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 3651 to 3675 of 4455 results

3651. At The Manger By Invitation

Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

I know of a certain family which has for years spent a Saturday in mid-December finding and bringing home the right Christmas tree. They do not buy a tree off a lot. Instead, they prefer to go to a tree farm. There they spend much time selecting the tree that is just right--not too tall, not too thin, with just the right shape. Then the tree is cut down and brought home. Last year the choice was very difficult. Not because there weren't a lot of beautiful trees available. The problem was that the youngest ...

3652. Christmas I

Luke 2:22-40

Children's Sermon

Susan Hedahl

Theme: The Promises Of God Today is the last time until next year that we will gather under the Christmas tree (or around the creche scene) to think about many things. The time before and after Christmas is a time when we think about promises. Do you know what a promise is? That’s right. It is something another person tells you that you will receive at a later time. They are so important that people use different words for promise. Sometimes they say vow or oath or contract or pledge. We spend our entire ...

3653. Daily Living For Christ

Romans 13:8-14

Bulletin Aid

James Wilson

Call To Worship Leader: Let us sing and celebrate, for we belong in the family of God. People: In the Lord we have been adopted as sisters and brothers of Christ. Leader: Then let us walk in life as Christ has called us each to walk! People: We must be caring and responsible and alert to the dangers of evil. Leader: And we must seek the guidance of the Lord and share the Lord's Joy. All: Blessed be the name of the Lord! Collect O God, there are many worldly forces calling for us to turn away from You. Yet ...

3654. The Vicarious Servant

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

Donald Macleod

The beloved English cleric, Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy, wrote a poem, titled The Unutterable Beauty, which makes appropriate hearing on Good Friday: When Jesus came to Golgotha, they hanged him to a tree; They drove great nails in hands and feet and made a Calvary. They placed on him a crown of thorns; red were his wounds and deep, For those were crude and cruel days, and human flesh was cheap. When Jesus came to Birmingham, they simply passed him by; They never hurt a hair of him; they only let him die. ...

3655. Barabbas - People’s Choice or Chance of Providence?

John 18:28-40

Sermon

Carl E. Zahrte

Were you there? Is that what you were singing? Yes, I was there, all right. I had no choice in the matter. I was locked up in that lousy, stinking hole that they called a prison. I didn’t think that there was any chance that I would ever get out of there alive. The Romans had been after me for some time. Once they got their hands on me and threw me down into that dungeon, I thought for sure that my days were numbered. Those stone walls were mighty thick, and the guards kept a close watch on me. They liked ...

3656. Jesus the Hope of the World

Drama

Curt M. Joseph

Characters: Thomas - apostle of Jesus; skeptical and cynical; tries hard to hide his fear. Peter - apostle of Jesus; strong personality. John - apostle of Jesus; compassionate and caring. Mary Magdalene - disciple of Jesus; strong and faithful. The play begins with only Thomas onstage. He has a small sack, large enough to contain an extra robe, etc. He is packing the sack. He looks around. Thomas: Now, let me see, am I missing anything? (He looks into the bag.) Robe, sandals, money sack. Yes, it looks like ...

3657. A Reed Who Became a Rock

John 1:35-42

Sermon

R. Blaine Detrick

We have looked together at some of the favorite men of the Bible we have traveled through the Old Testament ... and in the last chapter, we entered into the New Testament in the person of John the Baptizer. Now we pass over the period of the life of Jesus: the coming of the promised Messiah ... the climax of God’s redeeming work ... the time of the Incarnation ... when God became man ... when the eternal entered time ... when the heavenly became earthly. Two of the twelve apostles of Jesus were chosen as ...

3658. Finding the Truth That Makes Us Free

John 8:31-41

Sermon

James W. Robinson

I sat one morning at a table in a fast-food restaurant, facing a window coated with a film of dirt and grease. An employee appeared outside with a bucket of water and sponged the grime away. It was like the raising of a curtain on a stage. Now I could see clearly the scene outside. In the immediate foreground was an asphalt parking lot; beyond that a stretch of winter-browned grass, relieved of monotony only by a cluster or two of leafless shrubs. An ambulance pulled away from a diner on the far edge of ...

