Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: contest, tournament, match, game, round, heat, fixture, event, meet, encounter, rivalry, competitiveness, vying, contesting, opposition, contention, conflict, feuding, battling, fighting, struggling, strife, war, opposing side, other side, other team, field, enemy, foe

Showing 1 to 25 of 544 results

1. How to Deal with Friends, Foes, and Fools

Proverbs 27:6

Sermon

James Merritt

... The following statement will be bitter to the taste, hard to swallow, and difficult to digest, but better to take the medicine now than to allow the cancer of bitterness to destroy you; never wish ill on your enemy and leave revenge to God. God can handle your foes and punish them far better than you ever can. When you try to take matters into your own hands, you not only dam up God's anger, but you hold back his vengeance. (vv.17-18) Revenge is God's business, not ours. Paul put the matter succinctly, yet ...

2. The Lord’s Anger Against Nineveh

Nahum 1:1-15

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... to decide whether they want to be people to whom verse 7 applies or people to whom verse 8 applies. The antithesis and the implied choice are paralleled in Isaiah 50:10–11. 1:9–11 Now for the first time Nahum offers some indication of what makes foes into foes. Plot against is an over-translation. The verb is a regular one meaning think, think up, or plan (KJV has “imagine”) and the preposition is ʾel, which has broad meaning. Isaiah 10:7 uses the verb (in the qal, not the piʿel as here) to refer ...

3. The Beginning

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... moon, and the stars were mighty forces in God’s heavenly army. At creation they were members of the heavenly chorus that sang praises glorifying God’s work (Job 38:7). God, the director of their course (Isa. 40:26), could marshal them to help defeat Israel’s foes (Judg. 5:20). Psalm 121:6 reflects both the fears of the ancient Hebrews that on a long journey the sun or moon might strike them and their faith that God would prevent this from happening. 1:21 While there is no hint of conflict during God ...

4. Passion Sunday

Mk 14:1 - 15:47 · Isa 50:4-9 · Phil 2:5-11 · Ps 31:9-16

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... fast in holy purpose against the onslaughts of a cynical world. Outline: Give examples of the power of the word (Martin Luther King). God gave his servant the power to encourage through God's word. God's word made his servant a fortress of strength against the foe. Give a contemporary witness of the power of God's word. Sermon Title: High Noon. Sermon Angle: High Noon was one of the stellar movies of the 1950s. Like most westerns, the battle between the good guys and the bad guys composes the core of the ...

5. When Life Tumbles In

Mark 13:1-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... in this world is sure--God's great love for us as revealed in Jesus Christ. How quickly our world can be ripped apart. Here's how we cope with a changing world. It is not easy, but it is sure: Fall back on your faith; stand up to your foes. Look for God's hand. And let God give you the victory. 1. The Associated Press, 07/09/03. 2. Uncle John's Ahh-Inspiring Bathroom Reader (Ashland, OR: Bathroom Readers' Press, 2002), p. 17. 3. "Bound by Love" by Kristi Denton, Guideposts, December 1999, pp. 2-6. 4. "The ...

6. “I Will Praise Your Name, Lord, for It Is Good”

Psalm 54:1-7

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... army realize that David could have killed the king as he slept but refused to put forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed, Saul acclaims David’s integrity and his future success (1 Sam. 26:21–25). The portrait of the “arrogant foes” (54:3), “ruthless people” (54:3), and “those who slander” (54:5) harmonizes well with the story of the Ziphites who sought to betray David. Interpretive Insights Title With stringed instruments. This phrase (bineginot) appears in the titles of Psalms 4; 6 ...

7. Why Must We Carry A Cross?

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

Brett Blair

... he rejects Peter outright calling him a tool of Satan and says, you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men. Jesus is up against a formidable foe. And in the end this foe may posses more power then he. But the foe is not Peter and it’s not the Sanhedrin or Pontius Pilate, or Rome. This formidable foe is not even Satan himself. The powerful enemy of Jesus is our quest for positions of rank and status. To address the confusion Jesus pulls his disciples together and brings them before a ...

8. Let's Get Ready to Rumble

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

James Merritt

... ; other than that he is a great military man. Well let me give you some good news. Satan is not omnipotent, Satan is not omnipresent, Satan is not omniscient, but God is all three. Satan is not sovereign, but God is. But other than those qualifications he is a powerful foe. "But greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." You see, we have an advantage over Satan. It is the armor of God. I want you to imagine sitting on a warship and putting your hand against the wall, which in navy language is ...

