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 3201 to 3225 of 4340 results

3201. This Fellow Welcomes Sinners

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... sheep. After sharing these two examples Jesus raised the stakes. He told the story of the prodigal son and put a human face on the topic of lost and found. I said earlier that perhaps we're too used to the story. We know the main characters — the father, the prodigal son, and the brother. We may not realize that there is someone missing from the picture. Jorge Maldonado, a family counselor, wrote a book called Even in The Best of Families, which alas is out of print.1 Maldonado looked at seven familiar ...

3202. Believing Thomas

John 20:19-31

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... of cold-hearted butchery, not Southern gallantry. The name given to something or someone matters. Your parents were wrong when they said, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Words can hurt. I call this to mind because one of the characters in today's Bible passage is referred to by a name that is neither given to him by Jesus, nor is it used in scripture. I am referring to Doubting Thomas. That's a defeatist name. Where is the victory of the resurrection in a name like ...

3203. Veni, Spiritus Sanctus, Veni

John 14:8-17 (25-27)

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

... truth. "Come, Holy Spirit, come." Today is a perfect day to give thanks to God for teachers. Many of us have been blessed with excellent teachers, mentors, and models. I attended a one-room country school for eight years learning like the characters in the The Little House on the Praire. There was Miss Prunty, Miss Olson, and Mrs. Watts. Later I was schooled and nurtured in a Christian high school, two colleges, and two theological seminaries. One of my favorite teachers was professor, preacher, poet ...

3204. Holy, Holy, Holy

John 16:12-15

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

... the "trinity." The Jehovah's Witnesses hate it. The Mormons despise it. The Unification church attacks it. So the church developed three special security guards at the Councils of Nicea and Constantinople. These three security guards are big, burly, strong, no-nonsense characters. Their job is keep out riffraff, liars, and deceivers. Every time you and I worship they stand outside the church doors without fail. One probably doesn't notice them. They stand in the shadows. Usually one of them comes in and ...

3205. What If the Disciples Had Email and One of the Disciples Was a Woman?

Luke 13:10-17

Sermon

... time now. Our ancestors even warned us in the story about Moses and Pharaoh, how the court magicians could do almost everything that Moses could do by the power of God. Yet, Priscilla, I also know that you are a bright girl and that you are a good judge of character and that you will know whether or not he is the real deal not by his works but by the fruit of his works. If I had my way, you would be home with us safe and sound, but you are of age and I trust your judgment. I just ...

3206. Where Would You Go to Meet Jesus?

Luke 15:1-10

Sermon

... the gospels for the outreach committee and, of course, for the members of her new church. She sends them to me every month to use as I see fit and when they arrived this week I saw one that I'd like to share. It struck me since the main character is a priest she calls Father Don. Father Don was the person who kept after me during college to come back to church, to make a weekend retreat and eventually, when I mentioned to him that I thought I might be called to the ministry, counseled me and took ...

3207. How Do You Know the Good Guys from the Bad Guys?

Luke 16:1-13

Sermon

... missed a great sermon. Then make sure you confess your sin, of course. The problem, I think, is that often when we listen to these parables our first reaction is to assign parts. I noticed this recently when I told a folktale in which the king was the main character. Many of you tried to understand the story by equating the king with God and right away you got stuck in your interpretation. Doing that was no better than equating the snake in the story of Adam and Eve with the devil. The snake is not the ...

3208. Getting Back into Shape

John 8:31-36

Sermon

Scott Bryte

... perfect church attendance or good deeds or good intentions or anything else. The death and resurrection of Jesus is our only hope. We can rely on Jesus Christ alone, even if we may want to rely on ourselves, our own efforts, our own will, and our own good character. Reformation Day is not a celebration of the joys of being Lutheran. It's not an excuse for patting ourselves on the back and saying, "Look how right we are, too bad everybody else is wrong" or "Thank God we're Lutheran, 'cause we've got God all ...

