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 3176 to 3200 of 4963 results

3176. Ephesians 1:15-23

Ephesians 1:15-23

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... within a community of faith. The church, which is the very body of Christ not simply some institutional afterthought is this community. Living in community, especially one so exceedingly blessed with God's power, requires a spiritual commitment of responsibility from all its members. Reminding us of that responsibility is the focus of this week's gospel lesson. The scene drawn by Matthew sheep on the right, goats on the left is so well-known that we tend to gloss over the harshness of Jesus' words to the ...

3177. John 2:13-22

John 2:13-22

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... ' recalling of Psalm 69:9 in verse 17 into the future tense: "Zeal for thy house will consume me." This future directedness prepares the reader for the future orientation of the "sign" Jesus gives as an answer to the Jews' demand in verse 18. It is in response to this demand that Jesus testifies, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (v.19). At this stage of John's gospel, the reader is just as mystified as "the Jews" about the significance of Jesus' assertion. Typical of John's gospel ...

3178. John 20:19-31

John 20:19-31

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... that is, God-among-us. But especially in these post-resurrection passages, John is also concerned with showing Jesus as the Lord of the newly-formed church. Jesus is unequivocally both "Lord" and "God" for John. Despite the power of Thomas' confession, Jesus' response makes it clear to the disciples in that small room and all his disciples for centuries to come that true blessing and joy will come from a faithfulness very different from that which Thomas has demonstrated. Though Thomas comes to believe, he ...

3179. Acts 2:1-21

Acts 2:1-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the name of the Lord shall be saved." As the rest of Peter's first speech makes clear, of all people, the Jerusalem Jews should be stunned and ecstatic at this show of divine mercy. In no uncertain terms, Peter explains that the responsibility for Jesus' rejection, condemnation and crucifixion rests upon their shoulders. If any group needed to be "saved," it was surely this community. Peter both proclaims Jesus as the Messiah and calls those who condemn him to repentance while offering them the outstretched ...

3180. Mark 4:35-41

Mark 4:35-41

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... with a word. Jesus' words are thus both chastening and didactic. In scolding the disciples for their fear and faithlessness, Jesus suggests to them what their appropriate response to witnessing this miracle should be confidence and utter faith in Jesus' abilities and powers. Unlike the other miracle stories that focus on the welfare of others, the disciples' response is recorded by Mark. They are "filled with great awe" though not, we need to notice, with faith. It is ironic that Jesus' power over the wind ...

3181. Mark 5:21-43

Mark 5:21-43

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... to be a failure. Messengers arrive from Jairus' house with the tragic news of his daughter's death. Those who might have believed Jesus could have cured her illness now dismiss his usefulness assuming that his healing abilities were surely limited by death. Jesus' response to these naysayers is to urge Jairus to "only believe." The public nature of this next healing is curtailed somewhat by Jesus. First he selects out only Peter, James and John to accompany him to Jairus' house. Once he reaches what is now ...

3182. Mark 6:1-13

Mark 6:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... , he not only empowers them for action, he prepares them for the inevitable moments of frustration and failure they will encounter. Jesus' own experience in Nazareth now serves as both an example of the kind of rejection they will face and of the kind of response it should elicit. If a household or a village refuses to hear these missionaries' words or recognize the power they wield, the disciples are to move on quickly, shaking the dust off their feet as they go from that place "as a testimony against them ...

3183. Mark 9:38-50

Mark 9:38-50

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... crowds to place the disciples on a pedestal no matter how humbly they might accomplish their mission. Jesus' words to his followers now take on the hue of an ominous warning reminding the disciples that with access to tremendous power comes tremendous responsibility. The "little ones" those whose faith is small and fragile, imperfect and unformed must be their first and foremost concern. If pride or selfishness or envy impedes the progress of faith budding in another, Jesus declares it would be better for ...

3184. Mark 12:28-34

Mark 12:28-34

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... named for its first word in Hebrew, shema "hear") combines a theological assertion with an ethical mandate. First, it confesses that God is one and that God is in a special relationship with Israel, he is our God. Second, it demands a profound personal response on the part of each who would confess this truth, to love this God. The totality of this love extends to all aspects of the human being. Mark's rendition divides these aspects differently than does the original text from Leviticus, but the essential ...

