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 1679 results

876. Bigger, Better, Basta!

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Have you ever seen a hoarder? A true hoarder? I don’t mean someone who collects teacups, baseball cards, or precious stones. A collector displays selected objects for all to see. A real hoarder stuffs things away for fear of not having enough. In fact, a hoarder never has enough! Hoarding is a very private disorder, one that usually accompanies isolation, fear, and phobia. A psychological disorder, hoarding is not only isolating, but it can be dangerous, causing problems in living conditions, cleanliness, ...

877. Shake It Off

Mark 6:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

June 21, 2024, Taylor Swift arrived at Wembley Stadium in London to perform her astonishingly popular “Eras Tour” concert. That same Friday, before the weekend shows began, the royal family shared a video on Instagram of the royal guard (usually silent and staid) joyfully rocking it to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” The band formed a semi-circle right in front of Buckingham Palace during the change of the guard. What a wonderful display of Britain’s youthful and fun-loving spirit. Later, social media ...

878. Allowing God To Do A New Thing

Isaiah 43:14-28

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

There was a pilot with three passengers -- a boy scout, a priest, and an atomic scientist -- and a plane that developed engine trouble in mid-flight. The pilot rushed back to the passenger compartment and exclaimed, "The plane is going down! We have only three parachutes, and there are four of us! I have a family waiting for me at home. I must survive!" With that, he grabbed one of the parachutes and jumped out of the plane. The atomic scientist jumped to his feet at this point and declared, "I am the ...

879. God's Most Unmistakable Message

John 20:1-9

Sermon

Don M. Aycock

Easter Sunday is a string tied around the finger of the world, reminding us that God loves us absolutely. It reminds us that Jesus' cross is not the last word. A cross is cruel enough, but a worse cruelty would be to forget the one whose crucifixion benefited us. How do you feel when no one remembers your birthday or anniversary, or when someone forgets your name? You see, three men died on crosses that gruesome spring day so long ago. Three died, but only one is truly remembered. Why? It is because he ...

880. Why Be Good?

Luke 6:37-42

Sermon

Charles H. Bayer

There are a few things religion -- almost any religion -- can be counted on to affirm. There are standards of conduct and piety, differences between right and wrong, obligations and responsibilities which are so clearly stated nothing is left to chance. Religion will always find a way to define what the deity requires, and to cite the rewards and the punishments for right or wrong conduct. The penalties for violating religious commands vary, from a slap on the wrist to eternal damnation. The rewards also ...

881. Yes, But How?

Sermon

Lee Griess

Luke 13:1-9 A friend of mine tells a story about a man who borrowed a book from an acquaintance. As he read through it, he was intrigued to find parts of the book underlined with the letters YBH written in the margin. When he returned the book to the owner, he asked what the YBH meant. The owner replied that the underlined paragraphs were sections of the book that he basically agreed with. They gave him hints on how to improve himself and pointed out truths that he wished to incorporate into his life. ...

882. The Backside Of God

Sermon

John N. Brittain

Exodus 33:12-23; Matthew 22:15-22 Without wanting to be either flippant or blasphemous, I don't think it out of line to say that there is something a little odd about the story where Moses gets to see the back side of God. This is Moses, the one who went up the mountain and brought down the tablets of the law; the one at whose uplifted rod the waters of the Red Sea parted and then came back together; Moses, the person who filled more roles than any other in the Torah -- prophet, priest, military leader, ...

883. A Bent Over Woman

Luke 13:10-17

Illustration

Richard A. Jensen

The woman with the battered face. Several years back that battered face was splashed all over the media. The woman's name was Hedda Nussbaum. She came to public attention as a dramatic witness for the prosecution in the death of her adopted daughter, Lisa. Hedda Nussbaum was a vulnerable person already in her early years. She says that when she was a child, "I just went where I was taken." She just obeyed orders. Not surprisingly, she fell in love with a man who loved to give orders. His name was Joel ...

