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 1351 to 1375 of 4681 results

Man performs and engenders so much more than he can or should have to bear. That's how he finds that he can bear anything.

William Faulkner

Never attempt to bear more than one kind of trouble at once. Some people bear three kinds all they have had, all they have now and all they expect to have.

Edward Everett Hale

1353. All You Can Do is Laugh

Genesis 18:1-15, Genesis 21:1-7

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... of Abraham and Sarah. Abraham and Sarah had longed for a child, but Sarah was barren. In her old age, long after she had stopped menstruating (18:11), the Lord appeared to Abraham in the form of “three men” and told Abraham that Sarah would become pregnant and bear a son. At hearing this, Sarah burst out laughing! At first Sarah is frightened that God heard her laugh. She didn’t want God to interpret her laughter as rude disbelief. Yet, God is not angry, but affirms Sarah’s laughter. And when Sarah ...

1354. A Disciple After God’s Own Heart

Genesis 22:1-19

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... , relational connection with God, in which we understand with our hearts the kind of love, kindness, mercy, and peace that God’s heart exudes. God’s heart is a sacrificial heart. And God chooses servants throughout the scriptures to be covenant bearers, those who bear that same kind of loving, committed heart, a shepherd’s sacrificial heart. Jesus tells us that God looks for a “shepherd’s heart” in those chosen to do God’s will in the world. God looks for those who would lay down their lives ...

1355. Prisoners of Hope

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

... just a smokescreen to help cover up the weariness we feel, and to hide the heavy mess of our lives we can no longer handle and bear. The picture we want to present to God, ourselves, and to the world is that “we are just fine — really!” But the truth for most of ... re in this thing together. Jesus sends his disciples out, not on their own, but together, two by two. We are to bear one another’s burdens. Where two or three are gathered in Jesus’ name, there — and only there — does he promise his ...

1356. The Complex Human

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... . But if you eat it, I promise you, you won’t survive, because this plant is called Cat’s Ear. The only difference is a slightly taller stem. And a terrible outcome. Another poisonous lookalike mimics the wild tomato. While this plant looks like it is bearing sweet, succulent cherry tomatoes, it in fact is the very toxic horse nettle. The only difference, if you look closely, is its small thorns. Nightshade can also be mistaken for the wild tomato but with smaller fruit. Or how about this plant. Is it ...

1357. Dancing in the Wind

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... , we too could learn some lessons from the birds when it comes to dealing with the hurricanes and wind-gusts of life. For our first instinct when adversity comes our way is to put up our dukes and fight, or to slink away and hide. Most of us bear down and bulk up and try to battle through. Despite living life through sun and storm, most of us still believe in our hearts that the “normal,” expected forecast for life should be “sunny, and calm without wind.” But that is not the way life, or weather ...

1358. The Angel's Message

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

King Duncan

... Gabriel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” To satisfy her confusion about bearing a child and yet being a virgin Gabriel reminded her that her cousin, Elizabeth, was far past the child-bearing age, but she was six months pregnant. This was God’s doing, the angel told her, for nothing is impossible with God. That was all it took for Mary to be convinced. “I am the Lord’s servant ...

1359. God’s Quality Control Crew

Matthew 21:33-46

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... paradise, and for heaven. “ganeden.”[1] So, while we are thrust out of our easy life in the original garden, we still are placed into God’s vast vineyard in order to “till and keep” it, to work the soil, cultivate love, peace, and loyalty to God, and to bear fruit that will in fact delight as the fruits of Eden were meant to delight. That is, our human habitat was created to be a wine-making, love-making business. And we as God’s tenants are in the mercy and love making business. And as God’s ...

1360. The Old, Old Story

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... to engage however, refuse to invest in spreading and multiplying the gospel of the kingdom of God, Jesus’ words are harsh. And as much as we hate harsh, we need to pay attention to this parable. For doing nothing in Jesus’ eyes is not fulfilling God’s command to bear the fruit of the covenant in your current time and place. Today, we are in a time and place, that challenges us and irritates us. We want things the way they used to be. We do not want to invest in this world that we see as “temporary ...

1361. Don't Fall

Luke 22:39-46

Sermon

Timothy W. Ayers

... of their lives. When tempted, how do we deal with it? First Corinthians 10:13 gives a plan that should be followed. It says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” According to the apostle Paul we must first realize that temptation is going to come. Even if you put one at bay another will raises its ugly little head. It ...

1362. Chosen and Appointed

John 15:9-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... t fish, they fight. Disciples in mission are focused on the mission. Disciples who are not focused on mission will focus on their differences. In our scripture for today, Jesus tells us, “You did not choose me but I chose you.” “I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.” “I am giving you these commandments so that you may love one another.” Be united in your mission, Jesus tells them. I chose and appointed you to carry on the mission I have started, to change the world, to heal ...

1363. The Organic Gospel

Mark 4:26-34

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... deeply in Jesus. And we live our lives growing into that relationship. We “till and keep” the kingdom of God within us, our relationship with God that nourishes us. We mature in our discipleship and grow in our faith, and then we organically and naturally bear the fruit of that relationship in our lives. After that, we serve as sowers ourselves, sowing the seeds (the results of our discipleship and the proclamation of the covenant and of God) of the gospel and planting them into the hearts and minds of ...

1364. Ordinary People

Ruth 1:1-16

Sermon

Will Willimon

... vulnerable to another, to link our future to some project greater than ourselves. To be in any family, any marriage, is to venture forth like Ruth and Naomi, without guarantees for the future, with only the confidence that the future, even the worst of futures, is more bearable when we bear it with another. And I don't have time to go into the rest of the story, but I can say that, after Ruth and Naomi got to Bethlehem, Naomi got busy and found Ruth a husband. He wasn't much of a husband, but he did the job ...

