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 4576 to 4600 of 4653 results

4576. The Well

John 4:5-42

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... the souls of every worshiper and bless them with eternal life. Not some of them, not only those in Jerusalem, not just those who are men, not just those who say or do the right things or have led a perfect life –but every one that Jesus touches, every one who believes in him, because HE IS MESSIAH! What an amazing Lenten message! And it’s still Jesus’ message for us today! We can let go of trying to define worship, organize worship, determine worship in the ways we think are correct. For Jesus, this ...

4577. Seeing is Believing…or Is It?

John 20:19-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... content, hopeful, and assured lives than those who find nothing solid to believe in. But now here’s another surprise: Doubt is not the opposite of faith. In fact, we all doubt. That’s why we need our eyes to see, our ears to hear, our fingers to touch. Our sensory faculties confirm what we believe. They assure us that what we know is “real” in the sense that it fits into our vision of what the world is like. Ever know someone who believes he or she is a bad person? Those inner feelings will color ...

4578. Broken

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Lori Wagner

The Holy Scriptures are filled with ghost stories –holy ghost stories. From Saul’s encounter with the ghost of Samuel to Ezekiel’s “zombie army,” to the dead man who came to life after touching Elisha’s bones, to the raising of Lazarus, to the revival of Jairus’ daughter, to Jesus’ own terrifying resurrection –at least terrifying to the guards who literally froze in fear, these stories remind us that supernatural encounters come with the territory of our Christian faith. If anything ...

4579. The Power of Good

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... they have learned from him about him, about God, and about the Holy Spirit, about living the “Way” lifestyle, and about God’s gift of resurrection life for all who believe in him. Jesus has bestowed them with power and authority. The Holy Spirit has touched down upon them. Now, it’s their turn to heal, to bless, to baptize, to preach, to teach, and so form communities of disciples committed to being and doing “good.” The power of good comes from teaching others about what it means to live the ...

4580. Good News/Bad News

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... with the problem of conveying bad news. Jesus and his disciples were at Caesarea Philippi. Good news was everywhere. Their ministry to this point had been a stunning success. Crowds pressed in on them everywhere they went. People eagerly reached out to touch this attractive young teacher from Nazareth. The disciples themselves were caught up in the excitement of it all. Jesus asked them, “Who do you say I am?” and Simon Peter answered enthusiastically, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God ...

4581. How Much Should We Pack?

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

Sermon

William G. Carter

... . And what was the best advice at the heart of his commission? Don’t take anything with you. In Eugene Peterson’s translation, Jesus said, “Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood… Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously… travel light.”9 We know that too much baggage can get in the way. That was our discovery during a family trip years ago. On the way through the Mojave ...

4582. Division of the House

Matthew 10:24-39

Sermon

William G. Carter

... come to bring a sword.” The more these words sink in, the more I think to myself: how did he know? Our world has been visited by the Son of God. The stunning response is that his visit has created all kinds of problems. Just when we were touched by grace, sin grabbed hold and didn’t let go. Just when we saw glimpses of unity, division disrupted our better intentions. Just when we thought we knew the way beyond hatred, a sword started swinging. How did Jesus know? How did he know that, in the year 1850 ...

4583. Who Am I?

Matthew 3:13-17 · Isaiah 42:1-2

Sermon

Will Willimon

... 's holding him back. Please come see what you can do for him." Jill began to panic, she was not a priest. What could she do to help? She was led into a darkened room where a pale, emaciated figure lay upon the hospital bed. She touched his shoulder gently. He acknowledged her presence with a flutter of the eyelids. She asked if he wanted to have prayer with her. Another flutter of the eyelids. She mumbled through something. When she finished he still seemed to be holding on to something, still there ...

4584. The Cocktail Party

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

One of T. S. Eliot’s characters in “The Cocktail Party” describes what happens to a person by his choices. Edward is pictured groping through the darkness of his own soul. He agonizes: There was a door And I could not open it. I could not touch the handle. Why could I not walk out of my prison? It was only yesterday that damnation took place, And now I must live with it... Day after day, month after month, Forever and ever. But I ask you, was it only yesterday that damnation took place? No. Every ...

4585. Going Through Life with Gloves

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

... that a person is hypersensitive -- easily hurt. We all know people like that, and we have to learn how to relate to them. But I’m concerned about another issue. My perception is that a lot of people handle all of life with gloves -- afraid of the real touch. Francis Cornferd wrote a poem about it: Oh, why do you walk through the fields in gloves Missing so much and so much? Oh fat white lady whom nobody loves, Why do you walk through the fields in gloves When the grass is soft as the breast of doves ...

4586. "I Can't Sit On Its Lap"

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

... to read it. “Now, honey,” he said, “you know where the tape recorder is and you know how to work it.” “Yes, I know,” interrupted Melinda, “but I can’t sit on its lap.” In this impersonal world of gadgets and machines, automation and efficiency, we long for the personal touch that can come only as we give ourselves in caring love to each other.

4587. Weeds

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sermon

William G. Carter

... Testament, it is Jesus Christ alone who will present the church spotless and without blemish. And do you know how he can do it? Because he has forgiven every sin.(Ephesians 5:25-27) So Jesus is the one who says, “Leave the weeds alone. Don’t touch them. Don’t uproot the good wheat by presuming you can identify and extract a weed.” One of the intriguing details of this parable is that the “weeds” actually have a proper name. In Greek, they are called “zizania” What’s zizania? It is a plant ...

4588. A Violent Week

Mark 14:1-2 · Luke 22:14-23:56

Sermon

Will Willimon

... out and are met by Judas, the High Priest, and soldiers who have come to arrest Jesus. One of the disciples draws his sword and cuts off a piece of one of the aggressor's ears. Jesus rebukes him in the strongest possible way: No more of this! And he touched and healed the ear. And he said to his attackers, "This is your hour, and the power of darkness." What's behind this talk of swords? We can't say for sure. But Paul Minear suggests that the two swords produced by the disciples in the upper room may have ...

