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 426 to 450 of 633 results

426. You Bring Me Great Pleasure

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... dots between Proclaimer and the Proclaimed, to capstone John’s mission and to commence Jesus’ ministry. Both Jesus and John acted according to God’s will and God’s good pleasure. Baptizing Jesus was outside of John’s “comfort zone.” But he bent his will to Jesus’ purpose and power, and agreed to do what Jesus declared was to “fulfill all righteousness.” What weird and wonderful things might God call you to do in 2011 in order to “fulfill all righteousness”? What actions and attitudes ...

427. A Change in Posture

John 1:29-42

Illustration

King Duncan

... seeped into the studio in the night. The clay did not harden as quickly as anticipated. The upraised arms and head of the sculpture began to drop. The majestic Christ with arms lifted up and head thrown back was transformed into a Christ with head bent forward and arms stretched downward as if in a pose of gentle invitation. At first Thorvaldsen was bitterly disappointed. As he studied the transformed sculpture, however, he came to see a dimension of Christ that had not been real to him before. It was the ...

428. Our Misguided Goals

John 1:19-34

Illustration

William J. Kemp

... for his kingdom...The essence of our spirituality was to do all we could for God in the 40 or so years we had." Now, at mid-life, he has discovered that such spirituality is empty. Much of it was influenced by American culture with its bent toward independence and self-fulfillment. Darrell writes: "Many pews on Sunday morning are filled with people seeking God, praying like mad, studying the Word, but who still wonder why God seems so distant. Maybe it is because our culture has taught us to pursue goals ...

429. The Great Physician

Matthew 4:23-25

Sermon

King Duncan

It was rumored that the owner of a certain hardware store had discovered a cure for arthritis. As you might imagine, this stirred a great deal of interest in the small town where the hardware store was located. One day, the locals saw a little old lady, bent over on her cane, enter the store for a visit. A little later this same lady came out walking almost perfectly straight with her head held high. The crowd cheered. “It’s a miracle!” they declared. Then they wondered. What did the owner of the ...

430. The True Nature of Happiness

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Brett Blair

... are the poor in spirit means that we must decrease, so that he might increase. In Copenhagen in Denmark there is an unusual statue of Christ. After the bronze had been cast to that statue something happened. Because of either temperature or poor casting, the head of the statue bent forward. Yet, the decision of the church was to leave it that way, the idea being that if one chooses to look into the face of Christ, he must first be on his knees. That is what being poor in spirit is all about. II As much as ...

431. “Your Honor:” Jesus’ Honor Code of Turning the Other Cheek

Matthew 5:38-42

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... commander and his bodyguard the song. Stunned to be invited up front, the two soldiers stood with their guns across their backs. The people sang weakly and waved timidly. But then, the first man on the front seat came forward and put out his hand. As he bent over to hug the soldiers, Sarah overheard him saying, ‘Brother, we don’t like what you did to our village, but this is the house of God, and God loves you, so you are welcome here.’ Every person in the church followed his example, even the women ...

432. Your Honor: Jesus' Honor Code of Turning the Other Cheek

Matthew 5:38-42

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

433. Love of Enemies

Matthew 5:43-48

Illustration

Joyce Hollyday

... the commander and his bodyguard the song. Stunned to be invited up front, the two soldiers stood with their guns across their backs. The people sang weakly and waved timidly. But then, the first man on the front seat came forward and put out his hand. As he bent over to hug the soldiers, Sarah overheard him saying, 'Brother, we don't like what you did to our village, but this is the house of God, and God loves you, so you are welcome here.' Every person in the church followed his example, even the women ...

434. I Am Counting with You

John 14:1-14

Illustration

Mark Trotter

... knew she would never make it, but it was her turn, so she moved forward to the wings where Miss Caroline was waiting. She could see how nervous Ann Louise was. Her body had become stiff and rigid. Miss Caroline put her hands on Ann Louise's shoulders, and bent down to whisper in her ear, "You have worked hard. You know this piece. You have nothing to fear. And remember, I am counting with you all the way." With a little shove she pushed Ann Louise out onto the stage where, all of a sudden, she was facing ...

