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 276 to 300 of 1270 results

276. What He Said!

Mark 6:30-44

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

... God has been broken down, and how God deeply desires to destroy the wall which still divides your heart from God's heart. Hear it that way. Hear more of the many things our Lord taught. In his flesh-and-blood presence God has broken down the dividing wall of hostility between us and God. To know God-in-Christ is to love God. He has abolished the law which said that if you sin you die. Instead he died. God-in-Christ died and now, by his grace, even though you sin, you are forgiven. God has reconciled all of ...

277. Topsy-turvy Christianity

Luke 6:17-26, Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

J. Will Ormond

... Jesus' radical precepts make us extremely uncomfortable, but they set forth the principles by which life in the kingdom of God is ordered. Followers of Jesus may be victims, but they are not to regard themselves as such, being shaped and determined by the hostilities and abuse unleashed on them. Rather, they are to take the initiative, not by responding in kind, or by playing dead, or by whining. They are not to react but to act according to the kingdom principles of love, forgiveness, and generosity. Such ...

278. The King On A Cross

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

J. Will Ormond

... Paradise." Paradise is a symbol of a royal garden with cooling streams and lush trees bearing delightful fruit. Whatever its literal reality, it is in radical contrast to the present scene where three crosses stand beneath a merciless sun, where a milling, hostile mob watches without sympathy and soldiers laugh and gamble for discarded clothes. Jesus promises the repentant criminal that he will be removed from such a scene and join Jesus himself in Paradise. Nor is this something that will come in the far ...

279. The Collapsing Circle

Galatians 3:26--4:7

Illustration

Richard A. Jensen

... the midst of a variety of culture clashes. One such clash for Mr. Nelson took place in 1978 in a visit to Soweto in South Africa. In a profound and exciting way he experienced in this land afar off the collapsing of a circle of innate suspicion and hostility. Mr. Nelson was in South Africa on a business trip to advise American companies as to how they might best respond to pressures to do something positive in this world of apartheid. As a church-going man he determined to go to church somewhere in the city ...

280. The Advocate

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... be a separation. Most people today live as if there is no Judgment Day, as if they will never have to answer to God for how they have lived. The job description of the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, and for us as God's witnesses, includes convincing the hostile world of judgment. We will die. We will face God. We will face judgment. Some will come crashing into Judgment Day because they don't believe it is there. A story is told about two ship captains who confronted each other on a stormy sea. Captain number ...

281. From Singleness To Solidarity

Ruth 1:1-22

Sermon

Zan W. Holmes

... book in the Bible to be named after a woman. Therefore it should not be a surprise that the major characters of the book are two women, Naomi and Ruth. A major theme of the book is their common struggle to survive in the midst of a hostile and troubled environment. The stage was set for their common struggle when a food famine occurred in the city of Bethlehem. This was somewhat of a paradoxical event, for the word "Bethlehem" means "house of bread" in the Hebrew language. Surely, of all places, no one ...

282. No Box Seats In The Kingdom

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

William G. Carter

... torment human minds, telling them to hush. The next minute, he gathers little children and lepers into the embrace of God. One day he shouts at wind and waves and all the turbulent powers of an unruly creation. Another day he rides a humble donkey into a hostile city. Once Jesus put his fingers in the ears of someone who has never heard the good news of God. Immediately he uses his words as a scalpel for cutting away the cancerous lies that keep people from the health which God intends. In every way, Jesus ...

283. Peace And The Peacemakers

Luke 12:49-53

Sermon

Richard Patt

... died for the vision of seeing America rise above its divisions and become one nation under God. In the Church's own history there have always been those heroes of faith who have suffered martyrdom in the cause of bringing the peace of the Gospel in a hostile world. Back in the year 1170 Thomas Becket was literally murdered in a cathedral at the hands of King Henry II in England because he refused to tolerate Henry's cry of "peace, peace," where there was no peace. Most of the apostles of Jesus himself were ...

