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 62 results

26. God Loses, So We Can Win

Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... in which Jacob has Esau by the heel, grabbing him, trying to pull him back, so he’d win the birth race rather than Esau. There’s a good bit of research literature out today about how we are genetically hardwired for certain personality traits and behavioral propensities. As we get to know Esau and Jacob it’s like each of them was hardwired for the status the other got. Jacob thought he should be No. 1. He spent his life seeking to rectify the injustice. He spent his life seeking to be blessed – as ...

27. Whose Inheritance Is It?

Ephesians 1:11-23

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... the debt we owe to our Creator God, and giving it the nuance of our personal assembly, our personal "get up and go," we then return to the extraordinary dependency we have on God. Some of us get good chemistry in our brains; others get a propensity for depression. Some of us get good genes; others get early cancer. There are degrees and layers of awesome chance in the very physical make up that we have. Each is created and developed, made and given, determined and wildly open and free. There is an ...

28. Discipline and Means of Grace

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... Through the years Christians have used various means of reflections, including journaling. It is only as we examine ourselves in regular periods of reflection that we are able to see particular weaknesses gradually transformed. That gives us hope that current weaknesses — a propensity toward fear, for example will also be transformed. It’s exciting to see a weakness torn out or strength strongly planted in a moment of exhilarating prayer; but most often, God brings virtues out of us like a plant out of ...

29. Hands on the Plow

Luke 9:57-62

Illustration

Jess Moody

... to focus a picture. Bingo! The results were better than anything the world of science had ever conceived. It is the very system used today in a standard television. What did Farnsworth invent? Television. It was his vivid imagination coupled with a propensity toward science that has literally changed the world. But unfortunately he was not credited with the idea since he was only 14 years old. Two business men, George Everson and Les Gorrell took an interest in Farnsworth and invested their life savings ...

30. Sick People Like Us Will Always Need The (Divine) Doctor

Matthew 9:9-13

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... Of course, you will say that you are no Pharisee. But how welcoming are you and I to the sort of folks Jesus accepted? In fact, you and I are no better than they are. In the church, there is another way of reinforcing these Pharisaic propensities. We speak of growing in grace. One of the most popular religious best-sellers in history, dealing with our purpose in life, tells readers that "God wants you to grow up ... It takes an intentional commitment."3 "We can get better," the most influential preachers in ...

31. A Match Made in Heaven

Genesis 29:15-28

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... to root for. Jacob is reputedly a cheat (Genesis 27:36; 31:1). Laban is a master manipulator and shrewd to the point of being dishonest. And Rachel herself shows a treacherous side along the way, too (Genesis 31:32b-35). In truth, it was Jacob's propensity for cheating that got him involved with Laban and Laban's family in the first place. Jacob was born and raised in Canaan, where he lived with his father, Isaac; his mother, Rebekah; and his twin brother, Esau. From the very beginning, Jacob and Esau were ...

32. Hope Lifted Up

Numbers 21:4-9

Sermon

Ken Lentz

... a revival. The preacher asked him to burn his cards and his gambling equipment in front of witnesses as a testimony to his conversion. He answered, "I can't do that because if I did, what would I do if I backslid?" Lent is the time to confess our propensity to abandon life in and with God. When we're "in the money," we forget whence material blessings come. We forget our promises to share with others. We complain if we're losing the battle to keep up with the Joneses. Manna and water are not enough. We want ...

33. Rejoicing Brings Peace

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... a friend over obstacles or disease. We rejoice when our favorite college or professional sports team wins the big game or even a championship. Saint Paul tells us today that there is another element of rejoicing. He suggests we need to eliminate our propensity to worry and replace our anxiety with prayer and supplications to God. As a society we like to worry. In fact, we have a whole industry associated with it. When we worry we seek resolution through medications and various professionals. Certainly what ...

