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 2151 to 2175 of 5000 results

2151. Our Father...

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

If you’ve listened to fairy tales, or if you’ve watched early classic Disney cartoons, one thing becomes unsettlingly clear: a lot of “poor little” princes and princesses shared a common family tragedy. In an overwhelming number of these stories the mothers were gone, dying long before the child in question could be influenced by them or even remember them. The single dads in these tales almost always had dreadful taste in women the second time around — bringing a whole host of evil stepmothers onto the ...

2152. Becoming Good Trees

Matthew 5:17-30

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

Most pastors have seen the damage caused when a purple-faced preacher has sought to scare a person into faith. Pastors counsel with people even into their eighties and nineties who still have trouble feeling love from God because when they were children, someone had frightened them with images of an angry God, ready to smack them down if they didn't behave and believe. Parents will tell us of children coming home in tears from other churches. An adult had gotten in the face of a child demanding an answer ...

2153. Return to the Lord, Your God

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

Lee Griess

Every once in a while a whimsical story makes the news. A couple of years ago, the Associated Press carried a story about a woman in Olney, England, named Dawn Gallyot who defied snow and a biting wind to beat seven other women to the finish line in the annual Shrove Tuesday pancake race. In her first race, the 38-year-old schoolteacher made the 415-yard dash from a pub in the market square to the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul with a pancake and a frying pan in her hand in 73 seconds. That was 9.5 ...

2154. Restoration Frustration

Isaiah 63:7-9

Sermon

Tony Everett

Here we are gathered together a few days after Christmas. How did you celebrate the birthday of Jesus? How did everything go for you? For most folks, some empty spaces remain. Just like our pews this morning, where there are empty spaces that were filled on Christmas Eve, there may be post-Christmas empty spaces in our hearts. For most of us, Christmas preparations and celebrations rarely meet expectations. Not everything goes smoothly. Not every gathering is joyful. Not every program and worship service ...

2155. Backseat Drivers: Named, Claimed, Commissioned

Isaiah 49:1-7

Sermon

Tony Everett

When his oldest daughter, Nancy, was approaching her sixteenth birthday, Harold decided to teach her how to drive an automobile. After a brief orientation session in the family driveway, Nancy took the wheel and proceeded to drive — very cautiously — to the empty parish parking lot three blocks away. Harold couldn't help himself. He braced his feet firmly on the floor boards, both hands rigidly placed against the dashboard, with perspiration dripping from his brow, Harold began a rapid-fire critique of ...

2156. Caught in the Middle

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon

John N. Brittain

It has become very popular to talk about how stressed out we are because we (both individually and collectively) are caught in the middle of too many demands and stretched too thin. For some years, we have heard about the "super-mom" syndrome of trying to juggle a full professional life with the many duties of motherhood. More recently, there is a lot of talk about the increasing time demands the workplace is putting on everyone, creating conflicts not just between work and family but between work and ...

2157. All About Me?

Romans 1:16-17; 3:22b-31

Sermon

John N. Brittain

Since we all know that one of life's cardinal rules in the twenty-first century is that "it's all about me," I am sort of reluctant to admit this: The Bible is not all about me. Not that I am not there in plenty of places. I am there with Adam pointing the finger at Eve, trying to pass off the blame for my sin to someone else. I am there with Cain, feeling resentment toward someone who is obviously doing better than I and ignoring God's warnings about sin trying to ensnare me, and there I am right ...

2158. Living The Faith For Dummies

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Did you hear about the would be bank robber who held up a bank while wearing a ski mask. He took the money then demanded car keys from one of the customers. I say he was a would be bank robber because he was apprehended when he came back into the bank, without the ski mask and asked the woman, which key unlocked the door. (1) Or how about the poor guy who went into a pizzeria, ordered a slice, went to pay for it, then robbed the place while the cash register was open. The only problem was, he left his ...

