Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: touch, feel, sense of touch, tactile sense, tactility, contact, using one's hands, sensation, sense, suspicion, sneaking suspicion, notion, inkling, hunch, fancy, apprehension, presentiment, premonition, foreboding, love, care, affection, fondness, tenderness, warmth, warmness, emotion, sentiment, emotional state, compassion, sympathy, empathy, fellow feeling, understanding, concern, solicitude, solicitousness, tender-heartedness, brotherly love, sensibilities, sensitivities, self-esteem, ego, pride, opinion, belief, view, impression, intuition, instinct, estimation, guess, theory, hypothesis, thought, way of thinking, point of view, atmosphere, ambience, aura, air, mood, climate, character, overtone, undertone, tenor, spirit, quality, flavour, colour, aptitude, knack, flair, bent, talent, gift, skill, art, trick, faculty, ability, propensity, inclination, sensitive, warm, warm-hearted, tender, tender-hearted, caring, soft-hearted, sympathetic, compassionate, empathetic, responsive, receptive, intuitive, thoughtful

Antonyms: bad feeling, acrimony, animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, aversion, bitterness, detestation, disgust, dislike, disrelish, enmity, friction, grievances, grudges, hatred, hostility, loathing, malevolence, malice

Showing 226 to 250 of 323 results

226. No Pleasing Some People

John 12:1-8

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... valuable? In our society we have eliminated the sense of smell. We don't want strong odors. We mask them, eliminate them. Mary lived in a society that was not afraid of smells. Perfume was handy, especially with the need for quick burial in a warm climate. But then, in most societies people love strong odors. They love thick perfumes. They burn incense. The woman who washed the feet of Jesus knew exactly how much that oil was worth. This extraordinary item was being saved for a day in the future. Probably ...

227. Not Just Being Polite

John 6:25-35

Sermon

Scott Bryte

... purpose of thanking God. The colony was new and survival was anything but certain. Colonial settlements had collapsed or given up or just plain vanished before. But the harvest had been a good one in 1621. The colonists had learned to adapt to the climate of their new home. They were in good shape, with enough shelter and enough food to survive the harsh New England winter. The colonists were Puritans, a conservative group of Christian believers. God had clearly blessed them, and they knew it. They had been ...

228. When Faith Faces Disaster

Luke 15:1-10

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... combine in ways that make tropical storms more likely at this time of the year. The same is true of earthquakes, tornadoes, or floods. All of these are directed by the forces of nature. This is so in good times and bad and without respect to the moral climate or condition of the people who happen to be living in a region where disaster strikes. The God we meet in the pages of scripture is not this vicious, violent terrorist that some people want us to see (and terrorist really is the best word for that kind ...

229. Lent 5

Psalm 126:1-6, Isaiah 43:16-21, John 12:1-11, Philippians 3:4b-14

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... among all nations and tribes. As the global economy shifts, let us not destroy the earth. As profit becomes a vociferously demanding idol, let us not sacrifice children’s education and health anywhere in the global village. Bring renewed self-control out of climate changes and out of America’s imposition of Western democracy in eastern lands. Mothering God — Jesus of Nazareth trusted that you and he would establish a neighborly way for humankind to be in the world. We as human creatures have failed to ...

230. Proper 16

Psalm 71:1-6, Isaiah 58:9b-14, Jeremiah 1:4-10, Luke 13:10-17, Hebrews 12:18-29

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... our neighborhoods, responding with compassion to creatures in need. Some days we wonder what real compassion is. Help us not to be blinded by irresponsibility, by ethnic identities or by disease. Guide us through our questions and our dilemmas of climate changes, aging, children’s activities, relationships, loneliness, and soul health. Increase our self-control so that we do not abuse the earth and its gifts necessary for life. Amen. Benediction Life is a journey to Mystery. Experiment with multiple names ...

231. Acts of God?

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Brett Blair

... in ways that make tropical storms more likely at this time of the year. The same is true of earthquakes, tornadoes, or floods. All of these are directed by the forces of nature. This is so in good times and bad and without respect to the moral climate or condition of the people who happen to be living in a region where disaster strikes. The God we meet in the pages of scripture is not this vicious, violent, judgmental, capricious Force in the world. Instead, we meet a very different God in Scripture. John ...

