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 201 to 225 of 2664 results

201. Who is Greatest Among You ...

Matthew 23:1-39

Sermon

... for lunch. We quickly accepted the honor. While we were enjoying our student specials and some pleasant conversation, we heard a tremendous crash just a few feet behind us. Sure enough, one of the servers had slipped in the rush to clear a table and had dropped an entire tray of dirty dishes. Immediately the dining hall erupted with applause as the young man started to clean up the mess on the floor. He appeared to be on the verge of tears. Then something happened that is indelibly impressed on my memory ...

202. Compassion

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... lepers and one returns to thank him. If that were me, I'd make the other nine sick again. But he doesn't. He bears it. He asks his friends to stay up with him while he goes off to a garden and, in great anxiety and depression, sweats big drops of sweat so big, one writer says they flowed like blood. Then he comes out and witnesses those friends sound asleep. "Could you not stay awake one hour?" he asks. I know how it feels when a student sleeps 50 minutes. All of Jesus' students fell asleep. Finally, one of ...

203. The Farmer and the Fugitive

1 Samuel 25:1-44

Sermon

... servants who labor for him without benefit of a union contract. A Cadillac cowboy wont to drive his one horsepower stallion down Easy Street. Day after day this fool on a hill counted his coins and surveyed his lands. One day, ten men who worked for David dropped by to see Nabal. They had been out in the fields protecting Nabal’s flocks from sheep rustlers. They were hungry; since there was no McDonald’s in the area, they wanted a simple luncheon of bread and wine. Nabal was furious. The fur hit the fan ...

204. Who Are You? Where Are You?

Matthew 7:15-23

Drama

... hands again. Suddenly, one member of the group violently breaks away, turns his back on the group and pulls a mask over his face. The rest of the group reacts negatively to this, but they begin to look at each other with distrust and, one by one, drop their hands, move apart, and raise their masks over their faces. One member of the group follows this action slowly, but does not want the group to break up, and reacts pleadingly with the other members as they move away. When everyone else has raised their ...

205. Habit or Getting Used to It

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

Psychologists often use this ‘three dollar’ word: ‘habituation.’ It just means to get used to something. For example, drop a frog in a pot of boiling water and it will immediately hop out. But drop it in comfortable water, and increase the water temperature very slowly. The frog will not jump out. In a little while it will be ‘habituated’ or cooked. There are some things we must not get accustomed to: like one million abortions per year in America - like strip joints in our ...

206. Advance into Europe

Acts 15:36-41

Sermon Aid

CSS

... was simply quicker than Paul to see Mark’s excellent qualities. Later on, Paul came around to the same view. But as Barnabas and Mark sail off aggrievedly to Cyprus, Barnabas drops out of the story. This is the last time his name appears! Perhaps he remained in Cyprus for the rest of his life, for it was his native soil. Mark also drops out of the narrative, but only for a while. While Paul was critical of Mark, there is no indication that Mark ever felt serious resentment against Paul. However, about a ...

207. Return to Jerusalem

Acts 20:7-12

Sermon Aid

CSS

... this was a rather large and imposing house, but usually church gatherings were of necessity held in the home of some member who had ample space for such a session. The largest available house was the natural choice. Even falling from the "third story" would indicate a drop of only 15 or 20 feet, but Eutychus was "taken up dead." The narrative implies a miraculous act of healing, which would have been in accord with other wonders that Paul was able to do. However, Paul’s own words as he reached the side of ...

208. Welcome to the Training Table!

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

... nerve, tenacity, good courage, and great fortitude. We can’t all muscle through regardless of the lumps we earn as a result. But every winning team, including one whose task is healing, needs the "tough guys" who can hang on when some others of us would drop back in fright. Some bring imagination, new ideas, strategies, alternatives. Imagine dealing with a wily foe if you can’t bend or readjust as rapidly as he! We need such members on the team - folks ready with a new approach when what we’ve tried ...

