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 326 to 350 of 1065 results

326. What Will It Take to Make You Happy?

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

King Duncan

“Who do you think is happier?” asks Marc Reklau in his book Destination Happiness, “people who [have] won the lottery or people who [have become] paralyzed after an accident?” You may be surprised at the answer. “Yes, the lottery winners were very happy, but not for very long,” Reklau continues. “After six months they went back to their previous levels of happiness.” On the other hand, “the accident victims were sad, but surprisingly after six months, they [also] went back to their previous levels of ...

327. You are Anointed

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“To God we are the aroma of the Messiah.” (Paul in his Second Letter to the Corinthian Church 2:14-16) Props: Provide/burn fragrant incense or scented candles or some other type of enduring scent (be cognizant of possible allergies, and find something that your congregation can find pleasurable). For the end of your sermon, be prepared to hand out fragrant bookmarks. You can make your own by buying fragrance testing papers ($9.99 on amazon for 100), or you can purchase scented bookmarks. What are your ...

328. Big Boys Do Cry

Joel 2:1-2,12-17

Sermon

King Duncan

Bob Laurent, in his book, A World of Differents, tells of sitting in the living room reading when he heard a terrible scream just outside his front door. Like most parents, he could distinguish his own child’s crying, and so he flew out the door to the scene of the accident. There was his three-year-old son, Christopher, upside down and bawling, the victim of a hit-and-run collision with a Big Wheel 16 inch toy Tricycle. In one fell swoop, Laurent scooped his son up and had him in the house and up in his ...

329. The Lonely Prophet

1 Kings 19:1-4, (5-7), 8-15a

Sermon

King Duncan

One of the great concepts that has come out of the sobriety movement and organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous is the acronym HALT—H. A. L. T. The word, of course, literally means “to stop.” But in sobriety circles, the acronym HALT serves as a reminder to be careful how you react when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired. Researchers have found that, for someone with addiction issues, these four states leave you particularly vulnerable to temptation. They suggest that, before you take a drink or pop a ...

330. The View from Cloud Nine

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

Lori Wagner

We as human beings have always been fascinated by clouds. Looking upward, how many of us have spent time lying on our backs on a grassy bank staring at the clouds. As children we’ve looked for shapes in the cloud formations and have imagined what it would be like to soar to the clouds, to touch their seemingly “fluffy” nature, to lie down in their soft, wispy warmth. In cartoons, we wistfully imagine sitting in the clouds, soaking up the view, as though they were a luxurious bed of soft, billowy cotton. In ...

331. Love Your Enemies--It Will Drive Them Crazy

Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

Richard A. Wing

It takes a steady hand to carry a full glass of water. It takes an even steadier heart to carry forgiveness to one who holds you in opposition. In the Old Testament I like the story of Joseph, particularly its outcome. Joseph is the favored one. The older brothers say, "Dad always liked you best." In this case it was true. The brothers go out and fake Joseph's death. They bring back some bloodied clothes and say to their father, "He is dead." In actuality they have sold him into slavery in Egypt. Time ...

332. Light In The Land Of Shadows

Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon

Harold Warlick

On a trip to Munich, Germany, Samuel Miller had a chance to watch Karl Vallentin, the last of the great "metaphysical clowns." As the curtain lifted, the stage was completely dark except for one small circle of light in the middle. Vallentin appeared in his magnificent clown costume and began to intently look all around the circle of light. A policeman appeared on the scene and inquired if he had lost something. The clown replied, "Yes, the key to my house." The policeman joined him in the search for a ...

333. The Fruitful Vine

John 15:1-17, 1 John 4:7-21, Acts 8:26-40, Psalm 22:1-31

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

The Fruitful Vine What is a preacher to make of a parable or extended allegory about a vine in an urban and industrial culture? If you are living in a small town or a rural area, people might know something about growing grapes. They might know about the need to prune back old growth since the grapes only form on the new growth. But how many in a large city would know about cultivating a grape vine so that it produces a good crop? For them grapes are something you buy in the produce section of the ...

334. Affirming The Ash Heap

Job 2:1-10, Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

Every thinking person knows that he or she lives every minute on the brink of disaster. Life is transitory, perilous, potentially horrible. Every observant person realizes that all too often someone in his or her circle of acquaintances goes through a season of great, sometimes completely overwhelming, distress. There is hardly any one of us who has not had a family member or a friend suffer the destructiveness of cancer. Many of us know families whose lives have been torn apart by an automobile accident. ...

335. What Kind Of Love?

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon

John N. Brittain

A generation ago, C. S. Lewis set out to write a book on love, using as his main text: "God is Love" from 1 John 4: Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for ...

