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 4951 to 4975 of 5000 results

4951. The Potter's Secret

Luke 14:25-33

Sermon

Lori Wagner

How many of you have had a time in your life when you made a terrible mistake that you grew to regret? How many of you have undergone some kind of trauma or upheaval that caused you excruciating pain? How many of you wished at one time or another that you could go back in time and erase that one pesky “thing” that haunts you, make it right, so that your mind can be at peace? I have good news for you! Your life is not set in stone. Your past does not have to dictate your life, your success, or your ...

4952. A Sign in the Heavens

Isaiah 60:1-6 · Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

Perhaps you’ve heard of the passenger sitting relaxed on an airplane. A man appeared with a parachute. The man asked the passenger, “Would you like to join me?” “No, thank you,” said the passenger, “I’m very happy where I am.” The reply came back from the man with the parachute, “Do as you like, but I should tell you, I’m the pilot.” I don’t know about you, but if I saw a man on a plane carrying a parachute who invited me to go with him who turned out to be the pilot, I believe I would take that as a sign ...

4953. He's Not Dead Anymore

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

Good morning and welcome to our celebration of Easter, the most important day in the history of humanity, the day when Jesus Christ rose from the grave, defeated the power of death, and secured for us eternal life. Christians all over the world begin their celebration this day by loudly proclaiming some variation of the word “Hallelujah!” which means “Praise the Lord!” So, I invite you now to say it with me—“Hallelujah!” It's a powerfully moving thing to think about churches all over the world in nearly ...

4954. The Cost of Commitment

Genesis 22:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

What is the longest distance you have ever walked? Try to picture that journey in your mind. What mental and physical reserves were required for you to keep going when you wanted to quit? More importantly, how did you feel when you finally stopped? Most of us are fortunate to have some form of transportation, whether it’s a bicycle, car, bus or Uber to take us where we want to go. Long journeys no longer require much effort or commitment. We can’t remember the last time we walked to the point of exhaustion ...

4955. Failure

Exodus 3:1-22

Sermon

Will Willimon

The game was over. The roaring stadium was now silent, empty of fans, a forlorn place of crushed popcorn boxes and drink cups, trampled programs, spent confetti. The coach entered a sullen, utterly quiet locker room. Helmets were down on the floor, jerseys pulled off and piled in a washbin. "I just want you guys to know that I am real proud of the way you played this afternoon," he said. "Real proud. We didn't win, but we did prove to a lot of people what we could do. It was a moral victory." On the way ...

4956. I Want To Remind You — Easter Sunday

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Sermon

John B. Jamison

We have heard it before, but let’s hear the story again. The law of Moses said that if a person was killed by hanging on a tree, their body must not be left there overnight but must be buried before sundown. The Romans in charge of the crucifixion did not care at all about what Moses said, and usually left the bodies hanging there for the animals to remove. That set the best example for people walking past to understand what happened to criminals against Rome. But, maybe it was Joseph of Arimathea, an ...

4957. We Don’t Have To Do This

Mark 8:31-38

Children's Sermon

Various Authors

Object: Make an expression of someone who doesn’t get their own way (or show a photo of someone making this expression). Good morning, boys and girls. I’m going to make an expression on my face. (Make an expression on your face of someone who doesn’t get his own way, or show a photo of someone making this expression.) Who can tell me what I’m trying to say? (Let them try to answer.) Have you ever made this expression when you wanted to do something, but someone else told you that you can’t do it? You make ...

4958. Prophets and the Powerful

1 Kings 21:1-3, 17-21

Sermon

Will Willimon

“Ahab said to Elijah, 'Have you found me, o my enemy?' He answered, 'I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD.”' (1 Kings 21:1-3, 17-21) A few years ago, Dr. Billy Graham was asked about his friendship with then recently deposed Richard Nixon. Graham had been something of a court chaplain during the Nixon years -- a frequent guest at the White House, deliverer of state prayers, conductor of private services on Sundays in the East Room for the President, ...

4959. “The Words of the Lord Are Flawless, Like Silver Purified in a Crucible”

Psalm 12:1-8

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: In a society where lies and falsehood constitute the “ethical norm,” God’s flawless words reset the standard and are of a seamless piece with God’s character. Understanding the Text Psalm 12 has features of an individual lament (12:1–2), the cause of the lament clearly being the depletion of the righteous and the occupation of society by liars and deceivers. Psalm 12 fills out the picture of the scenario outlined in Psalm 11: “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” ...

