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 4963 results

2451. IRONSMITH

Isaiah 44:12

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

... of Cain, is described as "an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron" (Genesis 4:22). It used to be thought that the use if iron was very late, but modern archaeology has found that there was a knowledge of iron as early as the third millenium B.C. Remains of an iron blade dating @2700 B.C. have been found at a site near Baghdad. A small steel ax from Ur and other early objects of iron have also been found. The fact that not more iron objects of an early period have been found is undoubtedly due to ...

2452. MAGICIAN, SORCERER

Micah 5:12; Acts 8:9

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

... to call upon the evil spirits to destroy their enemies and through the assistance of supernatural powers to be able to foretell the future. This was primarily the field of the sorcerer. This was geniune magic, which for many centuries remained the special province of the priest. The Old Testament tells of Hebrew prophets who competed with the priests of Egypt to prove the superiority of their magic and, consequently, of their religion. Early Christian missionaries entered into similar contests with pagan ...

2453. MINER

Job 28:2

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

... the ore." We are certainly familiar with the men who work the mines in America today - but, unfortunately, we are usually familiar only because tragedy has brought them to our attention. There is a cave-in or an explosion, and men are trapped, perhaps to remain in their earthy tombs for many months until it is safe to remove their bodies. We see picture stories in our newspapers and national magazines about the poverty and despair of those whose land has been destroyed by strip mining. And so we might be ...

2454. NURSE

1 Thess. 2:7; 1 Kings 1:4

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

... caring for the child, we could probably consider today’s babysitter as a comparable occupation, although a childrens’ nurse would also fit. The regular hospital or private duty nurse of today has far greater training, knowledge and responsibilities than her ancient forebear, but the principle of caring for the helpless remains - and the necessity of giving love and care to the utmost.

2455. SCULPTOR

Judges 3:26

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

... , we have many men and women who are geniuses in this art. Perhaps, in some instances, their works might not be commensurate with what we might judge to be "fine art" and we may not always understand the sculpture, but tastes and techniques change, and the sculptor will probably always remain as a very important member of the aesthetic scene.

2456. STONECUTTER

1 Chronicles 22:2

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

... today see examples of Israelite stone work in the Wailing Wall of Jerusalem. A stone from the old city walls is fourteen feet long and 3 and 3/4 feet square. And, to further show how wide-spread the use of stone was in ancient times, there are remains of quarries in many places of the Holy Land. Today, of course, we see deep gouges in many places in our land, where stone is quarried. The present day quarry worker is very similar to his ancient brothers. And in more than one respect - one of the first known ...

2457. WHEELWRIGHT

1 Kings 7:33; Nahum 3:2

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

... craftsman built the first known wheeled vehicle. With wheels on axles, one ox could now haul two to three times as much weight as before. The Sumerians’ solid wooden wheel, which has been called the greatest mechanical invention of all time, remained essentially unchanged for centuries. The ancient wheelwrights made wheels from wooden planks, which were pegged together, forming a solid wooden disk. It wasn’t until some 1,900 years later that lighter, spoked wheels came into common use with the general ...

2458. WRITING MATERIALS MAKER

Luke 1:63

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

... made use of for short letters and business transactions. When they are found today, these "ostraca" are very valuable, and have given us many insights into ancient civilizations. Ink was used at any early age; in fact, some of it was so durable that it has remained legible after 3,000 years! This ink was probably made of lampblack and gum, and mixed with water on a palette when needed. There were also various kinds of pens to correspond with the medium on which the writing was to be done. Jeremiah speaks of ...

2459. SANTA CLAUS OR CHRIST?

Drama

G. William Genszler

... many years I trimmed up these trees ‘Till I feel like the man on the flying trapeze. Christmas tree: (addressing audience ... sings or says) "O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum How lovely are thy branches" (speak) Not for long, not for long I don’t have a chance to remain very neat For they came in the forest and sawed off my feet. (Two or three small persons dressed like kids come in and dance around "tree" once or twice and then on knees try to peek at packages under "tree.") Reader: Yes, Mother was baking a ...

2460. Picking A Winner, Claiming A Treasure

Matthew 13:44-46

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... , all through the years. Wouldn't that be the best discovery one could make? That kind of joy is just what Jesus promised. Even on the night before his execution, he was thinking of our joy. He said, "I have told you these things that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:11) Jesus himself was so joyful that he was called the "Bridegroom of the world." His enemies attacked him for having too much fun. They called him a glutton and winebibber. A portion of Jesus' Sermon on ...

2461. Pillars of the Church

Exodus 17:8-16, Colossians 3:1-17

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... for the Israelites. But if he lowered the banner, the Amalekites gained ground. Moses was an old man and began to grow weary. So, Aaron and Hur found a large rock for him to sit on. They stood beside Moses and held up his arms so that the banner remained high. Before the sun set that day, Israel had won its first war. Aaron and Hur represent for us those people of every generation who hold other people up. Remember, the power to defeat Israel's enemies did not come from Aaron and Hur. Nor did it come from ...

2462. The Might of the Mite

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... : My name is John Brown. I have been a member of Christ Church for four years. At that time a very dear friend, Jean Smith, invited me to attend the 9:45 service. Christ Church has been the only tangible thing in my life to remain a 'sure thing' during these last four years. I have experienced the highest highs, and the lowest lows (spiritually, physically, emotionally, and financially) since becoming a member of this church. In these four years I have made commitments each year to return more than 10 ...

2463. A Risky Lifestyle

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... to get rid of Koinonia Farms. One night they came and burned every building except Dr. Jordon's home. They chased off all of the families except for the Jordons and one black family. The next day a local newspaper reporter came to the farm to see what remained. The rubble was still smoldering. But Clarence Jordon was busy planting and hoeing. with a haughty spirit, the reporter said to Dr. Jordon, "Well, you got two of those Ph.D. 's and you've put fourteen years into this farm, and there's nothing left to ...

