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 1451 to 1475 of 1679 results

1451. Five Differences between a Franchise Faith and an Authentic Faith

Mark 9:38-41

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

A. J. Jacobs is an American journalist and guinea pig who write books based on plunge experiences. Once he joined Mensa and read all thirty-two volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica to see what it would be like to be “The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World (2004). In another plunge experience he decided only to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about everything in life. That project had the title I Think You’re Fat (2007), which kind of ...

1452. History Hangs in the Balance

Luke 23:1-49

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

One would be hard pressed to find a historical event with so many ramifications equal to these words from Saint Luke's Gospel. In fact, for the devout Christian there is no other! It is a moment when the universe seems to come to a standstill and the angels watch in troubled awe. You and I observe from afar, indeed, a great distance. Unless we figuratively or literally read the passage on our knees, we are not apt to catch this sublime, serious moment. Yes, and our appreciation may very well remain at ...

1453. Keeping His Word

John 14:23-29

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

Keeping our word has a long and positive history in our nation. For generations, a man was known by whether or not he kept his word. His word was his bond. Deal after deal was made on that basis. The essentials of the business world found it always helpful and even necessary for commerce to run smoothly. Some of us can remember vividly how these agreements functioned. Woe be unto that man who did not keep his word! If it happened more than once or twice and there were no extenuating circumstances, he was ...

1454. Call to Oneness

John 17:20-26

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

When, dear God, shall Christians all be one? It is a first-century inquiry. It is a here-and-now recurring question. Countless programs have been launched. Numerous proposals have been given. Only God knows how many problems have risen in our quest for Christian unity. We live and minister in the twenty-first century in ways not that different from what our spiritual ancestors experienced. Have some things and relationships improved, especially since Vatican II? The answer without doubt is a resounding, " ...

1455. Family Ties and Good-byes

Luke 12:49-56

Sermon

Ron Lavin

If ever we needed to strengthen the institution of family, it's today. Many forces of evil are pulling the family apart. Ethical relativism, which teaches that there are no absolutes, not even God, is increasingly popular. Immorality abounds. Listening and hearing one another seems to be a lost art in many homes. Spouses often seem to be going in opposite directions. Parents and children have a hard time communicating. Many modern homes are little more than large telephone booths where arrangements are ...

1456. Jumping through Hoops

Acts 11:1-18

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is a place where the old ways matter. The Amish still ride their buggies up and down the green hills. Most churches have spires, and they frame the landscape with the proclaimed piety of their people. Change comes slowly. Sometimes that's good, especially when we're talking about the basics of the faith. Sometimes that's bad. Like when people refuse to change the little things. A lot of the churches, especially the Plain People like the Amish, Brethren, and Mennonite, ...

1457. Calamity and Hope

Joel 2:23-32

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

The little book of Joel has a big part to play in the overall story of the Hebrew Scripture. Its purpose is to warn of God's impending judgment against the people of Judah because of their sins, and to urge them to turn back to God. The book is written by Joel, the son of Pethuel, and it is directed toward the southern kingdom, and God's people everywhere. The book itself is one of the literary gems of the Hebrew Scriptures. It is written and built up with care and dramatic effect. There are surely other ...

1458. In the Waiting Room

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you ever noticed how uncomfortable people are when nothing is going on? The great pianist Rachmaninoff tells of giving a piano recital when he was very young. He began with a Beethoven sonata that had several long rests in it. During one of those long rests, a motherly lady leaned forward, patted him on the shoulder, and said kindly: “Honey, play us something you know.” There is an awkwardness in silence, in waiting. Do you remember your first date? Do you remember those long, painful periods of ...

1459. The Upside Down Life

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

I confuse “inversion therapy” with “aversion therapy.” The latter (“aversion therapy”) is where you train your dog not to leave your yard, or not dig, or not bark, with a collar that shocks the dog when it does run off, dig, or bark. “Inversion therapy” helps alleviate back and neck pain by taking the usual gravitational press we live with and literally “standing it on its head.” One method is to strap your feet into boots and hang upside down like a big bat. Rosie O’Donnell once did this on the Ellen ...