34. Rejoicing Brings Peace

Philippians 4:4-7

Sermon

Richard Gribble

35. Scandals Fly

Illustration

Michael P. Green

John Dryden, a seventeenth-century British dramatist and poet, commented on man’s propensity to gossip: There is a lust in man no charm can tame, Of loudly publishing his neighbor’s shame. Hence, on eagles’ wings immortal scandals fly, While virtuous actions are but born and die.

36. Stephen’s Speech to the Sanhedrin

Acts 7:1-53

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... exile meant more to Stephen’s hearers than the Assyrian deportation, and so he made the change. 7:44–46 From describing their worship, Stephen came by a natural progression to speak of their place of worship, but here again Israel’s propensity for rebellion was shown. The first sanctuary had been the tabernacle of the Testimony (v. 44), which is how the LXX (incorrectly) translates the Hebrew “Tent of Meeting” (Exod. 27:21), though the name was not inappropriate. This tent had been sanctioned ...

37. Paul Speaks to the Crowd

Acts 21:37--22:21

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... procurator Felix). In Josephus’ second account of the incident, written some fifteen years later, he states that only four hundred were killed and two hundred wounded (Antiquities 20.167–172). This is likely to be nearer the mark. Josephus has a propensity to exaggerate numbers, which explains the difference between his thirty thousand and the prefect’s estimate of the Egyptian’s following as about four thousand men. He calls them “the four thousand,” as though the number was well known. He also ...

38. At Mount Sinai

Exodus 19:1-25

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... to control one’s way to holiness (Gen. 3:5–6). Moses underestimates how natural it is to be dismissive about what God actually says. The narrative demonstrates repeatedly how easily people reconfigure their relationship to God on their own terms. The propensity to trust one’s own judgment and bend instructions, even those given by God, is embedded as a self-referring and self-serving human default. The Lord knew that setting limits and giving warnings was never enough. Some of the people would ...

39. Wives for the Benjamites

Judges 21:1-25

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... what the men of Gibeah did or to minimize it, but only to point out how low the downward spiral has reached by this point. 21:3 O LORD, the God of Israel . . . why has this happened to Israel? This all too accurately reflects the human propensity for denial, which goes back to the garden of Eden story and causes people to blame God for everything, from natural disasters to children dying of starvation. The classic expression of blaming God for what humans in freedom have chosen is Isa. 63:17: “Why, O ...

40. A Message About Ammon

Jeremiah 49:1-6

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

... . This expression reflects the practice of a victorious army that steals the statues of the defeated’s gods and places them in their own temple. Not only will the god be taken away, but so will the priests and officials. Verse 4 questions Ammon’s propensity to have pride and confidence in its fruitful valleys and riches. These will not help when God himself attacks that nation. 49:6 Yes, they will be exiled, but as with Egypt and with Moab (but not Philistia), God also declares that the Ammonites will ...

41. A Call to Repentance

Joel 1:13-20

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... we may have, and making us feel as comfortable and secure as possible. As for sin, we would rather attribute evil or “socially unacceptable” actions to a poor environment, to faulty parenting, to inadequate schooling, and to the common human propensity for occasionally making mistakes. We “goof,” or we have “psychological hangups,” we “fall in with the wrong crowd,” or we take bad advice. But we hesitate to call anything sin, because sin involves a reciprocal relationship with God, and we ...

42. Jesus’ Compassion and Authority to Do the Miraculous

Matthew 14:13-21, Matthew 14:22-36

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... :22–33 focuses primarily on Christology, not on discipleship. It is easy to focus our attention in preaching and teaching on the figure of Peter. His impulsive actions in jumping out of the boat are captivating and fit nicely with our cultural propensities to glorify risky behavior. Matthew, however, provides no indications that Peter’s behavior is particularly commendable. Peter is neither criticized nor praised for attempting to do what Jesus does. Instead, the focus of his role in the story is on his ...