3209. Ready Or Not, Here He Comes!

Luke 3:7-18

Sermon

David E. Leininger

John is an amazing character, isn't he? Not what we would expect as we come up to Christmas. What if, riding atop the last float of the Macy'sThanksgiving Day parade, there was not a jolly old Saint Nick, but a wild-eyed John the Baptist dressed in a glorified burlap sack? Even the ...

3210. Sonny Moneybags

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... the personality kid. Aunts and uncles would come to visit and say, "Hi, Sonny, where's Junior?" Junior was the laughing boy, the fun one. Sonny was just left to watch. No one ever intentionally slighted the older boy. It was just that the younger one's vivacious character always seemed to be the one on center stage. When it came to school, Sonny got Bs and Cs, not a brilliant student, but certainly not dumb, either. He would come home in the afternoon, do his homework just like he should, and then go out to ...

3211. Choosing a God

1 Kings 18:20-21 (22-29) 30-39

Sermon

David E. Leininger

For sheer drama, there is little in fact or fiction that can surpass the stories of Elijah in 1 Kings. For interesting characters, unusual twists of plot and action, for excitement and adventure, one would be hard-pressed to find anything more entertaining. Elijah could star in an incredible mini-series. The Bible gives little background on this majestic prophet other than to mention his hometown, Tishbe in Gilead on the eastern side ...

3212. Greed

2 Kings 5:1-14

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... sake of Timothy's stomach than ever sold what they had and gave to the poor for the sake of the rich young ruler. It is just too easy for us to become possessed by our possessions or our desire for them. Consider our text - three main characters: Naaman, the wealthy Syrian general; Elisha, the prophet of God; and Gehazi, Elisha's servant and right-hand man. Naaman, powerful though he was, had a serious problem: He was a leper, and nothing anyone had ever tried had been able to cure him. But in the course ...

3213. Dinner Guests

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... lame, and the blind to dinner. To move that to a more contemporary idiom, invite the illegal immigrant, the Middle-Eastern student, the AIDs victim — in other words, the people we good folks would normally shy away from. Actually, this cast of characters that Jesus identified hardly even rates the designation of "humble" people — in many cases, they were actually outcasts and outlaws, and according to the law, such people were not even legally permitted to go into God's holy presence (Leviticus 21:17 ...

3214. The Most Dangerous Verse In the Bible

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... , a purpose. It is "useful" in quite particular ways: "teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16) — all the tasks of ministry that Timothy will be called upon to deliver that will develop disciples and create the character of the Christian community. "All scripture is God-breathed ... inspired ..." And we believe it. Practically every American home has a copy of the Bible. Be careful with it. Serious Bible study is more than memorizing an index that tells where ...

3215. Dinner With Jesus

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... give half my goods to the poor. I had plenty. I could afford it. Then I sat down. There was a kind of stunned speechlessness in the room. Everyone just looked at me. Here was that old thief Zacchaeus saying something that was so incredibly out of character that no one could react in any way other than astonished silence. I really felt good about myself at that moment ... better than I had in years. It was almost as if a great weight had been lifted from me. I had done something actually good and without ...

3216. Remember!

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... days. He had been born in Switzerland in 1722 and emigrated to America in 1739. Apparently, he was quite the fire brand in advocating a break with the English king, and as such, got himself into all sorts of difficulties. He sounded like an interesting character, but I doubt that I would have given him much more than passing curiosity except for the fact that there was included in his story a list of his children. It turns out that Reverend Samuel Suther was my great-great-great-grandfather. That knowledge ...

3217. Epiphany 7

Genesis 45:3-11, 15, Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40, Luke 6:27-36, 1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-50

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... desires of our hearts!” Sermon Idea Today’s texts are reminders that though the scriptures have come to us across centuries and cultures, some destructive human behaviors hang around. Adults still sell children, make them carry weapons, and maim them. All the characters in these scriptures are male; they are concerned with other people’s behavior and how some kind of justice should be meted out. A theme/title might be: Balancing Act — Hope and Action. In Luke’s Sermon on the Plain, the underlying ...