336. You Can Be Well Fed

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Sermon

Michael B. Brown

I used to serve as pastor to a delightful young woman who was a physiologist. A committed health nut, she probably weighed all of 90 pounds soaking wet. She ran about five miles per day and actually seemed to enjoy counting fat grams. Though a truly charming young lady, she was not much of a realist. I note that because one of her goals was to make me as skinny as she was. Following a trip to a church conference at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina, I made the mistake of telling her that I had stopped at the ...

337. Ash Wednesday

Mt 6:1-6, 16-21 · 2 Cor 5:20 - 6:10 · Joel 2:1-2, 12-19 · Ps 51 · Ps 103

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Joel 2:1-2, 12-19 The prophet Joel receives a word from the Lord. The ram's horn is to be sounded so that the people might assemble before the Lord. It is a time of crisis but the source of the trouble is not clear. Scholars differ greatly as to when the book was written anywhere from 800 B.C. to 350 B.C. Nevertheless, the situation calls for swift and forthright action. All of the people (v. 16), without exception, are called to return to the Lord with fasting, weeping and ...

338. The Merciful

Sermon

John A. Terry

Matthew 5:1-12Matthew 18:23-35 The quality of mercy is not strain'd,It droppeth as a gentle rain from heavenUpon the place beneath: it is twice blest;It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomesThe throned monarch better than his crown.(The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, scene 1) In our practice of "mercy" there is a kind of "I'll scratch your back -- you scratch my back" philosophy. Be decent to others and they will be decent to you. It is like the story on which ...

339. Persevering In The Faith

Numbers 21:4-9

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

Many years ago, a friend of mine remarked that several years earlier he and his wife had quit attending church. I asked him why. He explained that his wife had become quite ill and, as they were occasional church attenders, they decided to pray for healing. As part of this effort, they attended worship every Sunday, became otherwise involved in their church, doubled their pledge, and in general made church and prayer a central part of their lives. However, as time went on, the wife became sicker. There was ...

340. The Merciful

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

John A. Terry

The quality of mercy is not strain'd, It droppeth as a gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes: 'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown. (The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, scene 1) In our practice of "mercy" there is a kind of "I'll scratch your back -- you scratch my back" philosophy. Be decent to others and they will be decent to you. It is like the story on which George Bernard Shaw based ...

341. Plan Your Leisure - Jesus Did His!

Mark 6:30-44

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

Our son who has a two-engine plane took his wife and two children on a three day out-of-state trip during the Fourth of July week-end. I called, expecting to hear a relaxed voice. Instead, I heard a tense and anxious voice. I said, “How was your little trip?” “Oh, it was fine. The weather was good. [Weather is a primary concern to a pilot.] We saw the people we wanted to see. I took Dave and Jim on an air tour over the mountains with an occasional swoop into the valley. We took pictures of the farm and ...

342. Bread For The Journey (Bread of Life III)

John 6:25-59

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

I have talked with several people recently who have completed exciting trips. One returned from central Europe. A couple went to Hawaii, another couple to Russia. A university professor had his three month sabbatical in Jamaica interrupted by the hurricane that devastated the islands, Mexico and the U.S. coast. Most of the trips you and I take are not as sophisticated as these. But travel is a popular thing. Some trips, like the ones I just referred to, have to be planned well in advance; some happen on ...

343. Walking Through A Storm

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

Simon was in control of the boat. He was the oldest, and besides it was his boat. He had sailed the waters so often, and usually at night because that is when most of the fishing took place. The disciples pushed away from the shore, a shore still crowded with the village people. The sun had set but still cast a warm, red glow over the hillside, over the men, women and children who had come to hear Jesus and to be healed. The sun's glow worked out upon the gently moving sea. It may have been John, the ...

344. The Compassionate Highway

Mark 6:30-44

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

Two bits of the gospel story are put together for today's lectionary lesson from Mark. First (6:30-34), the disciples have been out in the neighborhood, teaching the words that Jesus had taught them and doing the good deeds that they had seen him do. You remember that, after his rejection in Nazareth, he commissioned his close followers to be his messengers to the world. Now they have returned to Jesus with reports of their work. I suppose we might even say, in today's images, that the sales force is back ...

345. The Fruitful Vine

John 15:1-17

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

What is a preacher to make of a parable or extended allegory about a vine in an urban and industrial culture? If you are living in a small town or a rural area, people might know something about growing grapes. They might know about the need to prune back old growth since the grapes only form on the new growth. But how many in a large city would know about cultivating a grape vine so that it produces a good crop? For them grapes are something you buy in the produce section of the supermarket. Perhaps a ...