4960. All In God's Time

Luke 24:44-53

Sermon

Lori Wagner

In our contemporary society in which information lies immediately at our fingertips or even at our voice command and we can instantly communicate our wishes in a variety of ways, we humans have become more and more…impatient. This quickly leads to frustration that our needs and desires are not being met. Impatience then causes stress, often making us feel more…impatient. How do we break this unhealthy cycle? And it is unhealthy. Stress caused by impatience can cause a variety of emotional, mental, and ...

4961. The Unmasking of Nazareth

Luke 4:21-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

The “Phantom of the Opera,” “Mardi Gras Celebration,” “Halloween,” “The Masque of the Red Death” –and I’m sure many more. All times when we wear masks. We as people in fact have a kind of fascination with masking, whether we are masking ourselves or unsure of who lies behind the mask of someone else. Masks for us intrigue us and reveal our excitement for mystery and the unknown. What lurks behind the mask of the “Phantom?” We want to know. Is he disfigured? Shy? A hero? A psychopath? Our curiosity keeps us ...

4962. Holy Wisdom From On High!

Proverbs 8:1-36

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

A few years ago I was asked to preach at a large event in Atlanta. I inquired as to the theme of the occasion, and the pastor who invited me said, "I want you to preach as if it were your last sermon. If you had only one more opportunity to proclaim the Word, what message would it be? Preach that!" What a quandary! What should I preach? I first thought to preach about the omnipotence and love of God the Father. Then I reconsidered, "But I must preach about Jesus, his death and resurrection and the ...

4963. Sent From The Mountain

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

William G. Carter

There is nothing like taking part in a worship service with 17,000 people. If you are surrounded by a choir that large, all of the hymns sound in tune. With that many people gathered to pray in the same place at the same time, you have no doubt God will hear somebody in the crowd. And when a super-charged speaker stands up to challenge people to follow the commandments of Christ, the group dynamics of such a huge crowd ensure that someone, somewhere, is ready to answer the challenge. That was the case in ...

4964. The Blind Guiding The Blind

Psalm 92:1-15, Luke 6:46-49, 1 Corinthians 15:35-58, Isaiah 55:1-13, Luke 6:37-42

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

The passage for today has what is described as a parable. It is a one-sentence parable, more like a saying than a typical parable. It is only one or two sentences long. The passage actually contains four such parables or sayings. While the passage is part of a longer discourse of Jesus addressed to "a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people" (Luke 6:17), this section seems more directly addressed to the disciples. The first of the parables or sayings deals with an analogy to a blind ...

4965. Proper 18

Psalm 139:1-24, Philemon 1:8-25, Philemon 1:1-7, Jeremiah 18:1--19:15, Luke 14:25-35

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

The Price Of Discipleship In the mid-1960s President Lyndon Johnson introduced a so-called war on poverty. At about the same time he got involved in escalating the American participation in the Vietnam war. It soon began to cost about two billion dollars per month. He was unwilling to raise taxes. The attempt to wage the wars on two fronts, domestic and international, soon affected the economy adversely. Through the Nixon, Ford, and Carter administrations the effects of deficits sent inflation rates up ...

4966. All Mine To Give!

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

Do you ever get tired of giving? Have you ever seriously considered dropping out of the ranks of tithers? I have. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed by those computer generated appeal letters that come into my office, three or four a day, from ministries in urgent need. Then a man raising his support calls and wants to drop by for an hour to solicit financial backing. After him follows a brother in dire straits who wants an extra 500 dollars for unexpected ministry expenses. Driving across town one sees a ...

4967. Seven Habits Of Highly Effective Christians

2 Kings 5:1-27

Sermon

William L. Self

Naaman was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. What a shock it must have been to this great man, the leader of the Syrian army, when the unaccountable lethargy and the terrible pain in the joints attacked his body. Then he discovered, especially on his back, the discolored patches and on them the little nodules which were pink at first and then turned brown. He knew that he had it, the dreaded leprosy. It was the scourge of the ancient world -- the AIDS of his day. In crystal clear and cryptic ...

