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 2076 to 2100 of 4937 results

2076. Embarrassed Enough To Finally Listen?

Proverbs 1:20-33

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... at us when we're walking down the street, you nag us when we're trying to watch a ball game, you bellow when we're trying to sleep, and bray when we're hanging out with our friends. You don't care what it takes, do you? Don't give up on us! Keep trying, Lord, until we listen! We're listening. Praise God, Hallelujah. Amen. Hymns Soon And Very Soon Make Me A Captive All Praise To Our Redeeming Lord

2077. Small Acts of Kindness

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

Robert W. Bohl

Have you ever felt like giving up? Have you ever wondered, even in what you try to do for God, whether it is doing any good? I remember a story about a little girl nicknamed Annie who in 1876 was ten years of age. Her actual name was Joanna Sullivan. She was put into a poor house ...

2078. Dare Care

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... . [Remind your hearers that they are lucky they made it to church alive. You survived all the risks of the morning and made it here in one piece.] The danger today lies with safety; the benefits lie with risk and speed. We must give up the church's "safety-first," risk-free approach to ministry and mission. We need to embrace a more entrepreneurial, risk-taking, failure-embracing strategy. Can we support the more imaginative and energetic self-starters in our midst? Social systems are not unlike biological ...

2079. Luke 3:1-6

Luke 3:1-6

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... priests). Into this secular and religious world of highly recognizable authorities, Luke introduces the unlikely figure of "John, son of Zechariah." Only Luke's gospel has previously given us details of John's origin (in ch. 1). Although Luke does not now give up as many details about John's lifestyle and appearance as do some of the other gospel writers, Luke does make enough observations about John to suggest that the Baptist had ties with the ascetical Qumran community. The locale designated "around the ...

2080. Philippians 3:4b-14

Philippians 3:4b-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... 7-8, Paul distinguishes between the old notion of gains and losses and this new life in Christ. Once "in Christ," Paul declares, we can see that what we once thought were advantages are nothing in comparison. Old "gains" become meaningless. It is giving up oneself to God, without seeking any advantage, that becomes the greatest possible "gain." Offering the self in service to others now becomes the only genuine "gain." Paul's "status," and that of all confessed Christians, is now wholly in God's hands. He ...

2081. Christ Understands Us

Luke 24:36-49

Illustration

C. Welton Gaddy

... you grasp the meaning? If you did not sense the joy of Easter morning, if you have not felt Christ rise, if you cannot shout hallelujah, that does not mean that you must drop your head and take off toward Emmaus or some other place to give up. Christ understands. He understands you. So, Christ appears. The presence of Christ among us does not depend upon the quality of our understanding of Christ or even upon the nature of our reception of his presence. Christ appears in the midst of people not even looking ...

2082. The Image of Bread

John 6:35, 41-51

Illustration

David E. Hall

... the two biggest sellers in bookstores are the cookbooks and the diet books. The cookbooks tell you how to make food irresistibly delicious, and the diet books tell you how to avoid eating it. Orson Wells once said, "My doctor has advised me to give up those intimate little dinners for four, unless of course there are three other people eating with me." At a Weight Watchers meeting just after Easter, one woman said with pride, "This is the first year my children realized that chocolate Eastern bunnies came ...

2083. Persistent Attention

Mark 7:31-37

Illustration

Michael B. Brown

... rancher in Colorado had received 9,374 notices that his subscription had expired. Someone in the magazine office posted the letter the company received from him. Inside was a check for one year's subscription along with a handwritten note saying: "I give up! Send me the magazine." He was won over by their consistent, persistent attention. That's what still wins people over to Christ. It's the consistent witness we live before them: the kindness and gentility that are consistently evident, the willingness to ...

2084. Talking Turkey

Humor Illustration

The two biggest sellers in any bookstore are the cookbooks and the diet books. The cookbooks tell you how to prepare the food and the diet books tell you how not to eat any of it. Orson Welles once said, "My doctor has advised me to give up those intimate little dinners for four, unless, of course, there are three other people eating with me." Champion archer Rick McKinney confesses that he regularly eats chocolate chip cookies for breakfast. He refers to "the basic four food groups" as a Big Mac, fries, a ...

2085. Jesus wins, Pilate loses.

John 18:33-37

Illustration

William R. Boyer

... ." That's what they would have done. When he was told, on the contrary, that Washington planned to surrender his military commission and return to farming at Mt.Vernon, George III said, "Well, if he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world." There is power in giving up power, in emptying oneself. Jesus knew it, Pilate didn't.