209. When You Follow A Star and Find A Stable

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... that stable into a moment of salvation. What is it that enables wise men of every age to turn the stables of life into victory? I For one thing, they look for God in that stable. We could not have blamed those three men of old if they had just dropped their heads sadly and turned back toward home when they saw that their journey was to end in a stable. Perhaps, though, the thought came to them that the wonder and majesty of God and his purpose could be just as potent in the stable as in the palace. As ...

210. No Other Way To Be Happy

Deuteronomy 11:1-32

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... School attendance. If we did our homework and memorized golden texts, the teacher gave us a reward of a Bible picture or even a whole Bible. Some parents give their children a dollar as a reward for every A on their report cards. Then, we dropped the rewards because we were told they were poor motivation. Nevertheless, rewards express appreciation for obedience, and they encourage future obedience to assignments and laws. To give a reward to animals for doing their tricks - a piece of candy or a cookie or a ...

211. No Sooner Said Than Done!

Isaiah 55:1-13

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... The latest supplement to the Oxford Dictionary contains 18,750 new words. More and more words and less and less respect for words - that is our situation today! There are obscene words that can ruin a book, a speech, or a movie. They act like drops of cyanide dropped in a town’s water supply. Two beautiful love stories in the movies Love Story and On Golden Pond were ruined for many by the dirty language that was totally unnecessary to get the story told. Moreover, we are getting tired of words upon words ...

212. Whatever Became of Sin?

Romans 5:12-21

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

... ." If in this service guilt has been admitted and forgiveness has been received, then these shackling bonds of the inner man have been released, dropped to the floor, and left there. Dr. Marney goes on to say that, under God, you do not have to be stuck with your ... your feet once more." Listen, it’s been a long, long pull, is there something in your life that you would like to turn loose, drop it on the floor, and walk off and leave it in the hands of God? Right now, you can be free, you know! Tomorrow you ...

213. FORGIVENESS: PART I

Illustration

John H. Krahn

... until the glow was right underneath one of the pierced hands, and he held it there, with his back to the congregation. Then he shifted and held the candle below the other pierced hand of the Lord. Then he dropped it and held it along the side where the spear had punctured him. And now he dropped to his knees, in prayer, holding the candle so the candlelight glowed on the pierced feet of Jesus. After a moment he stood and turned, holding the candle before him so that the people could see the gentle and ...

214. MIRIAM’S BABY BROTHER

Drama

Marcia Miller

... going to put him in this basket. Carry it as though you are going to the market. MIRIAM: Like this? [MIRIAM holds the basket in such a way that it is obviously heavy.] MOTHER: Try to swing it a little, as though it is empty. Be careful not to drop it. MIRIAM: Like this? MOTHER: That’s good. I know it is difficult to do, but pretend you are going to the market. MIRIAM: Which means I haven’t anything in the basket. [She continues practicing how to hold the basket.] MOTHER: Right. MIRIAM: Where am I really ...

215. Our Three-Faced God

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... limitations. We have made God one of us as a friend and brother. We have been told that we should find God in human beings. God has become very human, very much like us rather than man being made in the image of God. In our liturgical language we dropped the reverent "Thou" for the familiar "You." We are building churches in the round so that we might look at each other while we worship rather than looking up to a high and distant altar as the symbol of God’s majestic presence. In our snuggling up to God ...

216. Mary of Bethany and Jesus’ Mother

Drama

Jon Joyce

... is might has - has done - has done great things for me - and holy - holy, still - holy is his name. And his mercy - his mercy is on those who fear - those who fear him - still - from generation to generation. [A brief pause, then MJ drops her head, drops her hand to her sides, and sighs deeply. Drained of emotion now, she looks first toward the noises from the Temple, stage right, then to stage left where MB has exited toward Bethany. MJ ponders momentarily, looks quickly back toward the Temple, and then ...

217. Popcorn Catching

Matthew 15:21-28

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... in your mouth. Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever had to practice something time and time again before you were able to do whatever you want done? The first time that you tried to catch a ball was one of those times. Do you remember how you dropped it and dropped it before you were able to catch it? [Let them answer.] That is what I mean about practicing. I have something else that will show you what I mean and you can try it with me. [Take out bag of popcorn.] This is one of the real fun things ...

