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 576 to 600 of 1913 results

576. Lord, Teach Us How to Pray

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

James McCormick

There is something within each of us that pulls us in the direction of God. There is a God-shaped empty place in us that will not be satisfied with anything less than God. Often we look for life in all the wrong places, only to discover that what Augustine said is true, “Thou hast made us for Thyself O God, and our hearts are restless ‘til they find their rest in Thee.” God has given us the gift of prayer as the primary means by which we make connection with God and send our roots into the meaning of life ...

577. His Way is the Right Way

Psalm 23:3

Sermon

James Merritt

They can make you, they can break you. They can put scars on your soul, or stars in your heart. A bad one can ruin a life forever, a good one can redeem a life forever. You will frequently rejoice over the good ones, and you will forever regret all the bad ones. What am I talking about? Decisions, decisions, decisions. They can make you bad, glad, or sad. I read about a man who had placed some flowers on the grave of his dearly departed mother. He started back toward his car when he saw another man ...

578. The Song of an Awe-Filled Life

Psalm 138:1-8

Sermon

John E. Harnish

Free Press writer Julie Hinds coined a phrase in trying to answer the question: "Why is reality TV so popular?" Why do civilized human beings enjoy watching other supposedly-civilized human beings: eat worms writhe in a bed of dead fish swap moms throw themselves at a self-centered bachelor or bachelorette and in a hundred and one ways, make fools of themselves? Hinds says the answer lies in what she calls the "ick factor…the strange yet effective tool that lures audiences to the maggot-eating competitions ...

579. Getting It Straight

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

What a colorful figure Paul must have been in flesh and blood! His individuality shows a man who refuses to be dominated by anything. For us to be able to experience his ministry, as he went about, would have been something that would have made an indelible imprint on us. As he wove his life and ministry into his day and time the enemies were many. This was especially true among his Jewish brothers and sisters. Only by the grace of God was he able to fulfill what he had been called to do. The hatred could ...

580. Momentous Moment

Mark 14:12-26

Sermon

David T. Ball

When visiting another church one time, a thought occurred to me as I waited in my pew for communion to be served. It was during the Advent season, and the service had warmed us with words of hope and light. It was also the first Sunday of the month, which in that church meant communion Sunday. As the service shifted from Advent to communion, it struck me that, you know, we do this fairly often. Celebrate communion, that is. Once a month. We celebrate Christmas and Easter only once a year. Advent and Lent ...

581. When Nothing Is Sacred

Isaiah 6:1-8

Sermon

Stan Purdum

The television season of 1997-1998 included a series on ABC called Nothing Sacred. I was sorry it only survived that one season, for it was a program that made viewers think about how God works in the world. It featured actor Kevin Anderson in the role of Father Ray, a young, self-doubting priest who struggled with maintaining his faith while trying to run a church, maintain a soup kitchen, advise troubled Catholic school kids, and have a life. Ray was a modern, conflicted character who sometimes ...

582. Hearts on Fire

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

Writer, Anne Lamott, tells of her struggle in getting her teenage son, Sam, to go to church with her. "Why do I make him go?" she reflects and then writes, "We live in bewildering, drastic times, and a little spiritual guidance never killed anyone. I think it's a fair compromise that every other week he has to come to the place that has been the tap for me: I want him to see the people who loved me when I felt most unlovable, who have loved him since I first told them that I was pregnant, even though he ...

583. Eyes To See, Ears To Hear

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

James McCormick

Years ago, when I first began the Christian journey, like most people, I understood faith as “belief”. I believe that there is a God, therefore I have faith. Very soon I came to understand that that is not enough. In fact, belief alone can be irrelevant. For example, I may believe that there is intelligent life somewhere out there in space. But, so what? That has nothing to do with how I live my life every day. It’s irrelevant. Just so, many people believe that there is a God, but that belief does not ...

