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 476 to 500 of 1400 results

476. What’s In It For Me?

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Richard A. Jensen

... what is in it for me if I become a Christian. But, according to this passage in Mark’s gospel, Jesus rejected this "what’s-in-it-for-me" version of Christianity. Jesus rejected Peter’s interpretation of the Messiah, and Jesus will reject any such notions of Christianity that dance in our wee little heads. "Get behind me, Satan!" Jesus said to Peter. Jesus was filled with fear at Peter’s speech of rebuke. He might have identified Peter’s zeal to protect him from suffering as the work of Satan. In ...

477. The Two Most Important Questions A Christian Can Answer

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

Brett Blair

... can be paraphrased this way: Who is the Messiah's father? Or it can be phrased this way: Is the father of the Messiah David or God? Is the Christ a descendent of David only or is he more importantly the Son of God? To lend support to the notion that the messiah was not just a man whose genealogy traced back to King David but was first a foremost the Son of God, Jesus quotes Psalm 110: “The LORD said to my Lord.” Jewish teaching had maintained that this line referred to the messiah. Jesus is saying that ...

478. Advent 4

2 Samuel 7:1-17, Romans 16:1-27, Luke 1:26-38

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... 2 Samuel 7:8-16 Theme: Human dynasties, divine destinies Exegetical Note In this passage, God’s promise, extended to David through Nathan, that the great king’s dynasty would be divinely established in perpetuity underscores the recurring biblical notion that God does choose certain human agents - individuals, bloodlines, and even nations - for special relationships and responsibilities, destinies and duties. Call to Worship Leader: May the God of Israel bless this house of worship! People: MAY THE GOD ...

479. Epiphany 2

1 Samuel 3:1--4:1, John 1:35-42, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... unto death we pray. Amen Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Theme: Responsible freedom - a Christian holistic approach Exegetical Note Paul is writing here to Christians in a city known for its debauchery in order to quash the libertine (or antinomian) notion that spiritual freedom eliminates the need for physical self-restraint. The heart of Paul’s lengthy and multi-faceted argument is that the Christian belongs to Christ wholly, soul and body. Call to Worship Leader: Grace and peace to you from God ...

480. Lent 1

Genesis 9:1-17, 1 Peter 3:8-22, Mark 1:9-13, Mark 1:14-20

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... ’ baptism that precedes it; for the idea that one blessed with heavenly approval might be "driven" at once by God’s Spirit into a wilderness (or desert) inhabited by a tempting Satan and wild beasts (and some helpful angels, to be sure) might well shatter any notion that the Christian calling is an easy path. Call to Worship Leader: Brothers and sisters in Christ: we are called by God, as Jesus was, to a special vocation. People: WE ARE CALLED TO BE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD AND TO MINISTER IN GOD’S ...

481. The Resurrection of Our Lord

Isaiah 25:1-12, John 20:1-9, John 20:10-18, Mark 16:1-20, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... in John’s longer and more moving account, her utterances bespeak amazement. Call to Worship Leader: Listen, people! For I bring you amazing news: Jesus who was dead and buried is risen from the dead! People: HE IS RISEN INDEED! HALLELUJAH! Leader: The notion is ridiculous, the event unprecedented, and our claim utterly amazing: Christ has been resurrected from the dead! People: THOUGH WORDS NOW FAIL US, LET US CELEBRATE THIS GLAD EVENT AND GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR IT. Collect God of surprises, who have ...

482. Easter 2

Acts 4:32-37, 1 John 1:5--2:14, John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... irrefutable evidence that satisfied it. People: SO MAY GOD IN CHRIST BREAK THROUGH OUR DOUBTS WITH EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS BELIEF. Collect Most understanding God, who gave us inquiring and skeptical minds for the discerning of truth, help us to overcome our misguided notions of faith and to admit our honest doubts; that, presenting our uncertainties and misgivings to you and Christ, we may be presented with irrefutable evidence of the truth of the Gospel. In the name of the risen Christ we pray. Amen Prayer ...

483. Easter 4

Acts 4:1-22, 1 John 3:11-24, John 10:1-21

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... questioned by Jewish leaders about the authority ("name") by which he had performed a healing. The question, like his response, points to the ancient view that one’s name was an integral and intimate part of his or her person, presence and power and the related notion that a name, particularly that of a deity, had powers to cure or curse, exorcise or extirpate. Call to Worship Leader: We are gathered here this day in the name of Jesus! People: AND MEETING IN THAT NAME WE KNOW THE PERSON, THE POWER, THE ...

