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 673 results

576. An Illustration from Marriage

Romans 7:1-6

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... we know it no creature experiences death without pain and suffering. Death is the robbery of life, the curse of existence. And yet, in the mystery of faith, death is a necessity. It may seem in our daily dyings and in our final physical passing that death is the final trick of a universe as meaningless as it is vast, but this is not so. God’s mercy is active in death, freeing us from whatever would enslave us so that we may be joined to him who was raised from the dead, for only in him can we bear fruit ...

577. Struggling with Sin

Romans 7:7-25

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... for the purpose of life, but the commandment contained within itself the possibility of death—a death which resulted when it was transgressed. The thought reaches its climax in verse 11, Sin deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. Literally, it tricked me and killed me! A critical distinction must be made between the occasion for sin and the sin itself. The occasion for sin, according to Paul’s line of reasoning, is the commandment which the power of sin seized and turned against me ...

578. The Escape to Egypt

Matthew 2:13-18

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... . It has often been noted that Egypt was a natural refuge for the Jews. Every city in Egypt of any size had a colony of Jews (in Alexandria, over 2 million). Certain later traditions attempt to convey the idea that it was in Egypt that Jesus learned magical tricks that he used later in connection with his miracles (cf. Abodah Zarah 16b–17a). Joseph is to remain with his family in Egypt until the angel of the Lord returns and tells him to leave. In verse 8 Herod claimed he wanted to know where Jesus was so ...

579. Daniel in the Den of Lions

Daniel 6:1-28

Understanding Series

William Nelson

... , there would have been no miracle. So, in the narrative his hands are tied; he is unable to rescue Daniel, even though he tries (Dan. 6:14–15). The king is presented as somewhat ridiculous. Not only do the jealous administrators trap Daniel, but they trick the king into being their tool. Without thinking about the consequences, King Darius does what his administrators ask and puts the decree in writing (6:9). Darius is such a fool that he does not see through their plot and cannot do anything about it ...

580. Paying Taxes to Caesar

Mark 12:13-17

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... putting God above the state and distinct from it. In short, Jesus allows the paying of the tax, but by his distinction between God and Caesar he implicitly denies the claim to divine supremacy for the emperor that the coin bears. Jesus eludes the trick of his opponents and exposes their insincerity; but he also faces them with the serious responsibility to grant the state only a limited legitimacy and to place loyalty to God above all. It is this more profound implication to Jesus’ reply that accounts for ...

581. Jacob Wrestles with God

Genesis 32:1-32

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... from Esau’s face, Jacob hoped that he might see his brother’s face and that Esau would look on his face with respect. Intent on meeting Esau face to face as he owned up to his past vile behavior, Jacob resolved not to flee, hide, or trick his brother. To prepare himself for the meeting Jacob stayed behind, spending the night in the camp. 32:22–23 Deeply troubled and unable to sleep, Jacob got up and forded his family and remaining possessions across the Jabbok. There are two possible reasons for his ...

582. The Baby or the Window?

Matthew 13:44-46

Sermon

King Duncan

... vices that shorten the lives of less careful folk. And they are to be celebrated. I believe God wants us to take as good a care for our bodies as we can. They are one of His most wonderful gifts to us. Nevertheless, life sometimes plays cruel tricks on us. Some of you are old enough to remember the name Euell Gibbons. Gibbons became quite a celebrity during the 1960s for advocating natural diets featuring wild berries and nuts. Some of you will remember him as a spokesman for Grape Nuts cereal. He even made ...

583. John Mellencamp and the Danger of Procrastination

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... people go, ‘I hope I just die quick,’” he continues. “Not me. I need to put things right.” (5) Well, I hope John Mellencamp gets the opportunity for his long conversion, whether he was making a joke about it or not in this interview. Life has a way of playing tricks on us. We may not have as long as we think. And think how much peace and joy John Mellencamp could have in his life in the meantime. There are some things in life that should not be put off. Telling people we love them is one of them ...

