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 2776 to 2800 of 5000 results

2776. Setting His Face Toward Jerusalem

Luke 9:51-62

Sermon

King Duncan

... buy your way to popularity.” (1) It’s a shame Jesus didn’t have this technology in his day. In this passage in Luke 9, it looks like Jesus couldn’t even buy followers for his ministry. And the few followers he had didn’t understand his ministry at all. In verse 51, we read that Jesus “resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” A literal translation of this verse reads he “set his face towards Jerusalem.” Jerusalem, the capital city of the Jews, was the place where religious and political power met ...

2777. A Strange, New Math

John 17:20-26

Sermon

Glenn E. Ludwig

... ? Jesus answers: "So that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." God's purpose is fulfilled in that math, you see. Our oneness is a witness to the world of who Jesus is. People look to us to understand Jesus. Why? Because we claim to be his body. And further, the only way the world will know about his love for them is through us. We are the arms of the cross outstretched and growing, every time we join hands with others in love. Joined to Christ in baptism ...

2778. God Bless America

Illustration

Brett Blair

... 'clock the 3 or 4 TV stations would go off the air and we would hear sssssss, just noise and people would presumably go to sleep. Before then we saw a jet flying through the sky and a man with in very deep voice was saying something, i couldn't understand it, and the jet then turned skyward and flew seemingly into the heavens through the clouds and I remember what the man said, "...and saw the face of God." And then it melted into a black and white, because in those days we didn't have color TV. The flag ...

2779. Get the Garbage Out!

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... reality of Jesus Christ, who entered in. My top stopped spinning, and He gave me direction that lasts through eternity.” (9) “God smashed my heart open”—that sounds like a country song about someone who has just fallen in love. That’s what happens, though, when we understand who God is, and how much God loves us. And that’s what repentance does for us—it smashes our heart open, and we fall in love with God all over again. So, that’s John the Baptist’s message to us on this Second Sunday in ...

2780. A Bridge Between Two Worlds

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... get back up and keep running? He told them this parable to show them that they should always pray and never give up. This passage today about the persistent widow and the unjust judge is actually part of a larger teaching that is all about the kingdom of God. To understand this story in Luke 18, we have to go back to the end of Luke, chapter 17. In Luke 17: 20-37, Jesus warns his followers that the kingdom of God is coming and they need to be prepared because most people will not be ready for it. We will ...

2781. Lord of the Sabbath

Mark 2:23-3:6

Sermon

George Reed

... is particularly appropriate here. The problem that is addressed is greater than the issue about sabbath observance. It goes to a basic understanding of God's instructions to the people. Although the word torah, which refers in general to all God's instructions and ... God offers us. Paul talks about it as the freedom we have in Christ. We are not bound to the law, because in Jesus we understand that the law was made for us and not we for the law. The law is our servant in teaching us about God and how ...

2782. Trusting in the Goodness of God

Genesis 2:15-17, Genesis 3:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan

... trusting in God. I suspect all of us believe in God. The problem is that many of us really don’t trust God. What’s the difference? Trust means giving up control of your life to God. Trust means obeying God’s limits, even when you don’t understand them. Trust means knowing that God doesn’t owe you an explanation. If God says “Don’t eat from that tree,” then don’t eat from it. When God withholds some blessing or allows some suffering or does not answer a desperate prayer in the way you want ...

2783. Nicodemus Came By Night

John 3:1-21

Sermon

David & Marian Plant

... and so do we. We come under cover of night, when others are not around to overhear our questions, when others — who we are certain know more than we — will not see us wanting someone to speak plainly to us about things everyone else seems to already understand. And so we come at night. What did Jesus mean when he said...? This is probably a stupid question, but...? What does the Bible say about...? I was always taught, but now I wonder...? I just can’t get my head around.... We come metaphorically by ...

