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 4626 to 4650 of 4963 results

4626. Dispelling Ministry Illusions

Jeremiah 1:1-19

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... priestly religion which brought comfort without truth. Martin Luther did the same thing in the 16th century. One of the great principles of Luther is "the priesthood of the baptized." Luther taught that all of God's people, not just the priests, have responsibility to minister. The word minister means servant. The one who truly serves God and people is the true minister; not just those with turned around collars! The word "layperson" which we often use to denote a nonprofessional, comes from the Bible word ...

4627. Vision For Mission

Isaiah 6:1-13

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... . The angels said, "Behold, this (hot coal) has touched your lips, your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven." Voices of forgiveness precede the voice of commission. God gives us something before he expects us to do something. The gift of renewal precedes responsibility for Isaiah and us. God never asks us to do anything without first equipping us to do it. Our real sense of inadequacy is overcome by God's greater adequacy. This story of Isaiah's call provides us with the biblical corrective for ...

4628. Faithful To The Lord

Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... of the death. Family conflict is an interesting sub-plot which later sets up the theme of faithfulness. Another interesting sub-plot includes Potiphar, captain of the king's personal bodyguards, and his wife. Joseph rose to a place of honor and responsibility in Potiphar's household. Potiphar's wife was sexually attracted to Joseph, but Joseph steadfastly refused her advances. One day when she was even more direct in her sexual overtures than usual, Joseph plainly told her "No" and fled from' her presence ...

4629. From Inferiority To Fulfillment

Isaiah 62:1-12

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... , but the effort proved hopeless. Anger and antagonism were felt by the boy to such an extent that he felt he had no home. The parents' divorce complicated matters considerably because, like many children of divorced parents, he felt he was responsible for their problem. Unconscious forces kept him in a state of inaction. Painful memories were not resolved. He might be renamed, "Forsaken." The boy's parents put up a pretense of middle-class respectability. That complicated the problem. The parents seemed ...

4630. The Dreamer Within You

Joel 2:18-27, Joel 2:28-32

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... our varied emphases, slants and styles that appeal to particular persons and give them hope for tomorrow. Every congregation is summoned to enunciate the dream in one form or another. It is not a once-and-for-all assignment, but a continuing responsibility. We need leaders who will enliven us, interpret and re-interpret our intentions, and keep us moving ahead in a grand adventure of Faith. Business executive Robert E. Greenleaf in his provocative book, Servant Leadership, has a lot to say about goal ...

4631. Everything Except God

Amos 5:1-17

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... year a levy to raise funds for the public schools in our community failed. It was voted down by many persons who indicated that they were older and did not have children in school at the present. Consequently, they did not see it as their responsibility to support the school levy now that they were retired and on more limited incomes. The community became divided over the issue. The Session of our congregation, consisting of the pastor and the elders, finally came to grips with the issue. Eventually, we set ...

4632. Leaping For Joy

Malachi 4:1-6

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... be like calves, which having spent the night in their stalls, at daybreak go leaping about joyfully in the sunlight. Such will be the joy of the faithful in that day. The prophet’s exhortation to leap for joy is an even better response to “the Day of Judgment” than Colonel Davenport’s desire to do his duty. Consider what practical implications for the journey of faith this fascinating simile suggests. Leaping For Joy Implies Celebration First of all, leaping for joy implies celebration. The note of ...

4633. The Road To Nazareth

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

... them. Because he met them where they were he had a way of putting them at ease. Sometime people are really uncomfortable around preachers and they have this overwhelming compulsion to demonstrate their ignorance of the Bible. Once on "The Jeffersons" the preacher came to see George. In response to some statement made by the preacher George said, "Well, it's like the Bible says, it is easier for a needle to get into heaven than it is for a rich man to get in a camel's eye." But no one was very uptight around ...

