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 1601 to 1625 of 3926 results

1601. Possession is Nine Tenths of the Fall

Matthew 21:33-46

Sermon

D. Wayne Burkette

... he used his third wish to express his desire to become as God, and immediately he found himself back in the gutter. So it was with the wicked tenants. Dissatisfied with their role as stewards and not owners, they eventually lost the very vineyard which supported them. The tenants of the vineyard are most to be pitied. We can only hope and pray for the innocents who always suffer in their self-destruction. Over against and pleading with the character of a possessive, dogmatic attitude stands the teaching and ...

1602. When the Poor Become Rich

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

... of the love and grace of the Savior, they told him. The young man was so impressed by their witness of action and word that sometime later, when he returned to London thoroughly discouraged and disillusioned, he sought out the fellowship and support of the Moravian congregation meeting at Fetter Lane. In the course of time he would experience new purpose and direction for his life, culminating at a study group meeting at Aldersgate when his heart was "strangely warmed." The young Englishman was John ...

1603. An Intimate Conversation and an Exclusive Covenant

Exodus 19:1-25

Sermon

... of atheists held in Minneapolis right after Easter. Would he have wanted to attend? Would he have wanted to talk with some of the atheists to discover why they didn’t believe in God? Would he have wanted to share "nonexperiences of God’s presence" with them to support his lack of faith? I was sorry that he hadn’t been here at that time, because I wanted to find out whether he felt strongly enough about atheism to go and talk to some of the atheists. Part of his spiritual dilemma was that he wanted ...

1604. The Dimensions of the Decalogue

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

... to my Father." That action was completely natural and spontaneous, and it gave indisputable testimony not only to the depth, but also to the continual deepening, of his relationship to God. Those who attempt to fulfill the demands of the Law, and who are supported by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, are certain to discover, as they see their failures and triumphs, that their faith in God is maturing and deepening through Jesus Christ. People who live in that kind of a spiritual perspective, which is really what ...

1605. The Abiding Presence

Exodus 33:12-23

Sermon

... and power, he might have simply uttered God’s command to Pharoah as a plea to the Lord, "Let my people go." He didn’t want a God who would find them out when they transgressed against his Law. He wanted a God who would bless and support them in any adversity they might face. And in that Moses and the Israelites are little different than we are. Moses knew that their lives would be extremely difficult, at times, and that they couldn’t make it on their own. They desperately needed God’s presence ...

1606. Round Trip to Bethlehem

Ruth 1:1-22

Sermon

... the death of Elimelech and both of the sons; now Naomi was not only widowed - she lost her sons, as well. She must have been devastated, partly because she had lost a husband and sons whom she loved, but also because she was left with no means of support. Her world was suddenly falling apart and she wondered what she would do. A fifty-five-year-old woman lost her husband to heart disease. She was too young to receive his pension or Social Security - and she had no job skills; she had never worked while her ...

1607. Judgment and Justice

Amos 5:18-27

Sermon

... me close to God." Many, and faithful Christians, will answer the same question with, "I go to church to find something that will sustain me and keep me going from Sunday to Sunday." That is not all bad, because our faith should be able to support us in the struggles and trauma of everyday life. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" is still a valid expression of the upbuilding and upholding character of Christian faith. But when worship is primarily, or exclusively, oriented toward one’s ...

1608. A Day For All the Saints

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

... years of his death in Auschwitz, too), but his case was unusual. He not only had a few people like Maria Winowska, who wrote The Death Camp Made Him Real; The Life of Fr. M. Kolbe, Franciscan, engaged in seeking his canonization, but he had the support of the entire Franciscan order, as well. Several books and articles (one appeared in The Readers’ Digest) were written about his self-sacrifice and his ministry to the nine men who died with him in the infamous Hunger Bunker of Auschwitz. And above all else ...