484. Proper 5

1 Samuel 16:14-23, Mark 3:20-30, Mark 3:31-35, 2 Corinthians 4:1-18, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... 14-23 Theme: God’s relation to evil Exegetical Note The premise for this story of David’s being placed in Saul’s service as a court musician is that the evil spirit that accounts for the king’s apparent "mental illness" comes from God. Such a notion is difficult on several counts for the modern reader, but is grounded in the Old Testament’s firm monotheism, which would prefer to attribute evil to God’s doing rather than to posit any sort of competing counter-deity (such as the Satan-Devil of the ...

485. Proper 15

2 Samuel 18:19--19:8, Ephesians 4:17--5:21, John 6:25-59

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... preceding verses, but now in a more explicitly eucharistic, sacramental tone (leaving some interpreters to see the hand of a later redactor). The metaphorical image of Christ as bread is now extended to the eating of flesh which brings eternal life, a notion probably reflecting more the attitude and practice of later Christian communities than of either Jesus or John. Call to Worship Leader: We are only beginning to sense the dimensions of physical hunger in the world. People: IT IS DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE IN ...

486. Proper 20

Job 26:1--31:40, James 3:13-18, Mark 9:14-32, Mark 9:33-37

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... us is a strange one indeed! People: IT IS GREATNESS IN HUMILITY AND SELF-GIVING; IT IS THE GREATNESS OF CHILDLIKE FAITH AND FAITHFUL SERVICE. Collect Self-giving God, who manifested yourself above all in a Suffering Servant, dispel from our minds all human notions of greatness; that we may realize that following Christ means, not an exalted position in the eyes of the world, but a humble and often despised life of service and sacrifice for your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen Prayer of Confession ...

487. Proper 21

Job 42:1-6, James 4:13-17, James 5:7-12, Mark 9:38-41, Mark 9:42-50

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... with your Spirit; that where human minds and lips alone fail to do you justice, supplemented with your inspiration they may offer praises worthy of your greatness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen Prayer of Confession Gracious God, we confess that our words and notions about you often diminish and detract from your divine majesty, and that in trying to render you intelligible we tend to reduce you to a larger version of ourselves. Forgive us, we pray. Remind us again, by the expanding Creation around us and ...

488. Thanksgiving Day

Joel 2:18-27, Matthew 6:25-34, 1 Timothy 2:1-15

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... party alignments or religious affiliations. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen Gospel: Matthew 6:25-33 Theme: Physical provisions from a generous God Exegetical Note Jesus’ well-known injunction here to avoid anxiety about physical needs has as its basis the simple notion that "the Lord will provide," but only for those who do not dwell on them, but who seek God’s kingdom first. The physical provisions will follow, at least at the subsistence level: nothing at all is said about "material blessings" in the ...

489. "The Sawdust and the Circus"

Numbers 27:12-23

Sermon

... in the midst of a disaster, the evangelism we speak of this morning does really exist for one purpose only - to bring life. Notice I don’t say, "to save" life - not that it doesn’t have this function, but I think we’ve gotten a few too many wrong notions about salvation. It’s thought of by many of us, I fear, as a literal escape from the flames of hell and not very much more. The real purpose of the Good News is to show us that new life is possible here and now. "If any one is in ...

490. Why Christmas?

Isaiah 8:11-22

Sermon

Theodore L. Yewey

... of what life can be: The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together. (Isaiah 11:6) And ... they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; notion shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:4b) If we begin to put this mood into 20th century terms and apply this philosophy to our contemporary living we begin to catch a glimpse of what life is to ...

491. THE SURPRISED

Luke 1:5-25

Sermon

Theodore L. Yewey

... at the Temple was ended, Zechariah returned to his home to be with Elizabeth. And Luke writes that everything happened just as the angel had said. Now we often pass over this story at Christmas. Somehow it just doesn’t seem to fit with our preconceived notion of what Christmas ought to be. There is none of the humility and romance of the shepherds here. There is no glitter of the Magi from the East. There is no starlight extravaganza. No lengthy special appearance of a heavenly chorus of angels. There is ...