4634. Wedding: The Aroma of Love

Sermon Aid

Randall S. Lehman

... . Marriage is a holy covenant between two people pledged to love each other, trust each other, and face life together. Marriage speaks of separation — separation from selfish aims, separation from personal gain. And marriage speaks of unity — unity in purpose, unity in responsibility, unity in joy. These, now two, shall be one. There is no relationship which is stronger, yet more delicate, than this union to which you have now come to commit yourselves. The vows you take today will last for life. There ...

4635. Wedding: Remember the Wine!

John 2:1-11

Sermon Aid

Richard Kraiger

... ready for the wedding. But an unexpected happening could have turned into one of life’s most embarrassing moments. The wine ran out! In Jesus’ day a wedding lasted from three days to a week. Relatives and friends came great distances to be there, and it was the responsibility of the wedding couple and their families to see that the needs of the guests were provided for. Wine was a usual part of the bill of fare. But in the middle of the wedding celebration they ran out of wine. For the couple this meant ...

4636. Rejoice In The Lord

Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon

Robert Beringer

... . To a golfer, happiness is sinking a 25-foot putt. These things all bring pleasure to our lives and as long as we have them, they provide a contentment in our living. But joy is something much deeper and much more lasting. Unlike happiness, we are not responsible for it. It comes into our lives as the gift of God. Joy is not like the superficial transient gaiety of a New Year's Eve party with its gray unpleasant consequences the morning after. Rather, joy breaks into our lives often in the most unexpected ...

4637. Light For Our Darkness

Sermon

Robert Beringer

... recall the cartoon which showed the three wise men riding across the desert. One turns to the others and says, "Why didn't you guys tell me you were getting such expensive gifts?" They were expensive gifts as were the ones described by Isaiah, and they symbolize a response of the heart to God's wondrous gift of the light and love of Christ. Material substance and how we use it has always been an indication of the true loyalty of the human heart. In a world where if you lined up the hungry and the homeless ...

4638. John · A Man of Trust

John 19:26-27

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... sure that she would be cared for as he would have cared for her had he lived. But Jesus knew that he was going to die, and he wanted John to take care of her. Jesus trusted John more than any other man. John knew that this was a tremendous responsibility, and he accepted it because Jesus meant so much to him. There are very few people you can give your mother to and know that she will be cared for the way you would want her to be cared for. But Jesus knew that John was the man. He was ...

4639. What Will He Find ... When He Comes?

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

Theodore F. Schneider

... assurance in this story. Never would they have thought of the judge as an example of God. They had God's word in his promises. If an uncaring judge can act, how much more should the people of God, filled with hope, expect God to act lovingly and responsibly in their behalf? Prayer, that gift of conversation with this faithful Father, becomes God's way of including us in his work. Never our way to manipulate God's will, prayer is, our way of discovering God's will. We have no better example than our Lord's ...

4640. Captive To The Word Of God

John 8:31-41

Sermon

Theodore F. Schneider

... of God's remnant from the exile in Babylon. And now, of course, even as they are speaking, in today's gospel, they are the subjects of Rome. It was that political reality against which the Zealots of Masada would struggle four decades later. Our first response is to wonder whether Jesus' hearers are not the victims of a sanitized history. Perhaps they chose not to remember. How is it then, that they can say to Jesus, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been in bondage to anyone?" Just as history ...

4641. Saints Alive!

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Theodore F. Schneider

... and how. Living with God's gifts of grace as the birthright of our baptism, we are called, just as the classic saints of old, to struggle with our bewildering time and its confusing issues. The kingdom of God is at hand, and our Lord explained the responsibilities of our citizenship. A Final Word For The Living Saints It is not, after all, a matter of earning our salvation, nor of believing that only superhuman piety can prevail. In our baptism, we have God's promise. He has given us his word. We need only ...

4642. Our Living Hope

Luke 20:27-40

Sermon

Theodore F. Schneider

... its conclusion, but rather in its beginning! They assumed that "resurrection" meant life would continue unchanged - as it always had - forever. "On the other side," or "in the new age," we would simply pick up where we had left off in our relationships, responsibilities, and all such. Two things must be observed: 1. Resurrection means that we are "raised again" from the dead. Death is real, not imagined. If we were still living, we would not expect to be "raised." 2. While the Bible is replete in assurances ...

