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 2665 results

2151. In the Potter's Hands

Jeremiah 18:1-11

Sermon

Chrysanne Timm

... least one potter who could supply the various needs of its residents. Because pottery was quite easily broken, there would always be a strong demand for his or her wares. It was a common fact of life that some of a household's water jars would be dropped or otherwise broken in transit, in much the same way that drinking glasses and pitchers are broken in our own homes. When Jeremiah is directed to go down to the potter's house, it is likely a very familiar place to him. God's intent in this section of ...

2152. Live the Lullaby

Luke 1:46-56

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... the organist’s attention by snapping his fingers. Still there was silence. The usher then tried clapping his hands. Still no response. Finally, the now panicking usher called out the organist’s name. “Neil ... Neil,” he shouted and all the people in church obediently dropped to their knees. The Magnificat in today's Gospel message is enough to have us all kneeling. In the worlds of “O Holy Night,” Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born! O night ...

2153. The Glow of a Star

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... sleepy. Instead, he started timing the swings of the lantern, using his own pulse as a clock. And he made a discovery, a discovery that changed his life, and to a certain extent, changed our world. For, after this experience, this young man dropped the study of medicine and began studying mathematics and physics. His name, of course, was Galileo. According to Stephen Hawking, Galileo probably bears more of the responsibility for the birth of modern science than anybody who has ever lived. In fact, Albert ...

2154. A Baby Changes Everything

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... this was the portent of the new-born king, should have infused the Jerusalem religious leaders with excitement and enthusiasm. Or at least curiosity. Instead they “played possum.” They reported to Herod. They gave him the information he sought. They dropped the name of Bethlehem. And then they remained in Jerusalem, frozen and unconcerned. Those charged with “keeping tabs” on the word of faith for the Jewish people stayed put and did nothing when confronted with the portents and possibilities of ...

2155. When We Are Tempted

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... one was meant to save so many. No one can. It is too much. You cannot.” The presence whispers these words over and over, trying to split Jesus from his relationship with God. Finally, Jesus gets up, steps on the head of a snake the tempter has dropped near him, and goes off. The Tempter is unable to turn Jesus from his destiny and calling. There would be other temptations later. But for now the Tempter had been defeated. (2) But even Jesus was tempted tempted without sinning. There are some things about ...

2156. Pilate's Dilemma

John 18:28-40

Sermon

King Duncan

... for that reason, he was insecure in his position. He ruled at the whim of his wife’s family. Being appointed prefect of Judea was a mixed blessing in itself. Judea was a hotbed of insurrection. The Jews were a restless people, ready to begin a rebellion at the drop of a hat. Pilate got in bad with the Jews from the very beginning. As soon as he took office in 27 AD, he needlessly provoked the pious folks in Jerusalem by riding into the city with his troops bearing their standards in full view. On the top ...

2157. Luke 7:1-10

Luke 7:1-10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... history. Luke’s text turns from Jesus’ preaching and teaching to prophetic power and miracles in today’s reading. The focus of Luke’s narrative narrows down to Jesus for the first half of this encounter. The disciples and other followers drop from view. As Jesus enter Capernaeum his reputation precedes him, since he is known to a certain “centurion” — that is, a Roman soldier in charge of one hundred men. Remarkably this centurion sends members of the local “gerousia,” the board of ...

2158. Just-Say-The-Word Disciples

Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

2159. Galatians 1:11-24

Galatians 1:11-24

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... one of those previous “apostles,” Cephas (Aramaic for “rock”), Paul’s usual way of referring to Peter. Paul travels to Jerusalem “to visit,” (“historein”) a verb that has the sense of a purposeful, fact-finding type mission, not just a casual dropping by. But Paul also stresses that this was a private visit with Cephas (although he admits to seeing James), not some sort of full blown apostolic conference. Furthermore, this visit lasted only fifteen days — hardly enough time to hammer out ...

2160. Between a Rock and a Hard Rock Thrower

Galatians 1:11-24

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

2161. Luke 9:51-62

Luke 9:51-56

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Jerusalem. Although Luke does not record the would-be disciple’s response, the lack of an affirmative “Let’s go!” suggests the opposite decision. The second potential disciple is invited by Jesus to “Follow me.” But instead of dropping everything and taking off this candidate makes a completely reasonable, indeed honorable, request, to “go and bury my Father.” Honoring one’s father and mother were unquestioned components of Mosaic Law. Likewise even Roman law emphasized the obligation of ...

2162. Jesus’ Four Surprising Road Rules for the Missional Highway

Luke 9:57-62, Luke 9:51-56

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

2163. Anything to Declare?

Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... , the polar opposite. Need to get restless and rustling kids out from underfoot? “Go out and play!” The directive “GO out and play” removes children from the world they are trying to manipulate and orchestrate. “Go out and play” is parent-speak for “Drop all the other stuff and just go explore life and enjoy the world.” It is, basically, the big YES! “Go Out and Play!” is life’s big “Yes!” From our first Christmas-tree extravaganzas, we all fondle and foster a love of “stuff ...

