Sermon and Worship Resources

Antonyms: loss, disadvantage, debt, lack, need, payment, resource, want

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John 1:6-8; 19-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... . John bore witness to the light in his preaching. He bore witness in his life. On the banks of the Jordan he proclaimed that the Kingdom of God was at hand. When he saw Jesus he declared, “Behold the Lamb of God . . .” He was the ultimate “advance man.” He prepared the way for the coming Messiah. So, as you celebrate this Christmas season, as you think about the shepherds and the wise men and the star and Mary and Joseph and all the rest of the important figures and events of that first Christmas ...

2. Advancers Over Decliners

Luke 19:11-27

Sermon

... a meeting, announced that he was leaving for a distant country to receive a kingdom, entrusted to each one of them a pound, then left with no return date set. At his ultimate return, he called his servants in for an accounting. Two were able to report advances in the value of his stock, and both of them received warm commendation for their faithful stewardship. A third confessed that he had been afraid to risk his pound, that he had laid it away in a napkin, or hidden it beneath his mattress, or buried it ...

3. Paul's Chains Advance the Gospel

Philippians 1:12-30

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

... trial and that his case was due to come up for hearing soon before the supreme tribunal of the empire. How was he faring right now? And what would be the outcome of the hearing when once it took place? How, moreover, would its outcome serve to advance the gospel throughout the Roman world? Paul knows what is in their minds, and he proceeds to reassure them, to impart to them something of the confidence that fills his own heart as he contemplates the situation. 1:12 That the apostle to the Gentiles should be ...

4. Cha-cha-cha Christians: The Dance that Advances

2 Peter 1:12-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... prophetic voices found throughout scripture all testify to the plans of God as epitomized by Jesus Christ. The experience of the Holy Spirit is an “Aha!” moment for every disciple. Through the Holy Spirit God’s word becomes known as Divine Love in action. To advance through life, you need to dance. You can’t be a disciple of Jesus and be a wallflower. Moving through the life of faith as though it were more of a dance, with an exciting, exhilarating “Cha-Cha-Cha” rhythm, is what moves us forward ...

5. Good Advance People

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Illustration

Alex Stevenson

... . The problem was his friend wasn't very good. Often times the advertisements were muddled and even wrong. Once during a whistle stop tour no one showed up, not even the mayor of the town they were in and the mayor was a supporter. The problem was that this advance man had failed to tell anyone that the candidate was coming. The others who worked for the candidate began to wonder why he kept this guy around. In the last days of the campaign it all fell apart. In the end the candidate lost the election by a ...

6. An Advance Man

John 1:1-18

Illustration

Paul E. Flesner

... and near the place he will be appearing. They go over each building with a fine tooth comb from roof to basement in their efforts to prepare for his safety. They are called "Advance Men." They work invisibly behind the scenes to make sure that everything is ready for the big event that is about to take place. In today's Gospel we encounter an "advance man." However, he's not a member of the Secret Service. He's not preparing for a visit from a head of state. He's not checking out parade routes to assure ...

Some people will do anything for their advancement except work for it.

Lawrence Le Shan

8. Answered In Advance

Illustration

Staff

... as we opened it. Much to their surprise, under some clothing was a hot water bottle! Immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to dig deeper, exclaiming, 'If God sent that, I'm sure He also sent a doll!' And she was right! The heavenly Father knew in advance of that child's sincere requests, and 5 months earlier He had led a ladies' group to include both of those specific articles."

9. Ancient Advanced Technology

Humor Illustration

... outdone by the New Yorkers, a California archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet and shortly after, a story in an LA newspaper read: "California archaeologists discover 200 year old copper wire, have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the New Yorkers." One week later, a local newspaper in Tennessee reported the following: "After digging as deep as 30 feet in his pasture near Bells, Tennessee, Harlan Roadgrinder, a self-taught ...

10. Advance into Europe

Acts 15:36-41

Sermon Aid

CSS

Paul’s second missionary journey got off to a bad start. After several months at Antioch, Paul suggested to Barnabas that they retrace their steps over the route they had followed on the first journey. This would enable them to present to each congregation the message from the council at Jerusalem and also to revive and strengthen the faith of their earliest converts. Barnabas wanted to take with them John Mark, the young mam who had begun the first journey with them but had withdrawn from it in Pamphylia ...

11. Advancement

Ecclesiastes 4:13-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The fourth subunit begins uniquely with a better-than saying, which introduces the evaluative comparison between two successive monarchs (4:13–14). King 1 is old but unexpectedly foolish, no longer receptive to corrective advice. King 2 is still a youth and of ignoble birth but nevertheless wise and therefore “better.” The Hebrew word for “poor” in verse 13 and 9:15–16 refers to one’s lowly social status (i.e., a commoner) rather than to one’s financial situation. King 2 was born into poverty in King 1’s ...

12. Advancement is Meaningless

Ecclesiastes 4:13-16

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Huwiler

The Human Dilemma: The segments in this section are connected by the theme of the human individual, both in isolation and in relationships within social, familial, and religious systems. A concern with labor and material prosperity connects this section with the rest of the book. The development of thought is difficult to follow, though, and interpreters disagree not only about the logic of the argument but even about the claims that Qohelet is making. Acknowledging these difficulties, the reader can find ...

13. The Advance Miner

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

The following story was told by Robert Hughes from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. Dr. Hughes' father was a coal miner in northeastern Pennsylvania. His job was to check the mines for methane gas before the miners went down into the mines. Every morning he would descend alone into the mines, taking with him the safety light, and he would check out each of the tunnels and shafts of the mine to make sure that there was no deadly methane gas present. Of course, if the light of the safety ...