4643. The Significance Of An Insignificant Man

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Erskine White

... is unemployed, or forced to take a lower wage job, because the company wants higher profits and cheaper labor overseas. Now he must find a way to keep his self-respect and keep his family fed. He didn't ask for this hardship. He is not responsible for the callousness of mammon's marketplace. It was thrust upon him against his will, and this is his cross to bear. Finally, I can't even begin to count all the families which patiently struggle with the failing health of their elder loved ones. Children care ...

4644. Palms By Day And Plots By Night

Sermon

Erskine White

... have some chioces, wouldn't you? First, if someone hit you, you could take out your "secret invisible megatransformulator ray gun" and zap the person away. Well, you can't really do that, of course - life isn't like a cartoon, so we'll need to find some other response. Second, if someone hit you, you could go get someone else who is bigger and stronger, to come and beat up the person who hit you. Or third, you could decide to beat up the person yourself; if someone hit you, you could hit back and get into a ...

4645. One Flock, One Shepherd

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

... of the Father, and the other that it is into the name of the Father. I belong to one of these parties. I feel most strongly about it. I would die for it, in fact, but I forget which it is.” All religion and worship are a response to a victory already won for us -- over ourselves, our sins, our death, over fear and loneliness. One family of God may sing sentimental, experience-centered hymns, which another may use Greek and light candles, and yet another may roll in the aisles and speak in tongues! Still ...

4646. Deaths, Our Teacher

Psalm 90:1-17

Eulogy

Allen Puffenberger

... to do in each stage. Later on, we may not have the opportunity to do so. Most of you know that Eve regretted not having finished nursing school. She postponed training for marriage and family. But years later, after she had completed her basic family responsibilities, she had to settle for serving as a volunteer in the hospital. Do not misunderstand me. She was a loving wife and mother. She was a cheerful volunteer. But she was never able to fulfill her dream of serving as a Registered Nurse. In remembering ...

4647. Death of a Twelve-year-old Boy

Matthew 18:1-9

Eulogy

John M. Braaten

... off a series of questions, none of which I had the expertise or right to answer. Then he asked, "Will I know enough to get into heaven?" (It dawned on me later that he had not gone through confirmation; that could have been the source of his question.) My response was to tell the Gospel text for today, about the child Jesus held as he said, "Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." I added, "We need to become more like you, J_, not you like us." And that was it ...

4648. For a Nineteen-year-old Who Died of Cancer

Mark 15:1-15

Eulogy

Arthur H. Kolsti

... alma mater was inviting him back to receive recognition as the school's oldest living graduate. He was cantankerous and refused. He said, "So what ... there is an oldest living everything! Just being the oldest living graduate doesn't mean a thing." Scott in his life evoked more fondness and response from people than others might do in a lifetime. Yes, this is a service of thanksgiving and celebration!

4649. Death of a Nineteen-year-old

Philippians 4:2-9

Eulogy

Louis M. Pratt

... , saying that God never allowed the innocent to suffer, that only Job was to blame for his suffering. This happens too many times. In the midst of terrible suffering, someone comes along and adds to the burdens of the bereaved by accusing them of being responsible for whatever happened. When babies die of some strange disease, the parents are accused of having offended God in some way. When a wife or husband has been killed in an accident, her or his guilt is offered as the reason for the accident. Job ...

4650. Teenage Death Due to Drinking and Driving

Job 3:1-26

Eulogy

Carl B. Rife

... . And eventually the book even quotes God with words which say in effect, "I'm God and you are not, so there. That's the way it is. You just have to accept it." But that doesn't satisfy me - nor any of you, I suspect. Rather, God's response to Job's question and to ours comes to us in Jesus Christ. We live in a world where sin, folly, and ignorance lead to suffering and death. Jesus himself suffered and died unfairly because of human sin and folly and ignorance. And in Jesus' suffering and death we ...

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