3659. Christmas 1

Isaiah 61:1-11, Isaiah 62:1-12, Galatians 3:26--4:7, Luke 2:21-40

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: Isaiah 61:10--62:3 Theme: A holy family, a wholesome future Exegetical Note The first part of this poetic text contains two loosely related metaphors, wedding and germination, which celebrate Jerusalem’s present and future salvation. Taken together, the two images suggest fertility and the promise inherent in a truly nurturing environment. Call to Worship Leader: Good Christian people, rejoice in God, and let the world know no end to our celebration! People: FOR, IN THE PERSON OF A CHILD, GOD ...

3660. Epiphany 7

Isaiah 42:18-25, Mark 2:1-12, 2 Corinthians 1:12--2:4

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: Isaiah 43:18-25 Theme: The forgetfulness of God Exegetical Note Speaking out of the context of captivity, Deutero-Isaiah here tells the hope of the future defeat of the Babylonian captors and a return by the Israelites to the Promised Land. The promise here is for a new Exodus for an undeserving people, whose transgressions, sins, and general faithlessness, however, God will choose to forget. Call to Worship Leader: Give thanks and praise, sisters and brothers, for the forgetfulness of God! ...

3661. Lent 5

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

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: Jeremiah 31:31-34 Theme: The new covenant of the heart, the new law within Exegetical Note In a manner uncharacteristic of the Old Testament, Jeremiah here depicts God, not as calling Israel or Judah back to the Mosaic covenant, but as giving up on the law as hopelessly broken, and announcing a future new covenant, not of external knowledge of and obedience to tablets and codes, but of internal responsiveness to the will of God instilled in human hearts. Call to Worship Leader: Let us worship ...

3662. Easter 3

Acts 3:11-26, 1 John 2:28--3:10, Luke 24:36-49

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: Acts 3:12-19 Theme: Times of restoration and refreshing repentance Exegetical note In the aftermath of his and John’s healing of a lame man, Peter delivers a sermon attributing the power behind the event to the name of Jesus, the Resurrected one, faith in which leads to the restoration of health. Peter therefore urges everyone to repent, promising them "refreshing times" as a result. Important in this entire story is the fact that neither faith nor refreshment on the part of the lame man ...

3663. Proper 7

2 Samuel 5:1-5, 2 Samuel 5:6-16, 2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2, Mark 4:35-41

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: 2 Samuel 5:1-12 Theme: The God who establishes Kingdoms Exegetical Note This account of David’s becoming king over Israel as well as Judah, the latter of which he had ruled for more than seven years, is not entirely clear and seems to contradict some details of the version in 1 Chronicles 11. Nevertheless, the theological point is clear (and spelled out in verse 12): it is God who has established this Kingdom, against all odds and certainly counter to the expectations of the Jebusites, the ...

3664. Proper 17

1 Kings 2:1-12, Mark 7:1-23, Ephesians 6:10-20

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: 1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12 Theme: Passing the torch of faith Exegetical Note David’s final charge to his son and successor Solomon is poignant, eloquent, and notable in that no mention is made of the inheritance of power, prestige, or wealth that is surely involved. David’s parting concern is to pass along to his son a spiritual inheritance: faithfulness to God and the Law. That is the real source of power and the legacy that David most wishes to leave behind. Call to Worship Leader: Faith in God ...

3665. Proper 24

Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 4:14-5:10, Mark 10:35-45

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: Isaiah 53:7-12 Theme: Righteousness and suffering Exegetical Note These verses conclude the third "Servant Song," which for obvious reasons has been taken as a prophecy about Jesus. The underlying concept here has implications beyond the Christological: in particular, the clear assertion is that suffering is not necessarily a sign of God’s disapproval, judgment or wrath, but may in fact visit the righteous and fit in with God’s mysterious but redemptive work. Call to Worship Leader: Let us ...

3666. Proper 27

1 Kings 17:7-24, Mark 12:35-40, Mark 12:41-44, Hebrews 9:11-28

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: 1 Kings 17:8-16 Theme: The miraculous power of God’s Word Exegetical Note This story of Elijah’s first miracle in a foreign land is an example of a classic biblical genre; the generation of much food from little by God’s power. Elijah had actually caused the drought and famine alluded to here (17:1), and has come to Zarephath (Phoenicia) under orders from God. The woman and her child are on the verge of starvation, yet upon the declaration of God’s word of promise, she gives her all, with the ...

