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 2026 to 2050 of 4986 results

2026. A Thanksgiving Checklist

Luke 12:48

Sermon

Robert Noblett

... . Our demands on others will be so extraordinary, that few will and should comply; but from our perspective there will be little reason to say "thank you.” I am reminded of a transient who came to me wanting help with food. I discovered he was already staying at our local shelter and had food vouchers for a very fine local restaurant, but he complained of not liking the food at either place and wanted me to provide him with funds so that he could eat elsewhere. That’s entitlement, and a person with that ...

2027. Here They Come, Singing

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... , Jeremiah’s prophecy speaks of only “the remnant of Israel” being saved, as in today’s lesson. The whole people did not make it back to Jerusalem. Some died in captivity over those long years. Some didn’t want their freedom, so they stayed in exile. Some remembered Jerusalem destroyed, and they didn’t want to go back to that wasteland. Some had married Babylonians and chose to continue living in Babylon. Still, today’s lesson speaks of “a great company” of those who would return. However ...

2028. God’s Great Final Day

Daniel 7:1-14

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... we could be drifting badly, like that woman in southern France who lived for 111 days in a room 275 feet underground as an experiment. She had no clock or calendar, no sunrise or sunset, no radio or television. She slept when she wanted to and stayed awake as she pleased. For almost a third of a year, she just drifted through time, as many are doing in their lives above ground, without any destination. Or, life can be like that twenty-nine story, skinny tower in Bristol, Connecticut, that has elevators ...

2029. Renewal of the New

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... through the congregation. How attractive is our church to prospective members? Would a stranger be made to feel at home? What does our church have to offer to non-members? In other words, if I did not come, would I miss anything? Suppose I went to the golf course, or stayed at home to mow the lawn, or took a trip to the beach. Would I be any worse off for not going to church? Was there a fellowship so fine and warm that I am the loser? Would the sermon give me an uplift and something to think about? If ...

2030. Have You Confronted Christ?

Mark 3:20-30

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

... at the outskirts of the crowd. But his initial fears and anger were quieted when he saw that he knew many of the folks now gathered around the teacher. "They will not hurt my orchard," he thought. "I know them." And he was right. Although they stayed for most of the day, not one branch was broken. Nor did the young boys climb the trees. Soon Simon was listening to the teacher and sharing in that special moment when Jesus, from nearby Nazareth, taught about God. It was said by those standing with Simon ...

2031. Listen

1 Samuel 2:12-26

Sermon

Charles Curley

... see the vision they could not see. They needed Samuel to connect them to God and God's will for their lives. How that new vision worked out for the people and nation of Israel (its ups and downs, successes and failures), we will discover later, for the lectionary stays with the books of Samuel for the next seven weeks. But for now, let me end with this thought. We know and recognize that it is our proper function and duty in life to teach our children - else how will they learn? But consider this, is it not ...

2032. Pleased To Reconcile

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Larry R. Kalajainen

... gets rid of her ancient enemy and arch-rival Aslan at the same time. Before the horrified eyes of the children, Aslan allows himself to be bound, humiliated, and slaughtered on the Stone Table to the triumphant howls of the witch. The two girls Susan and Lucy stay all night by his body, grieving their loss, for now it is obvious the wicked witch has won, and her rule over Narnia will be secure. But at sunrise, when they walk away a short distance to stretch their legs, they suddenly hear a gigantic crack ...

2033. The Saving Grace Of Gratitude

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

Larry R. Kalajainen

... were respectable, middle-class people who lived in the suburbs. But their church had been standing on the central square of the city for many years. Through all the prosperity of the '50s, the social revolution of the '60s and the urban blight of the '70s, they had stayed downtown because they knew they had a mission there, even if it wasn't always clear to them what it was or how to go about it. But it was becoming obvious that they needed help to fulfill it. And so, in cooperation with a sister church in ...

2034. Stilling The Storm

Mark 4:35-41

Drama

Dallas A. Brauninger

... resulted in drying up of the spirit. This sense of emptiness flattens the spirit of people like the centrifugal force that pushes players against the wall of a carnival ride. When we feed the souls of our people, they become buoyant with new life. They stay afloat. Waves too great for them to meet do not overcome them. KEY WORDS Stormy Weather: The people of Palestine believed geography, climate, and society all interact; God made them all and God planned for them all. In Palestine, winter is the season of ...