3218. Epiphany 8

Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15, Isaiah 55:10-13, Luke 6:39-49, 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... up with one another. In our scriptures today, there are verses from Sirach in the apocrypha that describe conversation: “Never praise anyone until you hear that person talk!” People: We talk with each other often, and we are aware that our words indicate our characters and our attitudes about life. Leader: We can be honest with one another about our thoughts, and we can be honest with God about our doubts! People: We choose not to be with people who insult others or start arguments. Leader: Together, we ...

3219. Good Friday

Psalm 22:1-31, Isaiah 52:13--53:12, John 18:1-11, Hebrews 10:16-25

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... 26-56 (Include the burial scene since many people will not read it before Sunday’s Resurrection Story.) Leader: Look at the undulations in the knot; notice the cross-overs and turns. Each person meanders this cross/star pathway. We each carry within us the characters who walked with Jesus. Look at the knot. What of you is Peter? How are you like Judas? When are you Mother Mary? When are you Mary Magdalene? What of you participates unwittingly in maligning the Holy? Where are you when God is speaking? Look ...

3220. Proper 6

2 Samuel 11:26--12:10, 1 Kings 21:1-10 (11-14) 15-21a, Psalm 5:1-8; 32:1-11, Luke 7:36--8:3, Galatians 2:15-21

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... how to be your hands and mind in this world. Amen. Sermon Idea The 1 Kings story is about Ahab pouting, not getting his way and allowing, maybe expecting, his spouse to fix things by having someone else to do the dirty work of assassination of character and then murder. Second Samuel 11 is the story of envy and murder of a person while 1 Kings is about land and murder. These “texts of terror” (Phyllis Trible’s phrase) reveal human jealousy about things and intimacy; such darkness seems to be inherent ...

3221. Proper 8

1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21, 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14, Psalm 16:1-11; 77:1-2, 11-20, Luke 9:51-62, Galatians 5:1, 13-25

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... seems our country cannot any longer absorb the tired and the poor from other nations. Help all humankind to be realistic about the numbers of people this planet can sustain. God of the Good Samaritan — as we make our human journey, we are sometimes the brutalized character in Jesus’ story. Sometimes we are those who looked the other way. Sometimes we are the ones who bandage wounds and pay for care. Knowing that all these roles belong to most of us, we pray for people around the world who are hungry and ...

3222. Blind Ambition

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

King Duncan

... them “Boanerges,” which means, “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). I am not sure what that means, but my guess is James and John were never shrinking violets. There is one occasion told in Luke 9 that may give us a hint as to their character. Jesus and his disciples were on their way to Jerusalem. Jesus sent some messengers into a nearby Samaritan village to get things ready for him. But the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. Jerusalem was sacred to the Jews and ...

3223. Christmas Eve

Psalm 96:1-13, Isaiah 9:2-7, Luke 2:1-7, Titus 2:11-14

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... of time to pantomime the Luke 2 story. (Everyone can wear slacks and a turtleneck shirt.) Designate the lead adult angel (Gabriel), lead adult shepherd, adult Mary, and adult Joseph several weeks prior to Christmas Eve. Since there is no rehearsal, ask the lead characters to arrive fifteen minutes early in costume and go over space, props, and costumes for other participants. Masking tape on the floor, labeled for each role, is helpful. A manger can be set in the chancel as a visual focal point. A doll can ...

3224. Coffee Shop Christmas Eve

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Julia Ross Strope

Characters Rebecca Lucy Sarah Gail Jeff Grandma Lee Robert Max Curt Ryan Jeanne Carolers (choir members) Props Three small bistro tables Chairs Three candles (one on each table, one for everyone in the congregation) Coffee cups Manger with puppet animals and doll Shopping bag Loaf of bread Christmas Tree Theme A ...

3225. Talking Dog

Humor Illustration

... most valuable spies for eight years running. But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals." "After that I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired." The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the ...

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