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 2451 to 2475 of 4976 results

2451.

Psalm 121:1-8

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... consists of the liturgist’s testimony of Yahweh as “my help.” The next three verse pairs offer promises to the pilgrims and specify the nature of this “help” as “watching,” which is used no less than six times in the Hebrew text (the NIV’s will keep in v. 7 also translates the same Hb. word šmr). The first verse of each pair offers assurances that Yahweh will watch over the pilgrim with respect to distinct aspects of his or her person: your foot (v. 3), your right hand (v. 5), and your life ...

2452. Advocating For Whom?

John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15

Sermon

David Coffin

... he gave his only Son, so all who believe in him will not perish.” Jesus went on to say that he did not come to condemn the world, but that the world may be saved by him. The root Greek word for “saved” is “sodzo.” This means to: deliver, keep safe, preserve, cure, or make well (Newman, 177). As for the food pantry illustration, on one hand it cannot be exploited or it will not be kept safe or preserved for anybody. On the other hand, one free extra gift should not break the food program either. In ...

2453. Maybe Today....

Luke 21:25-36

Sermon

John B. Jamison

... percentage of whatever money they brought in. The other community and religious leaders were offered the same conditions. Groups like the Pharisees and Sadducees would be allowed to maintain their roles as leaders and pillars of the community, and to keep their wealth, so long as they did not encourage any disruption against the government themselves or stop anyone who tried. Those who had once been responsible for interpreting and teaching the faith to serve God had now become responsible for interpreting ...

2454. Risky Business

Mark 8:27-38

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... feel compatible. Yet most churches try something once and say in a resigned way, “We tried that. It didn’t work. No one likes us. Let’s give up.” Why are we so afraid of risk-taking? Because our fear of failure is holding us back, keeping us stuck, preventing us from moving forward, from growing in our discipleship, from relying on our faith, from stepping outside of our doors. But as Jesus’ disciples knew, as Jesus himself taught them, as we too know from the experiences of our lives and our own ...

2455. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition

Mark 9:30-37 · Proverbs 31:10-31 · Psalm 1

Sermon

Thomas C. Willadsen

... hard he had tried to enlist in the army. One day he enlisted and the next day he was sent back to work. The next week he tried to enlist in a different city but was prevented from doing so. The government and his employer conspired to keep him out of uniform and keep him at his drafting table. It was quite a story, — and when I heard it the third time I realized that he felt guilty, embarrassed, maybe even ashamed — 40 plus years after the war ended, that he had served his country from the safety of his ...

2456. Faithfulness In These Days

Romans 10:8b-13

Sermon

Bonnie Bates

... is about our turning toward the love of God. Certainly, we need to be sorry for our sins, we need to seek to align our lives more with the God’s call on it, but we are forgiven. We truly are. From Paul we learn that our faithfulness is what keeps us in relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. It is not our denomination, or self-righteousness, that bring us in relationship with God. Rather it is God’s promise to be with us always. God extends himself to us. We are blessed in this way. Our task ...

2457. Remember

John 14:23-29

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... ” can be viewed as a kind of “disconnection,” then memory can be viewed as a means of “re-connection.” This is why memories and memory sharing is encouraged in the wake of memorial services, as well as in the continuing lives of people who love. For some, keeping those kinds of memorial connections with loved ones can give them a sense that their loved one remains present in their lives, not in the way that person was before, but in a new and comforting way in the present and future. How can we ...

2458. Strength for The Journey

John 16:12-15

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... you and showed you which path to take. It was a miracle…” But before he could finish his thought, Father Paul interrupted him. “No, Father, God did answer my prayer, but the Holy Spirit did not show me which path to take. The Spirit gave me the strength to keep trying different paths until I found the one that led me here.” One activity of God’s Holy Spirit, maybe the main activity, the primary one, is giving us the strength we need to make the journey we need to make to get us to where God wants ...

