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 1301 to 1325 of 4946 results

1301. You Fool!

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

Ron Lavin

The incident stirring up this text is the request of someone in the crowd who asked Jesus to judge between on older brother and himself regarding an inheritance. The real problem isn't the request which Jesus refused, but the greed lying beneath the surface of the request which Jesus addressed with a parable about a rich fool who went to hell. In Jesus' day, the oldest brother got the inheritance when his father died. He was then expected to take care of the rest of the family. This procedure protected the ...

1302. Being Prepared

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Hurricane Bob was bearing down on the Atlantic coast. Safe in his home on that same coast, a man named J. R. thought he was well prepared. The power failed, but that didn’t faze him. As night fell, he simply fired up some oil lamps and placed his Coleman camping stove on top of the electric range in his kitchen to cook his dinner. So what if he had no electricity? He was able to enjoy a delicious meal thanks to his Coleman stove. He commended himself on his foresight. He went to bed secure in the knowledge ...

1303. The Messiah’s Mark

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

New parents are always so eager and anxious for their babies to learn to talk. We cajole and coo and coax them to get out those first precious words. But eventually parental prayers are answered, and the child speaks. Next thing they know, however, Mom and Dad are being grilled by junior or missy who have discovered the all important “Why?” question. There are the science questions — “Why is the sky blue?” “Why does the wind blow?” “Why is water wet?” “Where exactly in our bodies are we located?” There are ...

1304. The Covenant of Circumcision

Genesis 17:1-27

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

The Covenant of Circumcision: A year before the birth of the promised son, Yahweh strengthens the relationship with Abram by renewing their covenant. Covenant is central to this narrative: “my covenant” occurs nine times (vv. 2, 4, 7, 9, 10, 13, 14, 19, 21) and “covenant” four times (vv. 7, 11, 13, 19). The use of the word “everlasting” captures God’s firm resolution to establish a people through Abram. That word occurs three times with covenant (vv. 7, 13, 19) and once with possession (v. 8). Here God ...

1305. Sermon on the Mount: Giving, Prayer, and Fasting

Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 6:5-15, Matthew 6:16-18

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: Jesus expects his disciples to practice a covenantal piety that centers on a longing for God’s kingdom to arrive and strives to please God, not humans. Understanding the Text Following on the heels of Matthew’s instructions about keeping the law, this passage indicates right ways of enacting religious practices of giving, prayer, and fasting. In each case, believers ought to act “in secret” to receive divine rather than human approval. Their behavior is to contrast with “hypocrites” who care ...

1306. Hallelujah! Come On, Get Happy

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

David G. Rogne

At the entrance to Disneyland is a sign that reads: "Disneyland — the happiest place on earth." Millions of people have come from all over the world to visit and partake of the happiness it was designed to create. Happiness is something that humans seek naturally. We are all on a pleasure hunt. We Americans even wrote the pursuit of happiness into our constitutional rights. Yet the more earnestly we pursue happiness, the more elusive it becomes. June Callwood, in her article "One Sure Way to Happiness" ( ...

1307. A Bridge Between Two Worlds

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

If you ever read stories or watch movies about spies and espionage, then you know that spies live in constant tension of being found out. Because spies are hiding their true identity and purpose, even the tiniest false move could blow their cover and put them in danger. That kind of premise guarantees that a spy story or movie will be filled with tension and excitement. One of the most famous true spies of modern times was a Spanish man by the name of Juan Pujol Garcia. At the start of World War II, Garcia ...

1308. The Healing Tree

Revelation 22:1-6, Luke 8:1-15

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.” --Ezekiel 47:12 “The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will ...

1309. Overflowing Joy and Rich Generosity

2 Corinthians 8:7-15

Sermon

King Duncan

I’m sure most of you have heard of an oxymoron. It’s a Greek word that means “pointedly foolish.” You make an oxymoron when you put two words together that are complete opposites. They contradict each other. Some of my favorite oxymorons are “clearly confused,” “act naturally,” “open secret,” and “jumbo shrimp.” (1) What’s even better than an oxymoron phrase is an oxymoron statement. Artist Andy Warhol was famous for the statement, “I am a deeply superficial person.” Samuel Goldwyn, a famous movie producer ...

