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 3676 to 3700 of 4950 results

3676. Sleep Loose

2 Corinthians 13:11-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... " in the offer of God's love after we have spent the day keeping our vulnerabilities tightly locked away from view. We can accept that God is love, but it is far more difficult to accept that God is love for us. The joy and bliss of the Holy Spirit is ours. 6. Join the cloud of witnesses Paul invoked the presence of "all the saints" in his farewell to the Corinthians. Likewise, we must feel a part of all the saints, the entire community of faith. It is in feeling the strength of all that support that we ...

3677. Day-Timers or Begging Bowls

Matthew 14:22-33

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... and transformative Christ calls on our faith to recognize a presence in our lives, whatever the surprising, unexpected shape he may take. By the way, I still make lists. But now I keep them small and put them in my begging bowl for the Spirit to do with them whatever. Alternative Sermon Idea "When you least expect it . . ." In my junior high years in the early '60s, television made popular a tune all of America was soon singing-all the while looking anxiously over shoulders and under tables. The ...

3678. What Gift Do You Have For Us?

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... we can take home to our families every day. It is the ability to rise above the behaviors and attitudes that are forced upon us by the demands of the world and to allow ourselves to be transformed by the unpredictable power and presence of the Holy Spirit. There are a lot of new books out now on spiritual gifts, on the whole concept of "giftedness." The problem with most of these is that they are still fixated on finding that specially wrapped, little box hidden somewhere in Daddy's or Mommy's luggage. For ...

3679. Be an Energizer Bunny

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... for just a few moments, at least, there is a breath of expectation and of freshness in the air. The kids might say or do something funny, or rude, or horrible, or touching, or beautiful, or truthful and release the energy of that moment, that spirit, over the whole congregation. What could your church do to encourage the appearance of Energizer Bunnies in its midst? What would happen in worship: If during the time for prayer, each of the various prayer-circles in the church stood, formed a circle and prayed ...

3680. Dream Reality

Matthew 2:19-23, Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... trash. Dreaming of a closer family and truly dear friends ... means you are willing to give your time, your attention, your heart to others. Dreaming of a more vital, satisfying, spirit-filled church home ... means you are willing to pray and worship with all your spirit while remaining open to the movements of God's Spirit. 3. Holy-Dreamers Even with the right words and the right willpower, our daydreams appear frail and fragile beside the nightmarish tide that threatens to overwhelm us. If the daydreams ...

3681. Luke 1:26-38

Luke 1:26-38

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... familiar title “Son of God.” What historically described the relationship between a Davidic king and the Lord now becomes a singular reference to a child with an utterly unique connection to God. Unlike John, and unlike all other kings and prophets, the Spirit of God creates this child who is the “son of God.” That Jesus’ lineage has unique and miraculous distinction is now clearly evident. Only after this fact has been established does Luke now reveal that this young, betrothed, virginal Mary is ...

3682. Mark 4:26-34

Mark 4:26-34

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the tallest of shrubs (ten, twelve, fifteen feet or more), so the presencing of the gospel cannot be predicted by the small size or insignificant scope of its planting. Huge harvests can come from small seeds. Our mandate is to plant seeds, and trust the Spirit to work the miracle of transformation. Even small faith seeds have tremendous power - even to the point of moving mountains. Mark 4:29 and its source, Joel 3:13, places the harvest firmly in God's hands. The harvest will come. Our only predictability ...

3683. Philippians 4:49

Philippians 4:49

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... that upholds Paul's own relationship with his Lord. Yet Paul also firmly believed in Jesus' imminent return a conviction that colored much of his theology and advice. In this case either reality gives equal cause for great rejoicing with a generous, gentle spirit. In verse 6 Paul gives another of his commands to the Philippians - "don't worry." How can day-to-day anxieties and cares be supplanted with joy? Through prayer. Using three synonyms in a row to emphasize the centrality of this activity, Paul ...

3684. Luke 4:1-13

Luke 4:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... see that as Jesus faces his tempter, he finds his defense in the solid rock of Hebrew scripture (citing Deuteronomy 8:3; 6:13; 6:16). Mark's much condensed form of the temptation episode begins almost violently with the Spirit "driving" Jesus away from civilization. Luke (along with Matthew) envisions a more cooperative experience as he records that Jesus was "led by the Spirit into the wilderness" (v. 1). Yet while Luke's rendition of Jesus' experience thus implies that he still enjoyed the presence of the ...

3685. Romans 5:1-5

Romans 5:1-5

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the gift of grace. But Paul next moves into an extended consideration of the spiritual life, of what it means to be one who receives God's free gift. Thus Paul himself sets up the tension between grace and good works as he discusses how a Spirit-filled Christian life should be lived. In good transitional fashion verses 1 and 2 reiterate Paul's conviction that justification by faith is the key to our redeemed relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Yet even verse 1 sneaks in foreshadowings of Paul's dual ...

3686. Luke 1:26-38

Luke 1:26-38

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the gospel writer wants to convey Jesus' divine origins and to emphasize the miraculous nature of his coming into our midst. Yet it is also true that Luke chose to look at Mary's obedience and her "favored" status not at Joseph as did Matthew, or at the Spirit as did Mark, or at the pre-existent Word as did John as the conduit God chose to play a part in this greatest chapter of salvation-history. In even a casual reading of Luke's gospel, it is evident that the saving action God is about to undertake ...

