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 2226 to 2250 of 4957 results

2226. A Time To Die

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

Eulogy

Barbara G. Schmitz

... of Ecclesiastes described. A time to die in the season of death. Yes, we acknowledge and struggle to accept the pain of this loss. In the days ahead we will look to God to support us in our grief, to help us live each day. I encourage you to claim the promise of the book of Lamentations, that The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is [God's] faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23) Comfort and help is never more than a prayer away, and ...

2227. Proper 18

Psalm 139:1-24, Luke 14:25-35

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... can give us courage in the face of challenge and perseverance in the time of fatigue. Forgive us if we have turned back from your Son, not for the disgrace we bring on ourselves, but for the shame we bring to his name. We have no claim but his gracious intercession for us. Amen. Declaration of God's Forgiveness Hear the Good News! God gives us grace and peace through Jesus Christ. Friends, believe the Good News. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Exhortation Carry your own cross and be a faithful follower ...

2228. Proper 22

Psalm 137:1-9, Lamentations 3:19-26, Luke 17:1-10

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... lack of hope that the future could be better than the past and that our faithfulness could make some difference, through your ever-hopeful Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. Prayer of Assurance Eternal God, we live in the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ claiming our own immortality only through the victory of the Risen One, who has broken the power of death and brought us the promise of eternal salvation. Amen. (or) Declaration of God's Forgiveness Hear the Good News! Our eternal salvation has been brought fully ...

2229. Advent 2

Luke 3:1-20

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

... evangelists, Luke goes to the greatest length to pinpoint the appearance of John the Baptist within world history (probably between A.D. 27 and 29). He also quotes more of Isaiah 40 than Mark or Matthew, extending it so as to conclude with the claim "all flesh shall see the salvation of God." The distinctiveness of Luke's account, therefore, is the universal scope in which he sees the message of the Gospel and of its forerunner from the very beginning. Liturgical Color Blue or purple Suggested Hymns (Stanza ...

2230. Seeing and Believing

John 20:19-23

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

... other disciples his wounds (v. 20), so that Thomas was merely asking for the evidence that the others had received without requesting it. Also, despite the fact that John conveys here Jesus' blessing upon those who believe without seeing, yet he himself claims that he has related all these "signs" in order to inspire belief. Thus the author apparently is not extolling blind belief, as is sometimes suggested. Liturgical Color White Suggested Hymns Come, You Faithful! Raise The Strain That Easter Day With Joy ...

2231. Proper 8

Luke 9:51-56

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

... 51), and having been rejected by the Samaritans (v. 53), Jesus issues some sobering statements on discipleship en route (vv. 57-62). Taken together they bespeak a very demanding prospect for his followers: rootlessness coupled with a radical readjustment of priorities, with claims that supersede even urgent familial responsibilities. Liturgical Color Green Suggested Hymns Even As We Live Each Day O God Of Mercy, God Of Light O God, Send Heralds When All Your Mercies, O My God O Jesus, I Have Promised! Forth ...

2232. Trinity Sunday

John 16:5-16

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

... in our lives. It is not always helpful to insist on answers. We need the sense of mystery. You are profoundly present everywhere. You are keenly aware of our true needs. You are patiently building your kingdom. We do not need to fully understand the mystery; we need only to claim it. Accept our grateful praise, Gracious Father. Accept our grateful praise, Savior of the World. Accept our grateful praise, Renewing Spirit. Amen.

2233. Tenders Of The Sacred Fire

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, they came to know that peace that passes all understanding. The followers of Christ were known to demonstrate enormous courage under duress. Roman authorities tried to stamp out the Church by persecuting those who claimed Christ as Savior. The plan backfired. Those who were torn apart by wild animals in Roman arenas for the entertainment of the emperor and his entourage faced their deaths so courageously that others were attracted to the faith rather than repulsed ...

2234. When God Asks The Unreasonable

Genesis 22:1-19

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... admit that there are any number of different ways to understand this admittedly troubling passage. The footnotes in the New Oxford Annotated Bible offer an historical perspective. It reminds us that "in its oldest form this story was told to show that the Deity surrendered a claim upon the life of the firstborn and provided an animal for a substitute."1 It bothers us that God ordered Abraham to sacrifice his son as a "test" to see if he was willing to be obedient. However, in the ancient world, that was a ...

