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 626 to 650 of 693 results

626. Jesus Appears to Thomas

John 20:24-31

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... their Lord’s work (cf. 17:9–19). Yet a week later, after receiving the Spirit, they were still in hiding, gathered probably in the same place, with the doors locked (v. 26)! The only possible explanation is that their reunion with Jesus and their reception of the Spirit did not take effect—in some sense were not complete—until their skepticism (personified by Thomas) was overcome and their faith in Jesus found its voice in the decisive confession My Lord and my God (v. 28). This means that verses 19 ...

627. Accusations

2 Corinthians 2:12--3:6

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... them of his apostolic qualifications and thereby to appeal to their conscience (cf. 4:2; 5:12; 6:4). Paul continues to use the literary plural (we) in reference to himself. Letters of recommendation were given to a traveler so that he might find a good reception with the writers’ relatives or friends abroad. Paul himself routinely included in his letters recommendations for his associates (cf. 1 Cor. 16:10–11; 2 Cor. 8:22–24; Rom. 16:1–2; Col. 4:7–9, 10; Philemon). Whereas in 2:17 Paul refers to ...

628. Walking in the Light and the Problem of Sin

1 John 2:15-17, 1 John 1:5--2:14

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... theological themes of the Gospel and letters of John. Spiritual realities expected to happen only in the future reign of God have become a part of the present experience of believers in Jesus. Victory in the judgment, the defeat of Satan, the reception of eternal life, the indwelling of the Spirit, and other “events” were all viewed in Judaism as future hope, but the Christian community, especially the Johannine community, though also Paul, claims these blessings as available in the present to those who ...

629. Jonah Goes to Nineveh

Jonah 3:1-10

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... persuasive power (cf. 1 Cor. 2:1–5). Jonah probably would rather not have spoken the word at all. Rather, such faith is the product of the working of the word itself, which has the power to make itself be received. The word of God creates its own reception, inspiring faith in its hearers (cf. Rom. 10:17). We have here a brief theology of preaching. So the word of God spreads by word of mouth from Ninevite to Ninevite, from the least of them to the greatest, until all of the inhabitants of the great city ...

630. How Well Do You Listen?

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Sermon

King Duncan

... be Ed.” I could see that happening in Texas, can’t you? “Ah’m Ed.” (2) Communication is difficult business. Listening is difficult. But notice: Jesus’ emphasis in this parable is not upon the sower or the seed but upon the soil. Is the condition of the soil receptive to the seed? God is the sower, the Gospel is the seed, and the soil is our hearts. The most eloquent preacher or teacher in the world cannot reach the heart that is hardened to the Gospel or the life that is choked with the weeds of ...

631. The Mighty Wind of God

Acts 2:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... . That’s what Pentecost is really about. Could we be a Pentecostal church in the best sense of that word? Yes, if we pray today that God would send His Spirit upon us and if we open our hearts so that they will be receptive to His Spirit. Then, and only then, will we sense the mighty power of God come upon us. 1. David Phillips, Michael Parfit, Suzanne Chisholm (San Diego: Advantage Publishers Group, 1998), p. 122. 2. William Hartston, The Encyclopedia of Useless Information (Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks ...

632. Without Conflict There Is No Story

Mark 6:1-13

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... 2) was about the hated Gentiles being included in God's plans for a jubilee celebration related to the coming Messiah.1 Controversy upon controversy about the Gentiles and the coming Messiah caused a major reversal from the initial cheerful good reception. The atmosphere of hospitality for a hometown boy preaching in the hometown congregation moved to the accusation, "Just who do you think you are?" Murmuring replaced greetings of welcome. Jesus' comments got things stirred up. They got more stirred up when ...

633. It Is Always the Third Day

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... , not all the threats come from nature. In T.S. Eliot’s play The Cocktail Party,3 one of the characters is Celia Coplestone. An accomplished person, Celia longs for happiness and meaning in her life. She has tried the social attractions: theatre, receptions, cocktail parties, even an affair with Edward, another character in the play. Cecilia has tried it all, yet something is missing. She goes to a psychiatrist. In time, Celia has an insight. The source of her existential anxiety lies not in the world ...

