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 1151 to 1175 of 1185 results

1151. Partners with the Divine

John 17:20-26

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... the hungry and heal the sick we are in common purpose with God. When we give ourselves fully to the work of building open and inclusive community we are in common purpose with God. What do you think? Is partnership with the divine something we could pursue together? As a Christian community in this time and place, what are some of the ways that we might find common purpose with God to such an extent that we can feel ourselves connected — a part of each other? Might we think together about our neighbors ...

1152. First World Problems

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... girl thought for a second, then said, “Give me too much!” (3) I can relate to her granddaughter. Can there ever be too much of a good thing? Apparently, there can be. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Especially if the good things we pursue distract us from the life God intends for us. There is something unique in this story in Luke that I can’t find in any other parables in the New Testament. This is the only time in the Gospels when God directly calls someone a fool. In Jesus’ stories ...

1153. More Than a Popularity Contest

Luke 12:49-53, Luke 12:54-59

Sermon

King Duncan

... in his identity and ministry until after his resurrection from the grave. Jesus understands how painful such separation is. It’s a natural consequence of living out the radical priorities of Christ, priorities such as loving your enemies, speaking the truth, pursuing peace, and not conforming to the value systems of the world. You are going to make others uncomfortable around you. Your character and lifestyle will make others question their own values and priorities. Let me tell you about a man who ...

1154. A Miracle of Grace

Philemon 1:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... as well put me in jail.” And he headed meekly for the squad car. (1) I’d love to have been there when that guy sobered up. How did it feel to know that he’d been running away from himself all that time? In the beginning, no one was pursuing him; his own fear and guilt drove him into the woods and ultimately exhausted him. Fear and guilt have a way of doing that. The letter to Philemon in our lesson for today is essentially about a man who ran away from his crimes, who ran away from slavery, and ...

1155. Have You Seen a Buck Flying Past?

Luke 16:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... his ministry is popular now, he knows it won’t last. After his death, his disciples will be persecuted for spreading his message. They will be forced to make a choice: commit their lives to the work of the kingdom of God or go back to pursuing their own safe and comfortable interests. In other words, take on the responsibilities of discipleship or spend the rest of their lives passing the buck. And so, he tells them a very strange parable, a story about a rich man who accuses his household manager of ...

1156. Unconditional Commitment

Luke 9:51-62

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... , come along with me. You’ll get a great salary, awesome benefits, lots of perks, excellent food, 5-star hotels, and a gym membership. He says, life with me is like being perpetually on the run. You can’t stop to rest, you’ll be constantly watched and pursued. You may be in danger. Many will reject you and give you no place to sleep at night. We move from place to place. You must be entirely committed to the journey, so much that you’ll spend most of your time away from your family and friends. You ...

1157. Much Love. Hope Sent.

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... we have been baptized into new life with Jesus, our new purpose is to prioritize the kingdom of heaven above all else. The kingdom of heaven is the rule of God in this world. It is what the world looks like when Jesus is living in us, and we are pursuing the priorities of Jesus in the world. What difference could you make in the world if your priority was to further the kingdom of heaven in your daily life? Let me tell you about one young woman whose faith in Christ gave her a new purpose in life. At age ...

1158. The Succession

Matthew 11:2-11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... begins expanding his mission with miracles, healing, and proclamation, slowly revealing his true identity as the long-awaited Messiah. Several of John’s disciples begin to follow Jesus. Others remain loyal to John, as John and they tentatively question the way Jesus is pursuing the messianic mission. John is an apocalyptic prophet. He’s a messenger delivering a message. He doesn’t know exactly what to expect in the coming messiah, God’s means of redemption, or the outcome. But as a man of his time ...

1159. What, Then, Would You Be?

2 Corinthians 5:20b—6:10

Sermon

Dr. Ronald Love

... for burglary. This inmate dabbled in singing and playing the guitar prior to prison, but after hearing Johnny Cash, the year was 1959 or 1960, we don’t know which, he vowed to make music his life’s ambition. Upon his release from prison, he pursued his dream and became one of the greatest country-western singers of all time, with 38 number one country hits. That inmate’s name was Merle Haggard. By hearing the story of another person who found redemption we too can be reconciled to the good life ...

1160. Capernaum by the Sea

Matthew 4:12-23

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... was Jesus’ evangelistic method, his “Shepherd Search Team Method,” if you will. He would pull in every sheep he could. He would teach to them all. Those who remained would become part of his flock. Those whom he couldn’t reach, he would not continue to pursue. He would start in Capernaum, his home base for communications. And he would proceed to teach, heal, and proclaim in every town along the Way of the Sea. Some came for the novelty of who he was. Some came for the food. Some were simply curious ...

1161. A Reminder of the Graciousness of God

Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... at the University of Chicago, a Lutheran friend named Jay Alanis looked me squarely in the eye and said, ‘Barkley, God is here, doing something with you.’ ‘No Jay,’ I responded, ‘I’m too much a heathen for God.’ ‘But Barkley,’ Jay pursued with a light behind his eyes that wasn’t his own, ‘It’s heathens God calls.’” (4) “It’s heathens God calls.” No wonder Matthew included this hurtful question from the religious leaders in the story of his calling. He wanted his readers ...

1162. How Much Should We Pack?

Matthew 9:35-10:8, (9-23)

Sermon

William G. Carter

... has damaged their lives. They have no budget, no leadership hierarchy, and no facility to call their own. The agenda is to tell their own stories, acknowledge where they made mistakes, share how they try to straighten out their lives, and to talk about how they pursue the courage to keep going. “Isn’t that what church was meant to be?” Buechner asks: “Sinners Anonymous.”11 “I send you without a bag or sandals or purse,” said Jesus, for God’s work is best done with words. At the bottom of it ...