492. OUR LORD SMITTEN

Sermon

E. Jerry Walker

... up and behind the heavy beam. This, too, was an integral part of the penalty, that a condemned man should carry his own instrument of torture to the execution site. The gruesome parade through the city was calculated to be a lesson to others who might have notions of sedition or robbery or tumult. And from what the centurion had seen of the mood of the over-crowded city, it was a well-timed deterrent. The first criminal was urged forward with a brisk lash of the scourge and he stumbled toward the gate in ...

493. Reinforced With Joy

John 15:1-17

Sermon

O. Garfield Beckstrand, II

... . In our urban communities, we have lost the meaning of the shepherd and the sheep which is so frequently pictured in the Bible. The Bible was written for an agricultural society; the writers spoke to the people of their day. I did not have the foggiest notion about the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep until a few years ago when I read an article about the characteristics of the sheep. The writer said that sheep "nibbled themselves lost." He said a sheep is drawn to a clump of grass and then ...

494. Prepare The Way

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Brett Blair

... wanted his audience to hear was: turn your life toward this one called Messiah. Repentance is not negative or down faced. Rather, it looks up and looks forward. It breaks the chains of oppression and death that hold us back. Don’t get stuck in the notion that repentance means feeling sorry and miserable. It is simply this. It means you have stopped doing what is wrong and now you are going to do the right thing. And it means one more thing. True repentance means a willingness to confront sin. John the ...

495. A New Kind of Teaching

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... powerful profession. But it is an increasingly difficult profession. Some believe a college is best defined as a log with an earnest student on one end and a brilliant, sympathetic teacher on another. Others scoff at such simplistic notions as they proudly point to their highly technical learning laboratories and complex information retrieval systems. Not only is educational theory debated; educational practice is positively staggering. Think for a moment of the amount of information available. Our federal ...

496. The Passing of the Peace

John 20:24-31

Sermon

George Bass

... with Jesus Christ. He writes: I reflect at times on the impatience of some ministerial colleagues at anything which smacks of "me and Jesus" or "me and God" religion. I know what they don’t like about it, and I don’t like it either: the notion that faith in Christ is a private, personal affair, unconnected to others and certain history, something you can enjoy in the comfort of your den with your Sunday morning TV and coffee. Worse, "me and God" is often a wicked self-righteousness by which people ...

497. An Old Plan For New People

Genesis 17:1-27

Sermon

Larry Powell

... shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an ever-lasting covenant for his descendants after him. (17:19) His eyes murky and grey, the light almost gone from them, I have a notion the old fellow squinted in first one direction, then another ... focusing upon nothing in particular, simply surveying the reality of things around him in order to stabilize his wearied faculties. Some things are not immediately absorbed. Why now, and why in this way? Who of ...

498. When Ten Equals Two

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Larry Powell

... our fellows. What does God expect of us and how are we to conduct our affairs among our own kind? From earliest times, human sacrifices, the slaughter of animals, food offerings, and self-mortification were practiced by those generations whose primitive notions caused them to confuse brutality with devotion to gods of various names. Morality, more often than not, was an unwritten code revered as a matter of social preservation, usually differing from tribe to tribe. Religion, it seemed, was little more than ...

499. A Thimble Full Of Ocean

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

Larry Powell

... of the dramatic oratory that was taking place immediately above its tiny body. It had no idea that it was in one of the most famous pulpits in the world. It knew nothing of "pulpit," or "London," or "City Temple," nor had the foggiest notion of the concept of "church." Weatherhead concluded that humanity probably knows as little of the vast, sweeping movements of God as the ant knew about preaching. Indeed, the mighty ways of God are incomprehensible, especially when we foolishly attempt to measure them by ...

500. Behold the Blood of the Covenant

Exodus 24:1-18

Sermon

Larry Powell

... of the whole affair totally escaped them. Take notice that there were no glad Hallelujahs, no ecstatic embraces to celebrate the fact that history was raising its most eternally prominent landmark; no spontaneous outbursts of joy; not even the slightest notion that the messianic agenda was nearing its conclusion. Instead, the scriptures witness against them, to a man, as individuals engaging in pathetic scenarios of personal preoccupation. Let us take up those preoccupations. 1. Giving in to Lust for Power ...

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