14. Weeping and Mourning

Micah 1:8-16

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... p. 40). A similar wordplay occurs in verse 11a–b. Shaphir, whose location is unknown, sounds like šeper, “beautiful.” But far from being beautiful, its inhabitants will be deported in nakedness and shame. Zaanan, whose location is also unknown, is so terrified by the advance of the enemy that its troops will not even go out to fight, verse 11c–d, and their fear is captured in the name of their city, which sounds like the Hebrew word for “go out.” The same passivity before the enemy is exhibited ...

15. Would You Make a Good Witness? (Ascension Day)

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... that Murray cared. Do your neighbors know that you care about them? How about your friends, the people at work, your own family members? To witness for Christ you must be credible, you must be caring. And you must be committed. “We’re supposed to be advance persons for Jesus,” says Andrew Greeley. “Sometimes you wonder why he doesn’t fire us.” We all are guilty, aren’t we? We’re silent witnesses for Christ for the most part. Members of the secret service in the army of God. We don’t wear ...

16. Putting Ourselves in the Picture

Matthew 13:44-46

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... another would tell you about dreams that turn into empty dust when he reached the top because it didn’t give the meaning that he thought it would give. Do you hear what I’m saying? Do you hear what I’m saying? The good things we pay for in advance, but the bad, the evil, our failure, we usually pay for on the installment plan; and that’s the reason we added our second scripture lesson today. What will it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? We need to close now. But ...

17. There Is a Price for Everything, Part 2

Matthew 13:44-46

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... a terrible way, illustrates the truth that the evil things that we do have price tags on them, and we’ for every one of them.” (C. Roy Angell, The Price Tags of Life, Dr. Angell suggests this formula about evil in installment plans and goodness paid for in advance.) Bring it home. I could introduce you to at least three alcoholics here today who would tell you their own unique story of paying for a life given over to the slavery of alcohol. I could sit you down with a dozen men who would tell you their ...

18. But When God ...

Galatians 1:11-24

Sermon

April Yamasaki

... describes his former life. In his former life, he used to persecute the church of God and tried to destroy it. But God gave him a new way of seeing, and now he is preaching the faith and planting churches. In his former life, Paul had been advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of his own age. But now he is being thrown out of synagogues for preaching Christ. In his former life, he had been extremely zealous for all the religious traditions that had been handed down generation after generation. But now he is ...

19. Cain and Abel

Genesis 4:1-26

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... . Or humans may become so arrogant about the monuments they build that God must bring some kind of judgment on that cultural center, as was the case with the Tower of Babel (11:1–9). Or the citizens of a city may use the urban environment for advancing the pursuit of pleasure, as was the case in Sodom (13:13; 18:20–21). Thus cities can develop such a self-sufficient culture that their citizens come to live without regard for either God or high moral standards. Cities then have the potential of becoming ...

20. Turn on the Lights

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Paul E. Flesner

... That statement may not seem to mean as much 2,000 years later as it did back then. That's because we already know the ending to the story, which they didn't. Our world has already been visited by the Holy One from God. We don't need an "advance person" to prepare his way like they did. Or do we still need to listen to John the Baptist? Perhaps there is something in his message that we are taking for granted. That is a problem with the familiar -- we fall into a sense of complacency. As a result, Christmas ...

21. A Workman Approved by God

2 Timothy 2:14-26

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... in these letters; see disc. on 1 Tim. 2:2). See discussion on 3:9, where in a great burst of confidence similar to verse 19 in this paragraph, Paul asserts that “they will make no more progress.” 2:17–18 Not only do these people themselves “advance the more in asebeia,” but their teaching (see disc. on v. 16) also spreads so as to bring about the ruin of others. Teaching (Gk., logos) here stands in contrast to the “message [logos] of God’s truth” in verse 15. In keeping with the medical ...

22. Judgment Against Israel

Hosea 5:1-15

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... Assyria’s devastation of the country. That is the word that Hosea has heard from Yahweh, and it is a certain word, that is, it will come to pass. The judgment announced is not only against Ephraim, however, for Judah too is guilty, because as it has advanced northward into Ephraim it has removed the boundary stones that marked out each tribe’s allotment of land from Yahweh at the time of the conquest under Joshua. The land has been Yahweh’s gift to his people. He, as Lord of the earth, has fixed its ...

23. More Certain Than a Tom Brady Pass

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... give to God, He will use for His purposes. So, what would happen if you gave everything to Him? God made you for a sacred purpose. You can’t un-hear that truth. Every moment you are alive is a sacred opportunity to do good works that God prepared in advance for you to do. The only obstacle standing between you and God’s sacred purpose is your willingness. Will you give every part of your life to God? Will you refuse to let fear shrink your vision? If so, God can use you to bring hope and salvation to ...

24. Uplifted By The Blues

Lamentations 1:1-22

Sermon

Thomas G. Rogers

... him. He sensed that they made subtle efforts to avoid him. Everything seemed to crash in on Raymond at once. He was devastated by loneliness and failure. He felt that he had failed as a husband and father. He also realized that he had probably advanced as far as he would ever advance in his work, which wasn't nearly as far as he had imagined for himself. A mid-life crisis and the loss of his family combined to make Raymond one very miserable person. He turned to his friends for comfort and support. They all ...

25. Time and Stewardship

Sermon

Larry Powell

... staged theatrics occurring on a barren mesa in Arizona. But then, for every one of those folks, there are those at the opposite end of the scale who insist that extra-terrestrial beings not only exist but are here now, on this planet, in an advanced, invisible form. However you regard such speculations and claims, it is humbling to realize that the little earth upon which we live occupies about as much space in the universe as a single grain of sand on the beach. The universe, or cosmos, is so incredibly ...

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