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 76 to 100 of 1354 results

76. See What Love . . .

1 John 3:1-7

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... on a cattle drive from Ft. Worth to Dodge City, Kansas. It could have been the handle of a whip used by a lion tamer in a circus or an adventurous archeologist like Indiana Jones. Or it could have been the sword of Zorro or one of the Three Musketeers defending the weak and the poor from the tyranny of the corrupt king. It could be a cane used by a famous dancer like Fred Astaire as he performed on Broadway or next to Ginger Rogers in the movies. Or it could be a fishing pole used by a fisherman like ...

77. The Place beyond Punishment

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... black and white to gray. You erect castles of rectitude on the frontiers of mortality in the hopes that the murder and raping taking place in the town squares can go on undisturbed. You accept the death of a six-year-old child by aerial bombardment or economic sanction and defend the life of a six-week-old fetus. Think of it as taking the high road in Lilliput.2 Note also how important it is to punish sexuality. It is not just about death. Of course we are to suffer for a long time before we die, in this ...

78. Let the Bells Ring

Illustration

Staff

... know what to do. Napoleon's massive army was preparing to attack. Soldiers had been spotted on the heights above the little town, which was situated on the Austrian border. A council of citizens was hastily summoned to decide whether they should try to defend themselves or display the white flag of surrender. It happened to be Easter Sunday, and the people had gathered in the local church. The pastor rose and said, "Friends, we have been counting on our own strength, and apparently that has failed. As this ...

79. Before the Sanhedrin

Acts 22:30--23:11

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... with whitewash so that it appeared to be other than it was (cf. Isa. 30:13; Matt. 23:27; Luke 11:44). Ananias bore the semblance of a minister of justice, but he was not what he seemed (cf. Lev. 19:15), for in Jewish law the rights of the defendant were carefully safeguarded. 23:4–5 Paul had right on his side, but his angry rejoinder only aroused the indignation of the council. Some of its members reminded him that it was improper to speak to God’s high priest in this way (v. 4). To which Paul replied ...

80. If Only You Were To Me A Bother

Song of Songs 8:1-14

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Huwiler

... , and implicitly she needs to be protected from other men. The image of foxes in the vineyard in 2:15 may fit into the same conceptual framework. Some read these lines as contrasting rather than synonymous. If the woman is a wall (that is, well defended), then we will reward her with decorations; but if she is a door (that is, too easy to enter), then we will punish her with enclosures. This interpretation underestimates the similarity between the two lines. In both, the images are of defenses that are made ...

81. Jerusalem’s Enemies to Be Destroyed

Zechariah 12:1-9

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

... of part four (chs. 9–14). (The NIV does not translate the second occurrence of this phrase in 12:8.) The Creator Will Defend Jerusalem 12:1–7 Zechariah 12–14 focuses on Jerusalem, Judah, and the other nations, and these chapters reveal God’s purposes ... to Pharaoh (Exod. 7:1), and the angel whom God provided to lead Israel to the promised land (Exod. 23:20–22). God’s commitment to defend Zion and maintain the house of David lies behind this passage (2 Sam. 7; 1 Kgs. 11:34–36; 15:4; 2 Kgs. 8:19; 2 ...

82. The Arrest of Jesus

John 18:1-11, John 18:12-14

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... to the disciples to stay awake and pray, and consequently no failure on their part. Attention is centered entirely on Jesus’ arrest by the Roman soldiers and the temple guards. The synoptic Gethsemane scene is echoed only in Jesus’ rebuke to Peter for trying to defend him with a sword: Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me? (v. 11; cf. Mark 14:36 and parallels). The “garden” is described as an enclosed area; Jesus and his disciples went into it, according to verse ...

83. Imitating Christ's Humility

Philippians 2:1-11

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

... . If Christ’s example is to be followed, then it is better to be concerned about other people’s rights and our own duties than about our own rights and other people’s duties. When some members of the Corinthian church were so intent on defending their own rights that they had recourse to pagan judges to secure redress from their fellow Christians, Paul told them that it would be more in keeping with the way of Christ to suffer wrong without redress than to bring his name into such public disrepute ...