3687. Acts 5:27-32

Acts 5:27-32

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... crossed everyone's mind. In verses 29-32, Peter once again takes up his new role as voice of the apostles and articulator of their faith. Peter's previous testimony in front of the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:8-12) went well. Filled with the Pentecost Spirit and buoyed by his absolute sense of rightness, Peter doesn't hesitate to again speak plainly. As he had in 4:19, Peter begins by forcing the religious leaders to see the choice the apostles confront obeying God or obeying human authority. Who among the Sanhedrin ...

3688. John 14:23-29

John 14:23-29

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... "be at home" with the loving disciple. Conversely, those who do not love Jesus again the inference is back to the New Commandment to love each other as Jesus has loved them cannot succeed in keeping any part of Jesus' "word." Jesus' teachings, his spirit, his very presence will be unavailable to those who cannot love. Verse 24 now emphasizes the enormity of disobedience by offering a kind of authoritative aside. Jesus declares that this word this New Command to love is not his own, but "is from the Father ...

3689. Luke 12:49-56

Luke 12:49-56

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... upon each other, made it possible for fires to spread easily and with deadly consequences. Yet the "fire" that awaits Jesus' disciples is not a destructive force. The baptism of fire is later revealed in the flames of Pentecost as baptism in the Holy Spirit for all believers. Other readers understand the "baptism" Jesus awaits as a reference to his own death. His sacrifice, going down in death in this world, must be accomplished before the "fire" can come. The symbolic death to sin that each baptized person ...

3690. Matthew 1:18-25

Matthew 1:18-25

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the one he had been considering. The angel tells Joseph to go ahead with the marriage because the adultery accusation is not true. Mary should not be made subject to the law because her pregnancy came about through the activity of the Holy Spirit - the child she bears was conceived through divine activity, not human disobedience. The angelic messenger's formal address to Joseph emphasizes the important reason for Joseph to marry Mary legally and thus claim her child as his own. The angel refers to Joseph ...

3691. Mark 4:26-34

Mark 4:26-34

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

3692. 2 Samuel 18:24-33

2 Samuel 18:24-33

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... another practice designed to give these Christians courage and joy despite their existence during the evil end-times. Just as the drunkard "in his cups" is often found crooning an exuberant, if somewhat tone-deaf tune, so those filled with the Spirit should freely express their love and gratitude for God's presence through music and song. This spiritually-inspired "whistling in the dark" permeates to the heart of the true believer, turning the song on their lips into an actual heart-lifting experience ...

3693. Philippians 4:49

Philippians 4:49

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

3694. Romans 5:1-5

Romans 5:1-5

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

3695. Ephesians 1:3-14

Ephesians 1:3-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... rather on a series of steps. First, the individual must hear "the word of truth," that is, the "gospel of your salvation." Second, after hearing, each person must respond by believing in this message. Third, the believer must be "marked with the seal" of the Holy Spirit, an idiomatic phrase which suggests that all believers enjoy the full measure of the Spirit's gifts. The presence of this Spirit is a sure sign of the full inheritance of redemption that is shared by all who live within the faith community.

3696. Ephesians 1:3-14

Ephesians 1:3-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... unit should be seen as a doxological hymn that may even have been a liturgical prayer. They recognize an identifiably Trinitarian focus in this text the work of the Father (vv.3-6), the work of the Son (vv.7-12), and the work of the Holy Spirit (vv.13-14). The glorious language and almost run-on nature of the thoughts perhaps reflect the spiritual joy and excitement the writer feels at relating what he has discovered "in the heavenly places" (v.3). These "heavenly places" are referred to four other times (1 ...

3697. Luke 4:14-21

Luke 4:14-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... as reproduced by Luke is less a quote than a paraphrase of Isaiah 61:1-2 with the insertion of an imported phrase from Isaiah 58:6 added ("to let the oppressed go free"). Many scholars argue that by combining scriptural texts Jesus was verbally demonstrating his Spirit-empowered authority. What is clear is that this reading of Isaiah 61:1-2 omits the final phrase of the prophet's words that declare "a day of vengeance" for the Lord. Instead, the imported text from Isaiah 58:6 seems to emphasize God's grace ...

3698. Acts 5:27-32

Acts 5:27-32

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... ). Acts is no less than a missionary journal recalling how the apostles preached the gospel, formed the church, and tirelessly worked to spread the Good News first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. While the gift of the Holy Spirit miraculously transformed Jesus' whimpering, limping, beaten-down little band of followers into a charismatic cadre of bold-speaking and baldly fearless "witnesses" for Christ, they still faced formidable obstacles. Both the primary political powers of the day the elite of the ...

3699. Acts 16:9-15

Acts 16:9-15

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... even more to demonstrate the collegial relationship at work among these first believers. The gospel travels to Macedonia, not because of one person's desires or because other routes are barred. The turn westward is achieved through the sure guidance of the Spirit, the unique vision received by Paul, and the missionary group's conclusion and concurrence with the above. Once the destination decision is made, these travelers make good time. By taking a sea route as opposed to making an overland journey they ...

3700. Hebrews 12:18-29

Hebrews 12:18-29

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... joyful context, not amidst the darkness and smoke of a distant mountain, the people meet "God the judge of all." But God is not alone. Also present are the "spirits of the righteous," the saints of Hebrew history whose perfected spirits (sans their yet-to-be-resurrected bodies) have granted them admission to this party. Along with the "firstborn" these spirits are present to encounter "Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant" (v.24). The party on Mt.Zion might be for the benefit of believers. But Jesus throws ...

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