1609. Encourage One Another

Hebrews 10:19-39

Illustration

... and courage of one another, so can we. Their meeting at risk of their very lives stands to shame us for any indifference we may feel toward our meeting, especially since there is now involved absolutely no risk at all. By our being here today we are giving encouragement and support to one another in one of the historic essentials of Christian faith and fellowship, the meeting together of the people of Christ. Thank you for the ministry of your presence.

1610. Let Christ Speak The Word

Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

... 's books is titled The Night They Burned the Mountain. The setting is the Asian country of Laos in the hot, dry season preceding the wet and rainy monsoons. It was a period of intense fighting between the Communist and Laotian government forces who were supported by the Americans. Late one night, as Dooley was sitting in the main room of his house, he heard a great racket outside. Sensing that something was happening out there, he took a flashlight and walked out onto the front porch. Dr. Dooley writes that ...

1611. Beginning A Healing Ministry

Sermon

... a seminar on healing ministries so that he is knowledgeable about the scriptural and traditional basis for this ministry. This will enable him to field potential criticism effectively.2 The pastor should then enter into dialogue with lay leadership in order to generate support and enthusiasm. A study on healing may be offered in the Sunday school classes or other settings. One excellent resource for such a study is James Wagner's Blessed to Be a Blessing. A series of Sunday sermons on the healing ministry ...

1612. Being Different

Daniel 3:1-30

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... were there - the princes, the governors, the bankers, the judges, the lawyers, the doctors, the school board, the city council, the sheriffs and the mayors. Imagine the significance of the crowd. Anybody who was anybody was there. Buoyed by such a show of support, if not affection, the victorious king was really feeling his oats: such a public mandate. Consequently he made the stimulating announcement that anyone who did not fall down in front of the idol would be cast into a furnace of fire. Well, the ...

1613. The World's Best Kept Secret

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... spellbinding. Who in his or her right mind would fill a convention hall to listen to an unfamous elderly person say, "I have lived a good and faithful life. Christ has been my constant companion since youth and I have quietly but faithfully attended and supported his church all of my adult life." We religious people also tend to give an inordinate amount of space and time to the former vices of our people. There is, indeed, this rather curious notion that wickedness is interesting while goodness is dull. It ...

1614. The Church Body Building

Ephesians 4:1-16

Bulletin Aid

... : We grow in Christ together. Alone we are too easily confused, too easily discouraged. Leader: Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him that is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Men: We grow in Christ together. A body can manage without an eye, a foot or even a kidney, but can the individual organ manage alone? Women: We grow in Christ together ...

1615. The Nearest Hand

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

... and our religion: when God touches people, he takes the nearest willing hand and uses that. When your heart’s need is touched by the compassion, forgiveness or encouragement of another person; when your life is strengthened by the spiritual, mental or physical support of someone else, this is God, taking the nearest willing hand - or lips or purse - to express his love, his mercy, his concern for you. Praise God when his modern Samaritans touch our lives, as they so often do. More important, praise God ...

1616. The Message of Christmas

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

... , and prostitutes. More than anyone else, the religious establishment stood against him. He was accused of "stirring up" the people or, as we would say, of being a rabble-rouser. He was often misunderstood. He was not followed by many, and he had very few people who supported him when the chips were down. Very few people stayed with him as he moved toward Golgotha. We know he was given a criminal's death, and he was mockingly called "the King of the Jews." It is the birthday of this kind of man that we ...

1617. The Primacy of Human Relationships

Matthew 5:33-37

Sermon

Joe Pennel

... 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil," taught Jesus. Disciples of Jesus should have an integrity of character that does not need the scaffolding of an oath to persuade others of her or his truthfulness. Disciples do not need super-structure to support their words. Truth, for the disciple, does not need to call in outside help. The disciple who tries to live by the standards of "over-abundant" righteousness does not need any props for truth-telling. This was "bottom line" talk for Jesus. And, there ...

