Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: captured, trapped, catch, took, arrested, grabbed, taken, seized, stuck, apprehended, picked up, entangled, nabbed, jammed, abducted, acquired, got, bagged, gotten, netted, cornered, appropriated, tangled, snared, ensnared

Antonyms: free, freed, unconfined, loose, unrestrained, set free, uncuffed, emancipated, enfranchised, released, ambiguous, flaccid, let go, discharged, unbound, uncaged, unchained, unfettered, unleashed, unshackled, untied, avoided, discounted, disregarded, missed

Showing 1 to 25 of 91 results

1. No Freudian Slip!

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... that this fellow had to see me immediately and in private. It was then that Ronald Reed told me a most extraordinary story. He was apologetic and self-conscious. He had just been discharged from St. Vincent's Hospital. He had been a patient there, receiving dialysis courtesy of government welfare. He pulled out his discharge papers and showed me that his story was true. He then rolled up his shirt sleeves and showed me his forearms, both grossly misshapen and discolored, skin bulging with huge lumps, the ...

2. What’s Inside Comes Out!

Mark 7:1-23

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

... the other extreme: a boy was raised by a mother who showed him no affection, no love, no discipline. He was a “loner” in school. The girls teased him and the boys beat him up. He joined the marines but only found abuse there and, eventually, was dishonorably discharged. He married and tried to have a family, but his wife hated him. He lost all sense of self-worth. Maybe you’ve guessed his name. One day it was November 22, 1963 he went out into the garage, took a rifle, drove into Dallas, and put two ...

3. Freedom Can Be Frightening

Leviticus 25:8-55

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

... we say of the recently disclosed fact that our men who have served in Vietnam are returning to us as dope addicts, that up to 20% of the men being discharged after service in Southeast Asia are hooked on heroin? What shall we say of a man like Peter Lemon, who, last year, was given a promotion in rank, an honorable discharge, and was awarded the nation’s highest decoration, the Congressional Medal of Honor, for what appeared to be almost incredible and impossible feats of heriosm in battle after he had ...

4. The Christ Of Healing

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

King Duncan

... was admitted to the hospital on the verge of death. He had heard that the drug Krebiozen might be a wonder drug, though, and it was given to him in the hospital. His improvement was dramatic, and after a short stay in the hospital he was discharged and sent home. But then the man read a report that Krebiozen was probably ineffective, and he suffered a severe relapse. He returned to the hospital where the physicians restored his faith in Krebiozen, and he was given a number of injections. But the injections ...

5. The Longest Table in the World

1 Corinthians 10:14-22

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... so he could go home to help with the harvest. He talked with the captain of his unit, and the captain gave him a furlough to go to Washington to ask the President of the United States for that discharge. The young man went to Washington. On the steps of the White House, he met a guard. He told the guard that he needed to talk to the President. The guard said, "Are you crazy? He''s busy with other matters. Tell me your problem." After the soldier explained, the ...

6. Fulfill Your Ministry

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... all the duties of your ministry.” Another translation of that closing word is simply, “Fulfill your ministry.” I’m not sure that all parts of this verse are necessarily distinctive calls – all of them have to do with discharging all the duties of our ministry. However, I believe Paul’s conviction was that we could not fulfill our ministry without doing the work of an evangelist. Do we need to remind ourselves of what the work of an evangelist is? An evangelist is one who shares in word, deed ...

7. How to Turn the Ballot into a Blessing Box

Proverbs 29:2

Sermon

James Merritt

... curious concerning the characters of public men.3 If I could quote Noah Webster just one more time, listen to what he said: All history is a witness of the truth of the principle that good morals are essential to the faithful and upright discharge of public functions. The moral character of a man is an entire and indivisible thing—it cannot be pure in one part and defiled in another…corruption of morals is rapid enough in any country without a bounty [an encouragement] from government. And…the Chief ...

8. Building Relationships

Matthew 18:15-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... property owner for all I could get, this same doctor treated me and insisted that I stay in the infirmary. He then made twice‑daily visits to see how I was doing, which made me suspicious. I complained to his supervisor and filed a sexual harassment suit. I was discharged in January, and the doctor asked if I would like to see a movie to celebrate. I told the police he was a stalker and applied for a restraining order. When the doctor asked me to marry him in the same chapel where we first met, I called ...