3667. What's Mine Is Yours

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

Ewart E. Turner

"There is nothing more beautiful than the golden sea which spreads in all directions from my cupola. And best of all, it’s mine, all mine." The speaker was the seated Mr. Barnes, high up in the cupola of his farm manor. His golden fields of wheat stretched out toward every horizon. The only other objects in sight were his barns; massive barns, bulging with the grain of past harvests. A frown creased Mr. Barnes’ face. He lazily stroked the left ear of his faithful dog Ajax, who as always was stretched out ...

3668. Broken Bread, Shared Cup

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

The word is from the third chapter of Mark’s Gospel, the 16, 17, and 18th verses: "So he appointed the Twelve: to Simon he gave the name Peter; then came the sons of Zebedee, James and his brother John, to whom he gave the name Sons of Thunder; then Andrew and Philip and Bartholomew and Matthew and Thomas and James the son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus ..." Thaddaeus. That is my name. And I want you to hear me for while my name to you is but an ancient word upon the dusty scrolls of distant time, I would talk ...

3669. Glorious Light

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

William F. Dunkle

Light is most clearly visible in darkness. The contrast is sharper, more defined. But Saint Paul observes that what eyes see, minds do not always perceive. There seems to be a breakdown between optics and brain. Often minds are blind. Unbelieving minds do not see the light of God’s glory in the face of Christ, Saint Paul observes with great sorrow. He says, "The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ." Our fealties ...

3670. Opening Up to Jesus

Mark 2:1-12

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme: Jesus fulfills all our needs. Summary: At the home of Joash a crowd gathers because Jesus is going there to teach. Joash has his house ready -- even a new roof. During the evening friends bring a lame man but can't get to Jesus. What to do? They tear off the roof, of course. Jesus heals the man and the roof gets fixed too. Playing Time: 8 minutes Setting: The home of Joash Props: Wine and cups Litter for lame man Pallet Costumes: Peasants of Jesus' Time Time: The Time of Jesus Cast: Joash -- the ...

3671. Advent: Lament, Repent

Isaiah 63:7--64:12

Sermon

Richard L. Eslinger

Israel had much to lament. It was a season for lamentation. The results of God’s anger were everywhere. The destruction is easy to catalog: Holy cities, become a wasteland. Zion, become a wilderness. Jerusalem, a desolation. That "holy and beautiful house," The Temple, burned by fire. "And all our pleasant places have become ruins." Living in the midst of this wasteland called for an incredible patience before the Lord - waiting for deliverance, waiting for return, waiting for restoration. This patience ...

3672. The Promise Of Life ("U" Turns Permitted)

2 Samuel 12:1-31

Sermon

Roger Prescott

Introduction King David had risen to power and put together many good things. But power went to his head and he succumbed to adultery and murder. After Bathsheba had dutifully gone through mourning ceremonies for Uriah, her slain husband, David brought her to his house. She became his wife and bore him a son. Business as usual. Would no one dare raise a voice in protest against the king for taking Uriah’s wife and life - would they? Many times kings and national leaders are able to "get away with" their ...

3673. Back in the Swing

2 Samuel 12:1-31

Sermon

Roger Prescott

Introduction Because the David story ascends the height of human aspiration and plumbs the depths of human anguish, it has outlived the political circumstances from which it came. The prophet Nathan’s final prediction was to come true. David and Bathsheba’s son, conceived out of wedlock, died in infancy. It is clear that the child was very precious to David. It became sick, and ... David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in and lay all night upon the ground. - 2 Samuel 12:16 ...

3674. The Gospel for Labor Day

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

T. A. Kantonen

The parable of the workers in the vineyard is an appropriate text for meditation on Labor Day, not only because it speaks of labor and management but because it places everyday work in the perspective of the gospel of the kingdom of God. It helps us to bridge the gap that too often exists between Sunday and Monday, our worship and our work. The word of God is not limited to our Sunday worship. It is not confined within the four walls of the church and associated only with what we wear and what we eat on ...

3675. Conflict and Hope: One in the Spirit

Philippians 1:12-30

Sermon

Gregory J. Johanson

Conflict has not always been accepted or welcomed within the church even though it is a reality. WILLIAM OGLESBY, JR. (see biographical note preceding The Struggle of Faith) deals with Paul’s concept of conflict "worthy of the gospel" in his devotional message Conflict and Hope: One in the Spirit. It was originally prepared for a study group which was wrestling with the matter of conflict and unity. It was intended to show that conflict can lead to growth and greater unity in life, and that the issue is ...

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