9. Explore the Evidence

Acts 1:1-3

Sermon

James Merritt

... keep Him in the tomb, not get Him out of it. If they indeed did take the body all they had to do was produce the body to show that Jesus hadn't been raised from the dead. The truth is – His friends could not remove the body and His foes would not remove the body. I know what a judge would say in this instance – "Objection Overruled!" c. Lives Were Changed There were a tremendous number of different people who were willing to bear witness they had seen Jesus Christ alive. In fact, when you put all the ...

10. We Are At War

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

James Merritt

... other than that he is a great military man." Well let me give you some good news. Satan is not omnipotent, Satan is not omnipresent, Satan is not omniscient, but God is all three. Satan is not sovereign, but God is. But other than those qualifications he is a powerful foe. "But greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." You see, we have an advantage over Satan. It is the armor of God. I want you to imagine sitting on a warship and putting your hand against the wall, which in navy language is ...

11. Why Must We Carry a Cross? - Sermon Starter

Mark 8:27-38

Illustration

Brett Blair

... , he rejects Peter outright calling him a tool of Satan and says, you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men. Jesus is up against a formidable foe. And in the end this foe may posses more power then he. But the foe is not Peter and it's not the Sanhedrin or Pontius Pilate, or Rome. This formidable foe is not even Satan himself. The powerful enemy of Jesus is our quest for positions of rank and status. To address the confusion Jesus pulls his disciples together and brings them before a ...

12. The Glory of the Cross

Galatians 6:11-18

Sermon

James Merritt

... that I wanted!” When Jesus spoke of his crucifixion, he said, “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” (John 12:31) Ever since the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, Satan has been a defeated foe sailing a sinking ship. But notice Paul goes on to say, “I have been crucified to the world.” (v.14c) Now crucifixion is one form of death that you cannot inflict upon yourself. You can shoot yourself, drown yourself, hang yourself, stab yourself, poison yourself ...

13. Deliverance and Destruction

Micah 5:5-15

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... 10:8–12 (cf. 1 Chron. 1:10) as a somewhat legendary figure and “mighty warrior” who was the hero-founder of the great eastern empires that threatened Israel during much of its existence. The intention of verse 6a–b, therefore, is simply to portray any foe who would endanger Israel’s life. Verse 5a can be read, “And this (one) shall be peace,” referring back to the messianic king of verses 2–4. It is clear then from verse 6c that this messianic king will be the deliverer of Israel from any ...

14. “You Have Given Me the Heritage of Those Who Fear Your Name”

Psalm 61:1-8

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... not informed about the problem, except that it is evidently, like the occasion for Psalms 42–43, related to the psalmist’s “foe” (61:3b). Not generally included in the royal psalms, it nevertheless contains the beautiful prayer on the king’s behalf in ... he is in a crisis, he evidently does not want that to become center stage. In fact, he refers to the enemy only one time (“the foe,” 61:3). Rather, he wants God and his trust in God to be the focus of the psalm and the focus of his life. At this ...

15. A Hymn of Yahweh’s Kingship, an Oracle of David’s Kingship, and a Lament over David’s Defeat

Psalm 89:1-52

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... direct address to God (you spoke and you said), thus incorporating the divine speech into the people’s praise. Yahweh bestows on the Davidic king the same elements that are inherent to his own kingship: exaltation (vv. 16–18 and 19b–21), the crushing of foes (vv. 9–10 and 22–23), and supremacy (vv. 5–8 and 24–27). These promises give particular attention to how the Davidic monarch will stand relative to enemies and other peoples. In battle, he will subdue them and he will establish an empire ...

16. A Non-anxious Presence

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... 45,000 in a matter of minutes. Disease continues to steal the lives of not just children, but many whom we love. War now seems to be our default setting. Violence in our streets is still a threat. Drug abuse still lurks in the darkness. These foes will not be defeated by paralyzing fear and anxiety. If they can be defeated at all, they will be undone by passionate, well-ordered and committed people, led by non-anxious, faith-driven leaders. The gospel writer Mark would agree fully with Franklin D. Roosevelt ...