634. How Does Your Church Work?

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

... the front and went back to the foyer using another aisle. I smiled and was neatly dressed. I asked one person to direct me to a specific place: a fellowship hall, pastor's study, etc. I remained for coffee if served. I used a scale to rate the reception I received. I awarded points on the following basis: 10 for a smile from a worshiper 10 for a greeting from someone sitting nearby 100 for an exchange of names 200 for an invitation to have coffee 200 for an invitation to return 1000 for an introduction to ...

635. Red Alert

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

... Leonid Brezhnev, who wanted to impress his old mother from the Ukraine. First, he showed her through his sumptuous apartment in Moscow. She said nothing. Then he drove her in his chauffeured black limousine out to his dacha in Usovo, showed her the marble reception rooms, and treated her to a fine lunch of caviar and crab. She still appeared unimpressed. So, he flew her in his private helicopter to his hunting lodge in Zavidovo, where a fire crackled in the huge fireplace of the banquet room. She seemed ...

636. Family Plot

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

President Franklin D. Roosevelt got tired of smiling that big smile and saying the usual things at all those White House receptions. So, one evening he decided to find out whether anybody was paying attention to what he was saying. As each person came up to him with extended hand, he flashed that big smile and said, "I murdered my grandmother this morning." People would automatically respond with comments such as "How ...

637. Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

Matthew 24:36-44

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... responsibility, especially in advent, is to be listening for the knock because it comes when we least expect it. Matthew, using the symbolic, poetic language of his time, says it something like this: It can come when we are eating or drinking or when we are at a wedding reception, laughing and dancing. It can come when we are at work in the field or the factory, in the school or the office. It can come when things are going well or badly, when we are sick or when we are well, when we are happy or when we ...

638. Surprised by Joy

Luke 2:8-14

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... is one of “good news to the oppressed.” He will “greatly rejoice in the Lord.” And not just with his mouth but with his “whole being!” Christmas, for him, isn’t so much a baby shower as it is for us, as it is a wedding reception. Everyone puts on their finest duds and dances, sings, eats, drinks, and celebrates. This is a time of laughter. The lost have been found. The ruined have been restored. The devastation of the past has been repaired. The brokenhearted are being healed even as we speak ...

639. First Sunday of Advent

John 1:29-34, John 1:35-42, Isaiah 11:1-16

Bulletin Aid

Heth H. Corl

... in celebration of your promise that you would give to us a Messiah, which you have fulfilled in Christ Jesus. We claim that promise given to us, and ask you to receive our celebration of the gift of your Son for whom we again prepare our hearts to be receptive to his birth in our lives. We pray in his name. Amen. PRAYER OF CONFESSION Dear Lord, this most wonderful time of the year has come again. I know Christmas is wonderful because it celebrates the gift of your Son. But I confess I have put myself in a ...

640. The Surrogate

Matthew 1:1-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... believed strongly that Jews must not separate themselves from the community, and that all people were welcome at God’s table. He and his disciples were moderates one could say. They followed the Torah and Jewish laws, but based on Moses’ reception of Jethro, Hillel’s disciples felt that all people could choose the way of Life in God.^^ Hillel believed strongly in a lineage of “faithfulness.” The people loved Hillel. And his many disciples once dominated the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. However, as ...

641. The Healer

Matthew 4:23-25, Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... mind and your heart exist together in a symbiotic relationship. And they must both change together if your life is to radically change. Are you listening? When you synchronize your heart and your life with that of Jesus, you WILL change. You will be receptive to the changes that Jesus wants to make within you and without. Jesus is the great healer. And his heartbeat is the salve for our erratic and arrhythmic souls. His resonance can turn your missed beats and irregular stutters into a beautiful rhythm for ...

642. The Bramble King

John 15:1-17, John 15:18--16:4, John 16:5-16

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... to “till and keep” the covenant within the heart is all important, and because our command to “bear fruit and multiply” implies this covenant relationship as well, the “soil” and the nature of the “soil” of one’s heart…that is the fertility, the reception to the watering of the spirit, the lack of stones, weeds, and so forth (ie Jesus parable) is all important to the nature of the soul. The thorns are clearly those which can hurt others. Non-bearing thorned plants are even worse. Much of ...

