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 3051 to 3075 of 3082 results

3051. Death Shall Be No More

John 13:31-35 · Revelation 21:1-6

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

Every once in a while something happens that totally shifts the landscape of our perceptions. Every once in a while something profound takes place that makes all our old discussions and ways of understanding move to a new location. Examples abound in history. Life after Mr. Watt’s steam engine was different forever. The invention of the assembly line catapulted us into an economic world that, for good and ill, shapes our lives even in this moment. Even in the polarized climate in our nation today, we can ...

3052. Overflowing Joy and Rich Generosity

2 Corinthians 8:7-15

Sermon

King Duncan

I’m sure most of you have heard of an oxymoron. It’s a Greek word that means “pointedly foolish.” You make an oxymoron when you put two words together that are complete opposites. They contradict each other. Some of my favorite oxymorons are “clearly confused,” “act naturally,” “open secret,” and “jumbo shrimp.” (1) What’s even better than an oxymoron phrase is an oxymoron statement. Artist Andy Warhol was famous for the statement, “I am a deeply superficial person.” Samuel Goldwyn, a famous movie producer ...

3053. Lamb and Wolves

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Sermon

Dave Zuchelli

In last week’s lectionary passage (Luke 9:51-56), we were told that Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem. This didn’t mean he was making a beeline toward the city, but it was clear the Holy City was his goal. Many things happened along the way to the cross. He met hundreds of people, taught most of them, and healed many. He did this by moving from village to village, and town to town. We don’t talk about it much, but this isn’t something he did in a helter-skelter manner. It appears that, after his ...

3054. What If You Could Change the Ending?

Luke 23:33-43

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you ever gotten really upset with the ending to a book or movie? If the ending is too unexpected, or too weak, or if they kill off your favorite character, it can ruin the whole story for you. In other cases, the ending might be offensive to some people, but that’s a risk you take when you go to the movies. Here’s something you may not know. Movie censors in China are allowed to change the ending to movies to protect Chinese citizens from “scenes that might disturb social order or impart criminal ...

3055. The Dishonest Manager

Luke 16:1-13

Sermon

Richard Hasler

When Robert Rubin (who eventually became treasury secretary of the United States) as a high school senior applied to Princeton and Harvard he received a rejection letter from Princeton but he was accepted at Harvard. He had hoped to go to Princeton. Four years later Rubin sent a letter to the Director of Admissions at Princeton saying: “You ought to be interested to know what happened to one of the people you rejected … I graduated from Harvard summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.” Later, Rubin received a ...

3056. A Pep Talk for a New Year

Matthew 2:13-23

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

I’d like to start this morning by wishing everyone a very Happy New Year. I can’t think of a better way to start this New Year than gathering with other believers and worshiping God. Most of us try to go into the New Year with a positive attitude. Sometimes it helps if we get a little encouragement, maybe a “pep talk” to get us in the right mindset. If so, we’re in luck. There is a kindergarten class in Healdsburg, California, that runs their own free hotline which they call “Peptoc,” P-E-P-T-O-C. The ...

3057. The Complete Picture

John 11:1-45

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

Quick quiz for you this morning: whose portrait is on the front of the one-dollar bill? That’s right, George Washington, first President of the United States. If you have a one-dollar bill on you, I’d encourage you to take it out right now and look at it. Don’t worry, this isn’t my sneaky way of taking up a special offering. If you don’t have one on you, you may want to look up an image of one on your phone. The man who painted Washington’s portrait was a famous artist named Gilbert Stuart. He painted a ...

3058. The Most Important Question

Acts 10:34-43

Sermon

Charley Reeb

Have you ever heard a golfer miss a three-foot putt and say, “Thomas Jefferson!?” What about a plumber mash his thumb and scream, “Robert E. Lee!?” I haven’t either, but many shout the name of a man who was born two thousand years ago in a backwoods town to a poor unwed teenage mother. Many exclaim the name of a man who was shamefully executed as a criminal at the age of thirty and died homeless and poor. Ironic, isn’t it? For some mysterious reason, Jesus is the most famous figure in all of history. More ...

