demands. When we live our faith authentically and ...

884. Marriage, Sexual Intimacy, and Spiritual Devotion

1 Corinthians 7:1-40

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Preben Vang

... God’s community. Teaching the Text 1. Paul’s guidance to the difficult situation that can arise when the conversion of one spouse creates disparate priorities in the home proves significant to modern Christians. His instruction is exegetical in that it pursues serious obedience toward Jesus’s command rather than writing it off as no longer applicable. Wrestling with the tension between Jesus’s marriage statement and the new reality (marriage between a believer and a nonbeliever), which Jesus did not ...

885. The Priority of Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

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Preben Vang

... and sophist-inspired behavior, Paul extends his description of actions not caused by love. Love does not “dishonor others”—a term that may include reference to sexually lewd behavior (7:36; cf. 5:1–2). It “is not self-seeking” (pursuing advantages, benefits, or rights [10:24, 33]) and “is not easily angered” (as even the Israelites were [10:10]). The passive paroxynetai speaks to a sharpened sense of touchiness, of allowing oneself to become irritated without substantial cause.[9] Love ...

886. Resurrection and Transformation (Part 1)

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

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Preben Vang

... Holy Spirit as a pledge and down payment on the fullness of eternal life, but does not receive the Spirit fully until the last day and ever thereafter. Contrasting Concept: In contrast to resurrection, earthly pleasure is an “all now, but never again” reality. We pursue what seems to be a great reward here on earth, but immediately after we receive it, its ability to please us is diminished, and we hunger for even more. The more we taste, the less it satisfies, and the process ends in deadness of our ...

887. Message to Pergamum

Revelation 2:12-17

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J. Scott Duvall

... promise of acceptance, fellowship, and identity can help us endure now. While the promises to the overcomers in the seven messages are predominantly eschatological, the hope generated by those promises can have a life-changing impact. People have always pursued the very things that Jesus promises: acceptance, community, and personal significance. What is promised at the messianic banquet in the new heaven and new earth can begin now with the family of God as people experience these very realities. The ...

888. Message to Philadelphia

Revelation 3:7-13

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J. Scott Duvall

... by Jesus himself. Christians will face marginalization from society. Craig Keener, however, rightly cautions us to emphasize the real reason for the exclusion, lest we be tempted toward developing a victim mentality or a persecution complex and thus pursue “unnecessary separatism.” These believers were not excluding others or withdrawing from public witness, but were being excluded “against their will on account of their witness.”3 Illustrating the Text God’s strength shines brightly through our ...

889. Message to Laodicea

Revelation 3:14-22

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J. Scott Duvall

... passage may be summarized in this way: “you say . . . ,” but “you do not realize that you are . . .”; “I counsel you to . . .” 3:19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. Jesus’s love means he does not abandon his complacent, self-reliant people but rather pursues them with correction and discipline in order that they may turn to the only reliable source of life (cf. Prov. 3:11–12; 13:24; Heb. 12:4–11). 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and ...

890. Faithful Witnesses Who Proclaim God’s Word

Revelation 11:1-14

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J. Scott Duvall

... ,” he says. “But this car is light. A good push will get it moving. Hop in and I’ll show you!” A silly scenario. But it is even more foolish to believe God would give us an important calling without providing the power to pursue it. God empowers his witnesses. (This illustration could be supplemented by having a chair on stage to serve as the seat in your “sports car” and, if possible, displaying a beautiful automobile on the screen.) God promises to rescue us from the greatest enemy—death ...

891. The Nazirite Vow

Numbers 6:1-21

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... are laypeople rather than clergy, just as Nazirites were primarily laypeople rather than priests. The “lay brothers” perform manual labor or administration for the monastic community. Monks are men who have taken vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in order to pursue a contemplative life apart from the world. Nuns also take vows to dedicate themselves to the service of God. Similarly, Nazirites took a vow to avoid wine/beer and the dead in their period of separation to God. Some orders of monks ...

