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 26 to 50 of 655 results

26. The Meek

Psalm 37:1-40

Sermon

John A. Terry

... students if they were not already convinced of their own knowledge." "Blessed is the person who has the humility to know his own ignorance, his own weakness, and his own need." To be meek is to be controlled. Meekness brings with it the ability to control our feelings and inclinations so we are bridled and can act according to God's will and way. To be meek, to give ourselves over to God's will, we receive what others only long for. It was Dante who said, "In His will is our peace." It reminds me of some ...

27. The Set Face And The Turned Head

Luke 9:51-56, Luke 9:57-62

Sermon

Larry Powell

... body of Jesus for burial. He never declared openly as a follower of Christ and then when it was too late, he came around wanting to do a good work. The man bothers us because there is such about him that mirrors some of our own inclinations to be committed to being uncommitted. It is told that a missionary preached in a remote, poverty ridden area in west Africa. He appealed for support of Christian work throughout the area and encouraged those present to give what they could toward the construction of a ...

28. Tears And Ointment

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

Larry Powell

... you begin to see why we do not wish to pursue a definition of faith. To do so would only tangle us up in our own feet. And clearly, the question is not, "Are there degrees of faith?" We yield our curiosity about this question to those folk who are inclined to ponder such things as "how many angels can dance on the point of a needle?" Jesus commended the woman for her faith. Rather than beat it to death, just sit back and enjoy seeing what it produced: A Generous Attitude If the woman had done only what she ...

29. God Works Through Opposites

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... , in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11)." God works through contraries or opposing means in order to achieve his glorious aims. We observe the same inclination in unambiguous clarity on Palm Sunday. In our gospel lesson we see the King, the Lord Jesus by whom God created the world, God himself comes to Jerusalem. The King; God himself! And he comes "humble, and mounted on an ass, and on a colt, the ...

30. The Empty Tomb

John 20:1-9, John 20:10-18

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... . Those of you who do not plan to be here next Sunday are already walking down the disciples' path. You and I really cannot believe that the tomb is empty, and, if we do, we are not inclined to do anything about it, but merely observe the data and return to our homes untouched by it all. Why? Why are we so often inclined to react to the Easter story in that way? In order to unpack these questions I need to give you all a brief lesson in historical-critical biblical studies (the study of the Bible the way ...

31. Competition In The Kingdom?

Matthew 20:17-19

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... ; Matthew 16:24). Bearing the cross, however, is not a task laid on us; it is not something we have to do. It is part of our baptismal inheritance. In baptism we took on the life of the cross, whatever happened to Jesus became ours. We were given an inclination to live the life that Jesus did - a life of constantly denying ourselves (dying to self) for the sake of our neighbor (Colossians 2:12; Romans 6:3ff).3 Jesus says in our gospel lesson that such a lifestyle is the true mark of greatness (Matthew 20:26 ...

32. The Road To The Cross

Matthew 27:11-26

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... people like you and me to do their bidding to work evil. Such is the nature of social sin. Yet we have not said enough about it in the churches of this country (not following the insights of liberation theology in Latin America). We have been too much inclined merely to dwell on the sins of individuals - on our own or on other people's misdeeds. It is for these sins, we say, that Jesus died. Perhaps our reluctance to consider social sin has to do with our good old American hang-up about not mixing religion ...

33. Fixing The Fox!

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... it is necessary to believe in him to be made right before God. In the realm of daily moral standards, we can continue to hold to God's standard of morality. We are living in a world of a new morality. We have taken up situation ethics. Now we are inclined to say that anything is good, if the parties agree to it. Whether something is good or bad depends upon majority opinion. We can do all this agreeing, but when it is all over and done, we still face the question, "But is it right in the sight of God ...

34. Proper 13 & Pentecost 11

Matthew 14:13-21, Nehemiah 9:1-37, Exodus 12:1-30, Romans 8:28-39, Isaiah 55:1-13

Sermon Aid

... to people today. Isaiah 55:1-5 (L); 55:1-3 (R) - "The Divine Invitation." 1. God's invitation to a "free meal" - the heavenly banquet costs nothing, but is often valued less than the things the world offers and on which we spend our resources. 2. God'spromise - "Incline your ear, and come to me; hear that your soul may live." There is more than food and water, milk and wine, involved here - food for the soul! I heard a young girl say on a television program that she had to go to church a couple of times ...