4589. Love Is Awareness

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

... turned him into one of the most sensitive, alive people I know. That’s not everything love is, but it is that -- awareness. A recent study indicated that some of the loneliest persons are married couples. They have nice homes, good jobs, money, family, everything, but they are out of touch with each other. Love means relationship. Relationship requires awareness. So the answer to our deepest need for love begins in paying attention.

4590. Catholic

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Sermon

William G. Carter

... visible, nor known to the regular pew sitters, God knows who they are and utilizes them to further the mission of heaven. With this, Buechner quipped, “Think of them as two circles. The optimist says they are concentric. The cynic says they don’t even touch. The realist says they occasionally overlap.”23 His point was simply that God is at work in the whole world, not merely in the church. And sometimes the church does God’s will ... and always the church’s prayer is answered, “Thy will be done ...

4591. Dying, We Live

1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Sermon

Will Willimon

... does American Airlines get these people? Hardly had our wheels left the ground than she informed me that she was returning home from a ''Wellness Convention." ''You dig wells?" I asked cutely. That was my big mistake. I was informed that she was totally in touch with her body, that she had, this year alone, added at least six years to her life by getting off red meat and on to lentil casseroles. When the steward brought us our in-flight meal, she refused both the chicken almandine and the beef burgundy ...

4592. The Gracious Dream

Genesis 28:10-17

Sermon

Will Willimon

... is visited by an angel. And someone spoke up, "Angels, angels. What are we to do with all these Bible stories about angels? I've never seen an angel. Nobody I know has ever seen an angel. Can stories about angels be relevant to modem people?" Her question touched my recent experience. I told her about it. Just the day before, a student had made an early morning appointment with me. I knew her somewhat vaguely. "After a great deal of struggle," she said, "I think I should go to seminary." Then she told me of ...

4593. Revising The Agenda

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

William G. Carter

... Jesus. Second, if we follow Jesus, that means we will engage in the same work that Jesus has been doing, which is to say we will speak out against every mean spirit, we will feed the hungry and heal the sick, we will speak the truth, we will touch the untouchable, forgive the unforgivable and love the unlovable. We will do God’s work in the world, just like Jesus. When we do that, we have every reason to expect that what happened to him might happen to us. “As one New Testament scholar reminds us, the ...

4594. God's Will for Your Life

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... we want to deal with both exhibiting joyful exuberance and heart-felt gratitude. Particularly on this third Sunday of Advent when churches around the world are lighting the joy candle as part of their Advent celebration. But first, because we’re taking a lighter touch this morning than in our normal message, I want to share a little essay that one inspired author wrote about his cat. It’s titled “Of Cats and People” and it was shared via a website called www.laughandlift.com. It’s by Michael ...

4595. Heaven Sent

Luke 1:26-38

Illustration

Angela Akers

... said, “THANK YOU, GOD.” Mark DeHaan shares this woman’s story in the devotional book Bless the Lord, O My Soul. He writes, “Putting up that sign didn’t mean the woman actually thought the car had fallen out of the sky without touching human hands. But notice that her sign did not say, “THANK YOU, MY ANONYMOUS FRIEND.” “She was acknowledging that all things ultimately come from God.”[1] 1. 365 Devotions for Prayer and Worship. Our Daily Bread Ministries, Our Daily Bread Publishing. Kindle ...

4596. How About Some Applause for the Creator?

Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... to visitors as a way to prevent the spread of Covid-19 to vulnerable patients. Mary was suddenly unable to see her husband of 24 years for approximately four months. She was worried about him spending so much time alone. “Alzheimer’s patients need to be touched,” said Mary. But love finds a way. Mary was determined to be with her husband. Finally, an opportunity came. Mary learned that a job was available in Steve’s memory care facility. They needed someone to wash dishes. It was not a glamorous job ...

4597. God's Plan for a New Year

Galatians 4:4-7

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... for such a lofty vision of the coming of the Kingdom of God on earth, but this is still God’s plan for the world. And progress is being made. The Gospel has been proclaimed throughout the world. Millions of people in every part of the globe are being touched by the angel’s song of peace on earth, goodwill towards all people. Notice the rest of Paul’s words: “Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a ...

4598. Gracious

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... of what they have received, their hearts become, as John Wesley put it, “strangely warmed.” Ever wonder where Theodor Seuss Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss, got his idea for the Grinch? Just as at the day of Pentecost, the disciples, whose souls had been touched and energized by the Holy Spirit’s power, felt a sudden infusion of desire for service and mission, all those who gives their hearts and lives to God also feel that same impulse to give and serve. God’s love and grace is a powerful ...

4599. Fear of the Light

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... story of Babel, and it has never gotten old. So, when we contemplate the Light coming into the world during this Advent season, we have to ask ourselves what we really think of that! Because Light, like fire, is power. Light changes everything it touches. And we are creatures not only obsessed with power (our own) but with making sure that power remains in our “safe” hands. The thought of an outside power somehow changing us into something unknown and mysterious frankly freaks us entirely out. Yet it ...

4600. Ashes at Starbucks

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

Mary Austin

... do things. In our time, the way we practice our faith is different — it could be teaching Sunday school, or setting up communion, or welcoming guests to the church. It could be what church people consider sacred time — serving on a committee. Some people find the touch of the Spirit through being in a small group, meditating, doing yoga, walking prayer, or praying with music. It’s all good — and still Jesus invites us to make a radical shift in how we do them. Jesus tells us to lay aside any notion ...

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