2159. The Burning Question

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

"Have you ever been a little confused? Ever wondered what was going on around you? I will never forget January 24th of 1967, I was a sophomore in High School. Mom and Dad had gone to the Grocery store. I was left home to take of my two younger brothers. It was about 6:00 pm or so and it looked like it could rain. We'd been watching TV when all of a sudden the lights went out. I turned on my old transistor radio (remember when they were called that?). They interrupted the broadcast to announce a major ...

2160. Moving Day

John 14:23-29

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Maybe you've heard about the absent minded professor. One day he and his wife were leaving church. The professor confronted his wife: "Ah-ha! So who is absent-minded now? You forgot your umbrella and left it in church, but I remembered mine and I picked up yours, too." His wife set him straight: "That's fine, dear, but the trouble is, neither you nor I brought an umbrella to church today!" The next morning his wife reminded her absent minded husband: "Now, don't forget we're moving today. If you come to ...

2161. Fresh Grilled Forgiveness

John 21:1-19

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Friends of a young mother, who had just given birth to her third child, were surprised when they received the following 'Thank you' note: "Many thanks for the play pen. It is being used every day. From 2-3 p.m. I get in to read and the children can't get near me." What do you do when you're frustrated, when the stress gets to you or just the hecticness and angst of life catches up to you? We all fall back on something. Some people bake or cook, some people do crafts, some people yell and scream, some folks ...

2162. Out Into The Deep Water

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

How many of you like to fish? It's a great sport isn't it? It's a great way to relax and if you like to eat fish like I do, it's a great way to get really fresh fish. But sometimes fishing has some different kinds of results. I'll never forget the time a friend and I went fishing. He was the former pastor of the church I was serving. We were in seminary and car pooled to classes when possible. He didn't have a whole lot of opportunity to go fishing where he was serving, so I invited him out to go fishing ...

2163. Good and Mad

Luke 4:21-30

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Before we start the message this morning I need you to do something for me. I want everybody on this side (point to the right side) to move over here (point to the left side). I want everybody in the center to move there (point to the right side). And I want everybody on this side (point to the left side) to move to the center. OK, let's go. After everyone has moved, and is uncomfortable, mad and grumbling. Did that make you mad? Of course it did. It probably made you "Good and Mad" We don't like change. ...

2164. Come On In The Water's Fine

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Show Clip from "Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou?"(Baptism scene, edited for language) That movie has become one of my favorite movies. And I particularly love that scene. As you watch the scene unfold you see the human need, the tugging of the heart and spirit as Delmar sees and recognizes the baptismal procession. He instinctively recognizes his need for spiritual cleansing and renewal. And he acts upon it. And then there's that last line of invitation, "Come on in, boys, the water's fine!" I love that. Every ...

2165. Oops! I Didn't See You

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

King Duncan

Dr. James Dobson tells about a friend of his, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology. One day this friend telephoned another specialist in the same field and asked him for a favor. “My wife has been having some abdominal problems and she’s in particular discomfort this afternoon,” he said. “I don’t want to treat my own wife and wonder if you’d see her for me?” The other specialist invited the doctor to bring his wife in for an examination. When he did he discovered (are you ready for this?) that she was ...

2166. Remember: No Deposit, No Return

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Remember the TV series, Sanford and Son starring Red Foxx and Demond Wilson. It gave us the memorable lines: "Oh, this is the big one, I'm coming to see you Elizabeth" and "You're so ugly if you pressed your face in some dough... you'd have gorilla cookies." Sanford and Son was about Fred and Lamont Sanford who owned and ran a Junkyard. But it was really about all the junk and clutter in their lives. I think it's a parable for our lives, too. You see, we all have a lot of trash and garbage and clutter in ...

2167. 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Several years ago an episode of “Antiques Roadshow” featured an usual family heirloom. A book was brought in to the experts for appraisal. The “biblio-expert” was amazed. He claimed the volume was the single thickest book he had ever encountered. Although the volume was only about 10” x 8”, the number of pages bound between its boards brought the book’s height to almost eighteen inches. This weird and wonderful old volume was a dictionary — a book devoted to defining all the words all other books would be ...