2459. The Art Of Transition

Luke 9:51-62

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... them over a fire made from the wooden plow. He gave the meat to his family and their hired hands, kissed his parents and left. Jesus said that this was exactly the kind of break that was needed to become a Disciple (capital D). We cannot move forward if we keep one foot always in the past. We cannot look forward and backward at the same time. Our gaze must be focused only upon that which lies ahead, upon the vision God has given to us and the goals that have arisen from that vision. And perhaps a quick, but ...

2460. For Someone Noted For Their Culinary Skills

Isaiah 25:6-9 · Luke 9:12-17

Eulogy

Richard E. Zajac

... in the casket and which I’m sure that everyone noticed and talked about. You can tell the folks what I’ve just told you. You can tell them on my behalf that I’m very grateful for the rich and wonderful life that I’ve led, but I’m keeping my fork because I know that something even better is about to come.” I began with that story because, first of all, it speaks of our faith, a faith which tells us, as that man noted, which tells us that when we die, new life awaits us, and that new ...

2461. Learning to Lean

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... the ways in which we anchor and define our identity and celebrates the determination and persistence that drive us to keep moving forward into an uncertain future, even in the face of despair. In our culture today, most of us are ... of Jewish prayer tradition. Jesus seemed to be explaining to his disciples the importance of daily prayers that honor God, keeping the attributes of God in mind and keeping the heart aligned. But Jesus adds to these ritual prayers another kind of prayer –the idea of praying to God ...

2462. To Be Set Free

Luke 13:10-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... need it allows us a kind of freedom from our inhibitions, our fears, our worries, and our stress. A weight is lifted from our shoulders when our journey is shared with others, when we are encouraged by others. Much of what entraps us, weighs us down, and keeps us from reaching our full potential in our lives is not due to our inability, but the self-doubt that plagues our spirit. Perhaps we’ve been discouraged in our lives. Perhaps, like Diana, we’ve endured trauma that will not let us go but continues ...

2463. Calculated Christianity

Luke 14:25-35

Sermon

Jill J. Duffield

... at it in order to achieve a long- term goal. Like calculating what it is going to take to build that big tower and then keeping after it, no matter that a storm knocked it down or that the permit got delayed or that thieves stole the materials, just keep calculating and working until it stands tall for all to see and admire. Is this calculated Christianity, this determined discipleship, about grit? Is Jesus telling us to be gritty followers? There is a big part of me that wants this to be the case because ...

2464. Persistent Prayer

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

Jill J. Duffield

... more like a line from Hitchcock than Jesus, but there it is. This parable today is more about our not losing heart in the face of circling vultures than running a victory lap around the sanctuary. If we want more evidence of that, we need only keep reading in chapter 18. It is a study in contrasts with the persistent widow and the unjust judge, the tax collector, and the Pharisee and their respective assessments of themselves, the children coming to Jesus and the disciples who want to turn them away, the ...

2465. When In Our Music God Is Glorified

Isaiah 58:1-9a

Sermon

Will Willimon

... on in endless song above earth's lamentations; I hear the real though far off hymn that hails a new creation. No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that rock I'm clinging; while love is Lord o'er heaven and earth how can I keep from singing? Augustine said that anyone who sings, “prays twice," praising God in both word and music. God is the great music lover, having created not one bird to sing, but millions, creatures who spend their days doing nothing more than singing, would do so even though ...

2466. Don't Hold Back

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

Jill J. Duffield

... , forgive your sins, and say, “I will give you rest”? How much have you held back from those in the pew beside you and around the table in front of you and in the Bible study all around you? What have you left unsaid, unshared, untold, so that you can keep an arm’s length from the vulnerability and fear that, at one point or another, threaten to overtake us all? We don’t have to hold back from God because God holds nothing back from us. Not even God’s only Son. God runs out to meet us even while ...

