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 1400 results

276. Easter Joy

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... God that we discover God to be most approachable. Judging from the popular polls that survey religious attitudes, it would appear that Americans by and large believe this to be true. The polls are so encouraging, one has to wonder if the average person does not entertain whimsical notions about how God bends us to our every desire. Certainly that is not what Jesus had in mind. What it means is that God sent Jesus into the world to reveal to us the true nature of God's love and to assure us that we are on ...

277. Through The Eye Of The Needle

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." It is sayings like this that shatter any notions we have of Jesus being simply another Mr. Nice Guy. These are tough words. They have been a flashpoint for controversy in the church for centuries. They have ignited heated debates about the role of money in the Christian life. These tough words of Jesus have usually provoked two kinds ...

278. Our Jealous Husband

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Paul W. Kummer

... it Pastor Sheets and Deacon Pillow with whom you spend time or the people and pastor at your church? Do you give Jehovah the attention he deserves? Who is the god of your submission? "I don't answer to anyone but God," you might say, but then your mistaken notion of what this commandment means is your god. God is he to whom we ultimately bow as authority, but he's given us the government and parents, policemen and teachers to whom we must submit. God has placed them over us. And for whom does God command us ...

279. Week Three Of Lent

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... is disappointed with Elisha to the point of anger. The prophet did not even come out to Naaman. He only sent word that Naaman should plunge seven times in the Jordan and from this action be cured. Naaman wants a grand sign; he has a preconceived notion of what must happen. Fortunately for Naaman his servants convince him that he should do as Elisha has instructed him. In the process he is cleansed of his leprosy. From the Gospel it is apparent that the audience in the synagogue was disappointed with Jesus ...

280. Life's Loose Threads and The Tie That Binds

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

... request that Moses bring the staff, if he was going to be banished from the Promised Land for using it? If this is supposed to be some kind of divine test, then Moses obviously flunked. So much it would seem, for the gracious notion of God ever grading on the curve! Still another interpretation is based on words attributed to Moses himself. Referring to his recollection of Israel's refusal to make the crossing -- despite their spies having brought back glowing reports -- he adds somewhat plaintively, "Even ...

281. Prepared Or Not?

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... attentive and receptive to them. 5. No Borrowed Oil. The five unprepared maidens wanted the other five to give them some of their oil. They could not do so without running short themselves. One must be careful in pushing details of a parable too hard to fit some notion. If we assume that the oil for the lamps in the parable is symbolic of our works which are the light which shows God's glory, as suggested in Matthew 5:15-16, then the oil for our lamps is our works. The doctrine of supererogation contends ...

282. When God Is The Problem

Psalm 13:1-6

Sermon

Robert G. McCreight

... to learn about God's Will. The "good" person, these psalmists presumed, would naturally and diligently seek to know and live by the will of the Lord. Today and next Sunday we are looking at another large section of the psalms which challenges those notions. In contrast to the Psalms of Orientation, which start with the assumption that there is an underlying goodness in the world, the various Psalms of Disorientation are written from the experience of those for whom that proved NOT to be true. The Psalms of ...

283. A Faith I Could No Longer Count On

Psalm 73:1-7, 13-18

Sermon

Robert G. McCreight

... of the psalmist? It is one common to many today. He presumed that his goodness and honesty would be the premiums that would regularly pay off nicely in the form of dividends that make life comfortable. But it didn't work out that way. He built his faith upon the notion that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people. But it wasn't happening. We don't know if this happened over a long period of time, or if he woke up one morning and it hit him. He looked around him and it sunk ...

284. Professor Of Paradox

Matthew 13:47-52, Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:31-35

Sermon

Roger G. Talbott

... to find a treasure. Their neediness may drive other people away; or they may latch on to the first person who comes along, even though that person is entirely unsuited to them; or they may overlook the right person because he or she doesn't fit their preconceived notions of what their future spouse should be like. Those who do find -- the ones who seem to stumble on the real treasures -- are often the ones who say, "Well, I had just decided that it probably wasn't going to happen to me," or "that was the ...