1365. God Think

Mark 8:27-38

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... the one you want on your side, because he could be an overwhelming force if he’s not. He’s the one with the body of a bear and the temper of a tiger, but inside he’s got the heart of a lamb. He’s courageous. Daring. Even impulsive. But he’s like a ... the past to argue with God, you know it’s probably not your best approach. Although God will always listen to us and can bear the brunt of our tantrums, it won’t affect God’s decisions, God’s mission, God’s love for others, or God’s plans. ...

1366. For the Glory of Christ

John 12:20-33 · Hebrews 5:5-10

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... to be. And we bring glory to God. That's our whole purpose as the Church. Whenever we reach out to help someone who is struggling in the faith, struggling to make it or struggling in whatever situation, we are not only taking up OUR cross but helping to bear the cross of a fellow pilgrim. And in doing so, we are serving Christ. And Jesus said, "Whoever serves me, God will honor." CONCLUSION: In the cartoon Dennis the Menace, Dennis is in his mother's lap, enfolded in her arms and he's crying. Mom has this ...

1367. For The Love of God Is Empowering

Matthew 22:36 -40 · John 4:1-32

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... to sit in her favorite living room chair. One by one, the father and the two older children came in from the kitchen bearing their gifts on a tray. They each solemnly presented their gift to their mother as if she were royalty. The smallest girl, ... . But watching the process, she rose to the occasion. Just when the others thought the party was over, she appeared from the kitchen bearing the empty tray. Approaching her mother she placed the tray on the floor, stepped in the middle of it, and with a childish ...

1368. Why the Greatest?

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... you have to be open about these things and face the issues squarely. You can’t solve this by wishing it would go away. If you do, you may end up doing what the first half of the verse from Leviticus warns you against — taking revenge or bearing a grudge. Don’t seethe from your anger. Don’t let your grudge build up. Instead, love your neighbor, and that means recovering what you’ve lost with your neighbor. And what you’ve lost is peace. In the first three centuries of the church Christians had ...

1369. The Art of Fruit

Luke 3:7-18

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... . In the garden of Eden, humankind was given a vocation by God –to “till and keep” the garden, to cultivate and nourish our relationship with God and to bear the fruit of that relationship to others throughout all generations. We are to nurture the God-given kindness and love in our hearts so that the fruit we bear to the world looks beautiful, loving, kind, and giving to God and to others. Christianity is all about relationships –our relationship with God, with ourselves, with the world, and ...

1370. Valued Families

1 John 3:1-3

Sermon

Will Willimon

... on parenting. It's as if we presume that everyone who comes through here will be full-time lawyers, stock brokers, teachers, or doctors, and will neither marry nor bear children, never leave the office except briefly to attend basketball games. It's as if we faculty think that it takes brains to write term papers but any fool can bear children. Observation of many of our marriages and families should put that thought to rest. What is the goal of a university education? To what end are we moving? Power ...

1371. Beware! Angels

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

Will Willimon

... in scripture to bring someone a message from God. And the message is usually a call to risky service rather than merely comfort. Our God comes to us, not wearing a blank face upon which we can paint any sweet expression that suits us. Our God comes to us bearing a name, Jesus, wearing a face which is not only compassion but also vocation. ''Follow me," he says to us. I believe in angels, not because life is tough and we all deserve a personal guardian to help us cope and cross the street, but because I have ...

1372. Christianity: A Worldly Religion That Makes Sure That Even Animals Matter

Revelation 5:11-14

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... not to judge the world, but to save it! God in Christ has come to save the world. He has not just come to save human beings, to save our souls. He came to redeem the whole of creation! God cares so much about the cosmos that he can’t bear to have it destroyed. That’s probably why animals are in heaven too. They’re part of the world that God loves so much that he died for it. I’m leading up to that unpopular topic that Americans, that American Christians, don’t want to hear — ecology. But we ...

1373. Bent Out of Shape

Luke 13:10-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... unfortunately does! Restoration is greatest when shame is removed from the equation. Professor and author Brene Brown specializes in talking with people about the burdens of shame. Her unique approach lauds people with the “courage” and “vulnerability” to share instead of bear their weaknesses and fears.[1] She wants us to know that to be vulnerable is not a weakness but a strength; it is a courageous act. The woman Jesus healed was not ashamed to be there in the synagogue, despite her afflictions ...

1374. Inside Out

James 5:7-10

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... we worship; not by our knowledge of the Bible; not by our sophisticated theology; not by our judgments; not by our denomination; but by our love for each other! In John 15, Jesus underscores the fruit of the Spirit by telling us that his purpose for us is that we bear much fruit. And what is that fruit supposed to be? It’s the one that’s listed first in Galatians: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends ...

1375. The Greater Gift

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... the kingdom of heaven. For Jesus, hope lies not in your behavior but in the status of your heart and life. Your blessings come from your faith in God’s provision. God’s blessings are upon you not because of your need for repentance but because you bear from no fault of your own sins against you. Jesus draws from the message of God’s provision and providence from Proverbs more than he draws from our need for repentance. Jesus sees those who have been unfairly treated in his time not as those who need ...

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Showing 1351 to 1375 of 4681 results

Man performs and engenders so much more than he can or should have to bear. That's how he finds that he can bear anything.

William Faulkner

Never attempt to bear more than one kind of trouble at once. Some people bear three kinds all they have had, all they have now and all they expect to have.

Edward Everett Hale

1353. All You Can Do is Laugh

Genesis 18:1-15, Genesis 21:1-7

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1354. A Disciple After God’s Own Heart

Genesis 22:1-19

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1355. Prisoners of Hope

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Sermon