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 2876 to 2900 of 5000 results

2876. How the Lord has Covered the Daughter of Zion

Lamentations 2:1-22

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

The Lord Is Like an Enemy: 2:1 Alef. The opening word (How) invites the reader to contemplate the extent of Judah’s destruction. It also strikes a tone of lament over that same suffering. One can hear a note of disbelief that God would bring such a horrific judgment on his people. Indeed, it is total as expressed by the fact that the cloud of his anger has engulfed all of the Daughter of Zion. The expression Daughter of Zion is an intimate way of referring to Jerusalem by its most sacred space and then ...

2877. The Year of the Lord’s Favor

Isaiah 61:1-11

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

Five Responses to Yahweh’s Promises: Chapters 61 and 62 recapitulate much of chapter 60, but they do so in a new framework. They offer five responses to those promises. Whereas the prophet’s word was a brisk preliminary to Yahweh’s word in 59:21–60:22, in chapters 61–62 the prophet speaks a number of times in a way that has significance in its own right but also introduces recapitulations of the promises. Accounts of a prophet’s own experience or actions appear in the OT because the testimony is in some ...

2878. Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

Matthew 9:35-38, Matthew 10:1-42

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Mission Discourse: The Twelve to Follow Jesus’ Lead (9:35--10:23) Big Idea: In the second major Matthean discourse Jesus calls the Twelve to lead in mission to Israel, following his model as an authentic shepherd of God’s people despite persecution. Understanding the Text The brief narrative transition between chapters 8–9 (9:35–38) and Jesus’ second teaching section in chapter 10 highlight Jesus’ Galilean ministry to a people who are without true shepherds (leaders) and Jesus’ call to pray for “harvest ...

2879. The Good Life

Luke 6:17-26

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: Jesus contrasts the blessings of life in the kingdom of God, with all its hardships, with most people’s idea of the good life. Understanding the Text Following after the selection of the Twelve, this is the beginning of a programmatic sermon on the blessings and demands of discipleship, which continues to the end of the chapter. The parameters are thus established for the role that the disciples will play in the developing story. Outline/Structure Luke 6:20–49 is a much shorter “equivalent” to ...

2880. The Reversal of the Deuteronomic Curses and Blessings: Replacing Law with Faith

Romans 9:30--10:21

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

Big Idea: The key issue in this controversial text is the role of the law in light of the work of Christ. Paul reverses the Deuteronomic curses and blessings: non-Christian Jews experience the Deuteronomic curses because they attempt to be justified by the law, while believing Gentiles are justified because their faith is in Christ, so to them belong the Deuteronomic blessings. Understanding the Text Romans 9:30–10:21 forms the second unit in Romans 9–11 (9:1–29 is the first, and 11:1–32 is the third). The ...

2881. “For Your Sake We Face Death . . . as Sheep to Be Slaughtered”

Psalm 44:1-26

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: Sometimes when we have been faithful to God and bad things still happen to us, the best and only explanation is that it is for God’s sake. Understanding the Text Psalm 44 is a community lament that follows some national defeat of Israel’s army (44:9), even though the psalmist, speaking on behalf of the king, cannot understand why this has happened, since Israel has not forgotten God or “been false” to his covenant (44:17). Psalms 42–43 celebrate the psalmist’s hope that he, isolated and dejected ...

2882. What To Do While Waiting for the Judgment?

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Who hasn’t had the experience of being unready for a long-awaited guest? A thousand things have hindered our preparation. An unexpected phone call kept us late at the office. Traffic on the freeway was tied up by an accident. The super market was crowded and we ended up in the slowest check-out line. The oven won’t heat. The cat has walked down the middle of the table we set this morning, leaving unmistakable, sooty footprints. And our six-year-old knocks over a cup of milk. Then time runs out. The guest ...

2883. Which Parade Are You In?

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

A pastor was asked to speak for a certain charitable organization. After the meeting the program chairman handed the pastor a check. “Oh, I couldn’t take this,” the pastor said with some embarrassment. “I appreciate the honor of being asked to speak. You have better uses for this money. You apply it to one of those uses.” The program chairman asked, “Well, do you mind if we put it into our special fund?” The pastor replied, “Of course not. What is the special fund for?” The chairman answered, “It’s so we ...