43. Jesus Transfigured as a Foreshadowing of Future Glory

Matthew 17:1-13

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... with their own interests and status in the coming kingdom and draws them to service toward others (18:1–35). Teaching these truths from Jesus continues to be important and may cause consternation for our own audience today, given the human propensity toward self-preservation and cultural concerns for “our rights.” 2. Jesus as God’s Messiah is unique and glorious. The transfiguration account provides a glimpse of Jesus’ postresurrection exaltation and glory (26:64; 28:18), even as he turns toward ...

44. Three Parables about the Unfaithfulness of the Jewish Leaders

Matthew 22:1-14, Matthew 21:33-46, Matthew 21:28-32, Matthew 21:23-27

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... , is central to kingdom participation. Cultural Experience: If these parables indicate God’s wide-open invitation to people and the importance of inclusion of those outside our community profile in the welcome of the church, then a look at cultural propensities to limit our welcoming reach and put up dividing walls could be helpful. Professor and researcher Setha Low, in her social analysis of the increasingly popular gated communities, has this to say based on interviews conducted with this population ...

45. Defeat, Death, and Departure

1 Sam 4:2-22

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... to Israel’s cultural expectations. The nations worshiped images of their gods. The Lord prohibited idolatry in Israel, but he did give Israel a tangible reminder of his royal presence. Unfortunately, Israel, perhaps due to the religious environment of its world, had a propensity toward idolatry (cf. Exod. 32:2–6; 1 Kings 12:28–33) and a tendency to treat symbols as objects of worship (cf. Judg. 8:27; 2 Kings 18:4). On this occasion Israel’s attitudes and actions foreshadow those of Saul, who ...

46. The Ark Heads Home

1 Samuel 6:1-7:1

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... is cause for fear because they have witnessed firsthand the effect of violating it (6:20). Before this, the word “holy” has appeared only twice in the Former Prophets. For Joshua, God’s holiness is cause for pessimism, for he knows Israel’s propensity to violate God’s standards and thereby offend his holiness (Josh. 24:19). Hannah employs the term when describing the Lord as absolutely sovereign and unique in his capacity to protect his people (1 Sam. 2:2). For Hannah, the Lord’s holiness ...

47. David on the Run

1 Sam 21:1–22:5

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... for one), yet he claims that the king’s business is so urgent that he had to leave without one. It is unlikely that a seasoned soldier like David would leave on a mission without being properly equipped for the task. Later David will show this same propensity to panic and speak illogically when under extreme stress (see 2 Sam. 11:14–15). 21:9 There is none like it; give it to me. David gladly takes Goliath’s sword (last seen in David’s tent following his victory over the Philistine champion; 1 ...

48. Adversity of a Righteous Man

Job 1:1-22

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... and vanity had made him cold-hearted and selfish. Vanity, while seeking its own guilty triumph at the expense of another, had involved him in a real attachment, which extravagance, or at least its offspring necessity, had required to be sacrificed. Each faulty propensity in leading him to evil, had led him likewise to punishment” (chap. 44). Literature: Paradise Lost, by John Milton. The craft and malice of Satan are featured in John Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667) on the grandest scale. In fact, Satan is ...

49. “In the Lord I Take Refuge”

Psalm 11:1-7

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... . You are hiding Jews in your basement, and the Nazis come to your door and ask, “Are there Jews in your home?” How would you respond? (This is based on an actual event that led to the arrest of everyone in the home.) The propensity to lie Statistics: Based on a 2002 study, University of Massachusetts psychologist Robert S. Feldman concludes, “People tell a considerable number of lies in everyday conversation. It was a very surprising result. We didn’t expect lying to be such a common part of daily ...

50. “I Will Praise Your Name, Lord, for It Is Good”

Psalm 54:1-7

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... . The Psalms often reveal that thanksgiving and praise were close to the heart and lips of the psalmists, even while they were going through difficult times (e.g., Ps. 54:6–7). While at camp the main character, Emily, reflects on her own propensity to complain: Instead of thanking God for my two strong legs that are able to run and jump and climb, I whined about my “thunder thighs” and “thick” ankles. . . . I have been totally and unbelievably ungrateful for everything. Like a completely spoiled ...

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