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 1326 to 1350 of 4986 results

1326. You Are Invited

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... prayer," came the reply. But, undaunted, Bonhoeffer continues, “If you can hear me, put your hands on the wall as if you were touching mine." Then the great religious leader offered this prayer: Lord, it is dark in me, but in You is day. I am alone, but You will stay. I am afraid—You never cease. I am at war—in You is peace. And the great martyr wrote that he heard the tapping of the hand on the other side of the prison cell. A solider on his way to his death had heard and received that prayer. My ...

1327. Following the Footsteps of the Faithful

Hebrews 11:1-13

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... alive and walking. Sixty-seven years, a scout master of this troop. “Billy Jim, how do you persevere? How do you keep on keeping on?” Billy Jim: “This is such a great organization that you just have to stay with it. I have had the pleasure of being here for a long time. If everyone is willing, I want to stay a little longer.” Dr. Olds: “You’re not only looking into the past, you’re looking to the future. I know you and Joy have already made a commitment to the future, to the people who will ...

1328. Knowing When To Run

Genesis 39:1-2, 6b-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... the rough on the golf course. “That's simple," said Snead, “don't get in it." Remember that old line from Hee-Haw days. This guy comes in to Doc Campbell and says, “I broke my arm in two places." To which Doc responds, “Then, you ought to stay out of them places." Distance is a legitimate way to handle the struggles of life. There are times when the best thing we can do is run. Someone asked Muhammad Ali how he handled the temptations of being a celebrity. The great boxer responded, “Well, I carry ...

1329. Turning Evil Into Good

Genesis 45:1-8a, 50:19-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... be worse. Meanwhile, Jesus came, reached down into the depths of the pit, and lifted him out. How is it we sing it? He brought me out of the miry clay, He set my feet on a rock to stay, He put a song in my heart today, A song of joy, Hallelujah. Joseph discovered that no child of God should ever stay in a pit. The story of Joseph illustrates a person is forever finding the grace of God to get out of the pit, to redeem the moment, and to claim the time. God himself found Joseph there and provided ...

1330. Doing What Disciples Do

John 15:12-17

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... through worship. If worship were a matter of music, we could attend a concert. If worship were a matter of entertainment, we could go to a movie. If worship were a matter of excitement, we could go to a ball game. If worship were a matter of rest, we could stay home and sleep. But, worship is a meeting with God. It is the place where God and people get together. The longer I lead worship, the more I am convinced that if I am going to be a faithful disciple, I have to find ways and means to be consistent ...

1331. Building Boats That Float

Genesis 6:1

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... and death arrives, life is messy. When jobs end and hope fails and despair dawns, life gets messy. What I need to tell you today from this ancient story is that when life gets messy, don’t abandon the ship. There is a flood out there. You need to stay inside. Jewish author, Elie Wiesel, tells the parable about a man in a boat. The man is not alone although he acts as if he were. One night without warning, the man decides to cut a hole under his seat. Other people on the boat are totally alarmed. “What ...

1332. Praising God All Day Long

Psalm 100:1-5

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... . Is that all there is? If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing. Let's live loose, party hard, gamble big, stay busy—for tomorrow we die, if that's all there is. The writer of this old 100th Psalm understood it better. “Know that the Lord who ... miserable spring practice. Finally he posted this notice on the locker room bulletin board in big letters: THOSE WHO STAY WILL BE CHAMPIONS. Some disgruntled player added these words underneath “and those who don't will be doctors, lawyers ...

1333. How To Triumph Over Terrorism

Ephesians 6:10-18

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... the hotel door to the masquerade ball. A worship service was in progress. When the worshippers realized that the devil in person was there, they scattered. They ran in every direction. All except one elderly lady who was sitting about midway in the sanctuary. She stayed put. Feeling especially empowered now by his new role as the devil, the young man walked up to the lady and said, “Aren’t you afraid of me?” “Why should I be,” snapped the woman, “I’ve been living with your brother for 50 years ...