284. The Call Of The Tradition: Remember And Return

Nehemiah 7:73b--8:18

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

... just as it had been when Ezra read the law to the Israelites. "All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth" (Luke 4:22). As the meaning of Jesus' message sunk in, however, the response was increasingly hostile. Jesus illustrated the inclusiveness of his message with references to scripture. Elijah was sent, not to an Israelite widow, but to the widow of Zarephath. Elisha did not heal a Jewish leper, but rather Naaman the Syrian (vv. 24-27). It is clear that for Jesus ...

285. Who's In Charge Here, Anyway?

Genesis 45:1-28

Sermon

Tony Everett

... his younger sibling and blamed him for every misfortune the family experienced. After a four-year military separation, the two brothers went into business together. Their fights continued and, if anything, the older brother was even more critical and hostile. Yet the younger brother remained diligent in their business and faithful in their relationship. Everyone marveled at this saintly behavior. One day a terrible accident ended both of their lives. Saint Peter was waiting patiently for the younger brother ...

286. Weather Signs

Luke 12:49-53

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... commitments to Christ and God's kingdom. It is the daring to be different and going against the trends that is the baptism of fire which many Christians must face today. That may be more difficult to detect and face than open and evident hostility. 4. Fair Weather Christians. Some professed followers of Jesus are those who only want the benefits of being associated with the church. They are not serious about translating the message of Jesus into their daily lives. They may come to church because they like ...

287. Fire Wood

Luke 12:49-53

Sermon

John G. Lynn

... dinner. She didn't care much for this Nazarene Rabbi. Feeling chilled, she put out the fire on her hearth and went to bed. Jesus came in and touched her -- the word in Greek means he lit her flame -- and rekindled her heart. Suddenly she was not so hostile to him any more. God's Word had come to her, reassured her, touched her. And she got up, rekindled the hearth in her home and served Jesus a meal. Once more, as Jesus and his disciples neared Caesarea Philippi, Peter found his faith and loyalty to Jesus ...

288. Hold Your Peace

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

John G. Lynn

... on anything. After a while he began to realize they were afraid of what they thought and what they felt. They did not want their thoughts or feelings out in the marketplace with other people so they held their peace. Their fear eventually turned into hostility and hatred for their professor, especially when he asked them this question: "I know what other people think about this, but what do you think?" Watched by those scribes and Pharisees who would not say what they thought or felt, Jesus made his move ...

289. The Tale Of Three Women

Ruth 1:1-22

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... options by becoming unnecessarily tied down by the messy complications of other people? The story of Ruth and Naomi is one of two women who in a sense are strangers coming from two different parts of the world, yet they are bound together in the midst of a hostile world. This is a story of relationships, of family. To be in any family is to venture forth like Ruth and Naomi, without guarantees for the future, but, even in the worst of futures, it is more hopeful and bearable when we bear it with one another ...

290. Expanding The Boundaries

Ruth 3:1-18

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... . Jesus is cosmic; he is not the private possession of any people. The gospel is global, not the possession of any nation or culture. In Christ the barriers are gone because the fears are gone. It is fear that erects barriers and builds walls of hostility. Are we as Christians contributing to the world's divisiveness or to its healing? Are we building barriers instead of removing them? Are we providing answers to the world's problems, or have we become part of the problem? Sometimes it causes me to wonder ...

291. With All The Saints

Isaiah 25:1-12

Sermon

John A. Stroman

Isaiah 25 is a remarkable passage for All Saints' Sunday. It begins with an outburst of praise for what God has done and for what God will do. An unidentified city -- strong, oppressive and hostile -- will be destroyed and never rebuilt. Amid the destruction God protects and cares for the poor and the needy. Once this evil city and its ruthless inhabitants have been destroyed and vanish, another city will rise on Mount Zion where God will invite all people to a magnificent feast. God ...

292. When The Fat Lady Sings

Mark 13:1-31

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... in the already but not yet, with the certain hope that when the fat lady sings, it will be a glorious day. Andrew Jackson fought and won the battle of New Orleans some days after the Treaty of Ghent had actually been signed, bringing to an end the hostilities between the U. S. and England. Jackson's side had already won, but the battle was fought anyway because there were still existing "pockets of resistance" which had not yet received the news of the treaty. So also do we fight on against the "pockets of ...