3185. Mark 1:14-20

Mark 1:14-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... The kingdom is something you enter, or more precisely, someone whose presence you enter. Yet the kingdom Jesus describes is not based solely on divine activity, on God’s presence and participation in the world. Jesus’ kingdom demands a human response, a human acceptance of an invitation to “enter.” Human action and interaction with its presence is necessary in order for this “kingdom” to be realized. Most significantly, Jesus describes this “kingdom of God” with a spatial, not temporal, verb ...

3186. Mark 1:21-28

Mark 1:21-28

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... evil spirit instantly to leave the man it had possessed. Not surprisingly Mark records that the people witnessing Jesus’ words at work are “amazed” or “astounded” all over again. Throughout Mark’s gospel, awe, amazement, astonishment are the set responses of people to any of Jesus’ miraculous signs or authoritative speeches. Here the amazement of the witnesses leads them to see in Jesus “a new teaching”, words that have power and change things. Jesus’ “new teaching” has “authority ...

3187. The Compassionate Christ

Mark 1:40-45

Sermon

King Duncan

... her face, said, “Whenever we heard his old Model T turning into our yard, we started to get better.” (6) My guess is that is how people felt when Jesus came into their community. We know how people’s expectations can affect their physical response. Here was a compassionate healer. He didn’t heal everyone in the community, but those who found themselves in his presence discovered that the stories about him were true; he did have power to heal. Sometimes he healed the body. Sometimes he healed the ...

3188. Lent 5

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40, Hebrews 4:14-5:10, John 12:20-36

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... proclaim Christ crucified. When the cross is seen, it draws men to the Master. Outline: What is the drawing power of the cross? a. Suffering draws through sympathy. b. Death attracts through innocence. c. Love of the cross appeals. d. Gratitude for the sacrifice motivates response. Old Testament: Jeremiah 31:31-34 1. "The days are coming" when God will make a new covenant with his people. If this is only a promise of a future new relationship with God, where is the good news other than hope for the future ...

3189. Sunday Of The Passion (Palm Sunday)

Isaiah 50:1-11

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... . While on the cross, Jesus' enemies hounded him with shouts of derision. After crying out, "My God, why?" Jesus dies. In response, the veil of the temple was split and a Roman soldier confessed that Jesus was the Son of God. THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS ... you do with Jesus? (Mark 11:1-10; 15:1-39). Need: Pilate's question, "What then shall I do with Jesus?" makes everyone responsible to give an answer. How we answer depicts our faith in Jesus and determines our destiny. In the text various answers were given and ...

3190. Easter 5

Acts 8:26-40, 1 John 4:7-21, John 15:1-17

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... in the margin. Epistle: 1 John 4:7-12 In six verses very much is said about the nature of God, the nature of love and the responsibility to love both God and people. The key to the passage is "God is love." (v. 8) Since love is of many kinds, John explains the ... him in you. (v. 12) To love God is to love people. (v. 11) How does one fall in love with God? Our love is a response to God's prior love. (vv. 10, 11) This passage leads us to conclude that love is the greatest thing in the world. Gospel: John 15: ...

3191. Easter 6

Acts 10:23b-48, 1 John 4:1-6, John 15:1-17, 1 John 5:1-12

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... work of the Spirit. Outline: What the text tells us about the Spirit – a. The Spirit comes by hearing the Word v. 44. b. The Spirit possesses all believers, Jew and Gentile v. 45. c. The Spirit is a gift from God v. 45. d. The Spirit causes a response v. 46. Epistle: 1 John 5:1-6 1. A winning faith! (5:4-5). Need: Faith is often considered as something intellectual static, inert, impractical. But faith is an active, alive and winning factor in a Christian's life. But not any faith, not a faith in faith ...