2168. Easter 4

Psalm 23:1-6, John 10:11-18, Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 2:19-25

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Prayer Of The Day Leader: Gracious Father, you sent your Son so that we might have life and have it abundantly. May we seek such goodness in our lives and desire it for others, so that gathered as one flock, all people would find their rest in our great shepherd, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. All: Amen. Intercessory Prayers Begin each new petition with: Shepherd of our hearts ... Shepherd of our communities ... Shepherd of our nations ... Shepherd of our ...

2169. Christmas 1

Psalm 148:1-14, Isaiah 63:7-9, Matthew 2:13-18, Hebrews 2:10-18

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Greeting And Opening Litany Leader: Brothers and sisters, we gather on this day in the name of the one who has bound himself to us in love, Jesus Christ, our Lord. All: Amen. Leader: Sent from heaven and born in our lives, All: let us rejoice at the presence of Christ among us. Leader: Out of Egypt and into the land of Israel, All: he calls us his brothers and sisters. Leader: Abounding in steadfast love, All: let us remember all that God has done for us. Amen. Prayer Of The Day Leader: O Holy One of ...

2170. Christmas Drama

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Amy C. Schifrin

Two readers are needed: one male and one female. The text can be expressively read with one person at the pulpit and one at the lectern or with both seated on high stools in the chancel area. No special costuming is required. Each scene may be separated by a verse of the hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Scene One Mary: Joseph, are we there yet? Joseph: No, Mary, Bethlehem is hours away. I could walk faster but this old donkey has its own pace. Mary: Did you ever think our lives would be like this? I mean ...

2171. Leaving Home

Genesis 12:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

There was an article about two Irishmen who set up a company in order to sell dirt genuine Irish dirt to Americans. The two men say the demand for this “official Irish dirt” has been phenomenal. They sold one million dollars worth of their product in a very short time. One elderly New York businessman placed a $100,000 order so he could be fully buried in genuine Irish soil. (1) Obviously that gentleman was very, very homesick. His body was in the US, but his heart was still in his homeland. That happens ...

2172. The Evangelist Has a Shady Past

John 4:1-26

Sermon

King Duncan

After listening to a prominent evangelist on the radio, eight‑year-old Debbie asked her six‑year‑old brother David, “Do you know about Jesus?” Expecting a new slant on the old story, David replied, “No.” Sister said, “Sit still because this is really scary.” After explaining the gospel as only an eight‑year‑old could, she popped the question. “Now, David, when you die, do you want to go to heaven to be with Jesus, God, your Mommy and Daddy, and big sister, or do you want to go to the lake of fire to be ...

2173. Get Down and Dirty for Lent

John 9:1-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

[For this sermon, you will need aprons. Invite the matriarchs and patriarchs of your church to let you use their well-used aprons as props. Or better yet, conduct a fashion show of the aprons used by people in your church.] Unless you have lived in a rural area, you might not know the joys of keeping that most unruly, unpredictable, but absolutely crucial-to-life “pet” known as . . . a septic tank. There are some unbendable rules for septic tanks. 1) They will always back up the day your daughter’s wedding ...

2174. Family Resemblance

John 14:5-14

Sermon

King Duncan

There was a story on the Internet recently that proves rednecks aren’t confined to the southern part of the United States. According to this story a man in Australia was fined after police discovered that he had used a seat belt to buckle in a case of beer while his five-year-old son was consigned to playing in the car’s floor totally unprotected. Constable Wayne Burnett said he was “shocked and appalled” when he pulled over the car one Friday in the Australian town of Alice Springs. A 30-can beer case was ...

2175. What to Do with the Weeds

Matthew 13:24-30

Sermon

King Duncan

Those of you who are gardeners are familiar with Murphy’s First Law of Gardening: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant. And, of course, there is a corollary to that law: To distinguish flowers from weeds, simply pull up everything. What grows back is weeds. Last week we dealt with the parable of the sower and we learned that different kinds of soil produce differing levels of ...

Showing results