84. At the Tomb

Luke 24:1-12, Luke 23:50-56

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... Are Women Human? by Dorothy Sayers. Sayers (1893–1957), a renowned English woman of letters, helps us to see why the women were so attentive and why they seemed to understand things better than the men did, why they so quickly “remembered” his words. In this piece defending women, from an address given to a women’s society in 1938, Sayers writes, Perhaps it is no wonder that the women were first at the Cradle and last at the Cross. They had never known a man like this Man—there never has been such ...

85. Adam, the Law, and the Curse of the Covenant

Romans 5:12-21

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... the Text A couple of sermons come to mind from Romans 5:12–14. The first is “What’s Wrong with the World?” Here one could summarize theories regarding the origin of evil (Marxist, atheistic/evolutionary, and Eastern/dualistic) and discuss and defend the biblical view. Thus, Marxism argues that capitalism is the root of all evil because it divides humankind into haves and have-nots. And one day a classless society will emerge in which material goods are equally distributed to all. Atheistic evolution ...

86. The Spirit and the Glory of the Age to Come and the New Covenant

Romans 8:28-39, Romans 8:18-27

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... and his children. Illustrating the Text Because of Christ’s atonement, we are no longer under condemnation. Film: Camelot. This film (1967), an adaptation of the musical by the same name (1960), is based on the legends of King Arthur, who defended Britain against Saxon invaders in the early sixth century, according to medieval histories and romances. King Arthur gathered around him the Knights of the Round Table, who were devoted to a stringent code of honor. His most trusted knight, Lancelot, betrayed ...

87. Job Hears the Whispers of God’s Works

Job 26:1--31:40

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... him, and then he denies them all. Several times, Job uses the form, “If I have done this crime, then let God punish me with this horrible consequence.” Other times, Job states the condition, but he leaves the consequence undefined. By this means, Job as the defendant calls on God as judge either to condemn him to the full extent of the law or else to clear him of the erroneous charge. If Job is guilty, then he has invited God to strike him with horrific penalties. If God does not exact the punishment ...

88. The Cause and Certainty of Nineveh’s Downfall

Nahum 3:1-19

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... has come for Nineveh to be judged. Fruit or grain being ripe for the harvest is frequently used metaphorically in Scripture as pertaining to readiness for judgment (e.g., Jer. 51:33; Joel 3:13). The weakness of Nineveh is depicted in terms of its defenders and fortifications. The formerly fierce and indomitable soldiers are all women. This reflects the standard Near Eastern expression of the loss of stalwart manliness due to loss of morale (cf. Isa. 19:16; Jer. 50:37; 51:30). Because of the collapse of the ...

89. Slaves to Righteousness

Romans 6:15-23

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... in Romans (and again in vv. 20, 22), originates from the cross of Christ and from the believer’s engrafting into Christ at baptism. 6:19 Paul was not unaware that comparing Christianity to the brute conditions of slavery risked offense to the gospel. He defends the analogy, however, because you are weak in your natural selves. Paul had meditated deeply on the incarnation (e.g., Phil. 2:5–11), and if Christ did not think it undignified to walk the streets of Palestine, then his apostle did not think it ...

90. We Are Not Alone

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Robert C. Cochran

... to us as we await the second coming? Jesus says that the Father will send an advocate for us in his absence. The Greek word that our version translates as “advocate” is paraklatos, paraclete. Literally, a paraclete is “one who stands alongside.” The divine paraclete is here to defend us when no one else will, to teach us what we don’t know, and to help us do what we need to do. In addition, the Spirit is here to build us up when our morale is low and give us new hope. Perhaps the lowest point of ...

91. Do you need a Pharisectomy?

Matthew 9:27-34, Matthew 9:35-38, Matthew 12:15-21, Matthew 12:22-37, Matthew 12:38-45, Matthew 12:46-50

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... repentance to an evil generation. Those who repent will be saved. Jonah who survived an ordeal within the depths of the sea rises up to proclaim God’s judgment. And the Ninevites repent! The Queen of the South likewise who listened to Solomon. Jesus is defending the people who are believing in him, listening to him, coming to him, repenting and returning to God and to faith. For them, his resurrection will be a victory. For others who deny God, a tragedy. Jesus is laser sharp with the Pharisees who have ...