1460. Dead Works

Luke 13:1-9; Heb 9:14; Jer 13:23

Illustration

Stephen Craig Jennings

Simply changing outward behavior is not repentance. We at times change our behavior for self-centered reasons. Sometimes we change in an attempt to atone for my sins. Such change will only make my sinfulness more sinful. This is the basis for the reference in Hebrews of repenting from ‘dead works'. A dead work is a work that is not done with the leading and empowerment of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Hence any good work a non-Christian would attempt is a dead work. And many types of good works that ...

1461. On Your Mark, Get Set, Hope!

Isaiah 11:1-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Remember when? Remember when: Visions of sugar plums danced in your head, Silent night was an exciting night, Away in a manger didn’t seem so far away, Remember when you couldn’t wait for Christmas? Life has a way of turning our hopes and dreams into obligations and responsibilities. The child within us gives way to the adult that is out daily earning a living, fulfilling roles, meeting the deadlines of life. Maybe here in December it’s time to visit that child again, the child that lives within. The ...

1462. Radical Love at Home (Series: Radical Love in a Risky World)

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

When our Lord wanted to drive home a truth, he told a story and the greatest story ever told is the story in the Bible of the Prodigal Son. Every preacher has tried to preach it; songs have been written about it; movies have been made of it. There are Prodigal Ministries and Prodigal Magazines, but let not our familiarity with the story blind us to its meaning for our lives. For whoever you are, wherever you came from, however you perceive your future, you are in this story, in every word on every line. “A ...

1463. Radical Love is Reconciling (Series: Radical Love in a Risky World)

Matthew 18:15-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

To live above with those we love, well, that will be glory. To live below with those we know, well, that’s another story. That’s what this sermon is about today. Wherever two or more people come together in relationships deeper than a casual “hello,” conflict is bound to follow. In Matthew 18, Jesus gives a teaching about conflict resolution. While it is spoken to the Church, it has applications for all situations. So if another person sins against you, if there is conflict, if you can’t work it out, ...

1464. Am I In Shape Spiritually? (Series: Real Faith for Real People)

1 Timothy 4:1-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Consult any physician, ask any health guru, read any article in a newspaper or magazine, and all will agree - the best thing we can do for our physical health is exercise. We may not be able to run a marathon or lift weights like a football lineman, but it will do us a world of good to simply take a walk. Here in his letter to his young friend Timothy, Paul, too, notes the value of physical exercise, then quickly instructs Timothy to get in shape spiritually as well. “Train yourself in godliness, for while ...

1465. Finding Common Ground

Galatians 3:15-25

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

After visiting six different countries the past two weeks, I found myself humming the tune of Lee Greenwood’s song as I touched back down in the U.S.A. a couple of days ago. While we were treated well everywhere we went, I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free. The Apostle Paul was proud to be a Christian for Christ had set him free. Spiritual freedom was on his mind when he wrote this little letter to the churches in the region of Galatia. Some might call this letter in the Bible a ...

1466. This Is the Day!

Psalm 118:1-29

Sermon

King Duncan

I want to begin with a suggestion. Tomorrow morning when you wake up, I want you to stand up tall in front of your bathroom mirror, give yourself a big smile and declare with great gusto that wonderful verse from Psalms, “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!” Bio-feedback experts suggest that this single act can do wonders for our mental state. The relation between our body and our mind is an interesting one. We don’t smile because we feel great, these experts tell us; ...

1467. John 10:22-30

John 10:22-42

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The early date of Easter this year meant that for many of us sunrise services, egg hunts, and new Easter finery were all experienced under puffy down jackets and gloomy skies. It is only now, a month later, that it is finally feeling like spring, like it is time to celebrate the return of light and the sun. It is fitting, therefore, that this week’s gospel text jumps back in time to describe an encounter between Jesus and “the Jews” during the “feast of the Dedication.” The feast John’s text refers to is ...