1618. Where Are the Lilies Now?

John 20:24-31

Sermon

Gary W. Houston

... mistake that many of us make. He had stayed away from other followers when he needed them most - in his grief. If he had not been so wrapped up in his own sadness, he could have had his faith lifted by the community. The community could have supported and loved him. This is one reason to attend church. We share a common faith, not an individual faith alone. From what looked like a shattered future a new vision arose among the disciples. Jesus breathed on them and said: "Receive the Holy Spirit." From that ...

1619. A House for God

Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon

Gary W. Houston

... blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. The chorus goes: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand. Here is verse three: His oath, His covenant, His blood, Support me in the whelming flood; When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay. Aren’t those marvelous words? They’re buried deep down inside me. I heard them so many times as a youth that I can never forget them ...

1620. Advent 1

Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 122:1-9, Romans 13:8-14, Matthew 24:36-51

Sermon Aid

... already revealed himself to the world in Jesus Christ and has taken extreme measures - in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ - to reconcile the world to himself; they know they have nothing to fear as they go, for Jesus travels with them and will support them to the end of the age. Pilgrim people are: 1. Expectant people 2. Hopeful people 3. Prayerful people 4. Prepared people These ideas illustrate a few of the possibilities in the pericopes of any single Sunday of the church year in the hope that ...

1621. Advent 4

Isaiah 7:1-25, Romans 1:1-17, Matthew 1:18-25, Psalm 24:1-10

Sermon Aid

CSS

... Christmas its due. The theological/homiletical clue, from the perspective of church year and liturgy, is to focus the proclamation of the gospel on the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as the beginning of the drama of salvation. The readings support and substantiate this liturgical view of the Fourth Sunday in Advent as the time to anticipate the proximity of Christmas and to prepare for the celebration. The homiletical problem in preaching is that the content of this Sunday is what most people ...

1622. Epiphany 3

Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 4:12-17, 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Psalm 27:1-14, Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon Aid

... see him through his difficult time. Countless saints and martyrs have recited this psalm, turning it into a prayer when life-threatening situations come upon them. It also expresses the longing that spiritually-sensitive people, who have experienced the "graceful" support of God in their trials and tribulations, have for permanent fellowship with God, and the confidence they have that God will sustain them forever. "Therefore," says the psalmist - and Christians and Jews, too - "I will offer in his dwelling ...

1623. Epiphany 5

Psalm 112:1-10, 1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5, Isaiah 58:1-14, Matthew 5:13-16, Matthew 5:17-20

Sermon Aid

... and concern for others in it, and a good neighborhood to live in. But there are two families who seldom participate in any of the activities of the neighborhood; they might be the "most religious" in church attendance, participation, and support of their congregations. Both belong to denominations that have little ecumenical concern or contacts with other churches, and these families seem to mirror that attitude. It is difficult to resist the feeling that they think themselves to be superior - religiously ...

1624. Epiphany 6

Deuteronomy 30:11-20

Sermon Aid

... is our role model, and our hope when we discover that we cannot keep all of God's Commandments. 4. Walk in the light of the Lord - and celebrate Epiphany every day of your life, and know the joy of the "good life" as God prescribes, orders, and supports it. Lesson 2, 1 Corinthians 2:6-13 - "The Holy Spirit - Our Teacher." 1. True spiritual maturity means that people are ready for learning the truth about the wisdom of God. Such persons know that they have much to learn about God's mysteries. 2. The church ...

1625. Epiphany 7

Matthew 5:43-48, Matthew 5:38-42, 1 Corinthians 3:1-23, Leviticus 19:1-37

Sermon Aid

... about a number of matters, needs to be spoken in congregations of every age. Loyalty to leaders is often intense and long-lived. If there are several strong leaders in a congregation, dissension may destroy the unity of the church; some support one leader, others someone else, and still others yet another person. The divisive claims to follow Apollos, Cephas, and Paul signal this leadership and loyalty crisis. Regardless of who founded, or led the congregation, Jesus is the only foundation for the ...

Showing results