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 251 to 275 of 693 results

251. Proper 26

Lk 19:1-10 · 2 Thes 1:5-12 · Ex 34:5-9 · Hag 2:1-9

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... of man came to seek ..." For salvation to become a fact, both parties need to seek. Zacchaeus was open to Jesus, eager to see and know him. Jesus was eager to save a soul. If we would be found of Christ, we need to be curious, open, eager, and receptive to him. 3. Salvation (v. 9). Jesus said that "salvation" came to Zacchaeus and his family. What does "salvation" mean? On the one hand, it means Christ has come into a person or family by a sheer act of grace. It is acceptance on God's part for Jesus' sake ...

252. Proper 10

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Bulletin Aid

... ! And we are glad to be a part of it. Pastor: Amen! No matter how ineffective our efforts may seem, there is always fertile soil which bears fruit for our labors. People: We will continue to sow the seed of faith, convinced that many will be receptive, and come into our Lord's kingdom. Collect Eternal God, whose kingdom continues to grow in spite of the threat of sin: Encourage us in our ministry, that we may overcome discouragement by confidence in your power at work through your church. We pray in Jesus ...

253. Proper 13

Matthew 14:13-21

Bulletin Aid

... the crowd. And Jesus needs his church today to help satisfy our world's deepest hunger. People: We give ourselves to our Lord to share in his ministry to our world. Collect Heavenly Father, whose Son is unlimited in his ability to satisfy our needs: Give us receptive hearts to his ministry on our behalf; and use us in his ministry to serve others who hunger for his Word. Thus may our world know the satisfaction of feeding on our Savior's love. In his name we pray. Amen. Prayer of Confession Dear Father, we ...

254. Proper 16

Matthew 16:13-20

Bulletin Aid

... that Peter could say that. That same faith can be ours. People: We do believe Jesus is the Son of God, our Savior! May our faith add to the strengthening of his church. Collect Eternal Father, who reveals the divinity of your Son to those who are receptive to faith: Give us such faith to know your Son as Savior; that we may build, with strong conviction, your church in our world. In our Savior's name we pray. Amen. Prayer of Confession There is no doubt in our minds, Father, that Jesus is your Son ...

255. Rules for the Redeemed

Exodus 20:1-21

Bulletin Aid

... Pastor: God is love, but his love requires the obedience of those he loves. People: We depend on God's love, but we also depend on his laws. Pastor: That's right. His laws are given that we might enjoy life at it's best. People: May we be as receptive to God's laws as we are to his love; and live in accordance with his will. Collect Eternal God, you have set us free to be your obedient children. Quicken us to obey your commands, and live in harmony with your will; that we may enjoy the blessings of ...

256. Proper 22

Matthew 21:33-46

Bulletin Aid

... have received God's blessings in abundance. May we be faithful in accepting Christ's call to live in obedient discipleship Collect Eternal God our Heavenly Father, who blesses us with love and life, and who asks us to surrender our lives to you: Give us receptive hearts to your Son, who came to claim us as your children, that we may enjoy your Kingdom forever. In our Savior's name we pray. Amen. Prayer of Confession Life is full of blessings because of your love, Father. But we become very possessive with ...

257. The Gospel is God's Message, Not Man's

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

Bulletin Aid

... message, not ours. People: We love to hear the stories of Jesus, for we know it is God's word, carried by human messengers. Collect Eternal God, whose word is spoken to each generation with the lips of persons called to speak on your behalf: Give us hearts receptive to the gospel; that we may know we have heard your word, and not that of human origin. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Prayer of Confession We need your word, O God, but much of what we hear, we give little thought to, because it comes with human ...

258. PROPER 29

Ezekiel 34:1-31, Matthew 25:31-46, 1 Corinthians 15:12-34

Bulletin Aid

... Pastor: Our Lord comes to us through servants who witness on his behalf. People: Many of his servants suffer with physical needs such as hunger, thirst, or sickness; and we fail to recognize our Lord. Pastor: The Judgment, Jesus said, separates those who are receptive from those who reject our Lord's witnesses. People: We do want to receive our Lord. May we be responsive as he speaks through the needs of our fellow men. Collect Almighty God, before whom we must stand in judgment: Heal the blindness of ...