2035. Mary: After The Angel

Drama

Arlys M. Winkler

... and your wonderful Joseph to see you through this. (Pauses) And most of all you have the assurance of our loving Lord. You are doing exactly what the angel asked of you. MARY: Well, at least I'm going to try. ELIZABETH: Good. Now how long do you want to stay with us? MARY: I'm not sure. I think I'll know when I'm ready to return home. ELIZABETH: I think you're right. God is guiding you and will help you realize when that time comes. MARY: In the meantime I hope I can be of some help ...

2036. Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room

Drama

Suzanne Fisher

... all they had was their stable stall, the home in which they lived. (ALL pick up hay, approach cradle, kneel, and hold out hay towards cradle.) Narrator: Joyfully, led by Moose, they began to bring new hay to make God's Son more comfortable, welcoming his stay. (Spotlight on NARRATOR) Narrator: A long time ago, far, far away, even the creatures knew what we know today. That God, the Creator of every living thing, sent His Son to save our souls, Jesus, King of kings. Out of meager hay, they prepared a place ...

2037. Lent 5

John 12:20-36, Jeremiah 30:1--31:40, Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... accident in 1981 when he stumbled over his dog's dish, tumbling headlong down the basement stairs. Sardler had been blind for six years, due to optic nerve damage, but when he hit his head during the fall the miracle of sight was restored to him. He stayed up all night gazing at pictures and flowers and the stars in the heavens. Sardler can't thank and praise God enough for returning to him the ability to see. Sometimes it takes something like what happened to this man to open our eyes to the presence ...

2038. Christmas Eve

Lk 2:1-20 · Isa 9:2-7 · Tit 2:11-14 · Ps 96

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... now to Bethlehem and see this thing which the Lord has made known to us" (v. 15). The Gospel invites us to see and experience for ourselves. We see this concept in the call of Jesus' first disciples, according to the Gospel of John. They said, "Rabbi, where are you staying?" "Come," he replied, "and you will see" (John 1: 38b-39a). To be real, the story of Christ must be revealed in a first person form. Christian faith begins as a story we've been told but needs to move to a story we have come to experience ...

2039. Passion Sunday

Mk 14:1 - 15:47 · Isa 50:4-9 · Phil 2:5-11 · Ps 31:9-16

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... waver in their devotion to Christ. Outline: Do you have a friend who has stuck with you through thick and thin? Have you been such a friend to others? Most of Jesus' disciples fled after his arrest, Judas betrayed him, but the women disciples from Galilee stayed by him to the end. Though there might be lapses in our loyalty, the gift of eternal life is promised to those who are faithful unto death. Sermon Title: Falling On Deaf Ears. Sermon Angle: When our Lord's accusers brought him to Pilate, Jesus was ...

2040. Proper 10

Mark 6:14-29, 2 Samuel 6:1-23, Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... innumerable blessings. In distancing ourselves from God, we also separate ourselves from the source of blessing. David realized his error and went down to bring the ark to Jerusalem. He once more danced before the Lord. Though he became angry with God, he could not stay angry. The sin of Uzzah (vv. 6-7). The fate of Uzzah is as troubling to moderns as it was to David. Modern interpreters have suggested that, with slight variations in the text, a more rational explanation can be given than that which is ...

2041. Easter 4

John 10:1-21, Acts 4:1-22, 1 John 3:11-24

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... through their common experience of the risen Christ. In the real crisis of life and faith, we are not able to "pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and start all over again." We are empowered to stand through Christ's resurrection but we are only able to stay erect if we stand together in faith with other members of his flock. 3. Sermon Title: What's Good About The Good Shepherd? Sermon Angle: Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd (leader). This implies that there must also be such a thing as a bad ...

2042. Proper 28

Mk 13:1-32 · Heb 10:11-25 · 1 Sam 1:4-20 · Ps 16

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... of being drunk. She relayed her concern and he prayed that her request would be answered. Her spirit lifted and she went home. In due time, she became pregnant. After she weaned her child (Samuel), she brought him to Levi, together with the appropriate sacrifices. Samuel stayed with Levi and became the last of the judges and a great prophet. Epistle: Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25 The text continues to hammer home the same point that we have dealt with the past several weeks. Christ's priestly ministry is ...