1334. Why Join a Church?

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... going, to keep at it. When one goose falls, is wounded or becomes ill, at least two others will fly to the ground, swoop down and stay with it until it is restored to the flock. Why join a church? We join a church because deep in the human soul is a hunger ... to come to church? You can’t see, you can’t hear, you don’t have a way to get here. Why don’t you just stay home?” Little, short Charlie Hitt, with a twinkle in his eye said, “Oh, but come Sunday, I want my neighbors to know whose side I’m ...

1335. The High Price of Short Cuts

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... soul. Nourish your soul. Don’t sell your soul. In a culture that is rich in things and poor in soul, we need to hear these words. Is it well with your soul? We expand our minds, improve our relational skills, tend to our psychological well-being, exercise to stay physically fit, but what are we doing to keep our souls in shape? Mike Yaconelli, author and founder of youth specialties said, “Until a few months ago, I had no idea I’d lost my soul. In the busyness and clatter of my life, as I traveled all ...

1336. Checking Out the Scene

John 1:35-42

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... , a faith that will not shrink, a hope that will not fail, a legacy that thieves cannot steal, and an eternity that will call from us the best that is in us. That’s what we are really looking for. And so the disciples say, “Where are you staying?” To this compelling question Jesus adds a contagious invitation. In Verse 39 He says to them, “Come and see.” Come on home with me and take a look. I call this checking out the scene. There are no preconditions to this afternoon visit with Jesus. The free ...

1337. Come to the Party

Luke 14:15-23

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... explain it to me, it’s better than I deserve. When I think about the friendships I’ve established over the years, in every place I’ve stopped off on this journey in ministry, and the friends that continue to be deep abiding friends to me today and stay in contact with me again and again, there are only four words to explain that—better than I deserve. When I think about the times I’ve been forgiven, when I’ve really blown it and messed up and deserved to be kicked out and yet somebody, through ...

1338. The Family As Church

2 Timothy 1:3-8

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... breath prayers. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Others Lord, yes others. My God, my all. Lord, help me make it through the night. Breath prayers. Prayers to have in the moment of need. Fan into flame the fires of faith. The family that prays together, stays together. It may sound trite but it is true. D. We can serve our neighbors. Families are not ends in and of themselves. We are but one piece of the fabric of society. One of the things parents can do is help a child cultivate a vision for the ...

1339. The Power of a Personal Commitment

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... youth choir tour. The double booking resulted in family conflict and a final showdown in which I said, “We keep the commitments we make in this family,” which meant he went on the choir tour. I’m sure his leaders would have preferred he stay home as he was less than enthusiastic about singing. But years later as we sat around the dinner table reminiscing about the things that made us what we are, Brad our reliable, dependable, steady, focused physician said, “Dad, do you remember that time you made ...

1340. When God Builds the House

Psalm 127:1-5, 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... before we ever entered the new facilities. Don't get your hopes up. I have not come to pass, I have come to stay. The good Lord willing and my health doesn't fail, you are stuck with me for a while. There is a verse in Solomon's psalm that I have ... overlooked for a lifetime. It's verse 2—In vain you rise early and stay up late toiling for food to eat—for God grants sleep to those he loves. Did you know that was in the Bible? God grants sleep for ...

1341. Get Up and Go

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... . Get away from disaster like residents of the Gulf coast ran from hurricane Katrina. Remember the old Hee Haw line where a patient complains to Doc Campbell that he broke his arm in two places? Doc replies, “Then you ought to stay out of them places." II. RUNNING INTO DETOURS Verse 14: “So they left for Egypt and stayed there until the death of Herod!" Have you been to Egypt? I was there for three days once; it was two days too long. I paid to get on a camel then had to pay even more to get off. The ...

1342. Love

John 15:9-17

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... other ten, who are about to desert Him; Jesus says, “I do not call you servants any longer; the servant does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends" (John: 15). A friend is that unique person who asks “How are you?" and then stays around long enough to hear the answer. A friend is that rare person who comes in when the rest of the world is going out. St. Augustine said, “A friend is someone who knows everything about you and loves you anyway." A Gallop poll revealed that about 94 ...