4968. The Gift of Wisdom

Acts 2:14-41

Sermon

Gerald Whetstone

It's a miracle that you're here this morning! I suspect, though, that what I mean is not the first thing that came to your mind. I sense someone thinking, "The first Sunday after Easter! You bet it's a miracle. They don't call this Low Sunday for nothing!" Someone else is thinking, "Any morning I get up after a busy week and can still get the kids going and fed and dressed and to church, I've accomplished a miracle!" Or "You bet it's a miracle I'm here. I'd fully intended to go play ball, but my Dad made ...

4969. Salve To Soothe Our Souls

Jeremiah 8:4--9:26

Sermon

Richard L. Sheffield

"My joy is gone, grief is upon me, my heart is sick ... I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead?" (Jeremiah 8:18, 21-22). Is there no salve, no soothing ointment, no medicine for our souls? The hymn we'll sing after the message says there is: "There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole. There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul."1 That's what we have in this passage from the prophet Jeremiah that my Bible describes as a "lament over Judah."2 What another ...

4970. Two-and-a-Half Cheers For Hypocrites

Matthew 6:1-2, Matthew 6:5-6, Matthew 6:16

Sermon

Thomas Long

It is difficult to find anyone who has a kind word to say about hypocrites. Nobody likes a hypocrite; no one wants to be around one; the last thing one would want to be called is a hypocrite. Hypocrites are, by definition, deceptive, two-faced and treacherous. If discovered, hypocritical politicians are defeated at the polls, hypocritical friends get dropped and hypocritical preachers lose the trusting ears of their congregations. It may well be that our age is particularly tough on hypocrisy. In some ways ...

4971. The Season Of Sacred Stories

Mark 1:9-15

Sermon

Elaine M. Ward

Garrison Keillor has said that if you are shy and from the Midwest and Lutheran, it is always Lent. Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lecten meaning "spring." Its liturgical color is purple, signifying both humility and royalty. In the early church Lent was a time to prepare for baptism, which took place on Easter Eve. Lent is the forty day period between Ash Wednesday and Easter (excluding the six Sundays), a symbolic reminder of the forty years of the Exodus of God's people in the desert and the forty ...

4972. Designated Son Of God

Romans 1:1-17

Sermon

Frank Luchsinger

"Descended from David ... designated Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness ..." so Paul writes of the One who is to come; the One we are expecting (Romans 1:3, 4); the designated Son of a designated God come to a designated people. God reveals himself in power; we humbly and imperfectly place names on what we see and feel. God designates a Son and the Son designates a people. Designating/Naming What we know of our world and of God is as human as life itself. From the beginning of time we ...

4973. Proper 19

Luke 15:1-7, Luke 15:8-10, Jeremiah 4:5-31, 1 Timothy 1:12-20

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 For Judah, Jeremiah sees nothing but doom. For Judah there is no future except destruction and death. Everywhere Jeremiah looks he sees desolation of his country. Why is this? The judgment comes from Yahweh because Judah is woefully corrupt. Their sins have brought utter disaster. There is no hope except "I will not make a full end." (v. 27) Lesson 2: 1 Timothy 1:12-17 Christ came to save sinners, even the foremost, Paul. Many scholars think that the pastoral ...

4974. Christmas 1

Hebrews 2:5-18, Colossians 3:1-17, 1 Samuel 2:12-26, Luke 2:41-52

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26 Hannah gives her first child, Samuel, to the service of Yahweh under the high priest, Eli, at Shiloh where Samuel grew physically and spiritually. Samuel was the answer to Hannah's prayer for a child. When she weaned him, she took him to Eli at Shiloh to serve Yahweh permanently. Each year when Hannah came to worship, she brought Samuel a handmade robe. The little lad, wearing a linen apron-like vestment, an ephod, ministered to Yahweh. In this service Samuel ...

4975. Jesus' Countercultural Sermon

Matthew 5:38-42, Matthew 5:43-48

Sermon

Mark Radecke

Sometimes age and experience force us to reevaluate long held beliefs about the world and the way life works. As idealistic youths in Sunday school and Luther League, for instance, my friends and I vexed and perplexed our ultra-orthodox pastor by arguing against the doctrine of original sin. We were convinced that people were innately and instinctively good. And then we grew up and were "mugged by reality": stung by the selfishness that lies hard by the heart of each and every mortal being, including ...

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