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 2426 to 2450 of 4490 results

2426. Preaching The Miracles

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

Discipline (v. 7) - Who is "the disciple whom Jesus loved?" In John's gospel, John never mentions his name, but describes himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." It was not that John only was loved by Jesus, but apparently there was an exceptional closeness to their relationship, akin to David and Jonathon. In this instance, John was the only disciple who recognized that it was Jesus standing on the beach. Love has the power of vision and insight into the nature of people. Love lets you see who a ...

2427. The Key To Confident Living

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Erskine White

Galatians 2:17-21 It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. (Galatians 2:20) Have you ever noticed how some people go through life full of confidence and vigor, no matter what happens to them? When disaster strikes, they survive. When obstacles are placed in their path, they persevere. In the tumult of life's arena they are knocked down but never out, and they always have the internal fortitude to get up and get going again. Have you ever noticed how such people are at their best when things ...

2428. Advent's "Invisible" Man

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

The idea of-the invisibility in our culture is no new thing. The great H.G. Wells wrote a book called The Invisible Man. In it he imaginatively explores the development of a professor's ingenious use of science to effect his own invisibility. Invisibility becomes a metaphor for invincibility. His becoming invisible is by his own choosing. He literally disappears with the ingestion of a certain chemical solution, which eventually drives him insane. The point here is this man, Griffin, chooses to become ...

2429. Is It Hard To Believe?

Sermon

Erskine White

Texts: Luke 24:1-12; 1 Corinthians 15:12-22 If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and all your faith is in vain.(1 Corinthians 15:14) When Jesus was asked to heal a boy who had suffered seizures since his birth, our Lord said to the boy's father, "All things are possible to those who believe." And the boy's father said to Jesus, "I believe; help Thou my unbelief" (Mark 9:23-24). I wonder how many of us want to say those words as we come to the empty tomb this Easter morning: "Lord, ...

2430. Changing The Rules

Mark 7:1-23

Sermon

Robert Salzgeber

When I was a camp director the rules of long established and understood games were constantly being changed in order to incorporate a larger sphere of players. For the same reason Jesus said, "You have a clever way of rejecting God's law in order to uphold your own teaching." Jesus had a knack for constantly changing the rules of the game of life in order to incorporate a larger sphere of people in his kingdom net. One such game where the rules were often changed was volleyball. Volleyball is a well- ...

2431. Where the Scary Things Live

Matthew 4:12-17

Sermon

Johnny Dean

When I was a child, I had a unique way of positioning myself for sleep. I would lie on my stomach (and it was much easier to do that way back then, when my stomach was flat instead of round, as it is now). And I would make sure that no part of my body – not an arm or a leg or an elbow or a kneecap or a finger or even one little toe – was hanging over the edge of the bed. I did that to make sure that the monster that lived under my bed wouldn’t be able to grab me and pull me under the bed to his lair and ...

2432. The Upside-down Kingdom of God

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Johnny Dean

Doesn’t it seem to you that our whole culture (when we’re not tuned in to catch the latest nonsense coming out of Washington) is devoted to reminding us that our chief goal in life is to be happy? ("Yes, what he did was wrong. But the economy is good and I’m happy.") There was even a song about the importance and preeminence of being happy a few years ago. Do you remember it? "Here’s a little song I wrote, you might want to sing it note for note: Don’t worry. Be happy!" Advertising sells products based on ...

2433. The Rights of an Apostle

1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Sermon

Johnny Dean

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense." Hopefully none of you have actually heard these words spoken to you directly but maybe you've heard them on a TV show or in a movie. They are called the Miranda Rights. A police officer will recite these magical words ...

2434. Teacher

John 1:35-42

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

Exegetical Aim: To talk about Jesus as a Teacher. Props: Simple signs: On each sign write one number starting with number 1 and go up. Make as many signs with numbers as there are children. Make one secret surprise sign with a huge number on it: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. The children should face the congregation. Lesson: Can anyone tell me what a teacher does? (response) How many of you have teachers? (response) You have a teacher? (response) What's the teacher's name? (response) What did you ...