285. The Man Born Blind

John 9:1-12

Drama

Dallas A. Brauninger

... HAPPENING? First Point Of Action As Jesus walks along, he sees a congenitally blind man. Second Point Of Action Jesus' conversation with the disciples: The disciples question him about whose sin, the parents' or the man's, caused the man's blindness. Rejecting the notion that sin causes blindness, Jesus notes God's purpose in the blindness. Jesus uses the light of the world metaphor. Third Point Of Action Jesus heals the blind man: Jesus spits on the ground, makes mud with the saliva, and spreads it on the ...

286. Seeing The Unseeing

John 9:35-41, John 9:13-34, John 9:1-12

Sermon

David Belgum

... is applicable. Jesus said, in this case of the blind man, sin is not an issue, so the disciples might just as well put that out of their minds and focus on something more positive. A further extension of this principle of retributive justice is the notion that the rich are obviously blessed and the poor always deserve their misfortune. In Malachi we read, "Bring the full tithe ... see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing" (Malachi 3:10). Another ...

287. The Christian Journey IV: The Pool

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... confusion may be the greatest single danger to first world Christians today. We are so preoccupied with our material world and the marvelous things it can provide, the comforts it can offer, that we have legitimate and understandable trouble getting beyond the notion that there is anything else, or at least anything else that really matters. One of the things that often amazes students and others on international mission trips is the vibrant faith of Christians in the third world. Living in what are ...

288. Fools For The Sake Of Christ

1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... the disabled. But he also shows how some of these progressive Christians have overlooked or ignored the biblical contention that we are all sinners in need of God's grace. This, he contends, is because many progressive Christians have, perhaps unconsciously, bought into the popular notion of victimization. How comforting it is to feel that all of my problems are due to the fact that I am being victimized by big business, the press, the government, you name it. I am not in need of any kind of salvation or ...

289. O Give Thanks To God

Deuteronomy 26:1-15

Sermon

Rodney Thomas Smothe

... them through the wilderness. Their prayers contained elements of joy because they experienced God's faithfulness in bringing them into a land that flowed with milk and honey. God only required them to inspect the covenant, reflect on their journey and reject the notion of their self-sufficiency. God's only request -- worship me with the first fruits of the land. Give back a portion of the goodness that you've received and thereby worship and acknowledge me with your best gifts. How do we in contemporary ...

290. No Longer Servants, but Friends

John 15:18--16:4

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

... Name of the One who called us servants and now calls us friends, welcome to this Easter celebration. Today, we come to learn what friendship with God means. I warn you that this discovery is both exciting and fearful. I invite us to give up some preconceived notions about friendship, and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us some new truths. P: We say about Jesus, "He was the greatest!" M: We say, "Amen!" to that! P: Jesus also says to us, "You are the greatest!" M: We say "Alleluia!" to that! Hymn of Praise ...

291. The Season Of The Holy Spirit

Mark 10:35-45

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

... to this celebration of Good News. Are you willing to hear the Good News, even though you may not like it? (Pause.) Will you be willing to respond to the Good News, even if God disturbs your comfort level? (Pause.) P: When we listen to God without our preconceived notions of what we hope God will say to us, God's Spirit will surprise us, maybe even scare us. M: What do you mean? P: I mean that God's expectations of us may differ radically from our expectations of how God calls us to obedience. M: What are ...

292. The Season Of The Nativity

Luke 2:21-40

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

... . This is no cute performance for the benefit of the people.) Focus on the marvelling of Jesus' parents to Simeon's words in verses 29-32. Then ask, "Have your parents ever marvelled at you, at something you said or did?" The word "marvel" has the notion of surprise. One example: some parents marvel, or are surprised, when their children bring home from school A's; others are surprised when their children bring home D's. Ask for other examples. Point out that this is all a part of our growing and learning ...