92. Little Ones

Luke 18:15-17, Matthew 19:13-15

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... seems to be indicating that the children who come to hear him (at that time approximately 1/3 of the Jewish population), were not only welcome to approach him, but were his favorite people. The gospels show Jesus blessing children and infants. But also defending them against those who would push them away. Jesus challenges his disciples never to allow or to cause one of his young followers to “stumble” in his or her faith. Children for Jesus have an innocence, a trust, a loyalty, a beauty and purity ...

93. Dealing with T-A-R-E-ists

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

... thank God it is not up to us to decide! We can leave the weeding to the angels on the last day, and get on with the mission Jesus has given us — proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. We do not have to defend God. As someone wisely said, “You defend God like you defend a lion — you get out of his way.”3 The landowner in the parable did not panic at the actions of his enemy because he knew he would make it all right in the harvest, reaping the good and destroying the bad. In the meantime ...

94. Extreme Measures

1 Kings 21:1-29

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... the greed of those in power! They seized Naboth's land and killed him. They stole his birthright inheritance. They went to extremes to have their way. They had no shame. Poor Naboth had no one to defend him. No one would come to his aid. The conspirators had no compunctions in taking his life. Who would defend him? How would his death be avenged? His family would forever live with the memory of their loved one being falsely accused then executed like a common criminal. Who would mourn and weep for them? How ...

95. Let Me Explain: A Sermon By Judas Iscariot

Matthew 26:1-5

Sermon

Don M. Aycock

... carry my share of the weight of responsibility. I decided to make Jesus act, to make him lead a revolt. So I went to the chief priests and devised a scheme of leading them to Jesus. I thought that if I could cause a confrontation Jesus would have to defend himself. The priests even gave me money, so I took it to make the betrayal look real. At the end of the Passover meal I met with the chief priests and soldiers. Together we went to Gethsemane. I saw Jesus and embraced him. The mob came; they arrested him ...

96. Confession

Job 42:1-6

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... and chaos abounded. The result of his trust was his discovery that God, after all, is in control and that life does have a center, a whole, and above all meaning. Job discovered that God did not need to be defended, as suggested by his friends who felt it was their responsibility to intervene and defend God in light of Job's plight. This seems to be a chronic problem within the church. There are those people who are always coming up with methods and gimmicks, acting as if the power of the gospel depended on ...

97. Miracle Five: Healing A Withered Hand

Mark 3:1-6

Sermon Aid

Harold H. Lentz

... law unless it was deemed necessary to save a human life. A broken bone could not be set. A cut could not be bandaged. No ointment could be applied, for that would be part of the healing process. A strict Jew, if attacked by another, could not even defend himself on the Sabbath. Perhaps something more needs to be said about legalism. As demanding a respect for law and order, it is good. But there must be exceptions. If a man commits murder but is judged to be insane and thus unaccountable for his deeds, this ...

98. Guilt And Grace

Romans 8:28-39

Sermon

Alex Gondola

... be hidden any longer. The verdict is clear: Guilty, guilty, guilty! Every sharp word and thoughtless deed, every ugly thought rises up to condemn you. You, too, realize you deserve to die. But there is One in the courtroom who is there to defend you, at a moment when you can't even defend yourself. It's Jesus Christ, our advocate, the righteous one (1 John 2:1), the Son of God. Radiant with power and glory, he stands in the courtroom and pleads for you. "Yes," he says, "this one, the sinner, deserves to die ...

99. Ananias And Sapphira, Liars

Drama

Peter C. Garrison

... be blamed alone for Ananias' lie anyway. Ananias must have planned this on his own pretty well. I asked him, "How is it that you have contrived this in your heart?" Joseph: He didn't even try to defend himself. He didn't say or do anything. Peter: Dropping dead is doing something, but I thought he'd at least try to defend himself. I thought his mouth would start opening and closing like the fish we used to catch in Galilee -- caught out of their element of life. In fact, he was like a fish caught out of the ...

100. Understanding The Holy Trinity

John 16:5-16

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... was not God, nor was he the Spirit. If Jesus were only a creature of God and not God, he could not reveal God nor redeem the world. Then the worship of Jesus as a creature would be idolatry. Athanasius, a bishop for 47 years in Alexandria, defended the concept of God as Trinity and is largely responsible for the defeat of Arius' views. A Council of 150 Eastern bishops condemned Arianism at Constantinople in 381. Since this was a Council of the East only, the entire church met in 451 at Chalcedon to confirm ...

Showing results