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 1851 to 1875 of 4972 results

1851. Praise and Blame

1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... he was called and commissioned by Jesus himself. He passionately proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ everywhere he went. With that strong sense of mission Paul traveled throughout the ancient world sharing the good news of Jesus and starting churches. Nothing would stop him. Not a ship wreck, not threats of physical harm, and not people who were critical of him! Nothing could curb Paul’s passion. Paul was not trying to win any popularity contest either. He did not depend on positive feedback from his ...

1852. When God Does Something New

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

Argile Smith

... . In May of that year, the police blocked traffic to the church in fear that the crowd had grown too large. When they blocked the traffic, they thought they had put an end to what they feared would be an insurrection. The barricade didn’t stop the people from coming to the church. It had quite the opposite effect. The crowd grew as people attended regularly each Monday night with lighted candles in hand. Pastor Fuhrer encouraged them to carry candles because it would require both hands. With both hands ...

1853. He's Back

John 20:19-23

Sermon

David O. Bales

... , loss of a job, our beloved rejecting us, a war starting, an illness, or our crops or business failing. Yet Jesus roams the planet again, first in the shadows of resurrection morning and now in the shadows of that evening. Sunshine or shadow can’t stop him. The tragedies in your life can’t keep Jesus away from you, nor can all your worldly advantages. Jesus returns with unfinished business. He isn’t done with you yet. He’s just getting re-started. Jesus doesn’t meet with his dumbfounded students ...

1854. A King Like No Other

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

King Duncan

... there in the human heart that causes us to act with such cruelty? Why has every generation in history demonstrated time and time again man’s inhumanity to man? Why did Hitler have to exterminate 6,000,000 Jews before the rest of the world rallied to stop him? Why did Germany, an allegedly Christian nation allow the Nazis to come to power in the first place? For that matter, in this country, why were Native Americans forced to march across our land in the infamous Trail of Tears? Why did the evils of cruel ...

1855. What If Joseph Were the Patron Saint of 2014?

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... dreaming. In British English, “dream” usually connotes a delusion, not a desire that can come true. There are various reasons for these depressants on dreams, but whatever the cause, to stop dreaming and trusting is to go dead. And humans get deadly when they go dead inside, when they shut themselves down from the future and stop living in the domain of dreams. God designed us to dream, which are often screamed into silence by fear and insecurity and mistrust. Pilate’s wife dreamed Jesus innocent. But ...

1856. The Christian's Royal Jelly

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... place. Instead of a tightly closed bag, there was before them a full abundance for satisfying their needs. Any careful scrutiny of our lives reveals that we have been in the birds’ predicament again and again. Some great need of our life may have stopped us or blocked us, but then an unexpected stranger or unknown writer, or a comment from a friend triggered a miracle. Thurman concludes, “However self-sufficient we are, our strength is always being supplied by others unknown to us, whose paths led them ...

1857. Stargazing, Naval Gazing, and Other Waiting Games

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Tony Everett

... ’s a story that you may not have heard before. Pastor Kathy enjoyed visiting in parishioner’s homes and work places. One afternoon, Barbara invited Pastor Kathy to ride along as she made a regular delivery from her pet store. Every half mile or so, Barbara would stop the van, get out, pick up a two by four from behind the driver’s seat, and whack the side of the van. Then she would drive down the road again. After seeing Barbara repeat this process a few times, Pastor Kathy’s curiosity got the best ...

1858. Locusts Happen

Joel 2:1-11

Sermon

Tony Everett

... Joel 2:3). Locusts happen! Where do you turn when there’s nowhere to turn? Where do you turn when locusts happen? Who can extinguish the pain in your hearts that just won’t go away? Who can rewrite the story of your own shame and failure? Who can stop the locusts from crawling into every corner of your soul? Where do you turn when your best efforts turn into an all-consuming mess? When everything that can go wrong is going wrong for God’s people in our text and for God’s people on this Ash Wednesday ...

