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 3001 to 3025 of 4456 results

3001. Getting Off the Merry-Go-Round

Romans 8:1-11

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

Have you ever been stuck on a playground merry-go-round? You know how it goes. You start slow, pushing with your feet to gain more speed until you are running. Then you finally jump on to the spinning merry-go-round holding on for dear life. That is when you find yourself stuck. On the one hand, the centrifugal force of the spinning merry-go-round threatens to throw you off. On the other hand, you hold on for dear life to the railing because you are afraid of what might happen to you if you fall off. And ...

3002. Luke 14:25-33

Luke 14:25-35

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Journeys always have two directions going at the same time: towards the destination and away from the starting point. The central portion of Luke’s gospel often reminds readers that Jesus is “on the way” to Jerusalem. But the message and examples found in today’s gospel text recall what Jesus, and all who would be called his disciples, must leave by the wayside to move forward “on the way.” Previously Jesus had been speaking to the Pharisees and scribes, the religious elite within Judaism. But now the ...

3003. LENT: The Passion of Christ: "Raised"

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

A little girl came to her mother complaining that her stomach hurt. Mom said: "Oh, honey, your stomach is empty, you just need to get something in it and you'll be fine." About a week later, the pastor came by to visit. While conversing with the mother and her child, he happened to mention that he had a headache. The little girl piped up and said: "Oh pastor, my mommy says that your head is empty, you just need to get something in it and you'll be fine." (1) One of the reasons we laugh is because our ...

3004. Just a Little Faith Will Do

Luke 17:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

Presbyterian pastor Dave Wilkinson tells a hilarious story about Randy Johnson, a former quarterback for Oklahoma State University. Randy is a nephew of the late President Lyndon Johnson. It had not been a good year for Randy Johnson or the Oklahoma State team. And, to top it off, for the last game of the year, they faced the mighty Oklahoma Sooners. The game with the Sooners was almost over. The Cowboys of Oklahoma State were behind by six points. They had the ball, but there was time for only one play. ...

3005. The Grateful Samaritan

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

King Duncan

One night many years ago, Ed Spencer, a student at a seminary near Lake Michigan, was awakened by shouts that there had been a shipwreck offshore from the campus. An excursion boat from the nearby Chicago harbor had collided with a freighter and was sinking. Spencer ran down to the lakeshore from which he could see lights from the boats. A strong swimmer, he plunged into the icy water and started searching for survivors. For six hours Spencer swam out and back, pulling people ashore, battling stormy waves ...

3006. I Doubt It

John 20:19-31, Act 4:32-37

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

The Apostle Thomas could have been related to Eliza Doolittle from the musical My Fair Lady. She expresses the same idea as Thomas when she cries out, "Don't tell me you love me, show me! Show me!" Thomas could have been related to Saint Francis of Assisi, as well. Because St. Francis said something very similar when he said, "Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words." Thomas had to be from Missouri. He had to be from the "Show Me" state. He was a visual and kinetic learner. He had to see it ...

3007. WWE Raw, Jesus Style

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

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

When pop culture transforms a “holy day” into a “holiday,” it almost always manages to focus on the wrong side of the equation. For example: *The number of shopping days left til Christmas is NOT as important as the 12 day period between the Christmas day miracle and the season of Epiphany. *A huge party, Mardi Gras, on “Fat Tuesday” is NOT as important as the forty days of Lent that follow. *Eating all your chocolate bunnies before breakfast on Easter morning is NOT as important as rejoicing over living a ...

3008. The Holy Trinity

2 Corinthians 13:11-14, Psalm 8:1-9, Genesis 1:1-2:3, Matthew 28:16-20

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Apostolic Greeting Leader: All the saints send their greetings. People: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Prayer Of The Day Leader: Out of the mouths of infants and children, of women and men, of every race and nation, your majesty, Holy God, is praised even far above the heavens. May the goodness of your creation sing in our hearts, and may your sustaining love be reflected in our obedience to you, Father, Son, and Holy ...

