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 4551 to 4575 of 4951 results

4551. The Use of Power

Acts 2:1-13

Illustration

... explosively by dropping a lighted match into the can. Or it can be channeled through the engine of a Datsun in a controlled burn and used to transport a person 350 miles. Explosions are spectacular, but controlled burns have lasting effect, staying power. The Holy Spirit works both ways. At Pentecost, he exploded on the scene; His presence was like "tongues of fire" (Acts 2:3). Thousands were affected by one burst of God's power. But He also works through the church--the institution God began to tap the ...

4552. What's Our Purpose?

Acts 2:1-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

... , and Sports Illustrated. We must remember our basic identity. We must—whenever, however, wherever—fulfill our basic purpose. I want to be part of a church whose soul purpose is to win people to Jesus Christ. I want to be part of a church that is empowered by the Holy Spirit. A church that is going out into the streets with spiritual power and the authority. The Holy ...

4553. Managing Disappointment

Romans 5:1-11

Bulletin Aid

Clement E. Lewis

... God. And not that only, but we also boast of our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that was given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly, Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves ...

4554. The Importance of Believing

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

... biological view of human life, we believe ourselves to be animals and nothing more, if we have no belief in soul or spirit or moral quality, then we are strongly inclined to act like the animals we believe we are. If we believe other people ... realm, things are as they are and work the way they do, so likewise there are realities to be reckoned with in the realm of mind and spirit and moral quality. Jesus has reason to be concerned as to what we believe about him. "Who do you say that I am?" It is a critical ...

4555. Full Barns and Empty Hearts

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... , our hearts are not filled. We clergy must take much of the blame for this painful admission. We get so accustomed to holy things that we handle them carelessly and thoughtlessly, so that no one goes out from worship sensing the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. Nor could we claim that the Sunday morning worship service is the only place where we can have our hearts filled with the richness of God’s love. This would be to subscribe to a liturgical fundamentalism that does not square with the witness of ...

4556. Mission to Unbelievers

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... that bitter, winter day. As unforced as this witness must be, it cannot be taken lightly by any who are concerned to witness to the faith by the quality of our lives. Personal integrity, humbleness, an affirming spirit, honesty, faithfulness to commitment to marriage and family, hard work - it seems strange to need to cite such qualities. But they will be necessary to effective witness through our personal lives. Edward R. Murrow has been gone for some time now. Some of us remember him for his contributions ...

4557. Christ Has Set Us Free

John 8:31-41

Sermon

... . Yet the notion that the Lord is some kind of giant truant officer - that worry is still around, that he’s always prowling about to keep you from doing something you could enjoy. Another image might be that he’s like a huge thumb, holding us down, mashing our spirit. Under this oppressive thumb we squirm and wiggle and protest, "I want to be free!" How can I make it clear that the Gospel doesn’t stifle us? How can I bring it home that Christ is not a wet blanket but a liberator? I’ll attempt it by ...

4558. Tomb for Sale

Luke 7:11-17

Sermon

George Bass

... happened to us, doesn’t it? Ide Ward was going on 120 years of age when he died early in 1982; a doctor said he died "just of old age," but George Will of the Washington Post called his long life a "triumph of the spirit."3 Will says, "Aging, like a lot of other common things (life, love, memory, the existence of the universe, the infield fly rule), remains a mystery. But many gerontologists believe that, absent disease or imprudent living, an individual ages according to his or her genetically controlled ...

4559. An Encounter With Two Old Friends

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

... ? Suddenly the focus of the parable shifts from these two worshipers to the God whose temple they had entered. "Who is a God like thee?" We begin our worship always, not in our own name, but in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We cannot saunter down this aisle and take our place before the Lord, tell him who we are and what we have achieved, as though he should enjoy the privilege of our presence. The error of the Pharisee was that he came in his own name, reminding God of ...

4560. Complaint from the Kitchen

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Carveth Mitchell

... the Salvation Army magazine) of the person who wrote this verse, but I suspect that a lot of other initials could be added to it in spirit: Lord of all pots and pans, since I’ve no time to be A saint by doing lovely things, or watching late with Thee Or ... , "but the basket would be a whole lot cleaner." How do we sing it? "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10) This is what worship should do. To sit alone, or with others in the body of Christ, at the feet of ...

4561. Formula for Life

Amos 5:1-17

Sermon

... and reality? It is important to be committed to the highest we know, but there is no stopping place in this commitment. Because the Creator God is still alive, and presumably still creating, our commitment must not become static, as though set in concrete. The Holy Spirit cannot continue its lifegiving work with a closed mind or a comatose conscience. Jesus, in the lesson read from Luke, commends faith as an important dimension of power in the life that is alive to God. The energy in the atom is not to be ...

4562. Counsel for Discouraged Disciples

Habakkuk 1:1-4

Sermon

... note that Jesus counseled against the idea of trying to go it alone. His emphasis on prayer was to this point. Because they were to be in partnership with God they would never be laboring alone. Not only would God be on their side; the Holy Spirit would be present with them for guidance and comfort. What great and good counsel is found in these guidelines and emphases! Where is the therapist who could speak more directly and helpfully to our spiritual need? How shall we, his latter-day disciples, respond to ...

4563. Why Aspire to Sainthood?

Daniel 7:1-14

Sermon

... oldest brother. Eventually, even, the only girl he ever loved was raped and murdered by this domineering sibling. Nevertheless, after learning that the murderer had been hiding behind a chimney on a rooftop for days without food or waters Rocco went to him in a spirit of compassion carrying food and drink. Upon hearing of it, one of the younger brothers exclaimed, "Rocco is a saint!" There is a story also that comes to us from an earlier time in a remote peasant village of Europe. It tells of two neighbors ...

