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 4976 results

2226. Blessed Are the Abnormal

James 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... think Albert Einstein was normal? It is said that Einstein shuffled in the streets of New York in his bedroom slippers and communicated intelligibly with only a few close acquaintances. He was so absent-minded, it is said, that his wife had to cut his food at dinner to keep him from slicing off a finger. His memory was so bad he could not remember names, dates and phone numbers. He had no car of his own and never learned how to drive. He didn’t like to wear socks. And yet he is one of the most celebrated ...

2227. How God Looks at Marriage

Mark 10:2-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... it strong? “The first thing I discovered was that these couples, no matter what their ages, start out with what some might call an old-fashioned idea--for them, marriage is for keeps. ‘Commitment,’ said one wife, ‘means no escape clause.’” Is that an old-fashioned idea--that marriage is for keeps? Perhaps. However, that simply means that society has changed. It does not mean God’s ideal has changed. It has not. “At the beginning of creation,” said Jesus, “God ‘made them male and female ...

2228. A Small Town Is Blessed

Micah 5:1-4

Sermon

King Duncan

... the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room available for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the ...

2229. The Wrong Gift

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... s eternity. More than we know that is where we all truly want to go. Only in finding Jesus and the coming of God's kingdom will our desires find fulfillment and our longings be satisfied. Only then will our homesickness end. That is why this "wrong" gift of God keeps giving each year. Perhaps it is not the gift that is "wrong," but we, the ones who beg and borrow and steal, really don't know what we need. I'm sure that was the case for Mary and Joseph as they wrestled with these things, "pondering them," as ...

2230. Pet Rocks and the Big Reveal

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

King Duncan

... is on a pilgrimage, and he’s singing. Someone asks him where he’s going and he says, “I’m going to God.” They ask him where he’s coming from, and he says, “I’m coming from God.” “And why do you sing?” they ask. “I sing to keep from losing my way,” he responds. Says Pastor Michael D. Powell, “That’s my image of Jesus as he’s entering Jerusalem. The sun is out, the birds are singing, dogs are barking and children are laughing. It’s a beautiful day for a parade, and Jesus is ...

2231. The Apostles Persecuted

Acts 5:17-42

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... ). But even without that wider vision these were bold words to address to the Sanhedrin. The Jews had a saying that God keeps salvation in his own power (b. Sanhedrin 113a), and here was Peter ascribing salvation to Jesus. How precisely Jesus was able to ... , which would “seem to be in substantial conceptual agreement with John 14:15–16, which teaches that if a man keeps Christ’s commandments, the Father will give him ‘another Counselor’ who will remain with him forever” (F. L. Cribbs, Perspectives ...

2232. The Council at Jerusalem

Acts 15:1-21

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... on which they should be admitted. It was one thing to accept the occasional God-fearer into the church, someone already in sympathy with Jewish ways; it was quite another to welcome larger numbers of Gentiles who had no regard for the law and no intention of keeping it. The point of view of the Jewish Christians deserves our understanding. As far as most of them could tell, the law remained determinative for their lives. They had no clear teaching of the Lord to the contrary (cf., e.g., Matt. 5:18; Luke 2 ...

2233. Accusations

2 Corinthians 1:12--2:4, 2 Corinthians 2:5-11

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... Paul was already determined not to travel to Corinth but to send Titus instead. Therefore, it is most probable that, as Paul left Corinth during the painful visit, he promised the Corinthians that he would return to them. Paul explains in 2:1–4 why he did not keep this promise. When Paul later departed from Ephesus (or Troas at the latest), he resorted to his first plan, i.e., to visit Macedonia first and then Corinth (cf. 1 Cor. 16:5–7; Acts 20:1–3). 1:17 In the form of two rhetorical questions, Paul ...

2234. Paul Opposes Peter

Galatians 2:11-21

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

... thing. However, there is no law requiring Jews to eat only with other Jews. Moreover, those traditions regulating what to do with food touched by Gentiles, for instance in Avodah Zarah, give evidence that Jews might eat in close proximity to Gentiles while keeping their dietary laws. The Mishnah’s prescriptions about how to maintain the law when in contact with Gentiles and/or Gentile food (e.g., Eruvin 6:1) are evidence that Jews did not isolate themselves. For one thing, the population density of the ...