1310. You Sent Who?

Luke 3:1-6

Sermon

John B. Jamison

Tiberius Caesar. Pontius Pilate. Herod Antipas. Phillip the Tetrarch. Annas. Caiaphas. These are the names of the first century; names that define a time and place. They are examples of the power of names and what they represent. Tiberius Caesar had been emperor for fifteen years. Tiberius Caesar was the second Roman emperor after his stepfather Augustus Caesar. Tiberius Caesar was known as one of Rome’s greatest generals, conquering the north as far as Germania, securing what would become the Roman ...

1311. All In: The Winning Hand

1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Sermon

James Merritt

Of all the jewelry that people can buy and people can wear the coolest piece of jewelry to me is the ring that professional athletes get to wear when they win their world champion. Yes, they are gaudy, big, showy, bold and audacious, but I have seen them up close and they are just plain cool. After winning the Super Bowl a few years ago, the New York Giants got their rings. It looked like this [Show 1st picture of ring from the top] There are four diamond-studded trophies representing the four ...

1312. Prepared Or Not?

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

Weddings are wonderful! That is an expression you may hear frequently at the announcement of such an event. A lot of planning and expense usually go into making the event a special and joyous time. In our culture family and friends will travel long distances to be present at the ceremony. Almost every culture has extensive traditions and customs surrounding a wedding. They underscore the importance of the event. In our culture marriage is regulated by law. The state assumes that it has a stake in the ...

1313. Easter 6

John 15:18--16:4, Acts 10:23b-48, 1 John 5:1-12

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: God calls his own and chooses those who are to live as his dear friends, regardless of our human categories and distinctions. COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Acts 10:44-48 (C); Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48 (RC) The pericope for the Revised Common Lectionary features the outcome of Peter's encounter with Cornelius, the Roman Centurion. As Peter was explaining the gospel, the Holy Spirit came down on all the believers, including, for the first time, Gentiles. Since God had favored the Gentiles with the Holy ...

1314. FEAR NOT! You've Got To Be Kidding!

Luke 1:26-37

Sermon

John E. Harnish

It's an obvious understatement to say we live in a day of great fear. The language of "terror" has become the motivating mantra of our day. I did a Google search for the word "fear," and I came up with a fascinating site called "The Phobia List"—pages of phobias, A to Z. Everything from Alliumphobia—the fear of garlic and Lachanophobia—the fear of vegetables to Zemmiphobia—the fear of the great mole rat. It even lists Ecclesiophobia—the fear of church and, get this, Homilophobia—the fear of sermons! You ...

1315. Rain of Grace

Hosea 6:1--7:16

Sermon

Lori Wagner

[You may want to use the sound of rain….like you get from a rainstick; or if a rainy day, call attention to the sound of the rain outside.] The sound of rain. That steady, pattering on windows and spouting, sidewalks and cars. It can almost lull you to sleep. It’s a comforting sound. It’s almost a lullaby sound. If you’re a farmer or a gardener, you may keep rain barrels. Years ago, people would catch rain in buckets. Why? Because rainwater is gentle, free of chemicals, clean, and fresh. Plants and crops ...

1316. A Few Remaining Tremors

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

James Merritt

I will call him “Ray.” I met Ray back when I was a student pastor, in another church, here in Atlanta. He and his wife kind of took me in and we became the best of friends. As a matter of fact, he was instrumental in helping me and Teresa finally get together. I never dreamed I would tell you this story about Ray. It had been almost 25 years since I had seen or heard from Ray and out of the blue he called me when we were moving into the home where we now live and graciously offered to purchase the light ...

1317. Simeon's Song

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

Mark Trotter

We heard Simeon sing his song this morning not only in the gospel lesson, but in the anthem, in the beautiful and dramatic piece from Randall Thompson's, The Nativity According to St. Luke, interpreted wonderfully this morning by Ronald Banks. It is appropriately heard as a song, because Luke divides the story of the birth of Jesus into several acts, each act with dialogue, and a song, the way an opera has arias. One scene even has angels singing. We are familiar with most of these scenes. The Annunciation ...