346. That's Our God For You!

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

John M. Braaten

Palm Sunday is an event in Christ's life that many people, particularly young people, enjoy. It is action packed, filled with lots of commotion and noise - especially noise. It centers around a grand parade with all the excitement and frenzied emotion of a political convention. The "Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem," as it is sometimes called, includes people lining the streets craning their necks to see, waving palms, and lots of shouting. For many people who like lots of activity, Palm Sunday is their ...

347. Some Women's Stories

John 7:45--8:11

Sermon

Carl Jech

Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. (John 8:7) This story of the woman caught in adultery might be described as a "second-class story" - because it seems to have been added to John's Gospel as an afterthought. It does not appear in any of the older and more original versions of John, and some experts on the New Testament even think it may belong in Luke. The second-class status of this story is, unfortunately, also mildly appropriatein light of the fact that ...

348. Real Strength

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

Harold Warlick

In our fast-paced and advertisement-oriented world, it is easy to get trapped. In fact, there are people who specialize in trapping the public. The invitation comes in the mail. You are invited to visit a new condominium complex at some beach or lake or mountain setting. They'll give you gas money to drive there. They'll give you free lodging and free meals. Why, you even have guaranteed prizes waiting on you, perhaps a new Oldsmobile Cutlass or a color television. Of course, you could also wind up with a ...

349. The Cracking Point

Mark 12:1-12

Sermon

Harold Warlick

Everyone has a cracking point. There comes a certain point in our relationships with others or in our feelings about ourselves when everything snaps. You and I are emotionally and physiologically structured so that we can withstand only so much. There is only so much garbage, so much heat we can take. Then, like the valve on a pressure cooker, we simply blow off. Perhaps the six most dramatic words in the English language are these: "I just can't take it anymore." Every person has a cracking point. It ...

350. Proper 20 & Pentecost 18

Matthew 20:1-16, Philippians 1:12-30, Philippians 1:1-11, Exodus 32:1-33:6, Jonah 4:1-11, Isaiah 55:1-13, Psalm 27:1-14, Psalm 145:1-21, Psalm 106:1-48

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE Although the church year eschatological framework remains in place on this Sunday, it would continue to be almost imperceptible without the influence of the readings for the day. In particular, it is the Gospel for the Day, the parable of the "householder," who goes out to the market place again and again to hire day-laborers to work in his vineyard, that casts the eschatological note of the gospel, as well as the church year, in sharp focus over against the unmerited grace of God, who ...

Showing results

Showing 326 to 350 of 1065 results

326. What Will It Take to Make You Happy?

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

King Duncan

327. You are Anointed

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

328. Big Boys Do Cry

Joel 2:1-2,12-17

Sermon

King Duncan

329. The Lonely Prophet

1 Kings 19:1-4, (5-7), 8-15a

Sermon

King Duncan

330. The View from Cloud Nine

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

Lori Wagner

331. Love Your Enemies--It Will Drive Them Crazy

Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

Richard A. Wing

332. Light In The Land Of Shadows

Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon

Harold Warlick

333. The Fruitful Vine

John 15:1-17, 1 John 4:7-21, Acts 8:26-40, Psalm 22:1-31

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

334. Affirming The Ash Heap

Job 2:1-10, Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

335. What Kind Of Love?

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon

John N. Brittain

336. You Can Be Well Fed

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Sermon

Michael B. Brown

337. Ash Wednesday

Mt 6:1-6, 16-21 · 2 Cor 5:20 - 6:10 · Joel 2:1-2, 12-19 · Ps 51 · Ps 103

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

338. The Merciful

Sermon

John A. Terry

339. Persevering In The Faith

Numbers 21:4-9

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

340. The Merciful

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

John A. Terry

341. Plan Your Leisure - Jesus Did His!

Mark 6:30-44

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

342. Bread For The Journey (Bread of Life III)

John 6:25-59

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

343. Walking Through A Storm

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

344. The Compassionate Highway

Mark 6:30-44

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

345. The Fruitful Vine

John 15:1-17

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

346. That's Our God For You!

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

John M. Braaten

347. Some Women's Stories

John 7:45--8:11

Sermon

Carl Jech

348. Real Strength

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

Harold Warlick

349. The Cracking Point

Mark 12:1-12

Sermon

Harold Warlick

350. Proper 20 & Pentecost 18

Matthew 20:1-16, Philippians 1:12-30, Philippians 1:1-11, Exodus 32:1-33:6, Jonah 4:1-11, Isaiah 55:1-13, Psalm 27:1-14, Psalm 145:1-21, Psalm 106:1-48

Sermon Aid

Showing results