1468. Pursue the Life That Really Is Life

1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 1 Timothy 6:6-19

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Somebody once said that people will accept what you have to say much more readily if you tell them Benjamin Franklin said it first. (1) With that in mind Benjamin Franklin was famous for his wit and he thoroughly enjoyed trimming hecklers down to size. During the early days of the American Republic, he spoke many times on that great document, the Constitution of the United States. After one such stirring speech, one of those hecklers stood up and boldly walked a few paces toward the platform. "Aw, them ...

1469. More Than We Are - Graduation

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Do any of you remember the name Cabeza DeVaca? He was a sixteenth century Spanish Explorer. He and one other person were the only survivors of a shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico. They were washed up on the Florida Coast. In his account of his exploration of Florida and his Westford journey between the years of 1528— 1536. DeVaca tells how the Indians came to him and his companion asking them to cure the sick. The two white men were themselves half starved, lost and filled with blank despair, but the Indians ...

1470. A Priesthood of Believers

Galatians 6:1-10

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

If I asked you this morning to name the most significant doctrines of Protestant Christianity, the two that would come to your mind immediately and would probably be named most frequently are: Justification by Grace through Faith, and the Priesthood of All Believers. This year we are celebrating the 500th birthday of Martin Luther, the fellow started the conflagration of religious revival and reformation that swept throughout the world and there has hardly been a time since that reformation started when ...

1471. Take Off Your Shoes...You Are Standing on Holy Ground

Acts 7:1-53

Sermon

James W. Moore

Bishop Janice Riggle Huie tells about an experience she had a few years ago that touched her heart… She was interviewing a group of ministerial students about their call to the ministry and she said to each of them in turn: “Tell me about your calling. What do you think God is calling you to do?” Most of the students gave very practical answers like: “God is calling me to be a hospital chaplain.” Or, “God is calling me to be a teacher on the college level.” Or, “God is calling me to be a counselor.” Or, “ ...

1472. Exit and Entrance

Galatians 4:21-31

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

It was in the newspaper back in the late 1950’s, at the height of the civil rights movement - an unforgettable picture which captured not only the emotion of one man, but the deep sense of freedom and joy and release and affirmation of a whole people. A black man, who must have been over 100 years old, was being carried on the shoulders of a group of young men. They were taking him up the steps of a courthouse in a Southern town to register to vote. The caption beneath the picture said he was born a slave ...

1473. Are You Paying Too Much For Your Whistle?

Galatians 1:11-24

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

What is the first thing you remember buying with your own hard-earned money? Can you remember what it was? Every kid has had some longed-for, worked-for, saved-for dream. For me as a kid it was a scratch-built Indie race car made out of plywood. I can still see it in my mind’s eye today. I went to sleep at night deciding what colors I would paint it — when I wasn’t striking out every batter in the New York Yankees lineup. I knew that such a car would make me happy forever. I never got it. But the things we ...

1474. A Goodly Heritage

Psalm 16:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Fred Craddock tells of vacationing in the Smoky Mountains. One evening he and his wife had gone to Black Bear Inn for dinner They were looking over the menu when an old man came over to the table and greeted them and began asking: if on vacation, good time, where from, and what did for living. When Fred said that he was a preacher, the old man pulled up chair and said, “Let me tell you about a preacher.” “I was born back in these hills, my mother wasn’t married, and in those days you didn’t get over a ...

1475. Characteristics of the Church, Part 2

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Somewhere I read of a Seminary professor whose last years were spent in and out of hospitals, suffering from a debilitating, incurable disease. As he reflected on his ministry, he said that when he began, he thought of himself as the expert, standing upon the bank of the stream of life, shouting instructions to the swimmers down below. In the second stage of his ministry, if he saw someone going down for the third time, he would plunge into the water, get the person started in the right direction again, ...

Showing results