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 3801 to 3825 of 5000 results

3801. Bread for Everyone (I am the bread of life)

John 6:1-15, John 6:25-59

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... must be met and satisfied. There is bread (with a small b)--and then there is Bread (with a capital B). It is that tension between bread (little "b") and Bread (big "B") that we find in our text today. It is a very real tension--and to understand that tension--we must see it in the context of the gospel of John. Earlier in the chapter, Jesus had fed the five thousand. What a marvelous, unbelievable miracle! Five thousand men--plus an unknown number of women and children--were fed from a small lunch. All ...

3802. The Lord's Pryaer: Our Daily Bread

Matthew 6:5-13

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... answered, 'It is written man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.''" In John 6:27 Jesus says, "Do not labor for the food which perishes but for the food which endures to eternal life." To help you understand this verse, Jesus had just fed 5,000 people. They were ready to crown him King right on the spot. He knew that as long as they had full bellies, they would follow him. However, Jesus knew that their "hearts" were empty. They needed a purpose and power for ...

3803. The Lord's Prayer: Forgive Us Our Trespasses

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... an unforgiving spirit and knowing how good it is. I know that as I preach this sermon today many of you are applauding forgiveness in general terms, but you are rejecting it in your own specific case. You are saying, "Pastor, you just do not understand. It is different." It reminds me of a television episode I saw on one of the reruns of "Happy Days." Someone has destroyed Fonzie''s motorcycle. Fonzie is outraged. Fonzie declares that he better not find out who has done such an awful thing. Mrs. Cunningham ...

3804. The Day Jesus Asked the Question: The Fourth Word

Matthew 27:45-46

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... . At the end of the meal the new bride got up from the table, walked around, and planted a kiss on the man''s disfigured cheek. Then she said to him, "You are a beautiful, beautiful person." We really need to change our perspective in order to understand the great truth about God that emerges from this day. That truth is why this day has gradually changed from being called "Black Friday" to "Good Friday." On this day Christ is abandoned by God because of God''s love for us. In closing, please notice that ...

3805. Dealing with the "F" Words of Life

John 21:1-14

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... trooper laughing says, "I really got a big catch today." "You mean the District Attorney?" "Oh, no sir. Much bigger than that!" "Then you mean you have a Senator?" came the puzzled reply. "No, sir. You don''t understand. This is top of the line." "Who do you have? The President?" "No, sir. Please understand me. This is someone really big." "Well, for heaven''s sake," came the reply, "who do you have? Who have you pulled over?" "Well, captain, I am not sure, but the Pope is driving as his chauffeur!" Imagine ...

3806. The Seventh Commandment: Indecent Proposal

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... same principle works in the spiritual realm that applies to the physical realm. As a matter of fact there is a deep correlation between the two. In our New Testament lesson from Matthew 5:27-28 we see that our Lord Jesus once again expands our understanding of this commandment. We see the vital relationship between thought, word, picture, and deed. We need to restrain and redeem our heart and speech if our behavior is to be proper and pure. The great Christian writer and thinker C. S. Lewis wrote years ago ...

3807. Hissing in the Garden

Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... , an entirely different being emerges. "Now, the shining one was more subtle than any other wild creature that the Lord God has made." Thus the first description that we have of the tempter is that it appears to Eve as the "shining one." (6) Now I understand why we must be careful of the one who comes disguised as an angel of light--the shining one. Remember, all that glitters is not gold. Calvin Miller shares the same thought when he writes: "The wings of demons are as white as angels'' wings Their halos ...

3808. Honestly, Are You Worried about Tomorrow?

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... , being so aware of that allegiance that we are willing to trust God to provide all that we ever need. And, when we become more concerned about serving that Kingdom than we do about serving ourselves, our hearts are filled with a peace that passes all understanding. Peace is the by-produce of being committed to One beyond ourselves. The more devoted we are, the more balanced our perspective. The value of a proper perspective on life can never be overstated. I once heard the story of an old Navajo Indian in ...

3809. Your Faith: Winning or Whining?

Hebrews 11:1-40

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... the store you have now, and you could do great things for God. The noted Bible teacher, Dr. Ray C. Stedman, shares, "When Hebrews talk about faith, it helps us to see the object of faith, because our faith will be strong if we believe and understand that the object of our faith is strong. That is why this is the most Christ-centered book in the New Testament. It focuses on Jesus Christ: therefore, it is one of the greatest books for hours of discouragement, defeat, or depression, because it emphasizes the ...

3810. Blank Walls or Filled Lives (Part V)

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... years. The government felt they had given a death stroke to the church. When they released Pastor Krums, he discovered the church was five times larger than when he had gone to prison. His imprisonment advanced the Gospel in ways the Communists could never understand. When you cannot see the way stay close to the One who does. You will be glad you did. SECONDLY, WHILE YOU MAY HAVE DISAPPOINTMENTS WITH PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH, INCLUDING THE CLERGY, YOU WILL NEVER BE DISAPPOINTED WITH THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST ...

3811. Christianity and Conflict: Dual Citizenship (Part VII)

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... primarily religious authorities to the conflicts that will arise in every church and every Christian that attempts to live out the claims of the Gospel. To live a life worthy of the Gospel is to imply that our understanding of worth is a far different thing from the world''s understanding. I personally believe that conflict can be a positive sign in a Christian fellowship if it demonstrates that its people have not capitulated to cultural norms and values but have stood firm in the values they have received ...

3812. Emptying and Exalting (Part XI)

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... of another. The reason Jesus can fully identify with us is that he has walked the dusty and dirty roads of life before us, and now with us. Christ has experienced and understands isolation, rejection, humiliation, misunderstanding, hurt, pain, and even the greatest enemy, which is death. He felt all of these and much more. C. S. Lewis is absolutely correct when he so beautifully writes: "God could, had He pleased, have been incarnate in a man of iron nerves, the Stoic sort ...