35. Paul: The Man and His Message

Romans 9:1-29

Sermon Aid

T. A. Kantonen

... . He is so sure of his stand that he dares to rebuke Peter, the acknowledged leader of the Christian community (Galatians 2:11-14). That he could not always control his temper is indicated by his abrupt dismissal of his colleague, Mark (Acts 15:38). But natural inclinations did not hold the reins in the conduct of the "new man in Christ." A proud and solitary man becomes a gentle father to his spiritual "children," so beloved that some were willing to risk their lives for him (Romans 16:4, Philippians 2:30 ...

36. Wade In The Water

2 Kings 5:1-27

Sermon

Frederick C. Edwards

... an idea. She knew of a certain man in Samaria who just might help. He was a religious man - a prophet named Elisha. There is nothing to indicate that Naaman had any religious inclinations of his own, but we know that when desperate enough, people are often willing to try something they might otherwise avoid. That inclination is where the term foxhole religion comes from, where in the heat of battle even the faithless turn to faith. Naaman was lucky enough to have influence at the top - even with the king ...

37. Why Prophets Get Under Our Skin

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... Eternal God, who in your majesty encompasses the universe and all dimensions of time and space, and who in your humility infuses all living things with the pulse of your life, as flowers and trees are inclined toward the sun's life-giving light, so are we, in our reverent worship, inclined toward you, light of all life. In your radiant presence we always are conscious of our clouded conscience, the dimness of our insight and intelligence, aware of our faltering, flickering witness and our susceptibility to ...

38. No Holding Back

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... rabbi was asked, "Which act of charity is higher--giving out of obligation or giving from the heart?" All in the class were inclined to respond that giving from the heart had something more in it, but they knew the rabbi was going to say just ... I may set apart my mind to be my own. If all you want, Lord, is my mind, my mind belongs to you, but let my heart remain inclined to do what it would do. If heart and mind would both suffice, while I kept strength and soul, at least I would not sacrifice completely my ...

39. When The World Goes Crazy!

Genesis 6:1-8:22

Sermon

King Duncan

... own way. The people had lost all communion with God. Genesis 6, verses five and six tell us, "The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain." Every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. Can you imagine that kind of world? A 24/7 sin emporium! This was the natural result of a "do-my-own ...

40. Let Your Soul Catch Up

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... to fit the same mold. We talk about people being “go-getters”. I know that when the Nominating Committee works, on selecting the leadership of the church, that’s always a big question. More often than not, the Committee is tempted to select people who are inclined to hyper-activity. We need to realize that not all people are of the same temperament. The reason that’s so important in the church is that there is no right or wrong way to serve God. God didn’t make us all alike. In some churches ...

41. Dealing With Guilt And Shame

Romans 7:7-25

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... man that I am -- who will deliver me from this body doomed to death?" Get the perspective now. There is something about our fallen nature that inclines us to commit individual acts of sin -- that is "words, thoughts, and deeds" that go against God's nature and God's will for us. ... , or the old man, or inherited sin, or moral depravity, or sinful nature. It is an inherent sinful disposition that inclines persons to sinful acts. Rita Mae Brown knew this when she said, "Lead me not into temptation; I can find ...

42. Palm/Passion Sunday

Mt 26:14-27:66 · Php 2:5-11 · Isa 50:4-9a · Ps 31

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... in the Passion narrative. Matthew opened with Herod, the chief priests, and the scribes conferring to destroy the baby Jesus and ended with Pilate, the chief priests, and the scribes conspiring to eliminate Jesus. As the Gentile Magi were positively inclined toward the baby Jesus, so the Gentile wife of Pilate is on his side during the Passion. Moreover, the characters in the Passion story—disciples, women, Pharisees, chief priests, and scribes—were active throughout the earlier portions of the Gospel ...