2467. A Living Memorial

Exodus 12:1-30

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... sent mixed signals as to the kind of behavior that is acceptable, so they have difficulty knowing how to respond. In a spiritual sense, judgment provides the parameters we all need to live a life of meaning and consistency. It is our understanding of judgment that keeps us accountable to the values we reflect in the way we live. We need to learn accountability. It is the beginning stage toward a life that is spiritually focused. In today's scripture, we read of God's judgment. Listen to how it is recorded ...

2468. A Faith That Overcomes

Acts 9:32-43

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... we feel as if we've been betrayed. If we have been faithful to God, we expect him to be faithful to us by keeping us from harm's way. We need to learn to rely on our faith in times of difficulty. Rather than abandoning faith in God, ... Holding the baby tightly against his chest, Hull crawled out of the wreckage of the building. Twice on the way out he had to administer CPR to keep the baby alive. The baby turned out to be Joseph Webber. Joseph's dad says that his son would not be alive today if not for ...

2469. A Call To Community

Acts 16:6-10

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... to be very active. There were no guarantees Cocoa would make it. Sometimes the chemo kills the dog. Sometimes it just takes the zest out of life for them. The kids especially hated having to keep Cocoa chained up. It was painful to watch him lie there, not feeling well and with very little energy. They took to keeping Cocoa in the house more. The chemo had not touched his heart or his yearning for affection. And the kids gave him more love than any dog deserved, any dog except Cocoa. There is something ...

2470. Beware Of Your Piety

Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 6:5-15, Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... and wash their faces when they fast. What he meant by that was that his followers should practice good health rules. Fasting is one of them. We all have to struggle with our diets. However, we should also practice all other good forms of hygiene and physical culture. Keeping fit is not a means of trying to please God or atoning for our sins. It is one more form of piety to express our freedom as the children of God in taking good care of our physical condition. The experts would also add that this is the ...

2471. Which Way To Jesus?

John 12:20-36

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life will lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life." That was not a very good prospect for these people who wanted to follow Jesus. Jesus was headed for the cross, and he knew it. It was a moment he had been preparing for. This was zero hour. It was necessary. It could not be avoided ...

2472. Anybody Listening?

Mark 6:1-6

Sermon

William G. Carter

... some way or another, should proclaim good news. Christian preaching is not only speaking to folks in church; it is speaking the gospel, that extraordinary good news from God that breaks out in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the one sermon worth hearing. Every Christian preacher must keep that straight. Otherwise, a mist in the pulpit becomes a fog in the pew. Every Sunday, a piece at a time, it is the preacher's task to announce that Jesus Christ embodies the good news of God. And yet, is anybody listening? That's ...

2473. The Advocate

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... . Instead, Royce raised a question which made me reexamine what I was planning to do. God gives us wise and astute advocates in life. These advocates guide us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Let me close with another spiritual exercise. For this one, you can keep your eyes open. Think back on your life. Think of the people who have guided and directed you along the right paths of God. Take a minute and picture the faces of two or three of these advocates. Now thank God for them. One more thing. What ...

2474. The Sending Plan (Alternate title: Our Human Predicament)

Mark 6:7-13

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... is a demon too. Starting naturally as a sexual desire, it can take over the mind of a person, gaining control, making everything stand behind it in importance and ruining many a life. Martin Luther said: "You can't keep the birds of temptation from flying over your head; but you can keep them from building a nest in your head." He was talking about sexual temptations which can become lust. When we don't stop sexual temptations early, they make their home in our minds and become demons. People are subject ...

2475. When The Odds Are Against Us

1 Samuel 1:1-20

Sermon

Zan W. Holmes

... rose and presented herself to the Lord" (v. 9). In other words, she refused to let the odds against her get her down or keep her down! She rose up and went to the temple at Shiloh to present her case before the Lord in prayer. She reminds ... God-given conclusion. In spite of the odds against her, by the grace of God Hannah will bear her son. After her son Samuel is born Hannah keeps her vow to the Lord. She says: "For this child I prayed; and the Lord has granted me the petition that I made to him. Therefore I ...

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