2435. He Who Has Ears to Hear, Let Him Hear

Luke 8:1-15

Sermon

Larry Powell

There is an old "preacher story" about the traveling evangelist who had a flair for the dramatic. His sermons were flamboyant and intensely theatrical. His ability to turn a phrase and masterfully create "word pictures" captivated his listeners almost to the point of hypnosis. He was a strong portion. After accepting an invitation to preach in a little country church, he went out early one afternoon to familiarize himself with the church and its appointments. Among other things, he observed that the ...

2436. The Impossibility of Neutrality

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

Robert Allen

This last week I spent the better part of three days involved in interviews with the Board of Ministry. It was our responsibility to interview men and women in the United Methodist Church. Those being interviewed ranged from their mid-twenties up to a woman who was 68 years old and will be ordained as a deacon at annual conference. During the interviews, we examined the theological beliefs of the candidates. We listened to tapes of their sermons. We asked a lot of personal questions about their lives; ...

2437. Colorizing Jesus

John 20:24-31

Sermon

Carl Jech

The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said ... "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." (John 20:26b, 29b) Most of us are familiar with the controversy that has been going on over the issue of "colorizing" old black-and-white movies. Do Humphrey Bogart and the Maltese Falcon or Jimmy Stewart and his Wonderful Life look better in the original black-and-white photography or with color added by one of the latest wrinkles in computer technology? There is a strong parallel ...

2438. Is Christianity Practical?

Jeremiah 17:19-27

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

Text: Jeremiah 17:5 - Thus says the Lord: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm, whose heart turns away from the Lord." Let's face it, we are paradoxical, a people who, while expressing our trust in Almighty God, are motivated by the apparent conviction that humanity is more to be trusted. That which is real is that which is pragmatically, empirically proved to be of value to humanity, and it is almost without exception something that humanity has produced. We have closed our ears to ...

2439. Practice Being Good

1 Thessalonians 4:1

Children's Sermon

Object: A Yo-Yo Good morning, boys and girls. Have you had your ups and downs this week? Do you know what I mean when I say that? How do you feel when you are down? (Wait for an answer - sad, unhappy). How do you feel when you are up? (Wait again). That’s right. I brought a friend of mine along today. One who is really having his ups and downs. What is like an elevator that you can hold in your hand? Do you know? How about a Yo-Yo? How many of you have played with our friend, Yo-Yo? It’s hard, isn’t it? I ...

2440. New Help on an Old Question

Luke 20:27-40

Sermon

There came to him some Sadducees, those who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the wife and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and died without children, and the second and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. Afterward the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, ...

2441. God Is No Respecter Of Persons

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Do you like trivia questions? Try these: In what country of the world are the most Bic pens sold per capita? What has replaced the 44 revolver as the Great Equalizer in the West? What unique design appears on Sears, Roebuck's best-selling women's shirts? The answers: Bic pens are most popular in Zaire. In that African country, however, people don't write with most of the Bic pens - they wear them. Any man who can scrape together an extra $2.00 will buy a half dozen pens and stick them all in his shirt ...

2442. That They May Be One

John 17:6-19

Sermon

Dean Lueking

Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. (John 17:11) Concerning Unity The truth we hear today concerns the oneness of the people of Christ. If I would ask you this simple question, "Are you for the unity of Christians?" there would be no doubt in my mind that all of you present would answer yes. If I could ask you another question, "... and would you be willing to die for the cause of unity among Christians?" I would anticipate a very ...

2443. Christmas 2

Jn 1:1-18 · Eph 1:3-6, 15-18 · Isa 61:10--62:3 · Jer 31:7-14

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Jeremiah 31:7-14 Yahweh promises to rebuild the nation of Israel. God's word is one of hope through restoration of the exiles to their homeland. Previously Jeremiah had the unpleasant task of giving God's word as a message of doom, destruction, and exile. Now, God has him give a message for the period after the Babylonian captivity. Through Jeremiah God has a word of hope by promising the gathering and returning the exiles to Zion. Isaiah 61:10--62:3 Israel rejoices that God has clothed him with ...