2043. Proper 4

Mark 2:23-3:6, 1 Samuel 3:1--4:1, 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... our weaknesses and we observe a proliferation of cracks in our outward physical nature. What a wonder that God has chosen to house the treasure of the gospel in such fragile containers! That's a little bit like storing gold coins in ice cream cones. If we stay close to Christ he will use the fire of adversity to keep us from breaking and spilling the contents (vv. 8-11). Ronald Hutchcraft in Peaceful Living In A Stressful World tells of taking his two sons to a restoration of an old American village, where ...

2044. The Resurrection Of Our Lord

John 20:1-9, John 20:10-18, Acts 10:23b-48, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Mark 16:1-20

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... contact. Can anybody inform me as to Jesus' whereabouts? A living Christ in place of a corpse. Of course, Mary Magdalene didn't misplace Jesus, nor did anyone else. God raised Jesus from the grave. Our God is not in a grave; our God is on the move! Unless you stay close to the Lord, you lose track of him. Why are you crying? (vv. 13, 15) Both the angels and Jesus inquire of Mary as to why she is crying. It should be obvious. Isn't crying a natural part of the grief process? Nevertheless, it's good to ...

2045. Love In Action

1 John 3:11-24

Sermon

Mark J. Molldrem

... : "My real experience of religion came when I entered the Kobe slums. Everything in the slums was ugly: the people, the houses, the clothes, the streets -- everything was ugly and full of disease. If I had not carried God beside me, I should not have been able to stay. But because I believed in God ƒ I had a different view of life ƒ My job was to help these people ƒ A gambler, dying, said to me that he was going back to his Heavenly Father. Then for the first time, like a flash, I was convinced that any ...

2046. As Is

Ephesians 2:1-10

Sermon

Mark J. Molldrem

... ! Yet, how gratifying that there was one person who was willing to take the defunct Datsun as is. Life, like that bright, yellow Datsun, certainly has its day. There are times when everything seems to come together and we are so happy. But, life does not stay that way. Like that rusted, yellow Datsun with a cracked head, life breaks down. It sputters along and eventually dies. Like the second law of thermodynamics, our life, as much as we want it to be upward and onward, instead decays. It happens a little ...

2047. Made New By Getting Lost

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

Richard A. Wing

... is near! I. We get lost. We get lost oftentimes on streets that were once familiar. I remember a man who told me about going back to his hometown where he knew no one. He said that it was a very different journey to go to one's hometown and stay in a hotel. The streets were familiar, but the faces were not. When I go to my hometown in California, the growth has been so great since my leaving in 1961 that I get lost on streets that were once country roads but now have condominiums. I have joked for ...

2048. Edges

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Richard A. Wing

... the day my mentor in ministry tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to read the morning scripture. It was because I was the only kid in the youth group wearing a tie that day. I got in the pulpit and felt a small tug that invited me to stay there. When anyone asks me how I got into the ministry, I must go back to the time in my home church when I was asked to read scripture and stand in the pulpit. I discovered I couldn't leave it. Jesus did not get into trouble for reading the ...

2049. Getting The Face We Deserve

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

Richard A. Wing

... , the fool is the one who looks to the sky and the lightning. The wise person is the one who looks at the path that is illuminated in the little flashes that are symbolic of the presence of God." He comes in little flashing moments. Those little moments don't stay around a long time but they're enough to keep us going. We are changed by flashes of light, I think, as we see the light shining on the face of Jesus Christ. So, what changes us? A guru in India, a holy man, is sitting by the water. He ...

2050. The Ultimate Mystery

John 18:28-40

Sermon

Lee Griess

... thought is brought together there that day. James Russell Lowell tells of a painting in Brussels in which God is about to create the world and an angel is depicted as attempting to hold back the arm of God as if to say, "If about to create such a world, stay Thy Hand." But that is not the answer. It would be easy to blame all this on God, but we cannot. God did not create this world filled with crime, violence, and death that we have come to know. God did not intend for people and their governments to be ...

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