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 1051 to 1075 of 4943 results

1051. The Time of Waiting Is Over

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... , you will notice that they resemble the scenarios of our dreams. Beginning with the Temptation story of Jesus in the first chapter, and continuing through all the encounters with demons who seek to do us ill, and keep us in bondage. We don't talk that way ... disciples. It says that Jesus came to them where they were, and said, "Follow me." Which means, they had to choose. Were they going to continue to live in the old age, or are they going to follow Jesus into a new life? The disciples are there to show us ...

1052. Until It Dawns on You

Matthew 17:1-9

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. You all know what the morning star is. At the dawn, when the sun begins to rise bringing a new day, the rays of the sun blank out all of the heavens accept for one star that continues to shine. That's the morning star. In the early Church the morning star was one of the symbols of Jesus. O Morning Star, how fair and bright Thou beamest forth in truth and light, O Sovereign meek and lowly! Thou heavenly Brightness! Light divine! O deep within my ...

1053. Easter 7

John 17:1-11, Acts 1:6-14, 1 Peter 4:12-19; 5:6-11, Psalm 68

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... hearts in praise - Lesson 2 (v. 13). Gospel: John 17:1-11 1. A Prayed-for People (17:11). Need: Since Jesus left the earth, Christians are standing in the need of prayer. In his high priestly prayer, Jesus prays for those he leaves behind, including us. Today we continue to need Jesus' prayers, for we live in a hostile world. Outline: Jesus prays for us – a. Because we are in the world - v. 11a. We need prayer to keep from becoming of the world. b. To be faithful to God - v. 11b. c. To be one with each ...

1054. Trinity

John 3:22-36, Matthew 28:16-20, 2 Corinthians 13:11-14, 2 Corinthians 13:1-10, Exodus 34:1-28, Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... -18 God's cosmic love. THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20 1. Mountain. Jesus directed his disciples to meet him on a mountain in Galilee. The place was significant. It was in Galilee, the place of his ministry. As it began and continued in Galilee, it would complete the circle to end it there. It was on a mountain where great spiritual experiences took place: Sinai, Sermon on the Mount, transfiguration, Calvary, and now the ascension. There is something about a mountain that harmonizes with a ...

1055. Proper 16

Matthew 16:13-20, Romans 11:33-36, Romans 12:1-8, Isaiah 51:1-16, Exodus 2:1-10, Exodus 1:1-22

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... in a doxology of praise to God. PREACHING POSSIBILITIES Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20 1. A Public Opinion Poll of Jesus (16:13-14). Need: Jesus comes to the end of his public ministry. From here on he will be going to Jerusalem and training the twelve to continue after he is gone. After almost three years of preaching, teaching, and healing, he wonders what the public thinks about him. "Who do men say that the Son of Man is?" It is significant that there was no unanimity in who he was. Also, it is noteworthy ...

1056. Proper 17

Matthew 16:21-28, Romans 12:1-8, Romans 12:9-21, Jeremiah 14:1--15:21, Jeremiah 20:7-18, Exodus 3:1-22

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... his impatience and anger with God. If Jeremiah will return to a harmonious relation with God, he will be restored. God promises to be with him and ultimately to overcome his enemies. In spite of opposition to our Christian work, God wants us to continue, for eventually we will win. Epistle: Romans 12:9-21 1. Therefore (v. 1). This is a key word that bridges the theological and ethical parts of Romans. For eleven chapters Paul expounds the central doctrine of the Christian faith - justification. In this ...

1057. Christ the King

Psalm 100:1-5, 1 Corinthians 15:12-34, Matthew 25:31-46, Ezekiel 34:1-31

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... because the whole Christian faith is built on that fact. The meaning of the cross and the deity of Christ depend on the resurrection. The empty tomb is the beginning of Christ's defeat of our enemies, including death. This conquest is the first step in a continuing conquest until the whole world is brought under subjection to Christ. 2. The end (v. 24). There is an end to the world, to the struggle between good and evil. It is an end that spells victory for Christ. He destroys every evil power in the world ...