584. Adopted! Thank God!

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

Missionary James King tells the true story of an African woman in one of his churches who attended every service accompanied by an old, mongrel dog. The dog would enter with the lady and sit beside her during the service. She always sat on an outside seat beside the aisle. At the conclusion of the service, the woman would always come and kneel at the altar for prayer, and the dog would faithfully take his place beside her. The woman’s husband was a cruel man who deeply resented her devotion to Christ, and ...

585. Aroma of Christ Church

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Have you ever been assaulted by a smell? Walking down the street, creeping out of a vent in the sidewalk; strolling along the mid-way of a carnival or fair, wafting its way from a kiosk — sometimes an odor will “hit you” and almost send you reeling. Sometimes that odor will even thrust your psyche back into another time and place. Maybe it’s the sweet smell of caramel apples. Maybe it’s the pungent punch of garlic and onion. Maybe it’s moldy and murky smell of a basement. Maybe it’s the seaweedy smell of ...

586. A Glimpse of Glory

Revelation 21:10-22 - 22:5

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

(Sing the first verse and chorus of "The Battle Hymn Of The Republic.") Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He has loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword; His truth is marching on. Glory, glory! Hallelujah! Glory, glory! Hallelujah! Glory, glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.1 Every time I hear these words from the "Battle Hymn Of The Republic," I have visions of some old Civil War movie ...

587. The Assurance of Things Hoped For

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

In the movie, Cast Away, Tom Hanks' character, Chuck, is stranded on a desert island in the Pacific Ocean. To keep himself company, he finds a volleyball that has washed up from the wreckage of the plane he had been flying in before becoming stranded. Chuck paints a face on the volleyball with his own blood and names him "Wilson." Wilson becomes Chuck's only companion while he remains on the island. He talks to and sometimes even for Wilson to keep himself company during the lonely months. After four years ...

588. Getting to a Teachable Moment

Mark 15:1-15

Sermon

Craig MacCreary

I spent part of a recent Sunday talking with a public school teacher who was quickly coming to the end of her rope. Talented, dedicated, one of the good people, she found herself with the class from hell and her life coming apart at the seams. We were well beyond being a non-anxious, fully individuated, differentiated presence. In short, we were at critical mess rather than critical mass. I have taught enough confirmation classes and have had experiences in the classroom in other forums to identify with ...

589. Simon the Sorcerer

Acts 8:9-25

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

8:9–11 Among the crowds that “paid close attention to what Philip said” (v. 6) was one Simon, a Magus (see notes). He practiced the charms and incantations of the East and by these means had held the Samaritans in his thrall for a long time (v. 11). They called him the Great Power (v. 10), apparently at his own suggestion (v. 9). From the New Testament, as indeed from later sources relating to the Samaritans in particular, we learn that “power” was a name given to any angelic or divine being (cf., e.g., ...

590. On Cyprus

Acts 13:4-12

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

The end result of the “first missionary journey” was a giant step forward for the church, though in terms of the actual distance covered it was a more modest achievement. It took Barnabas and Paul to Cyprus and then through parts of Asia Minor. Luke has sometimes been accused of inventing the itinerary set out in this narrative, but this seems highly unlikely. First, it is hard to believe that he would have included the story of Mark’s defection if he had been giving free rein to his fancy. Second, most of ...

591. The Shipwreck

Acts 27:27-44

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

27:27 About midnight on the fourteenth night of their leaving Fair Havens (or some say from Cauda) the seamen detected signs of approaching land. Perhaps they heard breakers on the beach, a suggestion that has the support of Codex Vaticanus, which instead of “a certain land approaching” (as most texts) has it “resounding.” As a rule in seeking to identify a biblical location, tradition is an uncertain guide. In this case, however, there is every reason to think that they had come as tradition asserts, to ...

592. The Lord's Grace to Paul

1 Timothy 1:12-20

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

A Testimony About the Gospel This paragraph is so clearly a digression in the argument of the letter that it is easy to read it, or comment on it, apart from its immediate context. But to do so is to miss a large part of its significance. The whole paragraph flows directly out of the preceding one. First of all, it is a presentation of the “gospel” (v. 11) as a bold expression of God’s grace toward sinners. Even though it takes the form of personal testimony (note the eleven occurrences of I or me), the ...