1859. Claimed, Framed, Changed

Acts 2:14-41

Sermon

Tony Everett

... almost-but-not-quite faithful enough lifestyle. However, today the crowd’s question becomes our question. Today, God’s response becomes our answer. Pay careful attention here. Our text is not a handy dandy three step game plan for the crowds to follow in order to stop emotional pain. The text is not a guaranteed action plan for us to earn God’s love. It is not a magic formula detailing how we can convert others to Jesus all by ourselves. Remember, Peter has just described God’s own well-planned acts ...

1860. Stuck in Park

Acts 17:16-34

Sermon

Tony Everett

... , for her dog, Otto, a three-year-old miniature Shih Tzu. Martha and Otto went everywhere together. Even where dogs were not permitted, Otto was content to wait patiently in the car for Martha to return. One particular sunny afternoon Martha had to make a quick stop at the corner grocery store. As was her custom, Martha rolled down the windows to make sure the inside of the car would be comfortable. Otto curled up on the backseat, and Martha started toward the store. Worrying that her dog might jump out of ...

1861. Jesus Light

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... the peacemakers, the persecuted, the child-like, shifts our focus and redirects our “light.” The Beatitudes force us to stop looking at some “big picture” of marketable success, a collective to be conquered, and instead look at each person as ... one night. He is tired, hungry, and thinks maybe he’ll just get some sleep on the train while in route to his home. Two stops into his journey, a father with two young children comes into his train car. The children proceed to run up and down the aisle, making ...

1862. What Does Jesus Look Like?

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

Tony Everett

... did all this happen? Why do we look at Jesus through this lens of suffering? Well, God’s people couldn’t seem to stop their endless cycle of sin and disobedience. No priestly sacrifice could break this pattern. Left on their own God’s people were helpless ... deeply and faithfully God loves Mitzi, Marilyn, and all God’s children. On that cross, Jesus did what no human can do… stop the control that suffering and sin have on our lives. Of course sin and suffering still exist. Of course grief and pain ...

1863. Voice Recognition

John 20:19-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... ” was Jesus’ voice. Suddenly the risen Christ stood in their locked-down, windows-barred room. No walls or worries could keep Jesus away from their company. The tightly wrapped bands of the grave cloths couldn’t keep him. The stone that sealed the tomb couldn’t stop him. Now the locked doors and barred windows couldn’t block him. It’s a whole new world, this world of resurrection. Jesus’ first act is not to act. Jesus’ first act is to speak. His final act is to breathe. But his first act is ...

1864. The Lord Is (More Than) My Shepherd

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

King Duncan

... I am like that stubborn animal. I face trials with the attitude that I will conquer the obstacle myself. All I have to do is stop for a minute, look to my Shepherd, and I will discover that I can solve my problem by simply turning around. God has a simple ... time and saw an elderly man and his wife pulled over to the side of the road in their truck waving for help. So, of course, he stopped and asked what was wrong. The elderly man told him he was a pastor, and he and his wife were on their way to a town up ...

1865. Breaking News: A World Gone Wild

Romans 8:18-27

Sermon

James Merritt

... property and it was overrun with weeds and swamps and this man with hard backbreaking labor cleared that land, turned the swamp into a pond, cleared the weeds and planted flowers and also planted some beautiful trees. He built a house right in the middle of it. A man stopped by one day and walked up to this gentleman and said, “Do you own this place?” He said, “Yes, I do.” The man said, “It is just unbelievable what God has given you. He had given you a pond to fish in. He has given you flowers to ...

1866. Of Peace and War

Deuteronomy 20:1-20

Sermon

James Merritt

... 6 years each and 3,640,000,000 people have been killed. Out of 185 generations only 10 have seen unbroken peace despite the signing of 8,000 peace treaties. Somebody has said that “peace” is simply what we call that brief moment between wars when people stop to reload. The philosopher, Plato, said “Only dead men have seen an end to war.” Another interesting fact you may not know is that in the history of the entire human race mankind has never yet fashioned a weapon that hasn’t been used. The 20th ...

1867. The Insanity of Profanity

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

James Merritt

... doesn’t put air into the tire. If you stub your toe in the dark on a chair and curse the chair, that doesn’t stop the pain. If you curse because you hit a bad golf shot, that doesn’t put the golf shot back in the fairway. There is ... the authority to take certain funds out of my account to pay the person who bears that check. When a policeman stands up and say, “Stop, in the name of the law,” his strength, his power, his authority, is not found in himself; it is found in the law. Therefore, all ...