2235. Followership

Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 4:12-17

Sermon

Mark Radecke

... before they ever knew the peace of God that filled their hearts brimful and broke them too." The strange peace of God penetrates and permeates our every fiber even as dye permeates a piece of unbleached fabric. The primacy and priority of that peace of God which lays claim on us and lays hold of us: that is what we need to apprehend as we reflect on our own daily need and struggle to repent, renounce, obey and follow. In today's Gospel text, Jesus says, "Repent" -- and he means it! He goes on to say "for ...

2236. The Spreading Word

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

Marc Kolden

... seeing them as a vivid story with a clear main point, they tended to treat them instead as allegories, which were stories that supposedly contained hidden meanings behind each little detail. (Some Christians today still treat the Bible that way when they claim to find the explanation to current events in the book of Revelation, for example.) Most scholars think this shift to allegorical interpretation had already happened for this parable by the time Matthew's gospel was written down, perhaps a half-century ...

2237. Friends In Low Places

Matthew 9:9-13

Sermon

Marc Kolden

... mercy, not sacrifice." Sacrifice in the Bible is what's offered to God -- prayer, fasting, burnt offerings, doing the proper rituals, keeping separate from sinful people and situations. Mercy is love offered to other people. Despite many of the Old Testament laws about avoiding impurity, Jesus here claims that it is more important to God that we do works of love for others than that we offer sacrifice to him. Not only is this God's will for us, but it is the way God is with us, as that is revealed here in ...

2238. Speak For Yourself!

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

William B. Kincaid, III

... say that I am? John of Patmos said, "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Revelation 19:16). This very day, regardless of what is in the past, Jesus asks, "Who do you say that I am?" This is our chance to speak for ourselves, to claim the faith, to experience the nearness of the kingdom firsthand, and to live our answer every day of our lives. 1. William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1, Revised Edition (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975), p. 47. 2. Douglas R.A. Hare, Matthew (Louisville: John Knox ...

2239. The Lamb of God

John 1:29-34

Sermon

William B. Kincaid, III

... and before the sun goes down the person has been run out of the capital by those who benefit from the way contracts presently are awarded. We may not be able to find a telephone number to call if we have a problem with a health insurance claim, but when a proposal is on the table to revamp the healthcare system we can bet the insurance companies will be calling us for our support. Everyone wants more facilities to treat troubled children, but when one comes to our neighborhood and threatens to lower our ...

2240. Essential Personnel!

Matthew 4:18-22

Sermon

William B. Kincaid, III

... Jesus bypasses the church on his way to eat at the house of the most disgusting person in town we are a little miffed, but not nearly as miffed as when Jesus holds that character up as a better model of faith than us. Suddenly, our excitement over being claimed as essential personnel, people that we would like to think God cannot do without, is tempered by the presence of people who all our lives we have not only shunned, but tried our very best not to be like. Right out in public where people came to draw ...

2241. Who Is Jesus?

Matthew 16:13-20

Illustration

John R. Brokhoff

... was at stake. If Jesus were only human, then he was just a martyr on the cross and not the Lamb that took away the sin of the world. If he were only human, the resurrection was a fairy tale. His promises of forgiveness and eternal life were meaningless. His claims to know God and to be one with God would then be the words of a religious fanatic who was deluded into thinking he was the Son of God. On the other hand, if Jesus were only divine and not human, humanity would be the loser. Because he was human ...

2242. The Rock Of Faith

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

Roger G. Talbott

... honesty, he wasn't religious. He had been brought up in the church. He wanted his kids to be brought up in the church. He believed in the moral values of Christianity. He believed the church was good for the community, but he didn't believe in the supernatural claims of the church. Those were for the old ladies and the children. He was more honest than most people. He admitted that his faith, such as it was, was only second-hand. Most people don't meet Jesus in a blinding flash of light, like Paul did on ...