2086. Get Found

Luke 3:1-6

Illustration

Richard A. Wing

... and get found, not to hide and never be found. He reflects: As I write this, there is a kid under a pile of leaves in the yard just under my window. He has been there for a long time and everybody else is found and they are about to give up on him at the base. I consider finking on him or setting the leaves on fire to drive him out, but that's a bit radical. So I yelled, "Get found, kid" out the window and scared him so bad he started crying. It's hard to know how to ...

2087. Christmas Means Hope

Luke 3:7-18

Illustration

King Duncan

The late Senator John McCain spent 5 and a half years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam in the 1960s. During that time, he was frequently tortured or held in solitary confinement. He reported that his lowest point came on Christmas Eve 1969. McCain was giving up hope of ever getting out of Vietnam alive. To compound his homesickness, the captors played the song "I'll Be Home for Christmas" over the PA system. Just then, McCain heard tapping on his cell wall. This was the communication code the POWs used to ...

2088. Encouragement from a Friend

Luke 1:39-45

Illustration

Keith Wagner

... Theodor was an artist of sorts. He drew cartoons for a living but he wasn't getting anywhere. So, he decided to try his hand at writing and illustrating children's books. After twenty-seven rejections of his book, "A Story No One Can Beat," he was ready to give up. On his way home to burn his manuscript, Theodor ran into an old schoolmate who had just been hired as a children's book editor at Vanguard Press. He suggested that Theodor change his title. The name of his book was, "And to Think That I Saw It on ...

2089. Divine Defiance

Luke 4:14-30

Illustration

Dianne O

You know the story about Abraham Lincoln. He was defeated seven times for elective office before winning the Presidency of the United States. He certainly defied the odds. And he did not give up. Then there was Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh earned all of $85 from his paintings during his lifetime. One hundred years after his death, just one painting alone, Dr. Bachet, sold for the incredible sum of $82.5 million. Then there was this itinerant, middle eastern preacher who lived some ...

2090. Any Favorites?

John 10:22-30

Illustration

Donald B. Strobe

... again. I love the one who is in trouble until he is safe again. And I love the one who is farthest away until he comes home." Jesus said, "That is what God is like. God is a Divine Parent whose love never stops, a Parent whose love will never give up. You may stop loving God, but God will never stop loving you. You may run away from God, but you will soon find that your legs are too short. You can't get away from God. And that is not a threat, but a promise! God is out on every ...

2091. Luke 14:25-33

Luke 14:25-35

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... impetus. Discipleship is a carefully considered commitment. Finally, Jesus returns to the themes of verses 26 and 27, spelling out a final “short form” on the cost of discipleship. To be a follower of Jesus a disciple must “give up all your possessions.” In keeping with the pilgrimage motif both Jesus’ journey and the lifelong journey of discipleship the verb here literally translates as “bid farewell to” (“apotassomai”). The forward moving journey with Jesus requires leaving behind a ...

2092. Is Your Church a Museum or Mission?

Luke 15:1-32

Illustration

Wallace H. Kirby

... through all this upheaval said, "We had to decide whether we wanted to be in a museum or in mission." They couldn't have it both ways. It meant either staying on their site, glorying in their past history and serving a few people, or giving up their past and gearing themselves to a significant ministry among the city's people. They opted for mission status over museum status. Something of this same struggle is indicated in this scripture passage. The Pharisees and scribes came down on the side of museum ...

2093. Neighbors Who Never Met - Sermon Starter

Luke 16:19-31

Illustration

Brett Blair

... the jungles of darkest Africa? What parable could induce a man, who was recognized as one of the best concert organists in all of Europe, go to a place where there were no organs to play. What parable would so intensely motivate a man that he would give up a teaching position in Vienna, Austria to go and deal with people who were so deprived that they were still living in the superstitions of the dark ages for all practical purposes. The man who I am talking about, of course, is Dr. Albert Schweitzer. And ...

2094. Equipped for the Struggle

Luke 17:11-19

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

... maybe even, he concluded, the purpose of the university is "to equip you for the struggles of life, not to guarantee you victory." Well, that's a model of faith as well. That's what faith enables us to do to continue the struggle, to keep on, to refuse to give up. Because, often we have to act in faith before the work of faith is actualized. As the lepers went their way they noticed they were healed.