1343. The Loving Friend

John 4:1-15

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... mean? Hundreds of people ask ‘how are you?' They'll ask you that ten times a day, twenty times, at church and not many of us stay around long enough to hear the answer. But a real friend will ask, ‘how are you doing?' and then they will look you in the ... sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry, Everything to God in prayer. Friends ask “How are you doing?" and then they stay around long enough for you to answer them. And Jesus Christ is that kind of friend. III. A FRIEND KNOWS US THE BEST THAT ...

1344. Making the Most of Small Beginnings

Matthew 13:31-35

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... IS MIXED, LIKE A NET OF FISH. The problem with fishing is that you never know what you might catch. I caught a turtle the other day. I don't like catching turtles. They bite and claw and are almost impossible to get off the hook. I think turtles should stay on logs and leave my fishing line alone. But of course turtles never consult me. Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven is like a net, not the Internet, although there are some similarities, but a dragnet, a seine as we used to call it, let down in the water ...

1345. Conversation of The Hear

Luke 10:38-42

Illustration

Carveth Mitchell

... do something for Jesus. One listener of a morning radio program wrote the following verse: Dear God, Each day, When I come to pray I ask so much of Thee. In supplication I bow But seldom stay to see What you might ask of me. Today Dear God, When I come to pray Beseeching Thy love and care, While I'm there Give me courage To stay and see What you might ask of me! To be doers of the Word and witnesses to the Word is not only the fulfillment of our faith, but the mandate of the Master. Our Lord ...

1346. Strong in God’s Name

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

Lee Griess

... temptation. First of all, never deal with temptation alone. That's where the devil wants to get you — alone in the wilderness. Jesus' wasn't alone — the Spirit who led him there to be tempted was there to help him. Never let the devil get you alone. Stay close to the family of God. Whenever you are tempted to let your worship attendance slide, to make commitments that keep you apart from church, resist them. They are the devil's way of pulling you apart and getting you alone. When you begin to think you ...

1347. The Road No One Wants to Travel

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... true and noble. But it cannot happen. Soren Kierkegaard put it straight when he wrote that if we are really honest, we experience fear when we read these words of Jesus. "Follow me!" he calls. But where? And how? And in what way? Why can't we just stay in the little huddle, feeling good about ourselves? Why do we have to hit the road with him? Kierkegaard said that we should really collect up all our New Testaments and bring them out to an open place high on some mountaintop. There we should pile them high ...

1348. Political Pardon

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... the place. But we didn't. Dad and Mom knew all too well that we were sharecroppers. Three-fifths of each harvest belonged to us, but two-fifths went every year to the family that still owned the place. We were never to forget that we only stayed there by their good graces. By the time I had graduated from high school, changes abounded. Dad had purchased other land, so he now had farming investments of his own. Moreover, my grandparents had retired, and Dad and Mom bought their land as well. And when they ...

1349. A Blessing in Disguise

Genesis 32:22-31

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... Canaan. One night, Jacob is in the midst of a personal crisis, and he senses the need to go through it alone. He separates himself from the rest of his group. He sends his family, his flocks, and his servants across the River Jabbok, and then he stays behind, alone, through the night. As it turns out, he is not alone for long. Someone — some man, some at-first unidentified personage whom we later discover is the Lord or the angel of the Lord — appears out of nowhere and wrestles with Jacob through the ...

1350. The Names by Which He Is Known

Exodus 3:1-15

Sermon

David J. Kalas

When I was about six years old, I made friends with a boy named Danny. At the lake community where our family spent our summer vacation, the house where Danny's family stayed was right across the street from the house where we stayed. Because we were not year-round neighbors, the families did not know each other at all, but Danny and I eventually met and began to play together. One day, when we were playing catch together, the ball got away from us and rolled over near where my sister happened to ...

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