884. Anger - Eleven Ways To Blow Up, Seven Ways To Cool Off

Matthew 5:21-26

Sermon

R. Curtis Fussell

What is your AQ? Not your IQ, which is your so-called intelligence quotient, but your AQ, your Anger Quota? Everyone has an AQ. Everyone has a point, a threshold, whatever you call it. If the right buttons are hit, you will get angry and start to growl, and that's your AQ, your Anger Quota. Of course, you and the people sitting around you don't look like you could be angry. As far as you and I can tell, everyone here looks calm, relaxed, quiet, and composed. But under that cool composure there's the ...

885. Religious Load-Management

Deuteronomy 18:14-22

Sermon

Harold Warlick

One of the major ingredients in any kind of endeavor is load-management. A college student, for example, must have special permission from the dean to take more than a certain number of courses per semester. Past wisdom has taught that students experience inevitable time-management problems and personal stress when they overload a schedule. In the realm of everyday consumption of energy, most cities now have load-management regulators which are placed on homes. City energy departments give a discount to ...

886. Runaway Lives

2 Samuel 18:1-18

Sermon

Robert Noblett

For cowboy lovers, the 1950s were golden. There were more cowboys than you can count on your fingers and toes: Hopalong Cassidy, and Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, The Lone Ranger, Lash LaRue and the list goes on. There were probably only a dozen or so basic scenarios played out in all their shows, and one of the classics was the runaway stagecoach. The driver became incapacitated, the horses went mad, the coach was full of terrified passengers, and along came Roy riding Trigger at what seemed like seventy-five ...

887. Walking Through A Storm

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

Simon was in control of the boat. He was the oldest, and besides it was his boat. He had sailed the waters so often, and usually at night because that is when most of the fishing took place. The disciples pushed away from the shore, a shore still crowded with the village people. The sun had set but still cast a warm, red glow over the hillside, over the men, women and children who had come to hear Jesus and to be healed. The sun's glow worked out upon the gently moving sea. It may have been John, the ...

888. God Doesn't Ask A Fig Tree To Produce Bananas

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Lee Griess

A man borrowed a book from an acquaintance. As he read through it, he was intrigued to find parts of the book underlined with the letters YBH written in the margin. When he returned the book to the owner, he asked what the YBH meant. The owner replied that the underlined paragraphs were sections of the book that he basically agreed with. They gave him hints on how to improve himself and pointed out truths that he wished to incorporate into his life. However, the letters YBH stood for "Yes, but how?" Those ...

889. Wedding Sermon - You Are What You Wear

SOS 8:6-7; Col 3:12-17

Sermon

Erskine White

From the announcement of their engagement to the day of their wedding, a young couple can be put through an incredible amount of stress. A cynic might say that society intends this period as a kind of torture test to see if the couple is really ready for the rigors of marriage. With the countless decisions to be made and the numerous other people whose interests and wishes must be accommodated, a young couple needs the tact of a diplomat, the patience of a saint and the endurance of a marathon runner when ...

890. The Priesthood Of All Believers

Exodus 19:1-25

Sermon

Walter Kimbrough

The priesthood of all believers is a topic highly talked about, but too rarely practiced. It has become no more than theological jargon with little or no meaning. Yet, we like Israel, are entitled to be a nation of priests. All of us, whether clergy or lay, share in an ordination by God to be priests. All persons who believe in Jesus the Christ are a part of this priestly nation. But, what constitutes a priest? How can I know whether I am a priest? The Bible dictionary informs us that, “The New Testament ...

891. Death Following Lung Cancer

Psalm 55:1-23

Eulogy

Alan Bacon Bond

If I Take the Wings of the Morning Barbara's first hint of trouble came with coughing and pain in the chest. The X-rays and following biopsy confirmed the worst fears and marked the beginning of her long slide toward death. "Lung cancer," said the doctor. "We'll remove the lobe immediately and follow with radiation." But it was not to be that easy. The surgeon found a fibrous tissue intertwined through the chest cavity making removal of the lung impossible. The tumor itself was removed as well as possible ...

892. Are You the One?

Matthew 11:1-19

Sermon

Johnny Dean

H. A. Williams, one of the leading preachers and theologians of the Church of England, titled his autobiography, Someday I’ll Find You. That may seem like an unusual title for an autobiography, but if you read the book, as I did when I was a seminary student, it begins to make sense. You see, there was a period in Dr. Williams’ life when he was almost totally incapacitated by phobic anxieties. He was afraid to into the streets and marketplaces, afraid of elevators and escalators, afraid to ride on trains ...