2095. Last Christmas Letter

Matt. 2:13-23; Luke 2:1-20

Illustration

Martin Luther King

... in our land and others. We, these people, you, all of us must have not only hope for the unknown future but also confidence in our capacity to change the menacing present. Let us put hands and heart, mind and muscle to this task. Let us not give up, for surrender and apathy are nothing but failure. In our work let us see scorn and ridicule of us for what they are, scornful and ridiculous. “Keep your hand on the plow,” the old spiritual admonishes. “Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me ’round,” the ...

2096. Fixing The Piano

John 3: 1-17

Illustration

King Duncan

... independence even when that independence brings me no real freedom. I love Jesus but do not want to lose the respect of my professional colleagues, even though I know that their respect does not make me grow spiritually. I love Jesus but do not want to give up my writing plans, travel plans, and speaking plans, even when these plans are often more to my glory that to the glory of God." Upon reflection Father Nouwen realizes that he isn't all that different from Nicodemus. He writes, "So I am like Nicodemus ...

2097. The Stranger at the Door

Matthew 10:40-42

Illustration

Randy Hyde

... sleeping bags and spent a night with these people who had no roof over their heads. They had to endure the initiation process, as if being homeless is a fraternity. First of all, if they were going to relate to these people, they would have to give up the sleeping bags. Nobody else had them. They were instructed as to how to make a good bed out of cardboard and to use other materials to insulate their "home." In the course of questioning their new friends, the pastor and his idealistic deacon asked them ...

The kingdom of God within us is a treasure indeed, but a treasure hid from the world, and from the most wise and prudent in it. He that finds this treasure, (perhaps when he thought it far from him) hides it deep in his heart, and gives up all other happiness for it.

John Wesley

2099. Are You Willing to Live in Hell?

Matthew 18:15-20

Illustration

Randy Hyde

... doesn't mean I've got to share a pew with that so-and-so!" "It'll be a cold day in July before I accept his apology." That's all well and good, I suppose... if you don't mind living in hell. Are we really so willing to give up our relationships with others – relationships that have come about and been forged by our desire to follow Jesus? Nowhere, and I do mean nowhere, in the New Testament gospels will you find Jesus saying that the first order of things is always to be right. But he does have a ...

2100. Looking for the Child of Bethlehem

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

... you can understand why I am confused. I continued to speak to people at the mall, asking each of them what Christmas means. I spoke to children, to women, to men. I heard about presents, parties, vacations from school, ski trips, cookies, family dinners. I was about to give up when I saw a line of children waiting to talk to an old gentlemen in a bright red suit. “Perhaps a child will have my answer,” I thought. After all, it was a child who sent me on this quest. (Child enters.) Asher: (to Child) Hello ...

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Showing 2076 to 2100 of 4937 results

2076. Embarrassed Enough To Finally Listen?

Proverbs 1:20-33

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

2077. Small Acts of Kindness

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

Robert W. Bohl

2078. Dare Care

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

2079. Luke 3:1-6

Luke 3:1-6

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

2080. Philippians 3:4b-14

Philippians 3:4b-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

2081. Christ Understands Us

Luke 24:36-49

Illustration

C. Welton Gaddy

2082. The Image of Bread

John 6:35, 41-51

Illustration

David E. Hall

2083. Persistent Attention

Mark 7:31-37

Illustration

Michael B. Brown

2084. Talking Turkey

Humor Illustration

2085. Jesus wins, Pilate loses.

John 18:33-37

Illustration

William R. Boyer

2086. Get Found

Luke 3:1-6

Illustration

Richard A. Wing

2087. Christmas Means Hope

Luke 3:7-18

Illustration

King Duncan

2088. Encouragement from a Friend

Luke 1:39-45

Illustration

Keith Wagner

2089. Divine Defiance

Luke 4:14-30

Illustration

Dianne O

2090. Any Favorites?

John 10:22-30

Illustration

Donald B. Strobe

2091. Luke 14:25-33

Luke 14:25-35

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

2092. Is Your Church a Museum or Mission?

Luke 15:1-32

Illustration

Wallace H. Kirby

2093. Neighbors Who Never Met - Sermon Starter

Luke 16:19-31

Illustration

Brett Blair

2094. Equipped for the Struggle

Luke 17:11-19

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

2095. Last Christmas Letter

Matt. 2:13-23; Luke 2:1-20

Illustration

Martin Luther King

2096. Fixing The Piano

John 3: 1-17

Illustration

King Duncan

2097. The Stranger at the Door

Matthew 10:40-42

Illustration

Randy Hyde

John Wesley

2099. Are You Willing to Live in Hell?

Matthew 18:15-20

Illustration

Randy Hyde

2100. Looking for the Child of Bethlehem

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

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