593. The Impending Departure II

John 16:5-16, John 16:17-33

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

The second farewell discourse runs most closely parallel to the first precisely where it is most properly a “farewell” (i.e., where it addresses directly the question of Jesus’ impending departure; cf. 13:33). Here, inevitably, is also where the differences between the two discourses become most noticeable. Whereas the first discourse was largely structured around a series of questions by various disciples, here the question-and-answer method seems to be consciously abandoned. The earlier discourse began ...

594. Joy at Believers’ Walking in the Truth

3 John 1:1-14

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

Salutation and Good Wishes Third John is the shortest letter in the NT. The opening passage of 3 John identifies the writer and the reader, and includes, as was common in ancient personal letters, a health wish. Unlike 2 John, in which “the chosen lady and her children,” a local congregation, are addressed, 3 John was written to an individual. Third John 1, with its mention of love and truth, closely parallels 2 John 1, but the health wish (3 John 2) appears in place of the more traditional Christian ...

595. Driving Out the Nations

Deuteronomy 7:1-26

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Israel’s Election and Its Implications: Like several of these opening chapters of Deuteronomy, chapter seven displays a careful stylistic structure, a concentric arrangement of several layers. It begins and ends with the destruction of the Canaanites and their idols (vv. 1–6, 20–26). The reason for that destruction lies in Israel’s distinctive identity and relationship to God, succinctly expressed in verse 6 and spelled out in more colorful detail in verses 13–15 and 17–24, with verse 16 summarizing the “ ...

596. Jesus Is Crucified

Mark 15:21-32

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

Big Idea: The central purpose of Jesus’s incarnation is his death on the cross (Phil. 2:6–8). All takes place in accordance with God’s will and plan, so divine sovereignty, not Jewish hatred or Roman might, controls the action. Jesus dies as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Understanding the Text There are four parts to the crucifixion narrative in an A-B-A-B pattern: the mockery by the soldiers (15:16–20), the crucifixion of Jesus (15:21–27), the mockery by the Jewish spectators and leaders and the two ...

597. Job Presents Evidence against the Retribution Principle

Job 12:1--14:22

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

Big Idea: Job points to evidence in life where God’s wisdom and power work contrary to the retribution principle. Understanding the Text As the discussion comes to the end of the first cycle (Job 3–14), Job is not persuaded by the arguments of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. All three of the friends agree that Job must repent of his sin and then God will restore him to the blessing he enjoyed previously. In the first part of this long speech of seventy-five verses, Job speaks to his friends (12:1–13:12). ...

598. Job Feels under Attack by God

Job 16:1-17:16

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

Big Idea: Job feels exhausted under God’s attack, but he still dares to hope for God’s justice. Understanding the Text In his rebuttal to Eliphaz in Job 16–17, Job begins by countering many of the charges made previously by his friends. He vigorously rejects their claims to possess knowledge that is superior to his, and he dismisses their arguments as irrelevant to his specific case. Job’s strong language indicates that he is indignant and disgusted with them (16:1–6). Job then addresses God directly, ...

599. “May Your Unfailing Love Be with Us, Lord”

Psalm 33:1-22

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: The story of humanity, from creation to redemption, is tied together with the golden thread of God’s unfailing love. Understanding the Text Psalm 33 is atypical of the psalms in Book 1 in that it has no title, sharing this feature only with Psalm 10 (assuming, of course, that Psalms 1 and 2 are introductory). It is a good example of the hymn, which represents the “purest form” of praise to God, expressing who he is and what he does.[1] The absence of a title has led to the speculation that this ...

600. Sexual Immorality

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

These nine verses form a complex segment of the letter. One finds here quotations from the Corinthians and a citation of the LXX. The verses are largely cast in the diatribe style of popular Hellenistic philosophy. One also encounters traditional elements of early Christian doctrine. All of this material is woven together in service to Paul’s deliberate line of argumentation. Paul builds and argues a case in verses 12–17 in response to the thinking and declarations of the Corinthians. As the NIV and other ...

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