892. Through Moab into the Transjordan

Num 21:10-35

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... win the Olympic gold medal for the sixth time in the last seven tournaments.”4The United States team had been consistently drubbed by the Russians, year after year. However, each of those losses taught the Americans something new. The American coach, Herb Brooks, carefully trained his players to work harder, pursue a more physical game, and build stamina to last until the final buzzer. From previous defeats, they learned the key to victory.

893. The Second Census

Numbers 26:1-65

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... to take an apparently easier pathway, but this alternate route leads him to the land of Giant Despair, lord of Doubting Castle. The terrible giant captures Christian and begins sowing seeds of doubt about the mission that Christian has been called to pursue. At a certain point, Christian even despairs of life. At this low point, Christian’s travel partner, Hope, reminds him of how God always remains faithful, as evidenced in Christian’s past victories. Through prayer, the hero is encouraged and freed ...

894. Reviewing the Past

Numbers 33:1-56

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... spot in the distance and consistently check back again and again to be sure that one is headed there. The discipline of journaling gives us an opportunity to look forward and look back, to watch for trends and keep our eyes focused on the future that God calls us to pursue.

895. David the Conqueror

2 Sam 5:6-25

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... in Ippy when she had three very young children. Over and over, we are told, “her big heart and enormous physical stamina helped her envelop the Africans in her love as she taught them to love and trust Christ.”7 After the death of her husband, she pursued her vision for a hospital at Ippy to meet desperate needs. The mission told her it was impossible. She persevered, asking for just five minutes to speak of the need in this church and that. One by one, every part of the vision fell into place. The ...

896. “Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave”: Power Poisons the Conscience

2 Samuel 11:1-27

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... regulations with regard to horses and wealth, but not in another area. Twice earlier the narrator spoke specifically of David’s expanding power. But in both cases, the narrator then included a harem report, drawing attention to the fact that David is pursuing, at least in this regard, a model of kingship in the wider culture, contrary to the Deuteronomic ideal. David grew in prominence, but these reminders that he is violating the regulation concerning royal harems (Deut. 17:17) are disturbing and cast a ...

897. David Runs for His Life—Again

2 Samuel 15:13-37

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... attack with massive destruction, or we watch the advance of perversion in our cultures, yet many Christians remain prayerless and inactive. This is in spite of the Lord’s promise that if we will come before Him, humbling ourselves in earnest prayer, He will empower us to pursue our enemies and defeat them. But instead of seeking God’s face on behalf of the lost, too many of us are immobilized by the grip of a passive spirit. I am not talking about the level of energy in our bodies, but the level of fire ...

898. “O Absalom, My Son, My Son!”

2 Sam 18:1–19:8

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... persistent pursuit, a metaphor also for God’s action in our lives. Poetry: “The Hound of Heaven,” by Francis Thompson. A brilliant but tortured poet who struggled a lifetime with addiction to opium, even living as a street person, Thompson (1859–1907) writes about the pursuing God as “the hound of heaven.” Well-known lines from that poem (1893) are as follows: I fled Him, down the nights and down the days; I fled Him, down the arches of the years; I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways Of my own ...

899. The Lord Is My Rock

2 Samuel 22:1-51

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... fortress” (v. 2, metsudah: 1 Sam. 22:4–5; 24:22 [23 MT]), and “rock” (v. 3, tsur: 1 Sam. 24:3 [2]). The term translated “rock” in verse 3 (tsur) refers to a rocky cliff that is relatively inaccessible and would provide safety for one being pursued. David uses it in his introductory, central, and concluding declarations of praise (vv. 3, 32, 47). Of the nine images used in verses 2–3, it is the only one that appears in all three sections. This suggests that it is the dominant metaphor for God ...

900. David Brings a Plague upon Israel

2 Samuel 24:1-25

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... that he has acted foolishly is ironic, for it depicts David as Saul-like. Samuel accused Saul of acting foolishly when he refused to wait for the prophet and presumptuously offered a burnt offering (1 Sam. 13:13), and Saul admitted that he had acted foolishly in pursuing David as if he were a criminal (1 Sam. 26:21). 24:14 for his mercy is great. David decides that he would rather be punished directly by the Lord than be attacked by men, for the Lord is more merciful than human enemies. The Lord’s ...

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