293. The Chain Of Command

Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

Alexander H. Wales

... quickly. "At first, they were afraid that Jesus might not want to help, what with Gaius and me being Gentiles and all that. That's what they call us -- Gentiles. Or if they're mad at us -- pagans, although the word Gentiles seems to be a little less hostile. Actually, in their parlance, I'm probably considered a God-fearer. That's someone who not only respects their religious practices, but even is attracted to their faith. And I guess I am. Like I said, Judaism has some things that seem to make a lot of ...

294. The Other Resurrection

Luke 7:11-17

Sermon

Alexander H. Wales

... in his obedience? Or because he has some other purpose to fulfill before he dies? We do not, cannot, know. It lies within the providence of God. It is the result of God's unending grace. Or we find a family pulled apart by hostility, abounding in infidelity, living beyond their means, when suddenly grace abounds and everything changes. The family survives and prospers. There is shock and amazement from all those who have witnessed the passing events. Why did it happen? What caused this change when others ...

295. The Sixth Meal

Sermon

Robert F. Scott

... time, Jesus knew at once it was a trap. Why would he go? He went because he would not abandon any person. By going, he could offer the sick man healing for his body; by going, he could offer the Pharisees healing for their souls. People might be hostile, they might be indifferent; Jesus still went to them, appealed to them, longed for them, hoped for them, gave them a chance to respond to God. And Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, "Is it lawful to cure people on the sabbath, or not?" But they were ...

296. Invitations To The Light

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

Phyllis Faaborg Wolk

... cling to Miriam like the tattered blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She shivered in the cold evening air as she sat in a doorway outside the temple, begging for money so that she could buy some bread to get her through the night. Jerusalem was a hostile place for a young widow in Jesus' day, and as she heard some strangers approaching with laughter and singing, she drew further into the doorway and her own world of darkness. Someone else's celebration was too much for her to bear. But when the strangers ...

297. Country Songs and Easter Hymns

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

Thomas Long

... were, like it or not, to take a crash course called "Urban Ministry." It did not take long for our worst fears to be confirmed. "Urban Ministry" turned out to be a continuous stream of being shouted at by shopkeepers, rudely scurried off the streets by hostile city drivers, and generally hassled by the urban crush. After only a few days of this, we were, frankly, ready to go back to provincial "Galilee," so much so that we petitioned our professors to allow us to go home. The petition was flatly denied. "We ...

298. Sermons

Sermon

John R. Bodo

... his name among the Twelve. The Gospel of John has more to say about him, but nothing particularly flattering. Thomas is first shown at a conference of the disciples in the province of Perea where they have taken refuge after the first threat of hostility from the authorities in Jerusalem. Suddenly a messenger comes to tell Jesus that his friend, Lazarus of Bethany, the brother of Martha and Mary, is dying. Jesus is ready to start out for Bethany at once, but the Disciples resist him. "Master," they plead ...

299. I Saw The Risen Christ Last Week -- And It Wasn't Even Easter

John 20:10-31

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... welfare, who had suffered a stroke. I experienced the presence of Christ as a teenage girl confessed all the anger in her heart against life. I was given the wisdom to listen, to understand, to convey to her that she was still loved even in the rankness of her hostility and the pain of her confession. I saw Christ in a surgeon as he came to a wife and daughter after a six-hour operation, explaining in detail what he had had to do to the husband and father, drawing a diagram to make it clearer, taking time ...

300. How Not To Throw A Party

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

Alex Gondola

... or who can't stand us). But the old anger, hurt, and grudges will be gone, and reconciliation will come. At God's Table, the barriers that keep people apart -- rich/poor, upperclass/lowerclass, black/white, Republican/Democrat, gay/straight, friend/foe, the dividing walls of hostility will come smashing down. The crash will be greater than the fall of the Berlin Wall. God's Banquet Feast will be the greatest party ever! How can you and I get an invitation to a party like that? We already have one, issued by ...

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