3059. Moksha

Romans 8:6-11

Sermon

Dr. Ronald Love

Evagrius Ponticus, also known as Evagrius the Solitary, was a Christian monk and ascetic who resided in a monastery in the Egyptian desert. Concerned with the temptations that besought people, in the year 375 AD he compiled a list of the eight terrible thoughts, also referred to as the eight evil temptations. The eight patterns of evil that Evanrius listed are: gluttony, greed, sloth, sorrow, lust, anger, vainglory, and pride. The list was not to be one of condemnation; rather, it was to raise awareness to ...

3060. Pontifex

Hebrews 10:16-25

Sermon

Dr. Ronald Love

Jesse Owens panicked. How could he owe $114,000 in back taxes? Soon there would be a court trial sentencing him to a long prison term. This was an issue Owens realized he had to accept, failing to personally oversee his business ventures; but instead, allowing other individuals to do it for him. He had not scrutinized the character of the men who represented him, wrongly trusting his business partners to file his personal income tax returns. Ashamed, afraid, and anxious, Owens grabbed his jacket and rushed ...

3061. God's Ridiculous Commitment

Acts 2:14a, 36-41

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

Let me ask you a question: how many of you would like to trade places with me on a Sunday morning? How many of you wish you could preach a few sermons instead of sitting and listening to them? I read about one pastor who was shaking hands with his parishioners after worship. At the end of the line was a church member who always had something to say about his messages. The woman shook the pastor’s hand warmly and said, “Pastor, today your sermon reminded me of the peace and love of God!” The pastor beamed ...

3062. Failure

Exodus 3:1-22

Sermon

Will Willimon

The game was over. The roaring stadium was now silent, empty of fans, a forlorn place of crushed popcorn boxes and drink cups, trampled programs, spent confetti. The coach entered a sullen, utterly quiet locker room. Helmets were down on the floor, jerseys pulled off and piled in a washbin. "I just want you guys to know that I am real proud of the way you played this afternoon," he said. "Real proud. We didn't win, but we did prove to a lot of people what we could do. It was a moral victory." On the way ...

3063. Fearful, But Not Afraid

Matthew 14:22-33

Sermon

William G. Carter

This is a frightening story, but not merely because it reveals that Jesus walked on water. I have a profound respect for the Christ, tempered by years of Sunday school and Bible study. He is the Lord, the Son of God, the one through whom all things are made. As such, he could sidestep his own laws of physics. You might doubt this, but I do not. No, it is not the mysterious power and presence of Jesus that scares me. It is his invitation to get out of the boat and step onto the sea. He said to Peter, “Come ...

3064. The Little Loser

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

Will Willimon

For those of us who know the end of Holy Week, it is ironic that, only a week before he was crucified, Jesus attracts adoring crowds, crowds who wave palm branches and shout "Hosanna" and call him "King!" It is fitting that we should begin this service with a choir and clergy, a palm branch, parade and dance in celebration of Jesus' parade on Palm Sunday. It is also ironic because we know what those same crowds will be shouting on Friday. The Palm Sunday parade becomes the Golgotha dance of death. We might ...

3065. How About Some Applause for the Creator?

Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

Author Fleming Rutledge tells about a time years ago when she was serving as pastor of a church in New York City. She says that during those days, she used to hang around with some people, “urbane literary types,” as she called them, “most of whom were somewhat disdainful of religion.” She remembers one man in particular. When he discovered that Rutledge was a pastor, he made a confession to her. He confessed very sheepishly that he had done something behind his wife’s back. Apparently, his wife had long ...

3066.

Psalm 93:1-5

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

The Divine King Is Mightier than the Chaotic Waters This psalm of Yahweh’s kingship (see the Introduction) speaks in a foreign language. What the “lifting up” of the seas and their pounding waves have to do with Yahweh’s reign is not self-evident to the modern reader. Nor is it clear how we get from the seas to Yahweh’s house by the psalm’s close. Here we must enter the thought world of the ancient Near East and of temple symbolism. Present in this psalm are the three motifs characteristic of divine ...

3067.

Psalm 99:1-9

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

Holy, Holy, Holy Is the Responsive Divine King The uniqueness of this psalm of Yahweh’s kingship lies in its attention to Israel’s historical traditions and specifically to Yahweh’s execution of justice. Accompanying this liturgy was the congregation’s ritual prostration toward the cherubim-ark at the temple (vv. 1, 5, 9). It is likely the psalm was performed by more than one voice. One possible scenario is that one liturgist or choir proclaimed the declarative statements and imperatives (e.g., “The LORD ...