218. EPISODE 1: THE FIRST WEEK IN LENT

Drama

Robert Clausen

... brother, one does not hesitate to shoot a mad dog. And that is precisely how I view this raving country preacher. He has set himself above the church. He claims a special affinity with God. He has made the preposterous announcement that he dropped down from heaven. This is not only blasphemy, it is insanity ... an insanity all the more dangerous because it is contagious. FIRST CLERGYMAN: Our church attendance has been going downward since this man began preaching. BISHOP: What more is there to say? FIRST ...

219. Your Image of Tomorrow

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

Leonard Mann

... they differed from what the explorer eventually found! How fantastic were the notions the ancients had about what was out there - a dropping-off-place, mammoth sea serpents to swallow up ships. But as things turned out, it wasn’t that way at all. ... must keep our hopes in control, and we can if we are walking into tomorrow hand in hand with one who is going on. He isn’t going to drop our hand out there somewhere and say, "So long; it was nice to have you walk with me; but this is as far as we go." When I ...

220. Family, Family, Who’s Got the Family

Drama

Sarah Walton Miller

... right. Supper won’t be ready for at least ten minutes. What kept you? BARBARA: Committee meeting after school. What’s for supper? I’m starved. SUSAN: Beans. BARBARA: [shrugging] Oh, well - [sees her necklace on Susan’s doll; instantly enraged] My necklace! [drops books, grabs doll, removes necklace. At the same time SUSAN is yelling, "Give me my doll! Mommy, Mommy, etc." She jumps up and they fight for doll. The lipstick falls to the floor.] BARBARA: What are you doing with my best necklace? ... And ...

221. Chapter X

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Frank H. Seilhamer

... the time, he quickened his gait. As the sun started to set he began to run in an effort to complete the deal. Just as the sun dropped behind the last hill Pakham ran for all he was worth - over the last yards, up to the stone set at the head of his father’ ... s grave. Pakham had made it! The circuit was complete. The land was his as far as an eye could see. He made it in time - to drop dead right where his father lay. And all of the land that Pakham could use was a plot six feet, by two feet, by six feet deep ...

222. The Land of Beginning Again

John 8:1-11

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... start over with a clean slate? Most of us have. Most of us yearn for the kind of place described by Louise Fletcher Tarkington: "I wish that there were some wonderful place In the Land of Beginning Again; Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door And never put on again." There is such a place. You are in it. The Church, especially when it celebrates Holy Communion, is the Land of Beginning Again. Our text today is a distinctive jewel of John's gospel ...

223. We Are More Than Laborers - Labor Day

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15, Ecclesiastes 5:8--6:12

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... the job satisfaction God gives. The quality of our work is an advertisement of our God, so let’s do it with a touch of class. And remember, we are more than laborers. We are children of the King of kings whose love for us does not drop an iota when we clock out of work. A certain nurse won the admiration of her little Appalachian mountain community with her patience, her cheerfulness, and her genuine concern for others. Her salary was inadequate by any standard. One day a physician said to her, “Joan ...

224. Someone At the Door

Revelation 3:14-22

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... of those all-purpose stores. He went in and told the clerk, "I want a disguise." He bought fake glasses, a big nose, a mustache, even a cape. He fixed himself up so well that not even his own mother would recognize him. Back he went to the machine, dropped in his quarter, and out came a card that readl "You are still John Smith. You are still 35 years old. But now you've messed around and missed your flight to New Orleans." John Smith got distracted. He allowed a fortune-telling machine to divert him from ...

225. The Passover and the Passion

Drama

Denny C. Wise

... his glory. (Jesus covers matza cake with charoset and moror and distributes to disciples.) These are the ten plagues. Let us spill a drop of wine at the mention of each as a symbol of regret that the victory had to be purchased with misfortune upon God ... creatures, the Egyptians. Disciples and Jesus: (Pause between each plague - Disciples dip finger after each plague into wine and drop onto plate.) Blood, frogs, lice, beasts, blight, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and death of the first born! Narrator: Then ...

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