232. Sing Praise

Colossians 1:15-23

Sermon

April Yamasaki

... had already received from God and had prayed so often in the Lord's Prayer: "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matthew 6:12). We Live Out God's Reconciliation As We Care For God's Creation Climate change, world energy prices, and other concerns have highlighted the need to take better care of our environment. "Reduce, re-use, recycle" have become common practices for many, and they make good sense practically, economically, and also spiritually. Economics and politics aside ...

233. Put on Some Clothes

Colossians 3:1-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... manger while smelly shepherds and lowing cattle fall on their knees on the straw floor; the one who is the Prince of Peace enters this world to the piercing cries from the Massacre of the Innocents. The HDTV’s, video games, airplane tickets to warm climates, and piles of new clothes cannot begin to compare to this true Christmas gift. The peace of Christ, born in a manger, lived out in the world, preached to the people, sacrificed on the cross, resurrected by God’s power. The Prince of Peace’s promise ...

234. Fire from Heaven

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... — richness, sweetness, and the right temperature combined under the right conditions. It’s a very simple recipe. Those three simple ingredients create a sublime dessert. Combined in human life, those three contributions of richness, sweetness and the right climate can transform a broken spirit and a sinful life into an inspired confection — rich in flavor and satisfying to the very center of the soul. No “artificial” ingredients required. David Loth’s book Lorenzo the Magnificent (1929) told ...

235. A Matter of Trust

Galatians 1:11-24

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Television news fared just a little better with 35 percent. I won’t even bother to cite statistics about how much trust people have in their government, particularly Congress. Here’s a shocker: even scientists are suspect nowadays, as the controversy over climate change would seem to indicate. People nowadays don’t trust their doctors, their bankers, or, I hate to say it even their clergy. The rapid rise in divorce rates indicates that even within the family trust is in short supply. The institution ...

236. Jesus Tempted In Us

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

David O. Bales

... . He was on the road to further achievement and greater acclaim. But he read the gospels about our true brother Jesus. He returned to college for six years to become a medical doctor. Then Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor Schweitzer went to the unhealthiest climate in the world to care for the neediest of the earth’s people. Friends thought he was crazy. The established church wouldn’t honor his ministry because of his unorthodox views. But the Paris Mission Society ceded a site for his hospital on ...

237. The Nano-Punch of Pentecost

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... the winter, which is often when the new comes, in the midst of winter, the soul most often coming to life in the wintry seasons of life. The church has its seasons. In the church our “seasons” are not determined by climate changes or a vernal equinox. Instead of fall, winter, spring, and summer, the church calendar recognizes seven “seasons:” Advent Christmas Epiphany Lent Holy Week Easter Pentecost Kingdomtide (unique to Wesleyans and Presbyterians) Unlike those other “four seasons” that neatly ...

238. All In: The Winning Hand

1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Sermon

James Merritt

... and finally came up with a way to burn the barrier and build a bridge. They sold themselves into slavery becoming slaves themselves so they could talk to the slaves. They worked at their sides facing the same brutal treatment, a harsh tropical climate, hunger and disease. They became slaves to share the good news of Jesus with people who otherwise would have lived in spiritual bondage and died without Christ. The colony did become Christianized, many of the slaves owners came to Christ and an incredible ...

239. Supernatural: Taken By Storm

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

James Merritt

... strange to you, but the safest place in the world at that exact moment, for those disciples was right there in that boat. Do you know why? Because, safety is not the absence of problems. Safety is the presence of Jesus. Now we come to the best part and the climatic part of the story which tells us one last comforting truth when we are in the storm and that is we should… III. Rely On The Power Of Jesus “And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and ...

240. Full Immersion

Acts 19:1-22

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of their fear that no tourists or townspeople would be buying their votives dedicated to Artemis. In his Epistle to the Ephesians, you learn from Paul’s metaphor of “armor” how Paul counteracted the mysterious temple rituals and the eroticized climate that permeated the everyday atmosphere Ephesus. All who lived in this city breathed air dominated by Artemis and her temple, her cult statue, and the secret rituals that commemorated the birth of Artemis, which proud Ephesians claimed had happened on ...