2235. Unity in the Body of Christ

Ephesians 4:1-16

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... move about into unevangelized areas in order to proclaim the gospel. However, an evangelist may also have the gift of making the gospel understandable or of leading individuals to accept it as God’s word for them (cf. 2 Tim. 4:5: “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry”). Pastors and teachers: A common debate at this point is whether the author intended to express two distinct offices or whether pastors and ...

2236. The Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-20

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... to God and not as intercession on behalf of human beings. Second, prayer is to be intense. Be alert and always keep on praying. In other words, maintain a spirit of watchfulness and perseverance. A Christian warrior must not be caught off ... Thess. 5:17; 1 Pet. 5:8). But since this phrase falls between two other exhortations, it is not entirely clear where “perseverance” (keep on praying) belongs. Should it go with the idea of praying constantly with all alertness, or does it relate to the following phrase ...

2237. Rules for Holy Living

Colossians 3:1-17

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... s mind fixed is to be intent and determined to do something (the RSV has “seek” at 3:1 and “set” at 3:2; the NIV uses set in both verses). Basically, the message is that, since the Colossians have set their minds on heavenly things, they are to keep holding on to that perspective and not to the things to which they have already died. Since the resemblance to 2:20 is so striking, Paul obviously has those legalistic rituals in mind (2:21–23) as well as the vices enumerated in 3:5–9. This, too, is ...

2238. The Coming of the Lord

1 Thessalonians 4:13--5:11

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... we possess (cf. John 20:30, Acts 20:35). Thus Paul may have had access to teaching not found in our Gospels. We should also keep in mind that elsewhere Paul took pains to distinguish between his teaching and that of Jesus (1 Cor. 7:10–12). If then, he calls ... 5:7, but in 5:10 it is synonymous with koimaō). The believer’s status as a son of light demands a morality, a holiness, in keeping with him who is the light (cf. John 8:12; 11:9f.; 12:46; 1 John 1:5f.). The image of sleeping maintains the metaphor of ...

2239. Warnings Against Idleness

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... see note on 1 Thess. 1:1). But, for all the authority with which he speaks, Paul’s affection for his readers remains. He calls them brothers (see disc. on 1 Thess. 1:4), including those who are in error. The church, he says, is to keep away (stellomai, used of furling sails but here of withdrawing into oneself; cf. 2 Cor. 8:20), from every brother who is idle, literally “who walks out of line,” i.e., whose conduct is “disorderly”; (see disc. on 1 Thessalonians 2:12 for “walking” as conduct ...

2240. The Lord's Grace to Paul

1 Timothy 1:12-20

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... into someone else’s care (see esp. 6:20; 2 Tim. 1:12, 14; 2:2). To reinforce the giving of the charge, Paul reminds Timothy of his calling. It is not Paul, finally, who has left Timothy “in charge,” but the Holy Spirit. This instruction is in keeping with the prophecies once made about you; and it is by following them that Timothy is to fight the good fight. But what are these prophecies? Paul will mention this event in Timothy’s life twice more in these letters. In 4:14 he refers to Timothy’s ...

2241. Instructions to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:1-16

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... in itself consecrates it, but that the prayer of thanksgiving has inherent in it the recognition of God’s prior creative action. It is thus the believer’s response to God as creator, and the word of God and prayer together consecrate it (lit., “sanctify it,” keeping the ritual imagery). There has been considerable debate as to what the word of God means in verse 5. Many see it as referring to the words of the OT often used in the thanksgiving prayer (e.g., Ps. 24:1, used by Paul in his argument ...

2242. Godlessness in the Last Days

2 Timothy 3:1-9

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... to fit this situation. Thus, in a way similar to 1 Timothy 1:9–10 and Romans 1:29–31, the list especially reflects the prevailing evils of pagan society. At the same time, Paul is indicting the false teachers, both by characterizing their existence as in keeping with these evils and by implying that they themselves fit many of the items in the list (pride, arrogance, greed, lack of love, slander, etc.). The list itself doesn’t seem to have any clear design to it, such as one finds in 1 Timothy 1:9 ...