2464. Written On God's Hand

Isaiah 49:8-26

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... will ever be charged against us that was not presented at Calvary and silenced forever. Decisions we make can take us out of God's will but never out of his reach. As St. Paul wrote to Timothy long ago, "If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself." Why do I share this today before inviting you to the table of Holy Communion? Because some of you may have distanced from God. Perhaps you have felt forsaken, disappointed or disillusioned by life, wondering if God knows your ...

2465. The Witness of the Spirit

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... , to explain what had happened, I knew I was different. I knew I had been accepted by Christ and that I belonged to him. That assurance has never left me. This assurance is more than a feeling. Its authenticity is not measured in emotion. It remains even when feelings are low and troubles are as thick as mosquitoes in the Delta. This sense of assurance has nothing whatsoever to do with the New Age flakiness you hear about on TV: channeling, imagining, and psychic intuition. St. Paul taught us that two ...

2466. Only One Superpower

1 Chronicles 29:1-9

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... birthday! She is the only national superpower. Though the Middle East is always fragile and Saddam Hussein bears watching, no war clouds can be seen on the horizon. The soaring stock market sets a new record every week or so, while inflation and unemployment remain low. New millionaires are being created at a breath-taking rate; one can only hope that some of them are Methodist tithers. Some responsible experts are predicting that we may actually see a balanced federal budget within a year or so; that is ...

2467. Marriage: God's Idea

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... . But, on the other hand, there are some facets of positive leadership, especially in spiritual matters, which a husband is called to provide. Woe be to that husband who assumes that if he just works hard, climbs the ladder of success, brings home a nice paycheck, and remains faithful, that's all that is expected of him. If a husband does not step up as the spiritual leader of the home, the wife cannot fill in for him adequately, no matter how hard she tries. If he will not set the example in churchmanship ...

2468. Building According To Code

Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon

Brett Blair

... be spared, for no one in life, good or bad, is spared. The storm came and it beat against both houses. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew destroyed thousands of homes in South Florida. Yet in an area where the wreckage looked like a war zone, one house remained standing, still firmly anchored to its foundation. When a reporter asked the homeowner why his house had not been blown away, he replied, "I built this house myself. I also built it according to the Florida state building code. When the code called for 2" x ...

2469. My Love Requires A Symbol

Malachi 3:6-18

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... if the Bible had asked for it. My heart needed tangible ways to say thank you to my Lord and Savior. When Gloria and I married in 1967, we made a salary of $5,500 per year. We decided to tithe 10 percent, save another 10 percent and spend the remaining 80 percent with joy and thanksgiving. Budgets were tight, and babies came along. We couldn’t afford to eat out by about once a month – at a seafood place where you could eat your fill for $3.95. But my goodness, we had fun! And God touched our finances in ...

2470. The Forgiving Father (Father's Day)

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Brett Blair

... home now. You are going to have to start carrying your own weight now. It is ridiculous to think that we can become God’s men and women and not be involved in some kind of change. But the point here is that the father’s love at all times remains focused on the boy, not the sin. Listen, your sin has already been dealt with. It is no longer the focus. You are the focus. That thing which haunts you and makes you feel depressed and miserable, that causes you restlessness, it is no longer a block between you ...

2471. Never Underestimate The Power of a Cup of Cold Water

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

Brett Blair

... monastery which had fallen on very hard times. Its many buildings were once filled with young monks, and chapel resounded with the singing of the choir. But now it was deserted. People no longer came there to be nourished by prayer. Only a handful of old monks remained. On the edge of the monastery woods, an old rabbi had built a tiny hut. He came there from time to time to fast and pray. No one ever spoke with him, but whenever he appeared, the word would be passed from monk to monk: "The rabbi walks ...

2472. Using our Special Talents

Romans 12:6-8

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... we want to be like St. Paul tells us to be. We want to thank God and get back in shape as Christians so that we don't slip right out of God's Kingdom. Let's not forget to do the things that God tells us will help us remain strong in our faith and love of God. GOD MAKES US STRONG 2 Corinthians 11:19--12:9, verse 9: But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that ...

2473. Legends Of Christmas

Drama

Georgianna Summers

... brings manger out and Mary and Joseph take their places behind it.] [Verse 4, "This star drew nigh, etc.": Mary and Joseph stand behind manger during this verse.] [Verses 3 and 5: Wise men enter and offer gifts; leave during last chorus. Mary and Joseph remain.] Hardgrader: Now, _______, let’s hear from you. What is your legend about? Student: [Standing] My legend is about the animals who were in the stable that first Christmas. There was a cow, and the donkey that Mary rode, and some sheep that the ...

2474. Reconciliation

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Burton F. Blair

... the story, the archbishop leaned over the pulpit and said, "That young man was this man who stands before you to preach." That’s the miracle of the cross. When we begin to understand the love on the cross, we want to change our relationship with God. We cannot remain the same, anymore. We want God at the center of our lives, again. When Dymas was touched by Jesus’ love from the cross, he did not ask to escape the cross. He did not even ask to be taken down from the guilty consequences of his sin. Rather ...

2475. Suffering

John 19:28-37

Sermon

Burton F. Blair

... his mouth. John 19:28-29 Late Thursday evening, after sharing the Passover meal together, Jesus took several of the disciples with him to the Mount of Olives, commonly called "Gethsemane." Jesus said to the disciples with him, "I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here and keep awake" (Mark 14:34). Alone and separated from those with him in Gethsemane, Jesus pleaded with God: "Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet not what I want, but what you want" (v. 36). Jesus ...

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