3068.

Psalm 100:1-5

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

An Invitatory to Enter the Temple’s Gates with Praise An unusual feature of this hymn is that the first four verses are mostly imperative calls to praise (seven of them in vv. 1–4) and only the closing fifth verse provides the formal basis for this praise (with “for,” which normally begins a hymn’s introductory summary). This may imply we have only a fragment of a psalm or that Psalm 100 is complete but merely a portion of a larger liturgy. The congregation is summoned to worship and specifically to come ...

3069.

Psalm 142:1-7

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

Alone and Persecuted This prayer psalm is for those who are alone: “no one is concerned for me” (v. 4; note also the superscription “When he was in the cave”). “The righteous will gather about me” (v. 7) is described as a future event, only after the psalm has been answered. This psalm, therefore, does not seem suited to public performance. Devoid of supportive social relationships, the speaker directs his “voice . . . before him,” that is, to Yahweh. He is the special protector of those who are alone, the ...

3070. Denunciation of the Intruding Teachers

Jude 1:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

1–2 · Salutation: The salutation is brief, identifying the author, as we have noted, and then identifying the recipients as people who have been “called,” “loved,” and “kept” by God the Father and Jesus Christ. There is no criticism of these “dear friends” stated anywhere in the letter. 3–4 · Opening: Reason for writing: After the salutation comes the reason for writing. While about to write in another vein, Jude has received information that means he must instead exhort the community he addresses to “ ...

3071. Processing Grief

Lamentations 3:1-66

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The form of chapter 3, while still an acrostic, is an individual lament (at least 3:1–20) and so differs from the communal laments that precede and follow it. Chapter 3 is the middle poem, with 3:1 exactly at the center of the book. In concept and intensity the first two chapters lead up to chapter 3, and the last two lead from it. As an individual lament it has the customary components of complaint, statement of confidence, and prayer. Although the summons to praise is absent, this individual lament can ...

3072. Shake It Off

Mark 6:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

June 21, 2024, Taylor Swift arrived at Wembley Stadium in London to perform her astonishingly popular “Eras Tour” concert. That same Friday, before the weekend shows began, the royal family shared a video on Instagram of the royal guard (usually silent and staid) joyfully rocking it to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” The band formed a semi-circle right in front of Buckingham Palace during the change of the guard. What a wonderful display of Britain’s youthful and fun-loving spirit. Later, social media ...

3073. Did Jesus Say What I Think He Said?

Mark 7:24-37 · James 2:1-9 · Isaiah 35:5-6 · Psalm 146

Sermon

Thomas C. Willadsen

This morning’s gospel lesson may be the most troubling passage in the gospels because Jesus said a lot of provocative things to the religious authorities. The crowds were delighted with the clever ways he always seemed to best them in battles of wits. This morning’s gospel passage is different — very different. Jesus and his disciples needed a break. Just before today’s passage begins, Jesus had a controversy with some Pharisees. It appears that the Pharisees had traveled from Jerusalem to Gennesaret ...

3074. Risky Business

Mark 8:27-38

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Danger, danger!” “Danger Will Robinson, danger!” Who remembers that line from the 1960s series, “Lost in Space”? I know some of you do! For those too young to remember the show, “Lost in Space” was a pre-Star Trek show that told the stories of the Robinson family and their outer space-time adventures. Robot, a large metal contraption with harmonica-like arms, is programmed to protect son Will Robinson by warning him and others of impending dangers in the unknown environments they find themselves in. The ...

3075. Scandal

Luke 22:14-23:56

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

While Don Richardson was a student at Prairie Bible Institute in the 1950s, his heart burned in anticipation of bringing the good news about Jesus to an unreached tribe. He and Carol found their prayers answered in 1962 as they sailed out of Vancouver harbor toward Netherlands New Guinea. Before long, they were deposited by a missionary plane among the Sawi people, a group of tribes living in the trees of the interior rain forest. The jungle floor was too damp for permanent dwellings, so the Sawi helped ...

Showing results