241. A Reminder to God...and to Us

Genesis 9:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... move to. You and all your family are going to drown. God is doing a system reboot and starting all over. Only one family in all the world will be left. It is a tragic story if you are not part of Noah’s family. [By the way, if climate scientists are anywhere close to being right, we will probably see something akin to that scenario in low lying nations in the near future. Few people question anymore whether the snow cap covering the South Pole is melting. I won’t argue with you whether warming is caused ...

242. I'll Never Forget That Night

John 13:1-17

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... ’s heart was hardened, sometimes, in fact, seemingly as an act of Yahweh. Could not Yahweh have provided a less destructive and deadly exit strategy for Israel? The plagues begin to make sense when they are viewed in the context of Egypt’s climate and culture. After the initial sparring with snakes to show magical skills, the stakes are raised far beyond human ability to merely manipulate the natural order. First the waters are turned to blood; then the marshes send out a massive, unwelcome pilgrimage ...

243. What Do You See?

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

James Merritt

... had been to the temple to serve and was on his way back down the mountain to Jericho where many of the priests lived. They would go to Jerusalem for a two-week assignment and then return to their homes in Jericho, because it was more of a coastal climate where the fruit and vegetables were abundant. Immediately optimism rises, because this man is a priest. He is a holy man, a righteous man and a religious man. Surely, he will be the first one to help. But, the moment he saw him he passed by on the other ...

244. Everything Counts

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

James Merritt

... accounts, so you had better account for your accounts wisely remembering that if you use what God has given you correctly it can do two things for you - have an eternal impact and give an eternal reward. That is what leads Jesus to make these two final climatic statements. “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches ...

245. Honor Code

James 2:10

Illustration

Michael P. Green

The honor code for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point is as follows: “A cadet does not lie, cheat, or steal; nor tolerate anyone who does.” The goal of the code is that cadets: Learn and practice the essential leader responsibilities of establishing a healthy ethical climate within a unit. This honor code is so stringent that even one violation at any time during the four years of study, including even the day before graduation, requires automatic expulsion of the guilty party.

246. The Church in Antioch

Acts 11:19-30

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... wall of hostility” between Jews and Gentiles and forming them both into the “one body of Christ” (Eph. 2:14ff.). 11:20–21 At first, the believers confined their preaching to the Jews (v. 19). But in Antioch, where the prevailing moral climate drove many to seek for something better, the Jews had attracted large numbers of Gentiles to their synagogues. Many became proselytes, but many more (as we suppose) remained “God-fearers” (see disc. on 6:5f. and notes), and before long some believers ...

247. In Pisidian Antioch

Acts 13:13-52

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... time. We must always keep in mind, of course, the summary nature of the narrative. But if in fact they did not stay there, it has sometimes been supposed that this was due to Paul’s falling sick and needing to hasten inland to a better climate. Ramsay infers from Galatians 4:13 that Paul was struck down by malaria (these coastal lands were notoriously subject to that disease) and that this was also the “thorn in my flesh” of 2 Corinthians 12:7 (Paul, pp. 94ff.). It must be questioned, however, whether ...

248. Paul the Roman Citizen

Acts 22:22-29

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... valued for the political rights it conferred. After the end of the reign of Claudius (A.D. 54), Roman citizenship became a much more common phenomenon, and it was the social advantages of citizenship that came to the fore. But Acts “breathes the climate of the earlier phase” (pp. 172f.). This is further borne out by the circumstances in which the commander obtained his citizenship. As noted, under Claudius, the privilege was often won by means of bribery, but under Nero this scandal was brought to an ...

249. Body

2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... suffering and dying, and (2) to stifle the critique of his opponents. Meanwhile, Paul’s present condition (we groan) is an expression of the “not yet” of the eschatological consummation as a result of his having received the Spirit. In a progressively climatic series, Romans 8:22–27 attributes groaning first to the creation in general, then to believers, and finally to the Spirit. The creation groans because it has been subjected to futility as a result of the fall. Believers groan, despite the fact ...

250. Manna and Quail

Exodus 16:1-36

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... question under consideration is “by what means did God provide this food?” Flocks of quail migrating between Europe and Africa still arrive exhausted on the Sinai Peninsula. Manna is thought by some to be a sweet excretion of some insects in arid climates (see Durham, Exodus, p. 224.). 16:23 The command to observe a Sabbath (“rest”) every seventh day appears here for the first time. “Sabbath” (shabbat) comes from the verb “rest” (shabat). It is not related to the word for “seven” (shib ...

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