9. Why Believe the Bible?

John 17:17

Sermon

James Merritt

... got from the hands of the doctor. Today, any doctor will tell you, you always wash hands in running water to make sure that every germ is totally washed away. Guess what we read in Leviticus 15:13? "Now when the man with the discharge becomes cleansed from his discharge, then he shall count off for himself seven days for his cleansing; he shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in running water and will become clean." (Leviticus 15:13, NASB) Jesus said, "Your word is truth." (John 17:17, NASB) III ...

10. It's Not Rocket Science

John 8:31-41

Sermon

James Merritt

... water, because they did not realize that even if you wash your hands in a bowl of water you leave invisible germs on your hands. Well, Doctor God has known about that all along, because he said, “And when the one with a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count for himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes. And he shall bathe his body in fresh water and shall be clean.” (Leviticus 15:13, ESV) The word for “fresh” there literally means “running.” Let me give ...

11. Seven Habits Of Highly Effective Christians

2 Kings 5:1-27

Sermon

William L. Self

... ; the nodules would appear, especially in the face and the folds of the cheeks, nose, and forehead. The whole appearance of his face would change. Then the nodules would become larger and larger. Eventually they would ulcerate, and from them the foul discharge would come. The eyebrows would fall out, the eyes would stare, the vocal cords would ulcerate, and the voice would become hoarse and the breath wheezing. Muscles would waste away, tendons contracting until the hands became like claws. After that would ...

12. The Face Of God

Isaiah 55:1-13

Sermon

Steve Burt

... exchange for a bowl of lentil soup. Pretty shrewd. In another incident we see something similar happening, not with the birthright, but with the father's blessing. In this other story father Isaac is near death and can barely see any longer. He wants to discharge his fatherly blessing, something very important and powerful. By rights it should go to the elder son Esau. But Jacob sneaks into his father's tent dressed in Esau's clothes. He disguises his voice so it sounds like his brother's, takes advantage ...

13. An Untouchable God?

1 Samuel 6:1-7:1

Sermon

Robert Noblett

... , would result in the death of any who violated those methods. Describing the duties of the Levite clan of Kohat, the group charged with carrying the ark, two verses from Numbers 4 will give us a sense for the gravity that was to accompany the discharge of this responsibility: Their service involves the most holy things. (Numbers 4:4) The Kohath clan must not touch the sacred objects, or they will die. (Numbers 4:15) The Unfolding Drama David and a large company of people are dancing and singing as the ...

14. A Scholar · Nicodemus

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Gordon Pratt Baker

... the taint of its president's guilt by association. It was a sobering fear and, left to his own thoughts, Nicodemus could not shake it. Indeed, he apparently spent hours vainly agonizing over it. As a consequence he had come to the conviction he could not discharge the fear alone. So, impressed with what he had seen of Jesus, he decided to seek the Galilean's counsel. Nor would he have found it difficult to do so. For the Master was pursuing a practice common in Israel that would have provided Nicodemus easy ...

15. Marked For Ministry

Sermon

George Bass

... a priest of Jesus Christ? Probably not, although the priesthood of all believers is a cardinal doctrine of the Lutheran church and some other churches. Priesthood is more than having direct access to God in prayer; it is also the discharge of ministerial responsibilities by the faith. Ministry is a matter of response, commitment, and self-sacrifice. Jesus -- now as then -- gathered disciples around himself, calling for complete commitment in terms of “the cross”: “If any man (woman) would come after ...

16. The Clop, Clop, Clop of a Donkey

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... , cynical, angry at the world because he had lost a leg in the Vietnam struggle, the soldier had not let his family and fiancee know the extent of his injuries, and he was determined not to let them know. He had decided not to go home after his discharge, but to lose himself in another part of the country. As a cripple, he could not face those he had known and loved. Noel talked with the young man day after day, week after week. He told him about his own injuries and his difficulties adjusting. Gradually ...