584. The Bethsaida Boys

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

John Jamison

... A lot of fishing was done at night on the sea because they could hang lanterns on the side of the boat that drew the fish to the surface, making them easier to catch. These guys had studied their craft and knew all of the tricks. The brothers both had families. We don’t know much more about them but it’s clear they were hard workers, well established in their community and business, and were highly responsible members of the community. They were capable managers, strong, dependable, solid citizens. The ...

585. All for Some Dumb Sheep

John 10:11-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... these sheep did. Just because some moronic goats jumped into the river, these dumb sheep followed right along. I love the way Max Lucado describes sheep in his book, Traveling Light. He writes, “Sheep are dumb! Have you ever met a sheep trainer? Ever seen sheep tricks? Know anyone who has taught his sheep to roll over? . . . No. Sheep are just too dumb.” (5) Who wants to give his life to rescue a dumb sheep? Of course, we have to admit that people sometimes do things that are equally as dumb as anything ...

586. When a Storm Is Raging

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

King Duncan

... water as smooth as glass. Franklin finally explained that he had simply spread oil on the troubled waters. He had released on the rough surface of the water a few drops of oil concealed in his hollow “magic cane.” (1) It is an old trick used by sailors over the centuries. They have traditionally dumped barrels of oil into the sea to calm stormy waters. Interestingly enough these sailors may have been on to something, a new study suggests. Under certain circumstances, a small amount of oil spread over ...

587. What To Say When You Roll Out Of Bed

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

William G. Carter

... into a fine art. But loving God comes first, as our greatest obligation and our primary goal. What does it mean? I In the passage we heard a few minutes ago, some scribe asked Jesus, "Which commandment comes first?" It was probably intended as a trick question. If Jesus picked only one of the 613 commandments, he left himself open for a barrage of criticism from those who favored another commandment. In the Gospel of Mark, there are over a dozen occasions when the scribes oppose Jesus. They mock him ...

588. Trusting the Other Side

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

... by the sea, fending off adoring crowds, looking for a few good people to help him turn the world upside down. It is important to remember that Simon Peter, James, and John are professional fishermen. They are good at what they do, and they know all the tricks of the trade. Any decent fisherman knows that you never fish close to shore because the only fish stupid enough to flirt with the rocky shore are guppies and tadpoles. Because of the fluid movement of muscle needed to haul in a big catch, the nets are ...

589. An Absolute Cure for Boredom

Philippians 3:7-4:1

Sermon

King Duncan

... the opposing manager, order pitchers on the opposing team to warm up. He was also known for changing the numbers on hotel room doors, causing all kinds of problems, and ordering takeout food from Hong Kong in the names of opposing players. His meanest trick was putting snakes in shortstop Luis Aparicio’s pants pocket before the shortstop got to the clubhouse. Aparicio, deathly afraid of snakes, set an all‑ time record for getting undressed. (1) One thing you could say about Moe: he may have gotten bored ...

590. The Way Grace Works

Eph 2:8; John 21:15-25

Illustration

Lewis B. Smedes

Grace does not make everything right. Grace's trick is to show us that it is right for us to live; that it is truly good, wonderful even, for us to be breathing and feeling at the same time that everything clustering around us is wholly wretched. Grace is not a ticket to Fantasy Island; Fantasy Island is dreamy ...

591. Being Neighborly

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Robert C. Cochran

... do it!” “Now, wait a minute,” thought the lawyer. “How did he get me to answer my own question?” He can’t very well attack the answer he himself gave, so he figured he would have to try something else. This time, he pulled a politician’s trick: he picked out a controversial issue, figuring that Jesus would be forced to one side or the other. Either way, he would alienate some of his followers. The lawyer asked, “And who is my neighbor?” At issue here was whether Jews were to love and serve ...

592. Déjà Vu or Divine Revelation?

Luke 23:35-43

Sermon

King Duncan

... be saved from his sin. Let me say that again. The first thief wanted to be saved from his situation. But he didn’t want to be saved from his sin. His cry was simply, “Get me down off this cross. Be the Christ of convenience, the Messiah of magic tricks.” That was the desire of his heart. He didn’t want to be redeemed, just rescued. And that’s us, isn’t it? “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down (from the temple).” If you’re the Son of God, save my marriage. Heal my child. Take ...