435. An Invitation to Tired Souls

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... was playing cops and robbers in the backyard on a summer evening. One of her boys pointed a toy gun and shouted, “Bang, you’re dead.” She slumped to the ground, and when she didn’t get up, a neighbor ran over to see what was wrong. As the neighbor bent over, Mom opened one eye and whispered, “Shhhh . . . don’t blow my cover. It’s the only chance I get to rest.” (3) Hikers and busy moms are not the only ones who are tired, of course. Fatigue can take a toll on the best of us. Popular author ...

436. Were These Not Warnings?

Matthew 24:1-35

Illustration

James Kegel

... , the Destroyer appeared to demand his life. "How could you break your pledge?" the man protested bitterly. "You sent me no warnings." Slowly the skeletal figure replied, "But how about your failing eyesight, your dimmed sense of hearing, your gray and thinning hair, your lost teeth, your furrowed face, your bent body, your dwindling powers, and your weakened memory? Were these not unmistakable warnings?"

437. When Words Are Not Enough

Ephesians 5:15-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea," but when we hear it sung by a magnificent choir. Author Kathleen Norris tells of who she is and how she became that way. And this is who I am: a complete Protestant with a decidedly ecumenical bent ... I still value music and story over systematic theology — an understatement, given the fact that I was so dreamy as a child that I learned from a movie on television that Jesus died. Either my Sunday school teachers had been too nice to tell me (this ...

438. Out of Control

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Kristin Borsgard Wee

... . The three tall trees are there, shedding their cotton, but there is no house and no family. The two priests sink down on their knees and kiss the earth, for they know it was the Holy Family that had entertained them there. Father Junipero recalled how he had bent to bless the child after evening prayers. The little boy had lifted his hand and with a tiny finger had made the sign of the cross on Father Junipero's forehead.1 Stories like this can make believers out of skeptics. In the book, those who hear ...

439. King Me!

John 18:33-37

Sermon

... . He continued to teach Sunday school each week at Maranatha Baptist Church. To this day, he takes his turn mowing the church lawn, while his wife, Rosalynn, cleans the church bathrooms. He continues to be a voice that speaks for peace in a world that is bent on war. In 2002, Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. And when he was asked by author, Phillip Yancey, to reflect on his life as an engineer, a Naval officer, a successful farmer, a governor, and a president, which phase did he enjoy most ...

440. Praying in Boldness and Faith

Hebrews 4:12-16

Sermon

Patrick J. Rooney

... have never prayed before. Pray in a daring way; pray even in an audacious way. Approach the throne of grace with boldness. Boldness! Yes, boldness! Put aside your tentative prayers and call upon God with confidence that you are child of God. Pray as a child who, while on bent knees before the almighty God who created you, can speak as one who is so loved by that God. Do this knowing that God has promised to give us whatever we ask of him. Call upon this God who has loved you to the point of sending his own ...

441. Make a 119 Call

Romans 14:1--15:13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... his Dad. They were as different as chalk and cheese. Bob was Triple A: athletics, academics, arts. What’s more, he was the “life-of-the-party” kind of guy. “Bob’s” dad had dropped out of high school, worked a series of hands-on, bent-back jobs throughout his life, and had many physical problems. He was quiet and rarely showed his emotions — positive or negative. But despite their differences, Bob and his Dad always watched a weekly football game together on the saggy old family room couch. And ...

442. Gummy Old Men

Matthew 3:1-12

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

... , I’ve been thinkin’ ... Norb: Well, Earl, I admit I was with that group, too, you know — that’s quite a few years ago now. I know we were wrong and we behaved badly. We actually believed some of those crazy rumors, passed them on and got all bent out of shape — we really smeared his name. I wonder if Superintendent Dariman ever got over it. You know he got sick after we kicked him out. Mmmmm. (pauses) Earl: Dunno, Norb. Some things, maybe we just got to forget. Norb: No, Earl, you’re right in ...