2164. Are You in Labor?

Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

King Duncan

... it’s a good way to get shot in today’s world. People don’t seem to want strangers knocking on their door. A woman who worked at home invited a friend over for coffee. She told her, “Ignore the sign on the door. It’s just for drop‑ins and salespeople.” The sign read, “Bell does not work.” Then penciled underneath were these words, “Knocking won’t, either.” My guess is she didn’t get many visitors. One guy says there was a knock at his front door one cold and rainy day. He opened it ...

2165. Luke 12:13-21

Luke 12:13-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... this man. Instead his single dream and brainstorm is “bigger barns.” As any farmer/agri-entrepreneur knows, a great harvest year is a double-edged sword. Yes, there is a lot more to harvest and sell. But with a glutted market the price for the commodity drops. Supply and demand. The rich man in Jesus’ parable not only needs more storage space because of the bumper crop; he wants more long-term storage facilities so that he can hold on to his harvest until a time when the “demand” will outpace the ...

2166. The Dirt on Jesus

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

2167. The Gift that Matters

Hebrews 2:5-18

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... district. Kay joined six other students in mid-December to deliver presents and foods to area families. This was a wonderful experience for her and the other students. “Even though there were still plenty of presents and food in the van, the other students were dropped off at their homes,” she remembers. “We came to my house,” Kay recalls, “and I wished Mr. Cook a Merry Christmas and ran inside.” A few minutes later there was a knock on the door — it was Mr. Cook with food, toys, and other ...

2168. Thanksgivings to Remember

Deuteronomy 8:1-20

Sermon

Argile Smith

... back to you? As the service continued, picture some seafarers who spoke up next. They had seen God’s great power in the middle of a fierce storm at sea. Over and over God lifted their ship up high onto the top of a mountain of water. Then God dropped it deep into the yawning valley between the giant swells. Terrified, they cried out to the Lord. That’s when they beheld his great mercy. He calmed the storm and led their ship to a safe harbor. Storms come in different shapes and sizes. Some of them may be ...

2169. Let Them Eat Cake

2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... person after person stood up at and offered thanks for “Mother McFadden’s” personal touch in their lives. Soon a reoccurring theme emerged. One person told of how they had a brief exchange with “Mother McFadden” on the street, and a day later they had dropped off at their home a pound cake. Another told of how, after a very long and acrimonious meeting at church which “Mother McFadden” attended, they received a pound cake. Another told of how they got blessed with a pound cake at church for no ...

2170. The Widow and the Unjust Judge

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... . Found only in Luke’s gospel, this story of the pesky, persistent widow seeking “justice” is introduced by the gospel writer as “a parable about their need to pray always and not lose heart” (v.1). But the context into which this example is dropped, and the final, open-ended question posed in verse 8 “will he find faith?” reveals that this tale of the widow and the judge points beyond any human judicial relationships. In fact this parable is not about issues of justice at all. It is ...

2171. Be Patient

James 5:7-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... to live together in harmony with the environment. Unfortunately, says one observer, “living inside the sealed habitat proved to be much more difficult than originally thought. Sixteen months into the twenty-four month mission, oxygen levels inside the facility had dropped so low that additional oxygen needed to be pumped in. Difficulties in growing food forced the crew to open their reserve food supplies. Disagreements over the focus of the project caused the Biospherians to split into two separate groups ...

2172. A Faith that Works

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

Sermon

King Duncan

... than good. As Warren Wiersbe puts it, “They had time on their hands and gossip on their lips . . .” Have you ever known anyone like that? Chuck Swindoll describes these people like this: “Busybodies flit from house to house, taking little nectared drops of gossip with them and leaving behind their own residue of irritating pollen.” Swindoll adds, “There’s a vast difference between putting your nose in other people’s business and putting your heart into their problems.” I like that way of ...

2173. Looking Down on God

John 13:1-17

Sermon

David O. Bales

... he’s reaching to our feet with his hands. Has your teacher touched your feet lately? Anybody touch your feet lately? People hear the story of Jesus washing feet and leap to the conclusion that it’s tough being a foot-washer. It certainly is. But, when the story drops out of the clouds and into this room, it includes us; we realize that for most of us, as for Peter, it’s harder to have our feet washed than to wash others’ feet. If Jesus is going to come around and wash us, that makes us the powerless ...

2174. Remembering Jesus

Matthew 26:17-30

Sermon

David O. Bales

... what he commanded us here at this altar. But also, like the short brooms laid beside the altar in the fictional nation of Sarkhan, we can come today and lay down our dysfunctional ways of living that wear us out. Because Jesus forgives us, here we can drop our self-inflicted sins, the impediments that spiritually disable us and reduce us as human beings. We can continually and joyfully remember our Lord Jesus and realize that, as we serve him by loving others, he keeps lifting us up and up and up into the ...

2175. What If Joseph Were the Patron Saint of 2014?

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... words. No, he’s a man of no words. Not one grunt or sigh, even. He’s only a man of action. He does. And what he does is trust God. Joseph so trusted the Spirit, and the Spirit’s speaking through God’s forgotten language of dreams, that he drops everything and reverses course on a dream, which he received as a personal word from God. Now let’s be clear. Joseph didn’t receive a burning bush or glimpse of God’s back, as Moses did. Joseph didn’t get a pillar of fire by night or a cloud ...

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