259. The Lamb of God

John 1:29-34

Sermon

... to a wedding in a local Lutheran Church; their daughter was a bridesmaid for another Danish girl who was being married. A week or so later, her mother brought over pictures of the wedding, the wedding party, her daughter, and some of the people at the reception. "It was a lovely wedding," she said, "but I was a little put off by a couple of things that happened. Your customs are different from ours," she told us. "What put you off?" my wife asked her. “The pastor announced, 'I am pleased to present ...

260. Seventh Sunday of Easter

John 17:1-11, Acts 1:6-14, 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

Bulletin Aid

... of persons who need the ministry of the church are not heard over the noise of the church making itself at home in the world. Forgive us for our likeness to the world, when we have been called to transform the world by our likeness to Christ. Make us receptive to the power of your Spirit, that we may be the source of help in our world for which Christ prayed. In his name we pray. Amen. Hymns "God of Grace and God of Glory" "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" "One Holy Church of God Appears" "Walk in the ...

261. The Day of Pentecost

Isaiah 44:1-5, Acts 2:1-13, Acts 2:14-41, John 20:19-23

Bulletin Aid

... People: We are sent to bear witness to the love of God revealed through Jesus his Son, whom he raised from the dead. Pastor: God enables us to be faithful to our calling by giving us his Spirit to be our source of power. People: May God find us receptive to his Spirit, that he may equip us to fulfill our mission as his church. Collect O God, our heavenly Father, who gives life and power to your church through the gift of your Spirit: Inspire us with your Spirit to bear witness to our living Lord; that those ...

262. Is God With You, Or Not?

Exodus 17:1-7

Sermon

... ministry gets long, tiring, exhausting, and difficult, and I complain. I'm reminded that I ride in a comfortable car, instead of exposed to the elements on horseback. I sleep in a motel instead of under the stars. I go to churches where people are clean, receptive to the Word, feed me well (often too well), and work with good pastors who serve Christ and his church faithfully, often against long odds, and still keep the faith. But still, I sometimes find it hard; someone tells me right to my face they don ...

263. Easter 5

Acts 17:1-9, Psalm 33:1-22, Acts 17:10-15, 1 Peter 2:4-12, John 14:1-4, John 14:5-14

Sermon Aid

... brothers" to the authorities, who compelled them to post a security bond to guarantee that they would not harbor the two "Christian criminals" in their homes. Paul and Silas were whisked out of town after dark and sent to Berea, where they had a friendlier reception from the Jews. From there, leaving Silas and Timothy behind him, Paul went to Athens, and once there he sent back instructions asking Silas and Timothy to join him there. There was important work to be done in Athens, and he needed their support ...

264. Pentecost

Psalm 104:1-35, Joel 2:28-32, John 20:19-23, Acts 2:1-21

Sermon Aid

... , quoting the entire prophecy (verses 28-32), rather than just the first two verses of the text which are read in the Lutheran setting to emphasize the nature of the gift God gives in the Holy Spirit, which is offered to all faithful and receptive people by the Father. Acts 2:1-21 The Common and Lutheran lectionaries include the story of what happened on the day of Pentecost, plus the reaction of the crowd, which concluded that the Spirit-filled disciples were drunk. The Roman and Episcopal lectionaries ...

265. The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Zechariah 9:9-13, Exodus 1:1-22, Exodus 2:1-10, Romans 7:7-25, Romans 8:1-17, Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon Aid

... befall them. It is at that point that Matthew (and Luke) has Jesus saying, "I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou has hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes." Christ makes it perfectly clear that the reception of the good news is not an intellectual exercise, nor the dominion of the super-intelligent people, but is something that can best be grasped by those who are as humble and open to real faith as little children. Jesus brings the wisdom of God ...

266. All Saints' Day

Revelation 7:1-8, Isaiah 26:1-21, 1 John 2:28--3:10, Revelation 21:1-27, Matthew 5:1-12, Psalm 24:1-10, Psalm 149:1-9, Psalm 34:1-22

Sermon Aid

... today. Sustained by Word and Spirit, their work of witness and worship (the "blessed are's" of discipleship) gives evidence that they live by faith and, even today, some people will be called upon to die as martyrs for the faith. 4. Saints live in hope. The ultimate promise of reception by God the Father in heaven is hope, as it was that of all the saints and martyrs who have belonged to the body of Christ. The saints are really alive! Revelation 7:2-4, 9-12 (R); 7:2-4, 9-17 (E); 7:9-17 (C); - "Marked for ...