2243. All Saints' Sunday

Mt 5:1-12 · 1 Jn 3:1-3 · Isa 26:1-21 · Rev 7:9-17; 21:9-11, 22-27; 22:1-5 · Ps 24 · Ps 34 · Ps 149

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... that comes to God's children, frequently attributing spiritual blessedness to those with earthly limitations, weaknesses and sorrows, as in this familiar passage. He contrasts God's attitude with that of the world. Frequently, they are at opposite poles. Those whom Jesus claims as the blessed are cursed in the eyes of the world and vice versa. Spirit of poverty (v. 3). In Luke's beatitudes Jesus states simply, "Blessed are the poor." Some suggest that Matthew has spiritualized Jesus' message to make it more ...

2244. Baptism of The Lord

Mt 3:13-17 ·Acts 10:34-48 · Is 42:1-9

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... window weeding his garden where he requested that his son help him with the task. Chuck sassily refused, saying it was his birthday. His father did not waste any words; it was a time for action as he dashed into the house and up to his son's room. Swindoll claims that he was all over him like "white on rice," as they made a hurried exit to the garden, where the teen pulled weeds until the cows came home. That same evening the father took his son to a surprise dinner. He gave his son what he deserved earlier ...

2245. The Waste In Comparison

Genesis 37:1-11, 12-36

Sermon

... . We, too, get stuck in our jealousy just as tightly. Sometimes all the well-meaning people in our lives can't make a dent in our desire to be jealous. And it is such a waste. Judah would be powerful, the lion of all tribes. Zebulun would claim all the lands along the coast. Asher's people would produce rich and luscious foods. Every son of Jacob would have children, forming the twelve tribes of Yahweh. It is such a waste considering how much time we throw away while we ferment jealousy. Haven't you ...

2246. God Sends Us Ahead

Genesis 45:1-28

Sermon

... his new vocation. I know that he is very good at what he does. And it took all the pressure, rejection, and waiting to get him where he is. Even if we live through unemployment, or slavery, or imprisonment, or chemotherapy, or whatever, we can claim our life with pride. Paul's words are certainly true: "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him." 1. Walter Brueggemann, Genesis: Interpretation -- A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Atlanta, Ga.: John Knox Press, 1982 ...

2247. Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are!

Exodus 1:1-22, 2:1-10

Sermon

... , to cry with someone. To be afraid to make a difference for God would be like going through life and never seeing a burning bush. Paul spoke powerfully about how limited our lives are if we hide from God. If we live our life disguised in the flesh and never claim the full, exposed life of God's Spirit, we deny our inheritance, even our identity. If you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the ...

2248. Going Through The Waters

Exodus 13:17--14:31

Sermon

... to be here, but chances are it is a habit that was instilled in you by someone else. And I would add that it is definitely the Spirit that keeps us coming. In our baptism we profess our relationship to God, but we cannot take the credit. We have been claimed by God. We cannot take the glory for our inheritance. Normally, our lives are not nearly so dramatic as crossing the Reed Sea. For the most part we come to church to learn about God, to speak to God, to get spiritual support to make it through a typical ...

2249. Easter 4

1 Peter 2:13-25, Acts 7:54--8:1a, Acts 6:1-7, John 10:1-21

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... executioners. We know his name was Paul, the apostle of God's grace. Epistle: 1 Peter 2:19-25 Suffering that saves. Secular people scorn the idea that suffering can have meaning or be redemptive. Yet, the gospel is founded on the veracity of this claim. What kind of suffering qualifies as redemptive? Suffering which is not the result of sin: the suffering of the innocent. Also, it is suffering that is offering to God as a sacrifice or worship. Peter makes the distinction that the sufferer must be "aware of ...

2250. Easter 5

John 14:1-4, John 14:5-14, Acts 7:54--8:1a, Acts 17:1-9, 1 Peter 2:4-12

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... and the other local followers of the Way to the authorities. The accusation they level against them is really quite accurate: those who have "turned the world upside down." In Beroea, the gospel is well received. At least, the members of the synagogue were willing to consider the claims of the apostle. However, like hornets whose nest has been disturbed, the enemies from Thessalonica stir up the troops in Beroea also. Lesson 2: 1 Peter 2:2-10 (C); 1 Peter 2:4-9 (RC); 1 Peter 2:1-10 (E); 1 Peter 2:4-10 (L ...

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