293. A Matter Of Trust

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Charles H. Bayer

... read that the Jews had been promised a Savior. Rumor had it his birth was imminent, and so they made the long desert trip to find him, arriving at Jerusalem. Herod had gotten wind of their coming, and summoned his investigative staff to talk with them. The notion that another king was about to surface was not good news to Herod. Those with power do not easily give it up for religious or for any other reasons. Herod had his agenda, and anyone who tried to get in its way would feel his sword. Ancient texts ...

294. For All The Saints

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

Charles H. Bayer

... by citing selectively. I've offered a wager no one has ever had the courage to challenge. Recite any doctrine, no matter how orthodox or how silly, and I will show you at least one verse to prove it and another to disprove it. Nowhere is the notion that modernity holds not only the last word, but the only word, better countered than in today's text. It is Luke's account of the transfiguration. Jesus' ministry is no longer popular. The clouds are already beginning to gather, and the cold wind is already ...

295. The Narrow Gate

Luke 13:22-30

Sermon

John G. Lynch

... of the narrow gate. They really promoted narrow gate living, preaching the 613 prescriptions of the Mosaic Law as the answer to all life's problems. "Hold fast to these," they said, "and then God will love you." They did not have the faintest notion that God takes care of everything, the 613 prescriptions notwithstanding. Shortly before Jesus told this young man about the narrow gate, a woman had walked into the synagogue on the sabbath day. For 18 years she had a spirit of infirmity. Bent over, she ...

296. A Homecoming To Remember

1 Kings 8:22-61

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... even tell of feeling led into one particular church. Diane found herself in worship for the first time in many years. For several months Diane had felt the presence of God in her life. She felt the urging, but like many people she tried to dismiss the notion. After avoiding the issue for as long as she could, Diane went to church. As the worship service began Diane once again sensed the presence of God. When the music began she says she felt lost. The opening hymn was "Praise To The Lord, The Almighty," and ...

297. Pentecost 27

Luke 19:11-27

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

... . The episode adds to Luke's emphasis on Jesus' teaching to the disciples about the proper use of material possessions. Luke also refers to kingship, which prepares the disciples for Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. The parable is a corrective to the popular notion about the End: although the kingdom of God is "among" the disciples there is a sense in which the kingdom is not to appear immediately. Liturgical Color Green Suggested Hymns The Day Is Surely Drawing Near Rise, O Children Of Salvation Rejoice ...

298. Proper 17

Luke 14:1-14

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

Gospel Note The parable and the exhortation in this selection share not only the setting of a meal, but also the allusion to the messianic feast that is almost always implied by banquet imagery in Jesus' teachings. Further tying the two together is the implicit notion of status given by grace rather than gained by effort. For, in the case of the parable, it is the host who assigns the more honorable place at the table to the one who humbly has chosen the lower; and, in the exhortation, it is the host's ...

299. Proper 28

Luke 21:5-38

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

Gospel Note It is difficult, if not impossible, to determine how much of this apocalyptic material was originally with Jesus, and how much an elaboration on the part of the early church. In either case, the central notion here is that tribulations and trials are to be expected and accepted as opportunities for Christian testimony, that this witness will be assisted by none other than the Holy Spirit, and that the faithful will therefore ultimately triumph. Liturgical Color Green Suggested Hymns O God Of ...

300. Spirit-anointed Son Of God The Father

John 1:29-34

Sermon

Mark Radecke

... replaced by the threefold title "Creator-Redeemer-Sustainer" or used interchangeably with other triadic formulas, such as "Mother-Lover-Friend" or "Parent-Child-Spirit." In part, the intent of these advocates is laudable. They seek to repudiate the unbiblical notion that the transcendent God is male. They denounce the physical, emotional, economic and spiritual degradation of women, especially when such degradation cloaks itself in a mantle of religious righteousness. They decry any attempt to use God as a ...

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