3009. The Great Physician

Matthew 4:23-25

Sermon

King Duncan

It was rumored that the owner of a certain hardware store had discovered a cure for arthritis. As you might imagine, this stirred a great deal of interest in the small town where the hardware store was located. One day, the locals saw a little old lady, bent over on her cane, enter the store for a visit. A little later this same lady came out walking almost perfectly straight with her head held high. The crowd cheered. “It’s a miracle!” they declared. Then they wondered. What did the owner of the hardware ...

3010. A New Year’s Resolution

Ephesians 4:25 -5:2

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Good instructions. I know we are in the middle of summer according to our lectionary cycle, but this text sounds like a perfect list of New Year's resolutions for Christians. In the For Better Or Worse comic strip, the family is sitting around the breakfast table as Dad says, "Here we are in a brand new year. I think we should all make some resolutions, don't you?" Mother responds, "Okay. I resolve not to criticize, to nag less, and bake more often." The family cheers: "Right on. Neat! Yeah!" Then Dad says ...

3011. Hope Lifted Up

Numbers 21:4-9

Sermon

Ken Lentz

It was a mystery. Hezekiah, the twelfth king of Judah, the father of Manasseh, asked around about the mysterious bronze snake, named Nehushtan, on display in a corner of the temple. Encouraged by the prophet Micah, Hezekiah wanted to restore and strengthen the monotheistic religion of his forefathers. The veneration of such a "graven image" was inconsistent with the worship of the one God, the God of Abraham and Moses. No one knew the origin of the thing. Hezekiah didn't research the matter. He ordered ...

3012. For All the Saints

Colossians 1:1-14

Sermon

April Yamasaki

What picture comes into your mind when you think of a saint? Is it a portrait of a medieval saint with a golden halo? Or a cartoon character wearing a white robe and carrying a harp standing on a cloud? Is it a solemn picture of someone dressed all in black with a pinched look of long-suffering on his or her face? Do you automatically think to yourself, "It's hard to be a saint — but it's even harder to live with one"? In the New Testament, the word "saint" is used to describe the early Christians. It ...

3013. In the Service

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Anyone here remember what they used to call places where you put gas in your car? They weren’t called “gas stations,” or “fueling centers,” but “service stations.” When you pulled in, someone (or sometimes even more than one) raced out to greet you, ask what you needed, and proceeded to fill your gas tank with fuel. While you sat, warm and comfy in your car, the “service station” attendant washed your windows, checked your oil, even checked your tire pressure. After filling up the tank they took your ...

3014. The Light Has Come

Ephesians 3:1-13

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

As the Magi scanned the heavens they noticed a star brighter than all the others in the night sky. It caught their attention enough to warrant further investigation. They felt as though the star had a message for them. They would follow the star to see where it would lead them. Their journey would cover hundreds of miles as well as a considerable amount of time before they would meet the Christ Child. The star of Bethlehem announced the birth of the Son of God to the world. The Magi were the first ...

3015. Divided We Fall

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

The power of a vision can transform people. We just celebrated Martin Luther King Day. Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech spoken on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, captivated the entire nation. He longed for the day when the color of a person’s skin no longer mattered. We continue to be diligent in combating the sin of racism in fulfilling that vision. Powerful God-inspired visions can and do change people. A passionate sense of mission and vision should motivate everyone within the ...

3016. A Faith to Move Mountains

Luke 17:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

A man named Adrian Plass authored what he calls his Sacred Diary. In it, he tells how he once bought a book on faith that told him that real Christians should be able to move mountains by faith. So he decided to try it. He practiced with a paper clip. He put it on his desk and willed it to move. Nothing happened. He tried commanding it in a loud voice. Still nothing happened. He tried it again the next day. The paper clip still wouldn’t budge. He even promised God he would change his life if the clip would ...

3017. Waking the Giant

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

In 1811, Napoleon Bonaparte was at the height of his power as a military and political leader. On one occasion he called together all of his commanding officers. Their purpose was to review and assess his conquests. He stood before a huge map and pointed to spots marked on the map, highlighting his victories over fallen foes. There was one spot on the map, however, that caused him to pause and issue a solemn warning. “Here lies a sleeping giant,” said Napoleon. “Don’t awaken him. He will shake terribly the ...

