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 1526 to 1550 of 4943 results

1526. The Power to Look Up

Luke 24:44-53

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

He lived in a shack on the edge of town. He wore overalls to church before casual dress was cool. He didn't own a car; he didn't have job. As a sixteen-year-old kid, fresh from the courthouse with my driver's license, it became my privilege to drive Porter home from church on Sunday. I would pull into Porter's driveway. He would get out of the car and then as if it were an afterthought, although he never failed to do it, Porter would peek back into the car and say, “Keep looking up, Bubby, keep looking up ...

1527. Coming Back Down

Matthew 17:1-13

Sermon

John Jamison

I have visited some places I really wish I could have stayed. If it were my choice I would still be there right now. As much as I like it here, I would rather be there. There is a tent, set on a hill at the top of a 1,500-foot cliff overlooking the Jordan Valley in southern Israel. When the sun comes up in the morning it breaks over the mountains a few miles to the east and literally shatters the darkness around you. The winds sail up the face of the cliff from the valley below and almost make you believe ...

1528. God Has Gone Up

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

In his book, ON A WILD AND WINDY MOUNTAIN, William H. Willimon tells of being in New Haven, Connecticut as a student at Yale in l970 during the famous Black Panther Trial. Those of you who remember that turbulent era recall the strife, discord and agony that tormented our society. During the week that the crisis at New Haven reached its peak, Willimon attended a choral mass at a nearby Catholic Parish. A boy's choir was singing, "Deus Ascendit, "God Has Gone Up." Willimon mused, "Just as I thought. God Has ...

1529. Showing Up

Ephesians 3:1-12

Sermon

John N. Brittain

We lived in Florida for a while in the 1980s and it was then that we learned about Tarpon Springs. Not a large city, it has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any place in the US. This dates back to the 1880s, when Greek immigrants moving into the area were hired as sponge divers, a trade they had plied back in the old country. Today Tarpon Springs' main claim to fame is the Greek Orthodox Church's Epiphany celebration, which is held every January 6, with the blessing of the waters and the boats ...

1530. Coping With Anger In A Close-up World

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

Harold Warlick

A volcano is a very tall mountain until it blows its top. Some people are that way as well. I'm one of them. I speak to you this evening as a top blower. The subject of anger intrigues me. One week I was enjoying a cup of coffee with some friends. We were discussing our various work plans for the weeks ahead, and I casually mentioned that I would have to make certain that we removed all the politicians' campaign signs from the yard of the church I pastored. It is a voting place and not all the signs get ...

1531. When What’s Holding You Up Lets You Down

2 Samuel 18:33-19:8

Sermon

Shirley Gupton Lynn

Once in Atlanta the relief organization CARE sponsored a No-Show Marathon. For a ten-dollar donation, participants got a race number and a Marathon T-shirt, every runner's status symbol. But the good part is, they didn't have to run the grueling 26-mile course. In fact, in the No-Show Marathon, no one ran at all; they just gathered at a local nightclub and talked about it. Sometimes we wish life were a No-Show Marathon, and we didn't have to run the race. But even when illness, disappointment, and problems ...

1532. Taking Time To Love

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

King Duncan

Billy Rose once told a story about a young man and his father who had a small farm. Several times a year they would make a trip to market with their oxcart loaded with vegetables. The son was an impatient sort. He would always prod the ox with a stick to hurry it along. His father, however, believed in following a more leisurely gait. The son wanted to get to market first thing the next morning in order to beat the other vendors to the best spot. The father, however, had other priorities. At one point ...

1533. Whatever It Takes

Mark 1:29-39

Illustration

Gary Nicolosi

A motivational speaker once said there are two kinds of people in this world: those who say "whatever" and those who say, "whatever it takes." "Whatever" is the response of the shrug. It's a "who cares?" attitude, one of indifference and apathy. "Whatever it takes" is the response of the committed. It's a "can do" attitude that refuses to give up or give in. Think about those two responses when it comes to the Church's mission. Jesus said to love your neighbor. Whatever. Jesus said to go and make disciples ...