2784. I've Seen the Lord

John 20:1-9, John 20:10-18

Sermon

David & Marian Plant

... , you have seen the Lord on the television while watching a person marching for justice or doing a good deed. You have likely seen the Lord as you watch caregivers walk with your grandparent or parent through the stages of death. You may not understand the words, or perhaps even fully understand the importance of it all. But you have seen the Lord. On this Easter, why not make a new commitment to look closely around you? Look for the Lord. For you know this story. The Lord might not be where you are looking ...

2785. Should We Wash One Another's Feet?

John 13:31-38, John 13:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... nor powers, nor principalities, nor anything else in all creation could separate any of us from the love of God in Jesus Christ.” (1) That’s what the communion table of Christ is all about. Theologian N. T. Wright reminds us that, when Jesus wanted us to understand the cross he didn’t give us a theory or a theology, he gave us a meal. As Bishop Wright says: “We break bread and drink wine together, telling the story of Jesus and his death, because Jesus knew that this set of actions would explain the ...

2786. The True Story Wins

Matthew 28:11-15

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... clothes somehow. The stone was not rolled away allowing Jesus to “get out.” It was rolled away so that the women and the disciples could get in . . .and witness that the body of Jesus was not there. Bodily resurrection was vital to the Jewish understanding of resurrection. This clearly was a resurrection miracle. But that wasn’t all. Not only did the guards witness this odd occurrence of the empty tomb which sent chills down their spine, and an earthquake in which the stone seemed to roll back on its ...

2787. The House on The Rock

Lk 6:12-49 · Mt 5:1-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... a life alone, and you don’t build a faith alone. Those around us help us choose the right materials to build our faith. The Scriptures are best studied together, not solo. As we study The Story together, we learn from each other, we help each other understand what Jesus wants for our lives. We talk about our faith, and we support each other through the storms of life. We look for ways to build a better house as we worship together, pray together, and heal together. Together, we build each other up, and ...

2788. Revised and Revisioned

John 8:48-59, John 9:1-12, John 9:13-34, John 9:35-41, John 10:1-21

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will ...

2789. The Gardener

John 20:10-18

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... things to her. Image Exegesis: The Gardener “At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid.” (John 19:41) The images in John are vivid and very important to the understanding of Jesus as the Second Adam, sent by God to redeem humanity and bring them back into God’s garden life. The “garden” image is one of the oldest in scripture. From Genesis 2, God creates a garden into which God puts his creation of Adam and Eve ...

2790. Sim Lev!

Mark 13:1-31, Mark 13:32-37, Matthew 24:1-35, Matthew 24:36-51

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... her back to where her heart truly belongs. But the true power isn’t in the shoes. The true power is the love graven in her heart, and her heart’s desire to find the true meaning of home. Jesus wants his disciples to understand something very similar. Despite the darkness coming, despite the trials and tribulations he knows they will face on account of him, despite all of the turmoil he knows is in store, the chaos and confusion, the false prophets, and distractions, and misunderstandings, and misleading ...

2791. The Promise of Prayer

Luke 1:5-25

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... . How many of us too would love to put a “plus” into the mouth of those complaining against us, particularly when we are giving a treasured gift. “He who restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.” (Proverbs 17:28) The bottom line though –it isn’t Zechariah’s and Elizabeth’s righteousness that “earn” them a son. It’s God’s grace ...

2792. She Waits

Acts 1:1-11, Luke 24:50-53, Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... season of the coming of the Holy Spirit will be a time of preparation. In that time, we will learn the stories of scripture, learn about Jesus and what it takes to be the kind of disciples Jesus needs us to be. We will accumulate wisdom, grow in our understanding of what it means to be united in Christ as the Church, and we will build the household of God. And when the time comes, we will open our hearts and enter in to God’s final kingdom, clothed in His glory, and committed in Spirit, with wisdom and ...

