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 351 to 375 of 655 results

351. Birthpangs of the New Age

Romans 8:22-23

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... . The whole precious program is out of line for those determined to make a name for themselves apart from the Master. Some days, even those who have accepted the slave status of servanthood discover themselves to be in revolt. It is so against our natural inclinations the best disciples struggle to be at peace with their real mission. Where you and I find ourselves is crucial to our continuing in the faith and being fruitful in spreading the light to others. The temptation is not to tell the old, old story ...

352. Chocolate Cake, Flooded Waters, and Baptism

Genesis 9:8-17

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... reports that after creation, the Lord observed his two-footed handiwork accepting and embracing temptations much more frequently than he resisted them. God "regretted" making human beings. "The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). Thus he decided, "I will blot out from the earth the human beings I have created ... for I am sorry that I have made them ..." (Genesis 6:7). Noah was ...

353. In the Hands of God

Mark 13:24-37

Illustration

Joel D. Kline

Raymond Fung, who some years ago served as secretary of evangelism for the World Council of Churches, asserts that "waiting is an attitude, an inclination to act. Our waiting communicates that life is not all it should be. We wait because there is something worth having. We wait because the resources we need to survive and to grow are not in our own hands, but in the hands of God."

354. The Ultimate Soul Food

John 6:24-35

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... can stop eating and slow your physical body down. We eat to forget, to remember, to feel comforted, to feel stuffed, to be sociable, to be empowered. But we also eat to survive. No matter how smoothly sophisticated, technologically advanced, intellectually gifted or artistically inclined we may or may not be, all human beings all living creatures must eat to survive. We must take in nourishment of the right kind in order to keep our bodies healthy, functioning and able to maintain life. It's the same for ...

355. What Gift Do You Have For Us?

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... and called to speak out to Pharaoh on behalf of all the Hebrew people. Psychologists joke that the two most stress-inducing experiences of human life are approaching death and public speaking. When God offers up the gift of speaking, how many of us would be inclined to run forward begging, "Me, me, oh please let me be the public speaker!" But sometimes the spiritual gifts God gives us may not be what we think we are any good at or what we find particularly pleasing or enjoyable to do. Sometimes God has ...

356. Galatians 6:7-18

Galatians 6:7-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Galatians, Paul rings a warning bell...Freedom from the law means each believer takes on responsibility for his or her actions. The gift of Jesus Christ is free, but not cheap - and individual actions continue to have significant repercussions. In verse 7 Galatians inclined towards libertine behavior are warned with the proverbial "God is not mocked." Since the term translated here as "mocked" is not a usual part of Paul's vocabulary, we may assume that this was a common proverb of the first century - yet ...

357. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... charismata and diakonia Spirit and service are equal and parallel means of expressing God's love and power to the community of faith. There is also no cause for some elite sense of a super-spiritual class of faithful as the Corinthian church seems inclined to believe. Paul democratizes the gifts of the Spirit in verse 7, claiming that to each and every believer a specific manifestation of the Spirit is given. To be a Christian is to be Spirit-filled. While that Spirit will necessarily take on distinct ...

358. 2 Samuel 7:1-17

2 Samuel 7:1-17

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... stands in a humble tent. Though the question is only implied, David is obviously asking the prophet whether now is not the time to build a permanent dwelling place, a temple, as a fitting house for the Lord's presence among them. At first Nathan seems inclined to support David in his intention. But in this first of three appearances by this court prophet (Nathan surfaces again in Chapter 12 and in 1 Kings 1), the prophet demonstrates how closely he works with the spirit of the Lord. "That same night," verse ...

359. Galatians 6:7-18

Galatians 6:7-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

360. Ephesians 2:1-10

Ephesians 2:1-10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... , of course, is Jesus Christ. The "before" picture portrayed by the Ephesian author is grim. All those who think they are "living" without Christ are instead declared "dead" by this text (v.1). This death had been brought about by humanity's natural inclination to "follow" both "the course of this world" and "the ruler of the power of the air." The "course," or more literally "the age of this world," refers to the general malevolence of the various celestial powers. In pagan cosmology, there were no ...

361. John 15:9-17

John 15:9-17

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... -31, an "ending" that appears scrambled in the middle of these chapters, hence Moffatt's "re-orderings" of this Discourse into 13:1-30a; 15:1-27; 16:1-33; 13:30b-38; 14:1-31; 17:1-26. Most recent scholarship, however, is much more inclined to conclude that John had access to two different accounts of Jesus' final discourse to his disciples. Unwilling to omit one or judge one version superior to the other, the gospel writer simply included both as one long discourse and left in the now awkward-sounding first ...

362. 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... lesson. This community was experiencing vital manifestations of God's love through the living gifts of the Spirit in a stunning variety of powerful and purposeful ways. Instead of focusing on how Paul deals with believers who have been too inclined to celebrate one spiritual gift over another, consider the remarkable number and variety of these spiritually empowered expressions of God's presence that the apostle could easily identify and list for his readers. Not only is the litany of spiritual gifts ...

363. Acts 16:9-15

Acts 16:9-15

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... to be having difficulty getting started. Indecision and doubt are characteristics that rarely come to mind when discussing the apostle Paul. But here he is searching for a new direction in his mission, and for the moment, at least, is going nowhere. Paul's first inclination had been to turn toward Asia, to spread the gospel to a region yet wholly untouched by the gospel. But 16:6 declares that his first road was firmly "forbidden" by the Holy Spirit. At Mysia the road eastward (this time toward Bithynia) is ...

364. Acts 16:16-34

Acts 16:16-34

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... example of a conversion. The unique power and authority of "the Most High God" whose message Paul and Silas preach is demonstrated by the earthquake that shakes apart the prisoners' chains and bars but keeps ceilings and walls safely intact. The jailer's first inclination to commit suicide when faced with what he believes to be his prisoners' escape suggests he may be one of the many retired Roman soldiers in Philippi. In the Roman army, any failure of duty was deemed reason enough to commit one final ...