1868. Ignite: Set On Fire!

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

James Merritt

... thousand souls.” (Acts 2:40-41, ESV) They did what every follower of Jesus Christ is expected to do once they receive forgiveness in the Holy Spirit. Once they became a Christ-follower they were baptized. Incidentally, this was the perfect opportunity for Christianity to be stopped dead in its tracks. In that crowd of thousands anybody could have stepped up and said, “Wait a minute! Jesus is dead. I will take you to the tomb. We will open the grave. I will show you His body.” But no Pharisee stood up ...

1869. Ignite: Fight Fire with Fire

Acts 4:1-22

Sermon

James Merritt

... point.” We get choices every day to follow what the world tells us or to do what God tells us - to cut and run or to stop and stand. Listen to the response of Peter and John. “But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to ... They know that if they keep doing what Peter and John did, the fire they face is going to get bigger and hotter. Let me stop and ask you a question, “How would you have prayed?” I can tell you how I would have prayed. I might have prayed for ...

1870. First Thing

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

James Merritt

... the reason that we worry. He then eliminates the cause of worry and elevates us above worry. First, He is going to give us the negative side of the problem. Then, He is going to give us the positive side of the solution. He is determined to put a stop to worry. Three times in this passage, verses 25, 31 and 34 He repeats a phrase, “Therefore, do not be anxious.” (Matthew 6:25, 31, 34, ESV) The Greek word for “anxious” or what we would call “worry” is a combination of two smaller words. One word ...

1871. Do You Have Any Leftovers?

John 6:1-15

Sermon

James Merritt

... ’t share Jesus with anybody. I might mess it up. I am too shy. I don’t know enough. I am convinced that Jesus’ heart was just shattered. What bothered Jesus was not the lack of food, but the lack of faith. A lack of food never stops God, but a lack of faith can stop Him dead in His tracks. It is amazing that Jesus did many miracles in many places, but there is one place He didn’t do hardly any miracles and it was of all places in His own hometown. Do you know why? “And he did not ...

1872. Leave Your Calculator Home

Matthew 22:15-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... itself. According to Bible scholar William Barclay, “A tax was payable for using the main roads, the harbors, and the markets. A tax was payable on a cart, on each wheel of the cart, and on the animal which drew it. A tax-collector could bid a man stop on the road and unpack his bundles and charge him well-nigh whatever he liked. If a man could not pay, sometimes the tax collector would offer to lend him money at an exorbitant rate of interest and so get him further into his clutches.” (3) We complain ...

1873. A Lesson from Jay Leno's Mom

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

King Duncan

... that day, but on the following day she came up to him again and said, “If you love me and you mean it, then why don’t you show it?” “Good grief,” he was thinking. “I let her have my special GI Joe eraser, I stopped pulling her pigtails, I even made Tommy and Billy stop calling her names. What more did she want?” “You’re supposed to hold my hand,” she said with a stern look on her face. “And play with me at recess. And sit next to me during free time . . . you’re supposed to show it ...

1874. Jesus Is Baptized

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... lives. Over 1,000 people have jumped from this bridge since it opened in 1968. In 2003, a man in his mid-30s named Chen decided this had to end. Since then he has spent his weekends coming to the bridge to try to stop people from jumping. So far he has stopped 42 people from ending their lives. “It is very easy to recognize potential jumpers,” he said. “[Such a person] walks without spirit.” (2) What does it mean, “a person walks without spirit”? I believe you know. You can often see it in a ...

1875. Get Out the Ticker Tape - Palm Sunday

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... well. No one came into his store to see his merchandise, so he had almost no business. He was on a main road so that wasn’t the problem. People just didn’t stop! One day he got an idea. Knowing that most people do follow the crowd, he went out and bought several used cars and parked them in front of his store. Sure enough, now people stopped at his store and all kinds of people began to buy his stuff. They assumed that all the cars out front meant that this must be a great place to shop! The same ...

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