2884. Unstoppable Love

Mark 1:40-45

Sermon

Charley Reeb

If I could only preach one sermon, my point would be Jesus loves us more than we could ever imagine and wants to bring healing and wholeness to our lives. I have been preaching the gospel for over twenty years. During that time I have learned one indisputable fact: Only the love of Christ can satisfy and sustain us. Jesus Christ is in love with the world and desires more than anything else for us to receive his forgiveness, grace, power, and love so that we can live an abundant life. To drive this point ...

2885. Despair, Hope, Easter, and Pentecost

John 20:10-18

Sermon

Tom Garrison

In an old poem titled "The Widow in the Bye Street," John Masefield depicts a scene of dramatic agony. A young man is about to be executed for crimes against the state, and in the crowd that is gathered to witness this event stands his widowed mother, who is about to be left all alone in the world. When the trapdoor opens and the rope has finished its work, this pathetic soul crumples to the ground and begins to sob uncontrollably, and those nearby hear her say something about "broken things, too broke to ...

2886. Death, Risk, and Confidence

Matthew 10:24-39

Sermon

Tom Garrison

I shall never forget a most vivid pastoral encounter that I had. There was a fine older member of the church who was terminally ill with cancer, and since he would never be able to come and meet me, I went by his home to meet him. Although we had never met before, I suppose my role prompted him to get right to the central issue of his concern at that moment, which was with the whole experience of death. He wanted to know what I believed lay beyond the experience of dying. He was concerned about guilt and ...

2887. The Power to Forgive

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

King Duncan

Pastor John Ortberg tells a humorous story about an umpire in a softball league in Colorado. One day, during the off season, this unfortunate umpire got stopped by a police officer for speeding. He pleaded for mercy. He explained to the policeman that he was a good driver and told why this particular day he had to be in a hurry. The officer didn’t buy his argument. “Tell it to the judge,” he said. When softball season rolled around, the umpire was umpiring his first game. Guess who was the first batter to ...

2888. From His Arrest to His Crucifixion and Burial

John 18:1--19:42

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

It was the last week of July 2013. An ultramodern, high speed passenger train neared the end of a six-hour trip from Madrid to the northwest Spanish city of Ferrol. The train entered a long, steep curve on the outskirts of Santiago de Compostela. Those of us watching the slow motion security camera video realized immediately that this was not going to end well. The train was traveling 120 miles per hour, more than twice the speed limit. About half-way through the curve, a passenger car in the middle of the ...

2889. Moving On

Luke 6:12-16, Luke 9:1-9, Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Prop: dusty bowl This bowl hasn’t been used in a long time. You can tell, because it’s covered in dust. It hasn’t been touched, cleaned, moved, because it’s been here in this church on this shelf a very long time. [You could also refer to something in a glass case or anything that has sat around for a while.] It’s not being used in ministry or worship. It isn’t something that is used in healing people or baptizing them. It’s here on the shelf, gathering dust. This is perhaps one of the best metaphors we ...

2890. The Bramble King

John 15:1-17, John 15:18--16:4, John 16:5-16

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Here are their names: Simon (whom he named Peter), Andrew (Peter's brother), James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the zealot), Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him). "A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of ...

2891. Dressed for Success?

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

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Judaism is the story of how the love we feel for another person leads to the love of G-d, and robes us in garments of light.” (Rabbi Jonathan Sacks) Prop: a white tie and white baptismal shawl / wear a clergy collar or robe that day How many here work in a business? In a school? In a hospital? Any other kinds of workplaces? [Give people time to answer.] No matter where you work, I’m guessing you have some kind of dress code. I’m wearing today my pastoral garb. While sometimes I don’t, you can be sure that ...

2892. Your Wake-up Call

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

One of the small luxuries that used to be available in most hotels was the personal wake-up call. Remember when the hotel clerk would ask you when you checked in, “Would you like a wake-up call?” Most major hotels offered this service. The next morning, right on time, you’d get a call from a real live person who woke you up with the words: “Good morning, (Mr. Jones or Miss Jones) this is your wake-up call.” And then you’d decide whether to go back to sleep or not. That task, like everything else, is now ...

