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 1626 to 1650 of 4943 results

1626. What kind of Cup Do You Bring?

1 Corinthians 10:14-22

Sermon

Various Authors

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? (v. 16a) The Christian faith at times expresses itself in strange ways. It talks about persons losing their life to find it. "Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 16:25b) It talks about persons finding strength through acknowledging their weaknesses. "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9) It talks about persons finding their freedom through ...

1627. Taking Ourselves Lightly

Illustration

Lori Johnson Rosenkvist

The real object of play is to discover newness in our lives. In play, we open ourselves to a powerful creative energy. When we dare to dabble, unique things can happen. The unexpected. The unpredictable. Play propels us into work with renewed strength and ingenuity. Can serious people learn to play? I certainly hope so. It would be sad to think that only a few silly people are allowed access to this rarely discussed gift of the Spirit. I have heard it said that the angels can fly because they take ...

1628. Taking the Plunge (What’s an Ebenezer?)

Joshua 3:7-17

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship Sooner or later we take the plunge. Sooner or later we step out in faith. Sooner or later we reject the darkness and walk towards the light. Sooner or later we stand up for Jesus. Come forward today in worship and praise. It's time. Collect Father of all, we have wandered and wondered long. Now we pray in our worship today for a sign that you are close at hand. We will no longer wait on Jordan's banks. With your aid we're stepping forward towards the prize. Amen. Prayer Of Confession What ...

1629. We Can Take Control

Jn 21:1-25

Illustration

King Duncan

One stressful day, Eric Fellman and his sons set out late in the afternoon to do a little fishing. As he backed the boat into the water, Fellman realized that he had forgotten to unhook part of the trailer from the boat. The boat tipped over and began to fill with water. As Fellman jumped out of the car to survey the situation, he accidentally hit the electric lock, locking his keys inside the still-running car. Everything was a mess! Most of the live bait had escaped into the lake, the boat was almost ...

1630. Play It Safe or Take a Risk

Luke 16:1-15

Illustration

Mark Trotter

Rev. Mark Trotter tells of a mission in Mexico, sponsored by Mercy Hospital, in San Diego, and by Rotary International. Thirteen doctors from San Diego, and twice that number of nurses and other support staff, total of about fifty-five persons, paid their own way to go down as a surgical team to minister to poor children in Tehuacan, in the southern part of Mexico. He says, “The call went out through the Rotary Club in that city for all those who do not have the means for medical attention to bring ...

1631. Where the Roots Take Place

Matthew 13:1-23

Illustration

Jim Somerville

Fred Craddock tells a story about the time he got a phone call from a woman whose father had died. She had been a teenager in one of the churches he had served as pastor twenty years before, and he would have sworn that if there was ever a person who never heard a word he said, that teenage girl was it. She was always giggling with her friends in the balcony, passing notes to boys, drawing pictures on the bulletin. But when her father died, she looked up her old pastor, the Rev. Fred Craddock, and gave him ...

1632. Take It Up with Management

Illustration

Staff

Some obstacles to upward communication: Many employees fear that expressing their true feelings about the company to their boss could be dangerous. The fairly wide-spread belief that disagreeing with the boss will block promotion still holds. There is a wide-spread conviction that management is not interested in employee problems. Some have the feeling that employees are not rewarded for good ideas. There is a lack of supervisory accessibility and responsiveness. The conviction is widespread that higher ...

1633. Take Life By the Throat

Illustration

Most would agree that Ludwig van Beethoven was a musical genius. But few realize the adversity he had to overcome to achieve greatness. In his twenties, Beethoven began to lose his hearing. Because he couldn't feel the music as he once had, on one occasion he said his fingers became "thick." His hearing problems haunted him into the middle years of his life, but he kept it a guarded secret. By the time he reached his fifties, Beethoven was completely deaf. But he refused to give up. He was once overheard ...

1634. Taking the Penalty

Illustration

As professional golfer Ray Floyd was getting ready to tap in a routine 9-inch putt, he saw the ball move ever so slightly. According to the rule book, if the ball moves in this way the golfer must take a penalty stroke. Yet consider the situation. Floyd was among the leaders in a tournament offering a top prize of $108,000. To acknowledge that the ball had moved could mean he would lose his chance for big money. Writer David Holahan describes as follows what others might have done: "The athlete ducks his ...

1635. I'll Take the Nickle

Humor Illustration

Joey was a little slow. In fact, Joey was just plain dumb in most people's opinion. Some of the boys would play a joke on Joey. They would show him a nickel and a dime and offer him a choice of one of the two coins. Joey, being the dummy that he was, would always pick the nickel. One day a kindly lady who had heard about Joey decided to see if he was really as dumb as everyone said he was. She took a dime and a nickel from her purse and offered them to him. Joey picked up the nickel and said, "The nickel ...