2243. Warning Against Falling Away

Hebrews 5:11-6:12

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... to the message of salvation which they had believed. The fifth descriptive phrase notes that they had tasted … the powers of the coming age. What is in view is the realized aspects of the new age presently enjoyed by the Christian church. The assertion is therefore in keeping with the perspective of the author set forth in such places as 1:2; 2:5; 4:3; and 12:18–24. 6:6 If they fall away is an apt translation of the participle “having fallen away,” which in this context means to “commit apostasy ...

2244. Christ's Sacrifice Once for All

Hebrews 10:1-18

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... sacrifice (lit., “offering”) in v. 14. In the Greek text the phrase translated for all time (eis to diēnekes) can be understood to refer to Christ’s offering or to his sitting at God’s right hand. NIV’s interpretation is probably correct since it is more in keeping with what is argued by the author elsewhere (cf. the same phrase for forever in v. 14 in reference to the results of Christ’s sacrifice). For the role of Ps. 110:1 in Hebrews, see note on 1:3. He waits for his enemies to be made his ...

2245. By Faith

Hebrews 11:1-40

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... these words: he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. The mention of perseverance may be taken to refer to the entire sequence of events that culminated in the exodus itself. Moses was motivated by his conviction of the reality of what is unseen. In keeping with the thrust of the entire chapter, it is probably the transcendent hope that is in view, which, to be sure, in the final analysis depends upon the existence of God (v. 6) and his faithfulness. Verse 28 moves from the general to the specific ...

2246. Taming the Tongue

James 3:1-12, James 3:13-18

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

... the tongue was well known in Judaism and Christianity (Prov. 10:19; 21:23; Eccles. 5:1; Sirach 19:16; 20:1–7). James points out here, as he did in 1:26, its importance, since a person who controls his speech is a perfect [person], able to keep his whole body in check. That is, such a person is fully mature and complete in Christian character (1:4) and thus able to meet every test and temptation and control every evil impulse (1:12–15). As “Ben Zoma said: ‘Who is mighty? He who subdues his passions ...

2247. Suffering for Being a Christian

1 Peter 4:12-19

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... denied the Lord of Spirits?” 4:19 God’s will is a repeated theme of the letter: explicitly in 2:15; 3:17; 4:2 and implicitly in 2:19; 3:16, 21. The Greek verb in commit themselves means “to make a deposit,” as in the safe-keeping of a bank. The same Greek verb is used of Jesus on the cross committing his spirit to his Father (Luke 23:46). Peter spoke from experience. When in prison facing execution (Acts 12:6), he was soundly asleep, unworried and undisturbed. A blow from the angel was necessary ...

2248. To Elders and Young Men

1 Peter 5:1-11

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... days, even if the city-dweller of today may have to make a special effort to appreciate its application to a modern situation. The flock of church members is described as God’s. The flock belongs to him: it is his property. Elders in their shepherding are to keep that fact always in mind, for they are engaged in fulfilling a divine trust, and in due course they will be answerable to God for what they do—or fail to do—with it. The elders do not own the sheep, but are serving as overseers, exercising ...

2249. Prophecy of Scripture

2 Peter 1:12-21

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... (1 Cor. 13:8–10) as the full light of God’s glorious revelation in Christ floods the hearts of his people. A lamp is no longer required once the sun is up. 1:20–21 When Peter’s readers obey his behest and study the OT, they must keep clearly in mind as they do so that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. The words they read are not what a prophet has thought up for himself. True prophecy never came about as a result of some individual’s personal ideas: it ...

2250. The Waters of Marah and Elim

Exodus 15:22-27

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... establishes precedent for future decisions. Its typical form is: if this happens, then this will happen. The fascinating feature in this particular “law” is that God was the one bound by it. If the people acted in a certain way, then God swore to to keep them healthy. The freedom, even in relation to God, was given to the people. This is generally referred to by Christians as “grace,” not “law.” The law had four conditions that had to be met: “listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God ...

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