3018. Lost Baggage: Losing Your Baggage

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

James Merritt

If you travel by air with any frequence, it has likely happened to you. A bar-coded tag is placed on your checked bag at their airport counter and you watch it wisk away down a conveyor belt, presumably to be loaded onto the same plane on which you are about to fly. Some hours later, you arrive at your destination, and make your way to baggage claim. There, you stand with 200 other passengers, waiting as the carousel went round and round almost magically spitting out piece after piece of luggage. One by ...

3019. Do You Have Any Leftovers?

John 6:1-15

Sermon

James Merritt

Without question, I can tell you what my absolute, all time, favorite meal is. It is so special that I only get to eat it once a year. It is so special, and so good, and so tasty that it is worth the wait. It is not just what I get to eat that makes it the most special meal of the year, but who I get to eat it with. It is the time of year I get to eat it and it is the occasion that brings me to the table. Can you guess what meal this is? It is Thanksgiving. The reason why Thanksgiving is my favorite meal ...

3020. An Announcement from the Wilderness

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

After some last-minute Christmas shopping, a woman was rushing her grandchildren into the car. It was then that four-year-old Jason said, “Grandma, Susie has something in her pocket.” He then proceeded to reach into Susie’s pocket and pulled out a new red barrette. Though she was tired, this grandmother knew it was important for Susie to put the item back where she had found it. They did just that. Then they headed to the grocery store. Later at the grocery store checkout, the clerk asked, “Have you kids ...

3021. The Two Faces of Thanksgiving

Ephesians 1:15-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Brain science has now discovered what The White Queen in “Alice in Wonderland” always knew: "It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards." The most recent research in cognitive science, which is a fancy name for the science of “how the brain works,” reveals that remembering the past and visualizing the future use the same neural mechanisms. Memory and prophesy are flip sides of the same mental coin. Human memory works forward, and the very skills that enable you to remember your past enable you to ...

3022. Lost

Luke 15:1-7

Sermon

James Merritt

Have you ever lost something of value that was really, really important that really mattered to you and you couldn’t find it? Once you realized it, what did you do? You dropped everything you were doing and immediately went looking for it. Do you remember when you found it? Do you remember the joy, the relief and the happiness that you felt? Maybe it was your car keys or your wallet or a credit card or even a wedding ring. How many of you have ever lost a kid? I can tell every one of you this. If you have ...

3023. Moving On Up

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

King Duncan

A quick way to start a fight among sports fans is to ask who is the greatest. For example, since this is football season, who is the greater football quarterback, Tom Brady or Peyton Manning? Among golfers you might ask, how would Jack Nicolaus have done against Tiger Woods? To go back a few years, how about Magic Johnson and Larry Bird? I was reading recently about a Larry Bird fan named Eric Torpy. Let me tell you just how much Torpy admires Larry Bird. In 2005 when Torpy was sentenced to 30 years in ...

3024. Submission to Rulers and Masters

1 Peter 2:13-25

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

Respect for Authority 2:13 What living the Christian life entails is now spelled out in some practical detail. Peter applies the admonition Submit yourselves to a series of relationships: to civil government (vv. 13–17), to slavery (vv. 18–20), to Christ himself (vv. 21–25), and to marriage (3:1–7). The relationship of Christians to the state was one which soon became problematic, for in the early centuries of the church all states not only were governed by pagans but included pagan worship within their ...

3025. Hosea's Wife and Children

Hosea 1:1-2:1

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

Superscription (1:1): In a sense, chapters 1 through 3 in Hosea’s book serve as a summary of his entire message. Centered around the “sign” of Hosea’s marriage to Gomer, they prepare for and condense all that follows after in the story of God’s poignant love affair with the people of Israel in the eighth century BC. Perhaps they originally circulated in Judean circles independently of chapters 4–14. But whoever placed them in their present position intended to help us understand the oracles of chapters 4– ...

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