2793. Lazarus Rising

John 11:1-16, John 11:17-37, John 11:38-44, John 11:45-57, John 12:1-11, John 12:12-19

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... God’s providence, the priests saw as Jesus’ and Lazarus’ contempt for them and for Jerusalem. Surely God was on their side. Right? Lazarus rising wasn’t a miracle, they said. It was a hoax. And the perpetrators and culprits had to pay! What they couldn’t understand is that when they saw Jesus as a threat, they also saw God as a threat. For this was God’s miracle! But wait a minute…. God’s miracles ARE threats, aren’t they? Sure they are. God’s miracles are real, BIG threats to people who ...

2794. Beautiful

John 20:19-23, Song of Songs 4:1-16

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... nard, nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh, and aloes, with all choice spices—a garden fountain, a well of living water, and flowing streams from Lebanon. Jesus Appears to His Disciples in a Locked Room (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to where they were staying. Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated ...

2795. The Catch

John 21:1-14, John 21:15-25, Acts 10:1-8, Acts 10:9-23a, Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... LOTS of reminding! It’s not about the food! It’s not literally about eating pork in addition to lamb, any more than Peter’s catch of fish was about choosing tilapia over trout or herring. Jesus is using a metaphor, a powerful one, that Peter can understand, to help him see what it means to “feed my sheep!” ALL my sheep! From there, Peter goes to see Cornelius, and his vision, his outlook, his view on things has changed. It’s hard to change those deeply embedded biases. Isn’t it? We all have ...

2796. The Sound of Joy

Genesis 17:1-27, Genesis 18:1-15, Genesis 18:16-33, Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... in laughter. That is spontaneous joy. Christians are people distracted by joy. Worship is a time when we express our joy of the Lord, the joy of Jesus’ presence, His gift of salvation, His love, and His grace. Many of us in the church have a problem understanding that kind of joy that the scriptures tell about. In fact, the scriptures command us to be joyful! “Make a joyful noise to the Lord!” (Psalm 66:1) “Be joyful in the Lord.” (Phil 3:1) “Clap your hands all nations; shout to God with cries ...

2797. Identity Crisis

Genesis 32:1-21, Genesis 32:22-32, Genesis 33:1-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... sometimes to be confident. But we also need to realize that in our relationship with God, God is the one in the lead. God is stronger. God is surer. We are the ones who lean. We are the ones with the limp. Sometimes it takes a struggle to understand that. Sometimes, we struggle with our own limitations, and our own illusions about what we can accomplish on our own….and what we truly cannot. But in the end, we must come to the conclusion that God, not we, must lead. That Jesus is the “leader” in the ...

2798. Third Day

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. Image Exegesis: Taste and See In order to understand Jesus’ ministry and mission….his meaning and identity, you have to understand the meaning of the Third Day, Water and Light, New Wine, and the Promise of the Vineyard, made by the Lord of the Vineyard. For Jesus’ first miracle, turning purified water into wine at the Wedding Feast of Cana ...

2799. Seeing with Eyes Closed

Exodus 34:1-28, Exodus 34:29-35, John 1:1-18, Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... light that seemed like a dove alighting, shone upon Jesus as He began His mission. Now, in this story of Paul’s conversion, we again see that experience of God as Light. But this time, it’s Jesus! John in his first gospel chapter makes sure we understand that God is Jesus and Jesus is God –both that creative Light force of the universe existing from the beginning of time. Jesus is the incarnation of the Light in human form. When Paul is chosen by God, he isn’t just baptized in light; Saul requires ...

2800. The First Songs of Christmas

Luke 1:39-45, Luke 1:46-56

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... that. She didn’t simply think to herself, “I think I’ll just go and visit my Aunt Elizabeth today!” No! The scriptures tell us, Mary fled as fast as she could to her Aunt’s house in the hill country of Judea, probably to help her understand what on earth she should do! And the first thing Elizabeth says to her is….. “Now, girl, look at the mess you’ve got yourself into!” Does she say that? No!! No way! The very first thing Elizabeth does when Mary appears on her doorstep is to prophesy ...

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