2444. Treasure's Tug

Matthew 13:44-46

Sermon

There you are, standing in the check-out line at the grocery store, shifting your weight from one foot to the other while the people ahead of you seem to be going on like a movie in slow-motion. You are already late. You consider switching lanes but quickly dismiss the idea, knowing that at that precise moment, everyone in the lane you just left will go through in an instant. Then you discover the problem. The third person ahead of you just bought an Iowa lottery ticket. That's okay, but she doesn't just ...

2445. Advent 4

Isaiah 7:1-25, Romans 1:1-17, Matthew 1:18-25, Psalm 24:1-10

Sermon Aid

CSS

THEOLOGICAL CLUE A quarter of a century ago, there was a movement in Great Britain by the Joint Liturgical Group to move Christmas (and other festivals, too) to a Sunday to encourage greater attendance and participation in the festive worship. This did not happen formally (in fact, the anticipated 1980 merger of the Anglican Church with several Protestant communions did not occur, either), but the Fourth Sunday in Advent, through liturgy and lections and popular piety, has clearly taken the shape of " ...

2446. Epiphany 6

Deuteronomy 30:11-20

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE By the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, as happens rather quickly in the Pentecost season, the season has pretty much lost its theological "shape" and impact; the lectionary and the lessons take over and seem to indicate that there has been a movement away from the several theological implications (the incarnation and manifestation of Jesus in the Epiphany season) to a concentration of the ethics of those who belong to the kingdom of heaven. Liturgically, the Epiphany theological frame ...

2447. Lent 3

Psalm 142:1-7, Isaiah 42:10-17, Isaiah 42:18-25, Ephesians 4:17--5:21, John 9:1-12, John 9:13-34, John 9:35-41

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE In the pre-Vatican II scheme of the liturgical year, which was employed in the Lutheran and Episcopalian Churches, too, the Sundays of Lent had definite and identifiable themes built into them; these were announced in the Introits of the several Sundays. Thus, the First Sunday in Lent was invocabit - "He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;" the Second Sunday in Lent was reminiscere - "Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses;" the Third Sunday in Lent was oculi ...

2448. Easter 7

Acts 1:1-11, Psalm 47:1-9, 1 Peter 4:12-19, John 17:1-5, John 17:6-19

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The Sunday after the Ascension, as the Seventh Sunday of Easter previously was designated, was known as Exaudi Sunday and served much the same function as the Seventh Sunday of Easter does today. This Sunday is a time of reflection on the glory God has given Christ by lifting him up to his right hand on the completion of his work. It is also a period of expectation for the coming of the Holy Spirit to the church and the world to empower the church to do the work of Christ. It is also the ...

2449. Proper 16 & Pentecost 14

Isaiah 22:1-25, Psalm 95:1-11, Psalm 138:1-8, Isaiah 51:1-16, Exodus 5:22--6:12, Exodus 17:1-7, Romans 11:33-36, Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE Summer is over, and fall has begun with its return of people to the churches and their activities, and the church is now entering the last quarter of the church year. Informed people will realize that about two and a half months remain in the Pentecost Cycle/Season. They are also aware that such things as Rally Day, Installation of Church School teachers, programs and retreats involving the young, the women, and the men of the churches are getting under way. Halloween decorations and cards ...

2450. The Changes Children Bring

Isaiah 11:1-16

Sermon

... and a little child shall lead them. (Isaiah 11:6) During the last five years my wife and I have found out what every other parent in all of human history has found out: children bring changes to your life. In fact, children take life as you’ve known it and turn it upside down. In his book, Fatherhood, Bill Cosby asks just one question of those who want to have children: Why? "Why would you have children when all your other acts were rational?" Why would you give up the comfortable patterns of your life ...

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