893. An Attitude of Sacrifice

Lk 6:17-26; Mt 5:1-12

Illustration

Brett Blair

Jesus is the model of sacrifice. He was certainly no one’s doormat, but yet, he was hated, excluded and called evil. Through it all he was God—controlled and not self—controlled. When I think of making sacrifices I also think of E. Stanley Jones, perhaps United Methodism’s most famous foreign missionary. He authored over a dozen books and converted hundreds of Hindus in India to Christianity. He is the only person of which I am aware who was voted in ...

894. The Tower of Babel

Genesis 11:1-9, Acts 2:1-13

Bulletin Aid

Carl Hoefler

Call to Worship Pastor: The tower of Babel is a story of man trying to steal what the story of Pentecost says God wants to give. People: Man's desire to compete with God always leads to confusion and defeat. Pastor: If we let God's Spirit control us, we can enjoy fulfillment of the life we seek. People: May the Spirit of God bring us together in a new understanding of his will, that we may not be divided in confusion, but united in faith. Collect Eternal God, who has given your Spirit as a unifying power ...

895. Of Preachers and Preaching

Micah 1:8-16

Sermon

Of the several significant themes which may be identified in the Scripture lessons read today, I choose the one about preachers and preaching. Perhaps this is because I tune in most easily on this wave length. The prophet Micah came out of the village of Moresheth with a message concerning Samaria and Jerusalem which he was sure the Lord wanted him to deliver. It was a social Gospel message condemning the prominent and powerful of those societies for their many sins. "Have you no sense of justice?" he ...

896. Thursday in Holy Week

Exodus 12:1-30

Bulletin Aid

First Lesson: Exodus 12:1-14 Theme: Institution of the Passover Call to Worship Pastor: We share in this sacred feast to celebrate our Lord's redeeming love. People: We rejoice in our deliverance from sin granted by the blood of the Lamb. Pastor: We celebrate as Christians, because our Lord delivers us from sin, just as God delivered the Israelites from Egypt. People: God's deliverance finally brought them to the promised land. God is delivering us, too, to the promised life of redemption in Christ. Praise ...

897. No Appeal

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

The case went to court. For our purposes, "the whys and wherefores" do not matter. The case went to court because someone believed he was being treated unfairly. The court, he believed, would be persuaded to his point of view and he would be proven right. He would get justice after all. He told his neighbors he was sure the court would be bound to see it his way. He knew it; and as if to drive the point home, he would clench his fist and pound the table whenever he said it. He knew the truth, and being ...

898. One Commandment is Enough!

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Rules, commandments, and laws are nothing new. For instance, everyone knows Murphy's Law: "If there is a possibility that something will go wrong, it will." Or how about the Law of Gardening: "You get the most of what you need the least." Jones' Rule of the Road is: "The easiest way to fold a map is differently." I like Erma Bombeck's Rule of Medicine: "Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died." One of my favorites is Agnes Allen's Law: "Almost anything is easier to get into than out of." But no ...

899. Don't Give Up Too Soon!

Acts 15:36-41

Sermon

Harold Warlick

These are very exciting times in which to live. Eastern Europeans in communist countries are enjoying freedoms they have waited for, for 30 years. Nelson Mandela is free after 27 years of being in prison in South Africa. Perhaps it's hard for us to comprehend the faith and the hope which sustained these people for so long. Why didn't they give up sooner? Why not just accept failure, quit, drop out, transfer somewhere else, hang it up? One of my joys in life was visiting the famous Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam ...

900. It Isn’t Fair!

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

Every parent who has raised more than one child at the same time has heard the cry - whether justified or not - that one is getting special treatment over the others, or that one is being slighted to the advantage of everyone else. While the parent may or may not agree with the child’s assessment of the current situation (in fact, the youngster may not be discriminated against at all!), he or she will invariably agree on one thing, no child should be singled out for treatment benefiting them to the others ...

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