43. Acts 17:22-31

Acts 17:22-31

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... " period while he waits for his other missionary companions to join him. These recent experiences may have influenced Paul's rhetoric somewhat encouraging him to try being a bit more irenic, a bit less irritating, when addressing new listeners. Yet Paul was not inclined to keep quiet. While in Athens, he sought out a variety of places and audiences. He witnessed before the Jewish devout in the synagogue (17:17), the esteemed philosophers (17:18), the masses in the marketplace (17:17), and the simply curious ...

44. Luke 18:1-8

Luke 18:1-8

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... on the grounds the case could only be commended to God, who alone could provide justice or vengeance. The administrative courts could do no such thing, although a judge could resist hearing a case, or at least put off hearing a case if this was his inclination. (For more on the law in Jewish society, see Derrett, "Law in the New Testament" [New Testament Studies 18 (January 1972)], 178-191.) This widow was not content to wait for God to grant her justice and vengeance at some unspecified day in the future ...

45. Don’t Tempt Me—But If You Do I’m Ready

1 Corinthians 10:13

Sermon

James Merritt

... the temptation or after the temptation, but with the temptation He will make that way of escape. There is a prayer that everyone of you could pray with me right now that goes like this: "Lord, when there is opportunity take away my inclination; when there is inclination take away my opportunity." Chuck Swindoll gave three great pieces of advice on how to deal with temptation. He said, first of all, expect it; secondly, detect it; thirdly, reject it." Great advice. In the fly leaf of my Bible I have written ...

46. Looking for Jesus?

John 20:1-18

Sermon

John Smylie

... the entrance of the burial plot was shaped more like a wheel. It may be as much as eight to ten inches thick and five feet in diameter. The stone would normally be set on a slight incline and rolled into place when the tomb was ready to be sealed. It would take great strength to move the stone back up the incline because the stone, even though it was shaped like a wheel, would still be very heavy, rough-hewn, and difficult to move. No doubt, when Mary arrived at the tomb and saw the stone had been removed ...

47. A Higher Calling

Ephesians 4:1-16

Sermon

Thomas Lentz

... of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:2-3). This is not the kind of behavior that comes naturally, is it? We are not born patient. We scream when we want something and grab for things around us. We are not inclined to be humble and gentle. We are more often inclined to argue and fight than to "keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Many of us never do reach that level of maturity. The pace of living in our society is causing everyone to become less patient, more demanding ...

48. Trials and Temptations

James 1:1-18, James 1:19-27

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

... the way of God would turn back and follow his or her evil nature to the detriment of the community: No man shall walk in the stubbornness of his heart so that he strays after his heart and eyes and evil inclination, but he shall circumcise in the Community the foreskin of evil inclination and of stiffness of neck that they may lay a foundation of truth for Israel, for the community of the everlasting Council (1 QS 5:4–5). People who did turn back were surely condemned: As for them, they dissemble, they ...

49. The Day of the Lord

2 Peter 3:1-18

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... :36). See Turner, pp. 141–42. Evil desires (epithymias): as in 1 Pet. 1:14; 2:11; 4:2, 3; 2 Pet. 1:4; 2:10, 18; also in the parallel passages, Jude 16, 18. The Greek term sometimes translates the Hebrew yēṣer hā-rā’, “the evil inclination.” 3:4 “Where …?” The scoffers pour scornful doubt upon the truthfulness of the divine word, written or spoken. They are not the first: see Ps. 42:3; 79:10; Isa. 5:19; 28:14; Jer. 17:15; Ezek. 12:22; Mal. 2:17. ‘Coming’ (parousia): the technical term ...

50. Ruth Meets Boaz

Ruth 2:1-23

Understanding Series

Michael S. Moore

... ’amod), not “has worked steadily.” MT says only, “She has come and she has stood.” It is important to be precise here because otherwise we cannot decide whether Ruth starts to glean before or after the giving of Boaz’s permission. I am inclined to think that it is Ruth’s dignified patience (waiting while others work) that so impresses Boaz’s foreman, not her strong work ethic. The final words of 2:7 constitute a major textual problem (Campbell does not even translate the last fourteen words ...

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