17. Easter 5

John 14:1-4, John 14:5-14, Acts 7:54--8:1a, Acts 17:1-9, 1 Peter 2:4-12

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... 1: Acts 17:1-15 (E, L) Paul and his message continues to stir up a certain element among the Jews. His life is threatened in Thessalonica, to the degree that his followers spirit him out of the city. Not finding Paul and his entourage, the foes of the Faith drag Jason and the other local followers of the Way to the authorities. The accusation they level against them is really quite accurate: those who have "turned the world upside down." In Beroea, the gospel is well received. At least, the members of ...

18. Proper 7

Mk 4:35-41 (5:1-20) · 2 Cor 5:14-21; 6:1-13 · 1 Sam 1:32-49 · Job 38:1-11, 16-18 · Ps 9

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... 's sword. But Saul's weapons were too heavy and cumbersome for the shepherd boy. Besides, he wasn't accustomed to them. David discarded these weapons in favor of the one that he had mastered, the sling. Selecting five smooth stones from the brook, he stood before the foe. Goliath was deeply offended that Saul had sent such an unworthy opponent. "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" (v. 43). David had the courage to respond, "You come to me with sword and with a spear and with a javelin; but I come ...

19. The Truth about Trouble

2 Timothy 4:16-18

Sermon

James Merritt

... be experienced, and that the glory of God be manifested. You can never be what God wants you to be, and God can never do in you and with you what He wants to do, without trouble. You see, the devil wants to bring trouble into your life as a foe. God wants to take that trouble and turn it into a friend. It will be a great day when many of us learn that adversity and trouble is not our greatest enemy. Someone said, "[Cripple] a man and you have Sir Walter Scott; lock him in prison and you have ...

20. When I’m In Trouble

2 Timothy 4:16-18

Sermon

James Merritt

... Jesus be glorified. You can never be what God wants to be and God can never do in you what He wants to do without trouble. You have got to learn to see trouble through the eyes of God. The Devil wants to bring trouble into your life as a foe. God wants to take that trouble and turn it into a friend. Remember this - God always has a purpose for trouble. You may not see it. You may not understand it, but God always has a purpose and always has lessons He wants to teach to you and a work ...

21. People Skills

Proverbs 12:26

Sermon

James Merritt

... children some incredible life lessons on how to build people skills and on how to relate to people. I discovered a while back, in the Book of Proverbs, that Solomon describes three types of people. He describes people who will be our friends, people who will be our foes, and then people who will simply be fools. How you relate to those three types of people (that we will all come in contact with) will determine how far we go in life. Here are the three keys on being a good and a wise people person. I. Be ...

22. Gateway to Grace

Joshua 5:9-12

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... , what follows is one of the spookiest passages in scripture, worthy of being shared around the campfire on a moonless night under a dark dish of stars. Someone is standing before Joshua, a man with a sword. He quickly tries to categorize this intruder. Friend or foe — my friend or my foe. "Joshua walked toward him and said to him, 'Are you on our side or on that of our enemies?' He replied, 'On neither side. I have come now as the captain of the army of Yahweh' " (Joshua 5:13-14 NJB). Joshua falls on his ...

23. The Call of Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1:1-19

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

... that if this oracle was given early in Jeremiah’s career, and if we suppose, as I believe we should, that Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry began in 626 B.C. (see Introduction), then the foe was unlikely to have been thought to be Babylon. This is a problem in part because it is clear that in later oracles Jeremiah finally identified the foe from the north as Babylon. In answer to this question, we first of all take note of the fact that, with the exception of Egypt to the south of Judah, all other possible ...

24. Judgment of Israel's Neighbors

Amos 1:1-2:5

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... the capital city on the upper course of the Jabbok, rather than sending fire, as in the other oracles. Moreover, Yahweh will fight against the Ammonites by means of a tempest and whirlwind; both of these are indications of God’s personal appearance or theophany as a warrior fighting foes (Ps. 83:15; Isa. 29:6; 66:15; Jer. 23:19; Nah. 1:3). The result will be that Ammon’s king and leaders will be carried into exile, though it is not said where. 2:1–3 Moab was located to the east of the southern half of ...

25. Witnesses Summoned Against Israel

Amos 3:1-15

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... is jarring to use such a simile in connection with God. But the figure is a healthy corrective for any society that believes that God is only a sweet lover or tender mother or succoring friend who overlooks every wrong. The God of the Bible is a terrifying foe of those who would make him less than Lord over every life and every thing. Second, God’s absolute sovereignty over history is affirmed in verse 6. While the Bible does recognize that some events take place by chance (Gen. 38:1; Ruth 2:3; 1 Sam. 6 ...

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