17. Of Preachers and Preaching

Micah 1:8-16

Sermon

... of our theological seminaries today, or speaking in one of our retreats for pastors, we can imagine the direction of his challenge. It is not at all likely that he would leave the impression that ministerial responsibility is adequately discharged in the stereotyped processes that have been described as "hatching, matching, patching, and dispatching." An especially insightful and frustrated preacher of whom I know must have taken his cue from Micah. What the people of his congregation needed, he declared ...

18. A Joyful New Beginning

John 20:1-9

Sermon

... to do it himself, so as to relieve the doctor of any moral responsibility. However, the doctor refused. He said that someday Mr. Hook would appreciate how unwise that request made in a state of pain and suffering really was. One month later Professor Hook was discharged from the hospital, and in six months' time he had regained the use of his arms and legs and voice. He went back to work as a writer and philosopher, for he still had contributions to make. As he reflects upon this apparent healing, Mr. Hook ...

19. Salt and Light

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

... , and hosted the event. I INVOLVE MY RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY WITH MY PEOPLE. I cannot say how grateful I am to the youth and adults of Belmont United Methodist Church. Their generosity has been overwhelming. In the late winter, they helped a lady who was discharged set up her apartment. The church members provided some much needed furniture. The youth helped her paint her apartment. A church family loaned her a bike for transportation. On several Sundays a family gave her a ride to and from church. In June, the ...

20. Is Jesus Still in the Healing Business?

Luke 4:38-44, Luke 4:31-37

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... is on a first-name basis. Doctors and nurses are selected carefully and encouraged to get involved with the patients, to really care about them. Calvary’s statistics are impressive. 50 percent of the patients double their anticipated life span. 15 percent are discharged. Some of the patients discover at Calvary for the first time people who really care. Calvary’s secret is love. Most people will keep on struggling against fierce odds if they know that even one other person really loves them. THE FOURTH ...

21. The Danger of Being Religious

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... enslaves by literalism and legalism as well as fundamentalism. In cases like these, religion is a burden and a curse. It is a religion of rules and regulations: Don’t do this and don’t do that! Recently a serviceman was given an honorable discharge because he refused to roll up his sleeves when ordered because he claimed his religion forbade him to unduly expose his body when women were present. There is a Fundamentalist college in Greeneville, South Carolina, that prohibits its 6,000 students to drink ...

22. Separation of God and State?

Isaiah 44:24--45:25

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... magazine, forty-three percent found tax cheating to be acceptable and twenty-five percent admitted they cheat on paying taxes. In fact, it is the "in" thing to do! This is a moral problem of plain, common honesty and of a failure to realize and discharge a citizen’s responsibility. We not only cheat and lie but we also steal. A person in America is robbed every fifty-eight seconds. A burglary takes place every eight seconds. Moreover, it is popular today to steal from stores in terms of shoplifting. Each ...

23. What Form of Church Does God Want for the Furture?

Romans 12:1-8, Romans 12:9-21

Sermon

Raymond Gibson

... at the hotel, he approached an elevator, something he had never seen. He watched as a very large woman walked into the elevator. The door closed, what appeared to be a single hand on a large clock made a revolution, and the door opened again, this time discharging an attractive, curvaceous young lady. The astonished farmer ran to the nearest phone, called his wife, and said: "Martha, pack your bag and get here as quick as you can! I found a place where you can get that form we’ve been wantin’ all these ...

24. Are You Under Arrest?

Heb 5:11-13; 10:39

Sermon

Robert Noblett

... gospel that the Spirit of the Lord has sent him "to proclaim release to the captives," I don’t think he was talking only about those who were in the Jerusalem jail. I think his words are meant for me and you too. His very life was intended to discharge people from the prisons of their own making - the prison of sin, the prison of illusion, the prison of despair. "A Lady Named Olive" is a modern parable written by Pat Ryan, and it is really the story of a jailbreak. A lady named Olive owned two shopping ...

25. At the Door of the Church

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... I come to something that bores me?" The minister responded to the young man in this way: "Well, Bob, do you only pay your bills and your rent when you feel like it?" Needless to say, the young man grasped his point. Worship is a debt to be discharged regardless of how we feel. It is giving the Lord the glory due unto his name. In response to the young man’s finding worship to be boring, much can be said. This particular young man found worship to be boring because he had never prepared for it adequately ...

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