4564. The Demanding Word

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

... is God's Word to you and me. What did the religious leaders of old Israel notice about this fellow from Nazareth? They noticed that he was in dead earnest about God's claim on his life. He was under the Father's will at all times. The Spirit of the Lord really filled him! Religion is no moral game-playing, people found out. Jesus' word and invitation are always ones that shatter us and make us gulp at first hearing. In Matthew 10, a few chapters back from our text, we read this demanding Word of Jesus ...

4565. Table For Talkers

Luke 22:7-38

Sermon

... at the time, do you think you would have done differently? Who knows? Who can answer? No one can be sure what he would do. The spirit may be willing, but the flesh may be weak. When we come to the Lord's Table tonight, this question is on our minds. We ask ... mirror's purpose is to see yourself. It makes us self-centered. Our world revolves around us. This is contrary to the teaching, spirit, and example of Jesus. This is the last thing he taught us: to render out of love humble service. The truly great ...

4566. If Only We Would Hold On ...

Jeremiah 20:7-18

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... a reform which swept through the country. The contents of this book awakened the king and the people to all the idolatrous and unethical practices into which they had fallen. Young Jeremiah was caught up in the reform, and his spirit was gripped by what he interpreted as the Spirit of God. Jeremiah reluctantly began his prophetic career. In a sermon which he preached in the courtyard of the temple (7:1-15), Jeremiah flatly declared that both the city and temple would be destroyed. What made that sermon even ...

4567. The Golden Gift

Drama

... .) BISHOP: She wants you to be as close to the fireplace as possible. (They all sit. As Bishop says grace, Jean dives in with both hands. Arlette watches shyly. He discovers his faux pas and tries to recover.) In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We thank thee for this food. Bless it to our use and thus to thy service. Amen. JEAN: You are very good to me. You don't despise me. You take me into your house. BISHOP: Ah! There is something missing. (He gets the candlesticks, puts them on the ...

4568. Prayer

Matthew 3:13-17

Bulletin Aid

Baptized Ordained! Set apart Chosen by God Called and Commissioned! Jesus' Baptism Was the beginning of his public ministry, God claimed him publically Put the Spirit on him Sent him out to work. My baptism Was the beginning of my life in Christ. God claimed me - In front of witnesses - Set me apart To do God's ... refusing my commission For leaving your work to the "professionals," And recall me to my Baptismal vows My promise to be your child your person, In Jesus' name. And with the Spirit's power. Amen

4569. Prayer

Matthew 28:16-20

Bulletin Aid

Three is a magic number! (At least among the ancients) A stable number. In construction A triangle is strong; But in relationships, It's threatening! I'm supposed to be a Trinitarian Christian Believing in God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit, But that's so confusing! Three in One One God in three Persons. How do I explain it? How do I make sense of it? - Or do I have to? Can I just relate to God In the way that meets my needs now, And leave the mystery The description ...

4570. The Holy Trinity

Deuteronomy 4:32-40

Sermon

... too much for him, maybe the demands became too heavy, and he could only scream out his frustration. We can certainly understand that. But we need to remember the story doesn't end there. He went on to exclaim in triumph, "It is finished!" and to commit his Spirit to his Father. Ultimately, he was sustained by knowing who God is, what God had done, and by his belief in what God would do. The writer of Deuteronomy echoes the cry of Isaiah by proclaiming God is the One and Only - there is no Other. Therefore ...

4571. Serving Hands

Psalm 92:1-15

Sermon

... at his table. He allows us in faith to commune with one another as we are bound as brothers and sisters through our participation in this one body and blood. Apart from faith, we deny the value of this meal for ourselves. It is in faith, the faith that the Spirit works in you and me, that we lay claim to the meal and the worth of that meal that the Lord puts before us. A host invites his guest to the table in order that he or she can eat, be filled, and depart satisified, sustained to continue their living ...

4572. Parable of the Elevator and the Stairway

Psalm 95:1-11

Illustration

... it as a stairway that is difficult to climb. Others desire prayer to be an elevator which arrives on pressing a button. But, if the believer in God would be lifted by God's spirit, he must be willing to make use of the regular opportunities for devotion as well as the special occasions when he wants assistance. The true Christian understands the spirit of the psalmist who says, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills," as well as, "Come let us go unto the house of the Lord. Let us kneel before the Lord our ...

4573. A Word About the Right Time

Haggai 2:1-9

Sermon

... , for I am with you," says the Lord of hosts, "according to the promise I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit abides with you, fear not, take courage." Some wanted to hold back because they were afraid the splendor of the new temple would not match that ... of the old. Not so, says God. "I will fill this house with splendor." That is, with himself and his gifts. His Spirit is there; that is, his life, love, joy, peace, and kindness. The One who is filling the house with splendor is the One ...

4574. Religion - One Way to Get in God’s Way

Zechariah 7:1-14

Sermon

... reminder in the day in which we live that we have an infinite capacity to crucify? Do we need to remind ourselves that, because of our infinite capacity to crucify, Christ was willing to be crucified for us that we too might worship in spirit and truth? That is Christ’s deep response, deep enough to match the insistent signal from the fireball of our times. It is that same crucifixion and resurrection which equips us to match the insistent signal from the fireball. It is through that same crucifixion ...

4575. The First Sunday In Lent

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

Kendall McCabe

... for you; You have to stand it by yourself. The good news is just the opposite; the good news is, because of Jesus Christ, we never again have to stand our trial alone. Listen to how the psalmist describes this relentlessly supporting presence: Where can I go then from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I climb up to heaven, you are there; If I make the grave my bed, you are there also. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there your hand will ...

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