643. The Prodigal

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... only that, the wandering and returning son is not the only one forgiven in the story, not the only one shown extravagant grace. He is merely the only one choosing to accept it, to enter into the celebration and to accept the Father’s offer of reception. Every brother in the story is also invited to the feast. They decline to come, not because they weren’t invited, but because they are too proud and self-righteous to accept a “prodigal” kind of God. Instead, they want God to be vindictive, punitive ...

644. Dusted

Mark 6:7-13, Matthew 10:1-42, Luke 9:1-9, Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... Sound and Light. Breath and Light. Renewer and Sustainer. When Jesus’ Light shines through our dust, a rainbow of promise and resurrection appears. That’s the reality of our relationship with God. How well-tuned are we to the sound of God’s voice? How aware and receptive are we of the Light of Jesus in our lives? It all depends upon the state of our dust. Our dust can either weigh us down or when we see it, it can allow us to recognize our relationship with God. As Malcolm Gladwell says, “To a ...

It is as impossible to withhold education from the receptive mind, as it is impossible to force it upon the unreasoning.

Agnes Repplier

What helps me go forward is that I stay receptive, I feel that anything can happen.

Anouk Aimee

The moral virtues, then, are produced in us neither by nature nor against nature. Nature, indeed, prepares in us the ground for their reception, but their complete formation is the product of habit.

Aristotle

The Divine of the Lord in heaven is love, for the reason that love is receptive of all things of heaven, such as peace, intelligence, wisdom and happiness.

Emanuel Swedenborg

An act of love that fails is just as much a part of the divine life as an act of love that succeeds, for love is measured by its own fullness, not by its reception.

Harold Loukes

Make your ego porous. Will is of little importance, complaining is nothing, fame is nothing. Openness, patience, receptivity, solitude is everything.

Rainer Maria Rilke

Showing results

Showing 626 to 650 of 693 results

626. Jesus Appears to Thomas

John 20:24-31

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

627. Accusations

2 Corinthians 2:12--3:6

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

628. Walking in the Light and the Problem of Sin

1 John 2:15-17, 1 John 1:5--2:14

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

629. Jonah Goes to Nineveh

Jonah 3:1-10

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

630. How Well Do You Listen?

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Sermon

King Duncan

631. The Mighty Wind of God

Acts 2:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

632. Without Conflict There Is No Story

Mark 6:1-13

Sermon

Ron Lavin

633. It Is Always the Third Day

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

634. How Does Your Church Work?

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

635. Red Alert

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

636. Family Plot

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

637. Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

Matthew 24:36-44

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

638. Surprised by Joy

Luke 2:8-14

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

639. First Sunday of Advent

John 1:29-34, John 1:35-42, Isaiah 11:1-16

Bulletin Aid

Heth H. Corl

640. The Surrogate

Matthew 1:1-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

641. The Healer

Matthew 4:23-25, Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

642. The Bramble King

John 15:1-17, John 15:18--16:4, John 16:5-16

Sermon

Lori Wagner

643. The Prodigal

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Lori Wagner

644. Dusted

Mark 6:7-13, Matthew 10:1-42, Luke 9:1-9, Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

Lori Wagner

It is as impossible to withhold education from the receptive mind, as it is impossible to force it upon the unreasoning.

Agnes Repplier

What helps me go forward is that I stay receptive, I feel that anything can happen.

Anouk Aimee

Aristotle

The Divine of the Lord in heaven is love, for the reason that love is receptive of all things of heaven, such as peace, intelligence, wisdom and happiness.

Emanuel Swedenborg

An act of love that fails is just as much a part of the divine life as an act of love that succeeds, for love is measured by its own fullness, not by its reception.

Harold Loukes

Make your ego porous. Will is of little importance, complaining is nothing, fame is nothing. Openness, patience, receptivity, solitude is everything.

Rainer Maria Rilke

Showing results