1534. One to Take the Place of Jesus

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Introduction to Scripture: In Chapters 14, 15, and 16 of John’s Gospel, there are telling and descriptive words of Jesus about the Holy Spirit. Since this is Pentecost Sunday, the occasion on our Christian calendar when we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church, I’m again leaping ahead in my preaching through this Gospel to consider these power-packed words of John concerning the nature and ministry of the Holy Spirit. In the Sermon, I’ll refer to a number of these words, but for ...

1535. Head's Up!

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Wait a minute! Christmas is coming. What about Silent night, Holy night, All is calm, All is bright?" Instead we hear "...nations will be in anguish...the roaring and tossing of the sea...People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world...the heavenly bodies will be shaken." Ho, ho, ho! Where is Santa when we need him? So why in the world would the church choose a Gospel lesson such as this to begin Advent and our preparation for the coming of the Christ child? Good reason. The ...

1536. Christ Has Gone Up

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

Some people look with bewilderment at some of the racial strife in our society today--particularly the tension between the “Black lives matter” movement and police departments across our land. However, some of you are old enough to know that we have been here before. In his fine book, On a Wild and Windy Mountain, William H. Willimon tells of being in New Haven, Connecticut as a student at Yale in l970 during the famous Black Panther Trial. Those of you who remember that turbulent era recall the strife, ...

1537. A Ministry Of Hospitality

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

Richard Patt

Maybe you've heard the humorous story about the pastor who was having difficulty with his assigned parking space on the church parking lot. People parked in his spot whenever they pleased, even though there was a sign that clearly said, "This space reserved." He thought the sign needed to be more clear, so he had a different sign made, which read, "Reserved for Pastor Only." Still people ignored it and parked in his space whenever they felt like it. "Maybe the sign should be more forceful," he thought. So ...

1538. Taking Risks

Mt 4:1-11 · Lk 4:1-13 · Mk 1:12-13

Children's Sermon

Object: A quarantine sign and/or a highway sign such as "Reduce Speed." Good morning to you, boys and girls. Sunday really is a beautiful day no matter what the weather is outside. Even when it is cold, the church is warm, not just because the furnace is on but because you are so welcome and everybody wants you to be here. It takes a long time to get acquainted in some places but not in the church. Here everybody is your friend and you are a friend to everybody. That is the way Jesus teaches us to be. He ...

1539. The Woman at the Well

John 4:1-26

Sermon

Thomas D. Peterson

Jesus [said to the Samaritan woman], "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." (v. 10) When Jesus met the woman at the well the encounter was a communion event. The element - the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace - was not what Jesus gave to the woman but what the woman gave to Jesus. What made this element, this object, a sacrament, a communion, was the way in which Jesus ...

1540. Facing Up To The Giant Task Of Life

1 Samuel 17:1-58

Sermon

Eric Ritz

From our scripture lesson this morning, we find that facing a Giant task is not a new experience in human history, nor in the life of the people of God. In our passage from I Samuel, we see an incident that would put a challenge into any person. Here are two armies in their camps, each occupying a side of the mountain, with a valley in between them. Out of the camp of the Philistines comes the giant, Goliath, the champion of the group, with an interesting proposal to save bloodshed. It would be well for ...

1541. Can't Take It With You

Humor Illustration

A mean old man begged his wife, Sara, to fulfill his dying wish. "Now Sara, out in the wood pile you'll find a box full of money I been hidin' away from you for years. I want you to take that box and put it up in the attic window. I ain't got much longer on this earth, and I want to take that money with me when I go on off to Heaven." Sara went out and found the box and put it in the attic window. That night, her husband died. The next morning she went up to the attic and found the money still in the box ...