365. Matthew 9:35-10:8 (9-23)

Matthew 9:35-10:8 (9-23)

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... - suggesting the poet's absolute dependence upon the Lord's activity. In verses 5-9 the psalmist articulates all the divine qualities that make Yahweh able to deliver this pathetic human being. While the psalmist is pitiful, the poet calls out and Yahweh always inclines his ear (v. 2). God is full of pity. This weak-kneed, watery-hearted human is only able to rise and stand alone after God extends divine deliverance. As the second half of the psalm begins (vv. 10-19), the poet-narrator is a transformed ...

366. Matthew 16:13-20

Matthew 16:13-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... intended for Peter alone, or for the larger community, the church? Again, this is historically part of a Catholic/Protestant debate. But as scholars have increasingly seen Peter himself as the only topic of Jesus' blessing and naming, they have been more inclined to view verse 19 in terms of the greater messianic community, the church that Jesus had just established. Numerous scholars from all confessions have begun to see the investiture of the "keys" to Peter as being on behalf of the church, not based ...

367. Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25

Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... until verse 23 that Joshua finally indicates what might have been the whole impetus behind this dialogue. After the people glibly agree that "we are witnesses," Joshua drops his bombshell: "Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel." Despite all their confessions, both these Israelites and Joshua know that lurking in the backs of their tents, lying underneath their pillows, there are stone idols, which are being worshiped in secret. Although ...

368. John 1:43-51

John 1:43-51

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... ” used to lure fish. In the Hebrew tradition this described Jacob (Genesis 27:35) when he defrauds Esau of his birthright. Honest, up-front Nathanael, Jesus perceives, stands at the other end of that spectrum. He is innocent of any treacherous inclinations. Nathanael’s identity is also unique in that this is John’s only use of the term “Israelite.” Though “Israel” will ultimately reject Jesus, it is a true “Israelite” whom Jesus invites as one of his first disciples. Nathanael’s first ...

369. The Golden Gate

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... because it is in limited supply. Its nature is to multiply, not divide. This leads us to Jesus’ self-identification as the gate into the sheepfold. This is where they are kept for the night, protected from outside threats like hungry predators and protected from their own inclination to wander off and get lost. II. In this passage Jesus uses two images to convey to us who he is. He tries with these images as with so many others in John’s gospel to help us “see” God’s self-revelation in him. Jesus ...

370. Pastoral Prayer for First Sunday of Lent

Mark 1:9-15

Illustration

Joel D. Kline

... to us, neither can it take away. But, holy God, let us never be satisfied with personal peace alone. Lead us into paths of peacemaking and reconciliation. And God, we pray that You might soften the hearts of those world leaders who are far more inclined to wage war than to seek peace. God, where there is brokenness, form us into instruments of forgiveness. Where there is despair, make of us channels of Your hope. Where there is division, may we be empowered to bring healing and wholeness. Where darkness ...

371. Sunday Of The Passion (Palm Sunday)

Isaiah 50:1-11

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... Daily hears God's voice strengthening you v. 4. b. Willingly accepts the suffering v. 5. c. Endures suffering patiently v. 7. d. Trusts in God to deliver from suffering v. 7. 2. The worst kind of suffering (50:6). Need: During Passion week we are inclined to dwell exclusively on the physical suffering of Jesus: the torture of a crown of thorns, the scourging, the carrying of the cross to Calvary, the nails in hands and feet and the slow physical draining until exhaustion. There is this side to suffering as ...

372. Epiphany

Daniel 7:1-14, Psalm 111:1-10, Hebrews 13:1-25, Mark 13:1-31

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... call for an accounting. Outline: Why judgment is coming – a. The holy nature of God v. 9. b. The reality of sin. c. The refusal of God's grace. d. The demand of justice. 2. An aged God! (7:9-10). Need: Because Jesus was a young man, we are inclined to think of God in those terms. In this passage, God is referred to as "Ancient of Days." God is a very old man. Do we think of God then in terms of old age: senility, uselessness, helplessness, infirmity? God is old without ever growing old! In this passage ...

373. Christ The King

2 Samuel 23:1-7, Revelation 1:4-8, John 18:28-40

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... from heaven, a gift of the Father. Because of his divine nature, he was naturally king. 3. Done (v. 35). Pilate asked Jesus what he had done that made the religious leaders hand him over to him (Pilate) as a criminal. Jesus did not answer the question. Jesus was not inclined to defend himself or to prove to Pilate that he had done no wrong. He was not going to boast of the people he healed, the good he did and the truth he proclaimed. His record would speak for him. 4. Born (v. 37). Why was Jesus born? Here ...

374. The Regenerating Work of the Spirit

John 3:1-21; Acts 2:1-41

Illustration

Phil Newton

... as he did before to secure and advance his interest in it. His reasonings are changed. The will is changed. It has got a new bias and centre of its actings…He aims at God's glory in all his actions universally, and singly, the inclinations of his will bend toward God freely from an inward and powerful principle of life…Furthermore, his will has new enjoyments. The affections of the soul are changed. The conscience is changed…now, when the soul feels the regenerating influences of the Holy Spirit, what ...

375. We Cannot Not Be Sinners

Mark 6:14-29

Illustration

Scott Hoezee

Most people are loathe to admit that they are just generally bent toward the bad, inclined to do it wrong. So when the Christian tradition declares to any and all, "You are a sinner," most people these days reply, "What did I do?" If sin exists at all, it is merely episodic, an occasional (and inexplicable) "lapse" from our better nature, which is at bottom "pretty ...

Showing results