3192. Lent 2

Mark 8:31--9:1, Romans 4:1-25, Genesis 17:1-27

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... the covenant Yahweh offers him a people, a land, a son and a God. The outward sign of the covenant is circumcision. The effect of the covenant is a change in Abraham's life symbolized by the change of his name from Abram to Abraham. In response Abraham has the responsibility to walk before Yahweh and to live blamelessly. Yet, when Yahweh informed him that Sarah would have a son, he laughed in unbelief. Epistle: Romans 4:13-25 In this pericope Paul uses Abraham as proof that we are not saved by works of the ...

3193. Baptism Of Our Lord

Mark 1:9-13, Mark 1:1-8, Acts 19:1-22, Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... you at a. Your baptism: 1. If you were an infant, how could you? 2. If you were an adult, it may have been only a ritual to you. b. Your confirmation? If you were baptized as an infant, you could be there for your confirmation which is your response to your baptism. Was your confirmation only a custom or a religious experience? c. Your renewal of baptismal vows? Later in the service there will be a time to renew your baptismal vows. If you were not at your baptism nor your confirmation, you can make it up ...

3194. Epiphany 3

Jonah 3:1-10, 1 Corinthians 7:1-40, Mark 1:1-8, Mark 1:9-13, Mark 1:14-20

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... know the content of his preaching. What does Jesus have to say to us? The text gives us the answer. Outline: Jesus preached the gospel of God. a. The time "the time is fulfilled" v. 15. b. The fact "the kingdom of God is at hand" v. 15. c. The response "Repent and believe" v. 15. Old Testament: Jonah 3:1-5, 10 1. A trinity of repentance (3:1-5, 10). Need: This lesson fits into the overall theme of the day in terms of the theme, a time to repent. In this pericope we have a threefold repentance: Jonah ...

3195. Lent 1

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40, Hebrews 4:14-5:10, John 12:20-36

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

3196. John 20:1-18

John 20:1-9

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Mary is looking for a dead body. Jesus invites her to look for a live being, the resurrected Messiah. Still faithless, Mary can only see a gardener before her. It is not until Jesus speaks her name that Mary at last sees who is speaking to her. Her response is to think in terms of a “good shepherd,” who calls his sheep by name and the sheep then follow him (John 10:3-4). Even then, however, Mary’s faith is still limited. She now recognizes Jesus, but she addresses the risen Lord with the simple title ...

3197. Proper 25

Job 42:1-6, Job 42:7-17, Mark 10:46-52, Hebrews 7:11-28

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... . 3. Call (v. 49). The cries of Bartimaeus touched the caring heart of Jesus. He stopped and asked for Bartimaeus to come to him. Why did Jesus not go to him since he was blind? Was it a test of Bartimaeus' faith? A person needs to make a response; he needs to express his faith. Note that the call did not come directly from Jesus but came through others. Though it came secondhand, the call was still valid. In our day, this is probably the only way we can receive Christ's call usually through the church ...

3198. Anybody NOT seeing red?

1 John 1:5--2:14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... I got was deafening: people agreed with me. I then posted a tweat that asked my tweeps to give me reasons why this might be so. Why are Christians so irritable? Here are a few of the responses I got. I’m going to keep their twitter names, or disguise them, because some private messaged me on the twitter account. But here are the reasons for “Irritable Christian Syndrome,” according to the twitterverse: 1) “StarbucksQueen” said she that it was because we falsely think we have it all ...

3199. The Transfiguration Of Our Lord

2 Kings 2:1-18, Mark 9:2-13, 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... of teaching, preaching and healing. During the wilderness years Moses had his tent for meeting God away from the camp that he could experience God. Daily devotions for a Christian today demand finding a hideaway from people to be with God. 2. Well (v. 5). Peter's response to the transfiguration was half right and half wrong. He was wrong in suggesting the building of booths, but he was altogether right when he said it was well for the disciples to be there. It is truly good for us to be in the assembly of ...

3200. A Shepherd's Love

John 10:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... . If you can believe that science can track our whereabouts, how can you not believe that the God who made it possible for us to have such technologies, who created the heavens and the earth, and who makes it possible for us to probe the universe, can be individually responsive to those who call on His name? God really does care for us. God knows us by name. Here’s the last thing we need to know: God wants to be our partner as we seek to cope with life. Jesus compared us to sheep, and there are times ...

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