1636. Listen Up!

John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

Exegetical Aim: Teaching the importance of listening carefully. Props: Anything that is white. Lesson: Good morning. (response) I have a question for you and the congregation this morning. Hold up the white object and point at it. I am going to ask you first. What color is this? (white) What color is this? (white) What color is this? (white) Louder, what color is this? (white) Louder, what color is this? (white) Now let me ask the congregation. What color is this? (white) What color is this? (white) Louder ...

1637. Wash One Another's Feet

John 13:1-17

Illustration

Lee Griess

Sociologist Robert Wuthnow of Princeton University has explored how it is that people make everyday ethical decisions. Many people, he found, perform deeds of compassion, service, and mercy because at some point in their past someone acted with compassion toward them. He wrote, "The caring we receive may touch us so deeply that we feel especially gratified when we are able to pass it on to someone else." He tells the story of Jack Casey, who was employed as an emergency worker on an ambulance rescue squad ...

1638. Two Small Upper Rooms

John 13:1-17

Illustration

Lee Griess

In his book Life Looks Up, Charles Templeton remarks how ironic it is that the course of human history has been affected so positively and negatively by events that have occurred in two small upper rooms. One of them is a drab flat in London's Westside, dirty, curtainless, with stacks of articles on the table and worn manuscripts, aborted attempts wadded up in the trash can. Seated at the table a man labors over a writing, a writing that would overthrow governments, enslave millions of people, and ...

1639. Giving Up Our Monkeys

Hebrews 12:1-13

Illustration

Several years ago the news media reported on a man who was, for a prolonged period of time, marooned alone on a small Pacific island. A passing ship was prepared to rescue him, but he refused to go. It seems that while there he had acquired a pet monkey which he was unwilling to leave behind, and the ship's regulations would not permit it on board. Here in church today we meet Christ, our rescuer, our deliverer. He says, "Come, go with me." He comes to set us free - and he will, if we are willing to give ...

1640. The Ministry of Refreshing

2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Sermon

Various Authors

May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me; he was not ashamed of my chains ... (v. 16) Meet Onesiphorus. Onesiphorus was a friend of Saint Paul’s. We ought to think about him. We ought to imitate him. Saint Paul writes about Onesiphorus in his second letter to Timothy. Paul’s letters make up about a third of the entire New Testament. They are theological treasuries. For sublime thought, for spiritual energy, for powerful theology, they are probably without equal in ...

1641. LOVE TAKES SWEAT

Illustration

John H. Krahn

Nearly every couple who graces my office for premarital counseling is asked, "What do you especially love about him/her; what is their extra special quality?" More often than not my question is greeted with embarrassed silence. Those that venture forth with an answer are often very general or vague like, "I feel good when we are together." Sometimes there is the diplomatic answer, "I like everything about her, she is so perfect." It is hard to keep a straight face as I wonder how such a response will hold ...

1642. It Takes Teamwork

John 17:20-26

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: Several baseball cards or a picture of a major league team. Good morning, boys and girls! This morning we're going to talk about sports. How many baseball fans do we have here this morning? (Let them answer.) Terrific! Baseball is a great game to watch and to play. There are all types of positions on a baseball team -- batters, pitchers, catchers, infielders and outfielders. Each player has a certain job to do. Which position is your favorite? (Let them answer.) Those are all important positions on ...

1643. Taking Charge

Luke 15:11-32

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: Bring a small candy bar for each child--or some other messy treat! Today we are going to talk about a really big word. The word is GRACE! What does grace mean? [Let the children give their ideas.] Today's lesson is about a father who had two sons. The younger son came to the father and asked for his inheritance. In other words, he wanted his share of his father's possessions now instead of waiting until the father died. The father gave him his share. The young man went off to live on his own with ...

1644. Christ Never Gives Up

Luke 24:13-35

Illustration

King Duncan

There is a story of a British soldier in the First World War who lost heart for the battle and deserted. Trying to reach the coast for a boat to England that night, he ended up wandering in the pitch black night, hopelessly lost. In the darkness, he came across what he thought was a signpost. It was so dark that he began to climb the post so that he could read it. As he reached the top of the pole, he struck a match to see and found himself looking squarely into the face of Jesus Christ. He realized that, ...