1318. The Desperate

John 9:1-12

Sermon

James Merritt

I have a friend in Chicago, Illinois, that pastors one of the largest churches in America. His name is James MacDonald. He is a great preacher and has built an incredible church. I had the privilege of hosting him a couple of years ago in my home and took him to play some golf (which we both love). We were talking about church as pastors always do and I asked him to tell me some things he had learned that had helped him build the church he started at a very small size into the gigantic work for God it is ...

1319. How to Preach a God-Sized Message to a Media Filled World

2 Timothy 4:1-5

Sermon

James Merritt

I hope I will be forgiven, because I have slightly changed the title of the message that I was assigned. I was originally asked to preach on the topic, "How To Prepare A Media-Sized Message", but first of all, most of us do not have our messages broadcast in what is known as the media, per say. Beyond that, I really felt the topic was a little too small. The truth of the matter is - whether you are in the media or not, you can preach a God-sized message to a media filled world. Furthermore, I do not want ...

1320. Dead Man Walking

John 11:38-44, John 11:17-37, John 11:1-16

Sermon

James Merritt

In 1927, an S-4 Navy submarine was accidentally rammed by a Coast Guard Cutter, sending it immediately to the bottom of the bay. The entire crew was trapped. Every effort was made to rescue them, but every effort failed. Near the end of the four day attempt, to bring these men to the surface, a diver placed his helmeted ear to the side of the vessel and heard a man tapping Morse Code from inside. This was the last question that he heard. "Is...there...any...hope?"[[1]] If there is any day of the year and ...

1321. What Do I Do When I Can't Get Started?

Proverbs 6:6-11

Sermon

James Merritt

Today, I am going to deal with a problem that I freely admit that I have and I am absolutely convinced everyone has this problem to one degree or another. I am going to be honest with you. Sometimes, I have a problem with procrastination and starting tomorrow I am going to do something about it! The truth of the matter is everybody in this room has at least one thing that you haven't yet done in your life and the only reason you haven't done it is simply because you've procrastinated. I heard about two ...

1322. The Blind Guiding The Blind

Psalm 92:1-15, Luke 6:46-49, 1 Corinthians 15:35-58, Isaiah 55:1-13, Luke 6:37-42

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

The passage for today has what is described as a parable. It is a one-sentence parable, more like a saying than a typical parable. It is only one or two sentences long. The passage actually contains four such parables or sayings. While the passage is part of a longer discourse of Jesus addressed to "a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people" (Luke 6:17), this section seems more directly addressed to the disciples. The first of the parables or sayings deals with an analogy to a blind ...

1323. On Sacrificing Others

Sermon

Jerry Eckert

August 15, 1982 Comment: To get an unusual angle on their story,storytellers sometimes take on the persona of someone in orclose to the event they are describing. The following look at the story of Abraham's sacrificeof his son Isaac comes from a neighbor who lived in thatregion, a practitioner of religion and life as it wasunderstood by the indigenous inhabitants. Dramatically, the pastor can read it out loud as if hewere writing it, as I did. Or he can introduce it and letsomeone from the congregation ...

1324. Called To Freedom

Galatians 5:1-15

Drama

Jerry Eckert

Comment: Several times over the years, I preached a series of sermons out of the letter to the Galatians. Having tried a number of other dramatic techniques, I decided to have a phone conversation between Paul and Barnabas. I prepared a script and got two phones, one for me (Barnabas is one of the great saints of the New Testament and I played him) and one for a church member who played Paul. In succeeding weeks, I went further, having a four-way phone consultation including a representative of the ...

1325. The Gospel Of Our Calling

Romans 4:1-25

Sermon

Mark J. Molldrem

A friend related to me how, when he was a youngster, he spent a lot of time on the other side of the block all wrapped up in touch football and whiffle ball and hide-and-go-seek. But there were other important events going on for which his folks knew he needed to be present, like going to church, mealtime, bedtime. So, they blew a whistle to call him home from the other side of the block. God also calls, not with a whistle, but with his Word. Martin Luther in his Small Catechism explains the Third Article ...

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