267. A Princely Passion

2 Samuel 13:1-22

Sermon

... the uprights. The disgraced princess was forced to take refuge with her brother Absalom. David revealed his parental pusillanimity by refusing to discipline the undisciplined rapist Amnon. Amnon sulked in his playboy mansion, while Tamar wailed her song of betrayed innocence into the receptive ears of revenge-minded Absalom. It is hard for us to find simple moralism in this tale. At least it does show that the Bible is honest in reporting on human sin. David and his family in no way resemble lily white gods ...

268. Advent 1

Matthew 24:36-51

Bulletin Aid

... who caught off guard even those who anticipated and expected him, and showered your grace in ways no one could have foreseen. Make us ready and watchful: that, whenever your unprecedented and unpredictable acts of redemption do come upon us, we may be open and receptive to all of their benefits. In the name of the coming Christ we pray. Amen Prayer of Confession God of reliable mercy, we confess that we often try to anticipate your acts of redemption and to figure out what your future holds, and that we ...

269. Fourth Sunday in Advent

Matthew 1:18-25

Bulletin Aid

... the Virgin-born we pray. Amen Prayer of Confession Caring God, we confess how often we let our values and standards, plans and objectives rule our lives, and our reluctance to let them be interrupted, even by your gracious interventions. Forgive us, we pray, and make us more alert and receptive to the many times you attempt to intrude into our pedestrian lives with redemptive events. Mindful of One of exceptional birth we pray. Amen

270. The Resurrection of Our Lord

Mt 28:1-10 · Col 3:1-4 · Acts 10:34-43 · Ps 118

Bulletin Aid

... song! People: GOD HAS BECOME OUR SALVATION! Leader: We therefore shall not die! People: WE SHALL LIVE TO RECOUNT GOD'S MIGHTY ACTS! Collect Gracious God, you have given us in Jesus' resurrection your most profound affirmation over all that would destroy us. Make us receptive and responsive to your Word of grace: that, our every obstacle overcome, we may lead new lives of purpose and peace. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen Prayer of Confession Most merciful God, we confess that our ears and hearts are ...

271. Proper 4

Matthew 7:15-23

Sermon Aid

... from us; we do this in our homes, in our congregational life, and toward other nations." Now, for a few minutes, consider how we can deal with our evil, sin, self-righteousness: 1. Recognize that "no one is righteous; not one." (Romans 3:10) 2. Reopen our receptivity to the pain of being wrong. 3. Recognize our part in pretending that we are always "right." 4. Relate ourselves to others in a pesonal way, that is, as persons, not as things. For the assurance of pardon, ask the choir to sing "My Soul Doth ...

272. Thanksgiving Eve/Day

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon Aid

... that your forgiveness has been granted to us. We thank you for the prespect of the harvest of love, joy, faith, peace in our hearts, because of your forgiveness to us and because of our forgiveness of each other. (Choral response) Introduce the reception of new life with this: "Thanksgiving is not counting our blessings, but making our blessings count." Conclude with this, or a similar response: Pastor: In Christ, we have heard the Good News. Ministers: The past is forgiven; our lives are accepted. Pastor ...

273. "The Return"

Drama

... does it take to cut you down? I am not interested; do I have to scream? Jesus No, don’t scream, please don’t scream. That would bring the authorities, and the last time I got involved with them it was rather unpleasant. You know, this is a kind of reception I hardly expected, and I’m at something of a loss as to what to do. I don’t suppose very many men have had to prove to their wives that they were in fact their husband. Might I perhaps appeal to some witnesses? Woman Oh, go ahead. I’ve ...

274. The Coming of the Lord

Luke 21:5-38

Drama

... : I’m sorry, but that information is classified - even I don’t know it. All I can tell you is [Announcement] THE COMING OF THE LORD IS IMMINENT! You have been allowed to know this so you can prepare yourselves and the rest of the world to give a proper reception. 3: How can we receive him properly, if we don’t know why he is coming? Angel: But he is coming, isn’t that enough! 3: Well, I don’t know. 1: Well, I’m sure not waiting around to live in "peace" with "pigs"! 3: Is that right! Well ...

275. City

Illustration

Donald McGavren

... , which became powerful in the small towns and oasis of the Arabian hinterland, the expansion of Christianity is inextricably associated with centers of power in the ancient world; Antioch, Ephesus, Corinth, Alexandria, Carthage, and Rome. St. Paul, evangelizing a receptive population - the synagogue communities, which lived by commerce in the cities - traveled from urban center to urban center. Eight of his epistles are titled by the names of the urban centers to which they were directed. Cities and larger ...

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