1058. God's Delight

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

... kingdom. She ruled long, and she ruled wisely, and she ruled well.3 Brothers and sisters, this day as we remember the blessings and power of our baptism, as we set apart brothers and sisters for particular tasks of ministry, I pray that all of us will continue to be God's delight - powerful servants - pouring out our power for the hope and nourishment of the world. May it be so - for you and for me. Amen. 1. William R. White, Stories For The Journey (Minneapolis: Augsburg Press, 1988), p. 24. 2. Stephen S ...

1059. Through the Lens of God

John 4:5-42

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... had said that it had come time for me to walk. Thus, Maum Jean said, 'I want you to walk toward me.' My instant reaction was fear. I knew I could not walk unaided. I had tried. I leaned back on the solid support of the tree, but Maum Jean continued to urge me forward. I begged her to stop and I burst into tears. Her voice rose suddenly, no longer gentle and coaxing, but full of power and command. 'You can walk, boy! The Lord has spoken! Now walk over here!' She knelt down and held out her arms. Somehow ...

1060. Cross Purposes

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of the Devil's Highways in our community that need to be crossed-over by the cross of Christ? When is the last time you found yourself at cross-purposes with the establishment because of your cross-overs? 2. The Cross-back Jesus was continually crossing-back to rescue the one lost, the one alone, the one forgotten. A life of constant cross-purposes, or what Paul called the "foolishness of the Cross," was evident in the way Jesus traveled. Instead of preaching and teaching just in the metropolitan center ...

1061. How Can Religion Go Bad Doing Good?

Matthew 7:21-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... do God's will and then turn around and call those doing such things evil-doers - literally, lawless ones? What law isn't being obeyed that turns seemingly right-acting men and women into lawless ones? What does Jesus really want from us? As Jesus' message continues in this week's text, he turns to a parable to animate his teaching. Jesus' parable contrasts the stability of the house built on sand with that of the house built on rock. Although both houses are completed well before the rains and winds and ...

1062. Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord

Ephesians 1:15-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... their final drafts in English. I make them understand that if you have the brains, and follow your heart, and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you must pay no attention because they just didn't learn." Susan paused and then continued, "You want to know what I make? I make a difference. What do you make?" - With thanks to Gary Zustiak, Director, CIY (Christ in Youth) Jesus' death was the only death in history that didn't leave the world impoverished, but enriched. And because of that ...

1063. What Names Are You Naming?

Isaiah 49:1-7

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... there? Why do we insist on reading these lists of names? For Judaism, the people, the nation, was never more or less than a million strands of stories woven together. Each person's existence contributed to the existence of the nation, to the continuance of the story. Each individual and each family is as a strand in the tapestry of existence, and if any strand is missing, cut off, pulled out, the entire tapestry is diminished. In today's Isaiah text this interwoven social/individual identity is particularly ...

1064. Lost and Found

Luke 15:1-7

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... . The thrust of the parable isn't that the 99 are expendable. It's that each and every one of the sheep is vitally important, as worthy of saving as is every other creature. The shepherd does the searching for the lost one. But the well-being and continued security of the remaining 99 are the responsibility of the rest of the community, that is the family who has a stake in the totality of the flock. We're family. We're the family. The Christian community, the church, is the family that owns the flock in ...

1065. God's Original Seatbelt (Mother's Day)

John 13:31-38

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... hands, and invited them to shake and hug each other. The crowd was then invited to do the same, after which the band struck up the song "Auld Lagne Syne" What followed was a "melting of hearts," and the bloodshed that everyone feared was prevented. Mrs. Jarvis continued her work with the "mother's work clubs" and Mother's Friendship Days throughout the rest of her life. She moved to Grafton, West Virginia in 1864, her husband died in 1902, and she was moved to Philadelphia to be with her son, where she died ...

1066. Missing the Mark

1 Samuel 8:1-22

Sermon

Charles Allo

... , not you. They don't want me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually forsaken me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. When we see this situation, many of immediately ... rejecting, not you. They don't want me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually forsaken me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Examine 1 Samuel 7-9 Notice God's response. " ...

1067. Murphy's Law and Messiah's Law

Luke 8:26-39

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... know. You're going to ask me why I give you fifty cents every day and don't take a pretzel." "Not at all," the woman replied. "I just wanted to tell you that the price is now 75 cents." How many of us are like that with God – who continually lavishes grace and gifts on us without anything in return except to ask for more. Finally, never doubt the power of love. But never doubt that love never comes easy. If you love, you get hurt. That's Messiah's Law. One of my favorite novelists, E. Annie Proulx, ends ...