1163. Let's Get Together

Acts 2:1-21 · Genesis 11:1-11

Sermon

Will Willimon

... your differences as divine, huddle with those whose difference is the same as yours, and help us with this big tower over here. We Americans have constructed a society built upon rights -- I have my rights which means that I am free aggressively to pursue my rights as long as I don't bump into you while you are getting yours. What is there to hold such aggressively self-interested individuals together? Not much. We complain about the governmental bureaucracy, but with nothing more to hold us together than ...

1164. Boredom

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

... of thought.” He got us, didn’t he? Think about that in light of the daily routine interests of your life. A surfeit of toys. With what do you surround your life and for what purpose? A deficiency of thought. What challenging ideas have you pursued lately? What probing possibilities for growth have you been considering? To be a whole person and to overcome our boredom, two things are essential. First, we need a faith to live by. Second, we need a cause to live for. Without these we will continue to ...

1165. If There Isn’t Enough To Go Around

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

William G. Carter

... two little girls. They lived in a nice house with a garden. Yet the family felt an anxiety: there was never enough money. Both mother and father had small incomes, but they didn’t have enough to reach the social position they desired. The father pursued business leads that never materialized. The mother tried to earn more money, but her failures etched deep lines into her face. In time, their home became haunted with the unspoken phrase, “There must be more money.” No one ever said it aloud, least of ...

1166. We Have All Become Nicodemus

Romans 16:25-27

Sermon

Ronald Love

... he was doing while working for United, and from these commercials he was even offered an acting contract by Twentieth Century Fox. He turned it down believing that God had called him to serve in the army. After serving in the army, Selleck returned to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. His big break came when he was offered the lead role in the television series Magnum, P.I. The show ran from 1980 to 1988. In a December 2019 interview with CBN News, Selleck said, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the ...

1167. Living In The “In Between” Time

Titus 2:11-14

Sermon

Ronald Love

... living in between these two appearances — the incarnation and the second coming. The challenge of this in-between living is neither be preoccupied with the past or the future, but to live one’s life in self-control, anticipating Christ’s return. We are to pursue godliness and righteousness while we live in the present. Those who believed in the first appearance of Jesus listened. Can we today? We can say, as Devon Still did, “My entire life God has been talking to me, in ways I just hadn’t been ...

1168. The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... helping her achieve her goals. She recalls a fellow amputee, Matt Melancon, who visited her in the hospital right after the accident. One piece of advice he gave her has fueled her recovery: “Don’t for one second long for what you were, but recklessly pursue what you can become.” Christy’s faith in God also motivates her to help others in need. She has served as a foster mother to numerous children. She works with fellow amputees, helping them to deal with the challenges of their new life. And she ...

1169. Fear of the Light

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... out of control. And yet, if we allow ourselves to step into that Light, we will feel not made small but made tall –as God raises us up into unimaginable heights and recreates us into maximizing our utmost potential as human beings. This Advent season, as you pursue repentance and prepare yourselves for the coming of the Christ into your lives, pray for the Light –the light in which you can see as you’ve never seen before, the light that will change you from the inside out and upend your life in every ...

1170. The Great Reveal

John 12:20-33

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... God’s blueprint” (his theory of forms) saw the soul as the immortal “true seed” sown inside of the mortal body is in stark contrast to Jesus’ Jewish, later Christian, theology of a holistic creature inbreathed by God who must die and be resurrected. To pursue Truth is to be in intimate relationship with God (Jesus), God in bodily manifestation. When Jesus dies, he will entirely die, but he will be resurrected body/mind/soul, then later ascend to sit at the right hand of God. The emphasis is on the ...

1171.

Psalm 83:1-18

Teach the Text

Craig C. Broyles

... as a nation,” v. 4), the intent of these concluding petitions does not go that far. Wind does not destroy tumbleweed and chaff; it drives them along. And although fire consumes a forest, the point is that it sets the human inhabitants on the run: so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm. These images may point to the eventual and hasty retreat of Israel’s aggressors in battle. 83:16–18 The final petitions (vv. 16–18) appear to show the same restraint. While a request is made ...

1172.

Psalm 83:1-18

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

1173.

Psalm 117:1-2

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... liturgical expression. A more literal translation reveals the striking word choice in verse 2: “for his love has prevailed (Hb. gābar) over us” (cf. the noun “warrior,” Hb. gibbôr; and also a literal translation of 23:6: “surely goodness and love shall pursue me”). The psalm almost appears to tease its listeners with the question of who the us is in verse 2. Is it Israel alone, thus making “all you nations” praise Yahweh as mere witnesses of his goodness to Israel? Or does it include them ...

1174.

Psalm 139:1-24

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... speaker’s invitation for God to search him at the psalm’s close is not a spontaneous response of piety but a reasoned surrender to God’s inescapable, all-searching presence. Earlier the speaker’s initial response was to escape; now he chooses to draw near to the God who pursues him. But why does the speaker petition God to do the very things he would do or has done in any case (note search and know in vv. 23 and 1, see in vv. 24 and 16, and lead in vv. 24 and 10 [NIV “guide”])? (Note how these ...

1175.

Psalm 142:1-7

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... ; in desperate need is a paraphrase) in society. The actual petitions for God’s intervention are two. One or both of them must be metaphoric, for if taken literally their images are incompatible. The first reflects feelings of being chased (Rescue me from those who pursue me), and the second feelings of confinement (Set me free from my prison, cf. 143:11b in Hb.). Each has a supporting motivation. The first points to the opponents (for they are too strong for me), and the second to God (that I may praise ...

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