3813. A New You in a New Year (Part X)

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... five trees a day and you said I could cut down forty. I want my money back." The store owner responded, "I really don''t understand it. This is a good piece of equipment. Let''s try it." The owned pulled the starter rope and the chain saw started right up ... , help me to be glad but not complacent. There are other hills to climb and new hopes to be realized. I know, O God, you understand my need to look back for a while, wistfully peering at the past. But start me looking forward. I do not know what events are ...

3814. A Faith that Works with a Victorious Attitude

Philippians 2:12-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... tells us that `perfect love casts out fear.''" Dr. Boyd is absolutely right, because what joy can we have if we fear the very one who gives us our foundation for joy? Remember, the joy of the Lord is our strength. I hope these insights will help you to understand the thrust of what Paul is sharing in our text today. Let us continue. FIRST, LET OUR GROWTH BE A DESIRE TO REFLECT OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND NOT A LEGALISTIC REQUIREMENT TO MEASURE UP TO OR COMPETE WITH SOMEONE ELSE. I know there are some in this ...

3815. Tackling Troubles Triumphantly

James 1:1-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... not promise deliverance from trouble. As we look at this reality in verse twelve, we are assured that we can survive it--and even become stronger and more sensitive to the troubles of others. As believers, we understand that we cannot AVOID the times of darkness--they will come. But we also understand that our darkness is always followed by light, cross gives way to crown, death is defeated by Resurrection. I agree that the Christian life is not easy--and because of that--it is never boring. All sunshine ...

3816. The Telling Trademarks of Truth

James 3:13-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... then truly became wise and knowledgeable about the things of God. You see, what makes our lives purposeful, authentic and influential is the sincerity of our search for wisdom--which James demonstrates must come from above. Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe helps us in understanding our Bible lessons when he writes: "Wisdom was an important thing to Jewish people. They realized that it was not enough to have knowledge--you had to have wisdom--to be able to use that knowledge correctly." (2) As our lesson unfolds today ...

3817. The Tender Touch (Part 1)

James 5:13-20

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... the power behind the oil. Jesus also used clay, mud and spittle as other visual aids in the tender touch of healing He shared with others. His touch encompasses and makes all the other touches work to our good and wholeness. To show you how old this understanding of the connection between our physical and spiritual need is, hear this prayer which can be found in a marble wall plaque at the Great Chester Cathedral in England. The cathedral is hundreds of years old: Give me a good digestion, Lord, And give me ...

3818. The Lord Is My Shepherd

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... hearts and minds as we study this great Psalm. It holds the power to transform our entire church family. As we begin this spiritual journey of the 23rd Psalm together, there are three things which I would like to say to set the stage for your deeper understanding of this marvelous writing. The Lord Is My Shepherd! When I began my ministerial career, I wasn't totally comfortable with the image of the Ordained Ministry as that of a shepherd. In my first week on the job I got two contrasting opinions about the ...

3819. Paths of Righteousness

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... he is drinking and awakens in the morning still faint with cravings." In the Sermon on the Mount, our Lord Jesus Christ does not say, "Blessed are those who are righteous," but he does say, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness." In our understanding of righteousness it is best we never say or reflect that dirty four-letter word--SELF. We are never righteous because of what we have done but rather because of what Christ has done for us on the Cross. After ten years in the ministry it ...

3820. Depression: When the Spirit Is Faint

Psalm 142:1-7

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... a vital part of the fabric of life woven by the Master Weaver. He uses the imagery of the Grand Canyon, which is a deep incision in the soil, but produces great beauty and scenery. So too, our woundedness can become a source of beauty and understanding for our journey and for others. Remember, soil never produces a crop until it is broken and the seed can be planted. I want to share five short suggestions for your consideration in dealing with the ever-present reality of depression. FIRST, ADMIT YOU ARE ...

3821. Feasting and Fasting for Lent (Part III)

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... , a look as if the burden was not too heavy at all, as if it was a light, a privilege, a sign, borne up, as if on another''s shoulders, being led toward some high place the doctor and I would not be going, following a way we would not understand. (1) It is so unfortunate many people only see the judgment and sternness of Jesus in this parable--that they fail to see the "Grace-note". We hear vividly the call to repentance but we neglect that another chance or another year was given for the tree to bear fruit ...

3822. Good News for Tough Times - Encouragment for the Soul

Luke 2:8-20, Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... --not winning. We have seen continuing growth in the incidents of domestic violence and child abuse in our country and state. The newspapers, magazines and nightly news shows continue to immerse us with challenging news and predictions, until it almost leaves us numb. We begin to understand the man who said, "I used to be an incurable optimist, but now I guess I have been cured." I am sure if there is anything that those who are in the sound of my voice today and those who will read this sermon in print ...

3823. A New You or a New Year

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

3824. The Marvelous Message of Easter

Mark 16:1-20, Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Some events in life are bigger than we are able to fully comprehend. We understand, but our understanding of the event continues to enlarge. No matter what we do, some of life''s events escape an adequate celebration. When I finished at Drew Theological Seminary, I thought that I should be able to find some way to celebrate that moment. Fifteen long years have now passed and I ...

3825. Waiting

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Brett Blair

... will come. But for now, the people of God must wait. There is special kind of waiting that many of us at some point in our lives will experience and that is the birth of the first-born child in your family. I remember going to Lamaze classes fully understand what was happening. How excited we were when we got to see that first ultra sound picture. I insisted that it was a boy. But I had to wait. There was an appointed time and nothing I could do would make that day come a single minute closer. And ...

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