1068. The Real Dish Network

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... wide open band to see if anything is out there. The dish is something we set up to receive the signals that we know are coming at us all the time. Jesus promises all those who "enter by me" the abundant life because he knows that we're continually, eternally, surrounded by God's Spirit. There are no drought-stricken, barren spots in the spiritual kingdom of God. The Spirit's power is always rich and deep around us. But we have to let ourselves receive it. The abundant life Jesus promises comes to us once we ...

1069. Go Meditate!

Revelation 19:1-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... presence." (As told by Barbara Lundblad, Transforming the Stone: Preaching through Resistance to Change [2001], 32.) Today is Mother's Day. Is there any better example of what it means to mediate God's love than that of a mother's love a love that sacrifices, that continually lays down, a love that is steadfast and forgiving? It's even been suggested that the first real experience we have of the unique nature of God's love is a mother's love. Someone has written A Mother's Version of 1 Corinthians 13. (You ...

1070. Are You Living the Three Advents?

Romans 13:11-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... deeds and evil intentions. Paul also speaks of “putting on” Christ in the context of baptism (Colossians 3:9-10; Ephesians 4:24), the first action taken at the begging of a life of faith. Now as faithfulness is lived out each day, it is by continually “putting on” Christ that brings light into each day, no matter how darkness presses at and oppresses them. Those clothed in Christ, those living in the new dawn of the Spirit, are given a final imperative by Paul: not to “think about how to gratify ...

1071. The Counter Intelligence of the Cross

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5, 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... and identifies the source of that mission as “the will of God.” In the Corinthian church they were arguing about Paul’s true “apostle” status. His initial greeting to them leaves no doubt that he is “an apostle of Christ Jesus.” Paul continues in vs. 2 to remind the Corinthian community of their appropriate identity as well. They are “the church of God” which happens to be “in Corinth.” The Corinthian church belongs first to God, not to any individual or sub-groups within the community ...

1072. The Lonesome George Church

Matthew 4:23-25, Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 4:12-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... been the strength of the church. Each one who discovers the transforming power of Christ for their life has been called to pass on that transforming power to yet another generation. We are all disciples. And all disciples are called by Jesus to continue the work of Christ by calling others to Christ. So why do there seem to be so many “Lonesome George” churches? Why are there so many “Lonesome George” denominations? Why are our congregations graying so rapidly, without much greening? 75% of all ...

1073. Advent 2

Matthew 3:1-12, Romans 14:1--15:13, Isaiah 11:1-16, Psalm 72:1-20

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... relationship to God. self-satisfied and exposes the inadequacy of their motives in seeking baptism. Why they come is not clear from the text, but John's remarks expose their deficiencies. The repudiation of these folks is not absolute, however, for John continues to demand that they "bear fruit" as he warns them of impending judgment and destruction. The division among the people in the ministry of John is a foreshadowing of the grand assize that John anticipates and proclaims. In other words, John preaches ...

1074. Advent 4

Psalm 80:1-19, Isaiah 7:1-25, Romans 1:1-17, Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... birth in the midst of this apparent death and starvation. The prophet's naming of the child provides interpretation: The birth of the child is a sign that "God is with us." The Immanuel sign goes beyond the birth to the land itself. Thus the prophet continues that before this child grows up he will be eating produce from the land. The sign is reliable because God is committed to the messianic promises. The power of the Immanuel sign for Christians during Advent is that it calls us to live faithfully in God ...

1075. Easter 4

Acts 2:42-47, Psalm 23:1-6, 1 Peter 2:13-25, John 10:1-21

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... of a larger series of stories ( John 9-10:21) about Jesus' teaching and healing after the Feast of Tabernacles. John 9 is an account of Jesus healing a blind man, which results in a confrontation with the Pharisees in John 9:40. This confrontation continues into John 10 and provides the setting for the gospel lesson of this Sunday. Thus we should read John 10:1-10 as being directed to the Pharisees. John 10:1-10, therefore, is a story about leadership in which Jesus contrasts himself to his contemporary ...

Showing results