443. Contemporary Prophets Speak the Truth

Deuteronomy 18:14-22

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... . Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of the injustices against African Americans, thus initiating a peaceful revolution during the American Civil Rights Movement of the late 1950s and 1960s. Archbishop Romero spoke for the poor who were being oppressed by a state bent on power and with little or no concern toward its citizens. Nelson Mandela and F. W. DeKlerk spoke against the injustices of apartheid, a system that not only segregated peoples, but placed one group above another. Contemporary prophets exist today ...

444. Keep an Inventory of Good

Illustration

Staff

... scheduled to see Rockefeller that day and he kept the appointment, even though he was prepared to listen to a long harangue against the man who made the error in judgment. When he entered the office the powerful head of the gigantic Standard Oil empire was bent over his desk busily writing with a pencil on a pad of paper. Bedford stood silently, not wishing to interrupt. After a few minutes Rockefeller looked up. "Oh, it's you, Bedford," he said calmly. "I suppose you've heard about our loss?" Bedford said ...

445. Rock of Ages

Illustration

Frederick John Gilman

Charles Wesley wrote some of his hymns to promote his brother John's doctrine of entire sanctification. The second verse of his "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" asks God to "take away our bent to sinning." This was too much for Calvinist Augustus Toplady. In a magazine of which he was editor, Toplady wrote an article in refutation, detailing a picture of man's potential for sinning. He arrived at the mathematical conclusion that a man of eighty is guilty of many millions of ...

446. Honoring Thy Father

Illustration

Staff

His shoulders are a little bent, His youthful force a trifle spent, But he's the finest man I know, With heart of gold and hair of snow. He's seldom cross and never mean; He's always been so good and clean; I only hope I'll always be As kind to him as he' ...

447. Speak the Language

Illustration

... what was about to happen. A hush fell over the crowd. The door to the cage was unlocked, the man stepped inside, then the door was locked behind him. At the sight of this stranger in his cage the elephant threw back his trunk, let out a might roar, then bent his head preparing to charge. The man stood quite still, a faint smile on his face as he began to talk to the animal. The audience was so quiet that those nearest the cage could hear the man talking but couldn't make out the words; he seemed to be ...

448. Building a Bright Future

Illustration

... long days at the garage, he worked at the kitchen table by the light of the kerosene lamp. His next step was already planned in his mind--a job with Frayer-Miller Automobile Company of Columbus. One day when he felt ready, he walked into the plant. Lee Frayer was bent over the hood of a car. The boy waited. Finally, Frayer noticed him. "Well," he said, "what do you want?" "I just thought I'd tell you I'm coming to work here tomorrow morning," the boy replied. "Oh! Who hired you?" "Nobody yet, but I'll be on ...

449. Fair Play

Illustration

... string of ducklings came into view up ahead. They were on a collision course and Pearce reckoned that his scull would cut the string in two and sink a few ducklings in the process, so he pulled in his oars. When the ducks passed, Pearce again bent his back to the task. There's a happy ending to the story. Pearce won. Usually, acts of sportsmanship result in defeat. Remember Leo Durocher's pronouncement, "Nice guys finish last"? It happened a couple of years ago in the marathon tandem kayak racing event at ...

450. Monster Rehab

Matthew 23:1-39

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... up the popcorn and sticky soda on the theater floor. But the Church has gotten this All Hallows/All Saints holiday all wrong too. We’ve been convinced that “monsters” are easily identifiable. We think “monsters” are weird, warped, obviously wicked, bent on murder, mayhem and mischief. Alas, outside Hollywood “monsters” are not so easily identifiable. A classic “monster” is a creature that takes the best of its qualities and uses them in a horribly wrong way. The amazing ability of bats to ...

Showing results