593. A Shrewd Christian?

Luke 16:1-13

Sermon

George Reed

... that God is the touchstone of all our decisions, then we are free to be clear-thinking, logical, and — yes — shrewd in our dealings. When in humility before God we embrace justice and mercy as our guidelines, then we can be as keen-witted as the world. The trick is to avoid the temptation to allow our shrewdness to take us away from the priorities God calls us to. We can never forget who it is that we serve. We cannot hold God in first place on Sunday morning and place material gain, even for the church ...

594. Thy Will Be Done

Luke 20:27-38

Sermon

Molly F. James

... right one. The Sadducees went up to Jesus and asked him this long and complicated question about how a particular Jewish law regarding marriage might be applicable in the afterlife. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, and they were hoping to trick Jesus with this question. They were hoping to undermine his teaching and authority. Jesus did not let this happen. He affirmed the reality of the resurrection and showed the Sadducees the error of their ways. He showed them that they were trying to ...

595. Aha! I See It Now!

John 1:29-42

Sermon

King Duncan

... it was to walk in the shoes of one of his victims. He handed back the cash to the man who was the target of his aborted scam, and he walked away. That was the last con he ever tried. Simon Lovell did one thing more. He took all the tricks and deceptions he had learned in his years as a con man and created an entertaining sleight-of-hand show. He made a living teaching audiences to pay close attention and to not let themselves be deceived. He took what he had learned in his former life and used it ...

596. You Have a Story to Tell

John 9:1-41

Sermon

King Duncan

... to wash the mud off his eyes. Have you ever tried walking across your bedroom in the dark? Most of us are reluctant to do that. So can you imagine how far that man had to walk in the hopes that this stranger wasn’t lying to him, wasn’t tricking him, but actually had the power to heal him? We don’t know for sure where the blind man was when Jesus healed him. But one commentary writer says, “A trip to Siloam and back from the nearest wall of the temple, for example, would be about 1,300 yards ...

597. Same Ol’, Same Ol’

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... wind of what had happened. So the angel visited Joseph told him to be afraid and then gave Joseph instructions for packing and fleeing in the night to Egypt where they would stay for a few months until Herod died. Herod, upon discovering that he had been tricked by the Magi, flew into a paranoid rage and ordered the deaths of every male child under two years of age in the town of Bethlehem, an act that has been depicted in art and sculpture as “The Slaughter of the Innocents,” one of the most brutal ...

598. Re-Gifted but not Returned

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... want it or not. It’s a gift, given freely and without conditions. Second, baptism is a celebration. When we study baptism in our confirmation classes, one of the things I ask the class is: “What happens when you get baptized?” It’s a trick question because the answer is: “Nothing.” It has already happened. Baptism doesn’t make something happen, it is a celebration of what has happened already. God has showered grace and love all over you and baptism is how we acknowledge and celebrate that ...

599. Jacob's Well

John 4:1-26, John 4:27-38, John 4:39-42

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... bitter herbs in it. You can take my word for it. It tastes terrible. And then there’s this one…… I drew it from a fresh water spring down at __________. [Or the sparkling water.] THIS is as good as it gets! [Ask for a volunteer to taste it –no tricks this time –promise!] THAT’s good water. And that’s the kind of living water Jesus has for you. In this world though, we think we can get our water from all kinds of places. We spend our time trying to create our own water, store the water we find ...

600. A Taxing Encounter

Matthew 9:9-13, Mark 2:13-17, Luke 5:27-32

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... one way or another, ‘You don’t belong here.’” Jesus tells us in the scripture today, in my paraphrase, “Perfect people don’t need to be healed. Those who have fallen apart are the ones who need someone to make them whole again.” Of course, the trick to Jesus’ statement is that, as Paul tells the church in Rome in his day, “we all sin and fall short of the glory of God!” In the Jewish tradition, every synagogue used to have a “Porush.” A Porush was a lay person who separated himself ...

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