2893. Thanks, but...

Philippians 4:10-20

Sermon

Will Willimon

Frankly, I didn't even want to be at that night's meeting. I hate meetings, even church meetings, especially church meetings. But as the representative from the Commission on Ecumenical Basketball, I felt obligated to be at the monthly meeting of the Board. We met in the Seekers Sunday School classroom, sat in rows of grey, fold-out metal chairs. The meeting began with prayer. Minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. Then the Chairman said, "I call the monthly meeting of the Board of First ...

2894. Ordinary People

Ruth 1:1-16

Sermon

Will Willimon

It's Parents' Weekend here and, through some act of divine serendipity, the lectionary has assigned as our first reading a passage from the book of Ruth. The book of Ruth is a family story, an ancient novella which may be three thousand years old. It's an old story, but I'm claiming that it's a true story because it's a story about a family in trouble. Here is a middle-class family that's hit on hard times and has to move, a father who dies leaving his wife and sons poorly provided for, two sons who marry ...

2895. Deep Water

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Going deep is not something most people feel comfortable doing. But the process of going “deep” captures the essence of both psychoanalysis and spiritual meditation, knowledge of self and knowledge of God. Truth. You can’t hover on the surface of things and expect to be rewarded with either encounter or insight. Think of the way you did a research paper when you were in school. If you don’t go “deep” into inquiry on your subject, you’ll end up with 20 pages of “introduction.” If you don’t allow yourself to ...

2896. Good Luck?

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Will Willimon

One student was sharing some of their hopes and fears as they move toward graduation. And I said to them, ''Well, good luck.'' Only later, I questioned why on earth I said that, ''Good luck," since I don't believe a word of it. It's not because they are so bright and blessed that they'll never need any help outside themselves to make it. It's just that the help you need outside yourself has nothing to do with luck. Let me explain. Harvard Biologist, Stephen Jay Gould, great writer, though bad speaker, ...

2897. The Fearful Meeting

Genesis 32:1-20; 33:1-4, 12-14

Sermon

Will Willimon

There has been "The Donna Reed Show," "Ozzie and Harriet," "Father Knows Best," "Leave It to Beaver," "The Brady Bunch," "The Cosby Show," and more recently, the wildly popular "The Simpsons." School principals in Ohio and California condemn Bart Simpson as "a poor role model" -- bristle-headed little charmer that he is. Then there's prissy Lisa, blob of a baby Maggie, and poor old Homer and Marge. Here is the family Americana, warts and all. In one episode Marge drags everyone to Sunday School hoping to " ...

2898. Polite Disobedience

Matthew 21:23-32

Sermon

Steve Molin

The title of this sermon is “Polite Disobedience.” I was going to call it “The Gospel of Eddie Haskel” but that reference is from so long ago, I figured half of you are too young to know of it, and the other half of you are too old to remember it! Eddie Haskel was the best friend of Wally Cleaver on the “Leave it to Beaver” TV show of the 1950’s. Eddie was the kind of kid you’d just kind of like to punch in the nose sometimes. Because whenever he was around adults, he was as polite and charming, and as ...

2899. The Rant

Matthew 23:1-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

All of Philadelphia mourned a week ago when the Phillies –the Fightin’ Phils—failed to win their last two games, forfeiting their chance to move on to the World Series. Philadelphia fans are passionate. Everybody knows it. They put themselves out there because they love their team. When teams from out of state come to Philadelphia, they experience a kind of culture shock. But what they soon realize is that Philadelphia fans just really love baseball, and they bond with their team in a way that no-one else ...

2900. We Need Another Miracle

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Do you believe in miracles? Psychology Today reports of a study that surveyed almost 36,000 Americans, aged eighteen to seventy-plus- years-old, and found that 78% of people under the age of thirty believed in miracles versus 79% among those older than thirty (Pew Research Center, 2010). With respect to religious affiliation, 83% of those who were affiliated believed in miracles in contrast to 55% of respondents who were unaffiliated. Although people from all religions believe in miracles, over 80% of ...

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