1645. The Holy Plus Sign

Mark 8:31-38

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

A little boy who was just learning about addition and subtraction in school looked up during Worship one Sunday, saw the cross sitting on the altar and hollered, "Look, Daddy! There's a plus sign in our Church." The cross really is a plus sign in our Church. It's a plus sign in our lives daily. It tells us of the advantages of being a Christian and accepting the forgiveness God offers through the cross. Through the cross God did what only God can do. God transformed a horrible instrument of torture and ...

1646. Jesus Takes Command

John 6:1-21

Illustration

Phillip Yancy

Only one miracle made it into all four gospels. It transpired on the grassy hills by the shores of the Sea of Galilee at a time when Jesus' popularity and also his vulnerability was cresting. Wherever he went, a throng that included many deranged and afflicted trailed behind. The day before the big miracle, Jesus crossed the lake to elude the masses. Herod had just executed John the Baptist, Jesus' relative, his forerunner and friend, and Jesus needed time alone to grieve. Doubtless, John's death provoked ...

1647. Breaking Up the Routine

Illustration

Wallace H. Kirby

A woman called a packing house and ordered the complete carcass of a horse. She met the delivery men and asked them to put the horse in the bathtub. As they left, the men could not resist asking the woman about this curious project. She told them that she and her husband had been married for over thirty years. Things were going well, but the routine was taking its toll. So she had decided to break out of this trap and ordered the horse. "Each evening," she said, "my husband comes in, goes into the bathroom ...

1648. Caught Up in the Spirit

Illustration

Charles Swindoll

When Ralph Houk was manager of the New York Yankees, baseball schedules were even more exacting than they are now, with double-headers almost every week. Occasionally a player would get sick of the grind and approach Houk, asking for permission to sit out a game. "I know how you feel," the manager would say genially. "Sure, take the day off, But do me a favor. You're in the starting lineup. Just play one inning. Then skip the rest of the game." Coach Houk knew that if he could get the player caught up in ...

1649. Take the Leap

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

Staff

One night a house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee to the roof. The father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to his son, "Jump! I'll catch you." He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see, however, was flame, smoke, and blackness. As can be imagined, he was afraid to leave the roof. His father kept yelling: "Jump! I will catch you." But the boy protested, "Daddy, I can't see you." The father replied, "But I can see you and that's all that ...

1650. Poem: Up-Hill

Eulogy

Christina Georgina Rossetti

Does the road wind up-hill all the way? Yes, to the very end. Will the day's journey take the whole long day? From morn to night my friend. But is there for the night a resting-place? A roof for when the slow dark hours begin. May not the darkness hide it from my face? You cannot miss that inn. Shall I meet other wayfarers at night? Those who have gone before. Then must I knock, or call when just in sight? They will not keep you standing at that door. Shall I find comfort, travel-sore and weak? Of labour, ...

Showing results

Showing 1626 to 1650 of 4943 results

1626. What kind of Cup Do You Bring?

1 Corinthians 10:14-22

Sermon

Various Authors

1627. Taking Ourselves Lightly

Illustration

Lori Johnson Rosenkvist

1628. Taking the Plunge (What’s an Ebenezer?)

Joshua 3:7-17

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

1629. We Can Take Control

Jn 21:1-25

Illustration

King Duncan

1630. Play It Safe or Take a Risk

Luke 16:1-15

Illustration

Mark Trotter

1631. Where the Roots Take Place

Matthew 13:1-23

Illustration

Jim Somerville

1632. Take It Up with Management

Illustration

Staff

1633. Take Life By the Throat

Illustration

1634. Taking the Penalty

Illustration

1635. I'll Take the Nickle

Humor Illustration

1636. Listen Up!

John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

1637. Wash One Another's Feet

John 13:1-17

Illustration

Lee Griess

1638. Two Small Upper Rooms

John 13:1-17

Illustration

Lee Griess

1639. Giving Up Our Monkeys

Hebrews 12:1-13

Illustration

1640. The Ministry of Refreshing

2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Sermon

Various Authors

1641. LOVE TAKES SWEAT

Illustration

John H. Krahn

1642. It Takes Teamwork

John 17:20-26

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

1643. Taking Charge

Luke 15:11-32

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

1644. Christ Never Gives Up

Luke 24:13-35

Illustration

King Duncan

1645. The Holy Plus Sign

Mark 8:31-38

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

1646. Jesus Takes Command

John 6:1-21

Illustration

Phillip Yancy

1647. Breaking Up the Routine

Illustration

Wallace H. Kirby

1648. Caught Up in the Spirit

Illustration

Charles Swindoll

1649. Take the Leap

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

Staff

1650. Poem: Up-Hill

Eulogy

Christina Georgina Rossetti

Showing results