1542. Eliphaz Turns Up His Criticism of Job

Job 15:1-35

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

Big Idea: Eliphaz insists that Job is a sinner who deserves God’s punishment. Understanding the Text Job 15 contains Eliphaz’s second speech to Job, and it is evident that civil discussion between them has broken down considerably. In fact, in the second cycle (Job 15–21) the dialogue between Job and his friends becomes more strained, abusive, and insulting as the friends focus almost completely on the divine punishment due to wicked people like Job. In chapter 15, Eliphaz is not as courteous as when he ...

1543. The Captain's Voice

Luke 24:44-53

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

I was walking through a building on a college campus when I spied a student lounging in an overstuffed chair, feet propped against a wall, reading a book that I had written. “That’s my book!” I said too loudly and suddenly, amazed to find someone eyeballing my words. With a start, she glared at me as if I were crazy. “This is mine!” she said. “I just bought it at the bookstore.” I apologized, and then explained to her that I was the author of the volume she held. She was amazed and my ego was stroked, and ...

1544. Who Lives In You?

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon

Lee Griess

Who lives in you? That's the question that comes to mind as we read those words of Jesus this morning when he tells the Pharisees, "Go tell that fox (Herod) that I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow and on the third day reach my goal." I will do what I must. For God lives in me. I am a citizen of heaven. Let him do what he must! Let your imagination run free for a moment and picture yourself, your personality, who you are really, as a house. Any kind of house will do -- just so it's ...

1545. Playboy Or Plowboy -- Let The Party Begin

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Lee Griess

It's a story that we all know by heart, the story of the father and his two sons. One was a plowboy, who stayed home, behaved himself and enjoyed the good life. The other was a playboy, who sought for himself the good life and ended up in a pigpen. Reduced to abject misery, the playboy swallowed his pride and came home, to be welcomed with a great celebration of joy. The plowboy was angry at his father and jealous of his brother, so he boycotted the party. Coming in late from the fields, he heard music the ...

1546. Forgiving the Bully

Matthew 5:38-42, Matthew 5:43-48

Sermon

John Jamison

I like the first part of this story about Jesus. All those blessings, and that neat parable about the salt of the earth, and the light of the world. It makes me feel good inside. But now it gets difficult. Let me put this in terms that I can understand. The first time I ever remember hating anyone was in the third grade. The kid's name was Les. Les moved into town part way through the year and from the beginning we had trouble. On the first day, I received a note during spelling. The note read, "After ...

1547. Get Ready

Sermon

Rolf E. Aaseng

Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. But know this: If the owner of ...

1548. Roadblocks to Jesus

2 Corinthians 6:3

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A saw horse with a big detour sign printed and hung on it. Today is a good day to be together for it is God's day. When I was thinking about our children's sermon for this Sunday, I could not help but think of this verse in our lesson for today: "We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry." I thought and thought of how I could show you what that verse meant, and I finally thought of a way. Do you see that aisle that runs right down the middle of the church ...

1549. V.I.P.s

Philippians 2:1-11

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A series of cards that can be taped to a board. The names should be George W. Bush, Joe Namath, Fred Flintstone, Neil Armstrong, The Beatles, the pastor's name, one of the children's names and Jesus. Lesson: Card with the word JESUS held till appropriate time. Good morning, boys and girls. How are you on this wonderful Sunday called Palm Sunday? It is only a week away from what Sunday? That's right, Easter Sunday, the most special Sunday of all. But Palm Sunday is a very special day, too. It begins ...

1550. Take This Job And Love It

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: Picture of your loved ones Good morning, boys and girls. What holiday is coming up soon? That's right, Thanksgiving. Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving? To thank God for loving us and taking care of us. You know, God is so good to us. We should be thankful all the time. We are kind of like the birds. Most birds sing their prettiest songs in good weather. That's us. We thank God when things are going well, when we are happy. But there is a bird called a missel thrush that sings its prettiest song when ...

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