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 651 to 675 of 1259 results

651. What Jesus Wants for Christmas (Part 2)

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

We should consider giving ourselves to God at Christmas. Just as God's very being was given at Christmas, we are to give the heart of who we are to the Christ child. Last week, we asked you to challenge your people to consider what Jesus wants for Christmas. We intimated that the Savior's wish list had two entries. The first was that Jesus might have his birthday back. The second entry on Jesus' wish list is of a more personal nature. Before Jesus' birth, God required from two ordinary people similar gifts ...

652. Hurts Can Heal

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Have any of you ever looked through “night vision goggles.” [Or, if you can get a pair to show to the congregation . . . . ] Do any of you know what these are? Night vision goggles. Used by the military, and in all good spy novels, the special light source used in “night vision” technology allows you to see someone as much as 200 yards away on a moonless night. Night vision goggles project out either a near infra-red light source, or ultraviolet radiation, to detect the presence of individual photons. The ...

653. The Nativity Of Our Lord

Isaiah 9:1-7, Titus 2:1-15, Luke 2:1-7, Luke 2:8-20

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Isaiah 9:2-7 A child is born whose name is wonderful and whose government is characterized by permanence, justice and righteousness. The people of Isaiah's day were in darkness. Assyria had just taken Zebulon and Naphtali to captivity in 734 B.C. Out of this darkness the people see a light of God's promise of a messianic king, a son of God. This produces great rejoicing. His royal names define his character: wisdom, courage, fatherly concern and peace. His government will be ...

654. Lent 3

Exodus 19:3-6, Psalm 95:1-11, John 4:5-42, Romans 5:1-11

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter - Psalms 95 First Lesson - Moses is counseled by God to assure the Israelites of his caring like the parenting eagle. Exodus 19:3-6 Second Lesson - Paul outlines the growth that follows suffering when Christians share their pain with Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1-11 Gospel - John relates at length the encounter of Jesus with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. John 4:5-42 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. Leader: By the power ...

655. Abraham Believed God

Genesis 15:1-18

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

If you've traveled with small children in a car, you've probably heard this conversation more than once. Sooner or later, whether the journey is half an hour or half a day, someone asks, "When do we get there?" "Soon." "How much longer?" "A few minutes." How long do we have to wait? It is an essential question asked in scripture. Job, the psalmist, and God's people wonder over time how long they will have to wait until God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven. We pray that phrase in the Lord's Prayer ...

656. If This Is Your Faith, Tell Me Your Stories

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

We are used to dividing time into two different eons: “B.C.” and “A.D.” or as the secular world now calls them, “BCE” and “CE.” To say we live in 2009 A.D. or C.E. gives us a sense of the passage of time, a feeling of where we stand in the flow of events. But such designations don’t distinguish much else about the changes the centuries have brought. After a fearsome November storm season across North America it seems one designation that might help describe the changes time has brought is to divide life “B ...

657. Living In The Spirit Of Gentleness and Self Control

Galatians 5:22-25, Colossians 3:12-17

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

It was Christmas, and a little boy was asked to play the role of the innkeeper who turned away Mary and Joseph. "I won't do it!" he exclaimed, "Because the man was mean to Mary and Joseph." But the teacher insisted, and he finally learned his lines. The night of the performance came. Mary and Joseph knocked on the door. The boy, dressed as the innkeeper, opened the door and said, "Sorry, there's no room in the inn," but then he added, "if you want to come in, you can rest awhile and have some milk and ...

658. A Chance To Be Made Whole

Matthew 9:18-26

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

A young man and woman had been dating for a long time. One starlit evening, the young man called up his sweetheart to ask her to go on a ride with him. He said he had something very special to share with her. He picked her up in his much loved antique sports car and drove out to the park. There they had a lovely candle and starlight picnic. For some reason, the young man did not talk much. He seemed distracted. The young woman noticed all of this and was too excited to talk much, herself. She'd been ...

659. What Matters In the Light of Eternity: “Prayer Matters”

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Big Ed went to church and listened to the preacher. When people were invited to come forward for prayer, Big Ed got in line. “What do you want me to pray about?” asked the preacher. “About my hearing,” answered Big Ed. So the preacher promptly put one finger in Big Ed’s ear, lays his hand on his head and prays fervently for Big Ed’s hearing to improve. After several minutes the preacher said, “Amen,” and asked Big Ed, “How’s your hearing?” “I don’t know,” replied Big Ed, “the hearing won’t be until next ...

660. Resurrected Following (Series: Living on the Resurrection Side of Life)

John 10:1-21

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

A famous actor was the guest of honor at a social gathering. As people gathered around, they asked the actor to recite excerpts from various literary works. He obliged and did so brilliantly. Finally, an elderly pastor asked the author to recite the 23rd Psalm. The actor hesitated at first and then agreed on one condition. The pastor would return the favor. The actor’s recitation was brilliant and eloquent. People responded to the actor with lengthy applause. The pastor’s rendition was feeble and frail. ...

661. Does Love Really Make the World Go ’Round? (Series: Real Faith for Real People)

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

What makes the world go ’round? Do you ever ask yourself that question? In our global economy, many people would say that money makes the world go ’round. How else can one explain our obsession with the stock market and the federal manipulation of interest rates? Some might say that power makes the world go ’round. That might be why two smart men would spend 2 million dollars each trying to be elected mayor of Nashville. A job, mind you, that pays $136,000 a year! Hunger for recognition and status is in ...

662. A Fireside Conversation

John 21:15-25

Sermon

King Duncan

René Descartes is famous for the statement, “I think therefore I am.” Someone was visiting the southern part of our country and saw this bumper sticker: “I fish, therefore I lie.” Well, fishermen in all parts of the country have that reputation. One rule of fishing is that you have to be smarter than the fish or at least smarter than the game warden. A young man in Tennessee was fishing on one of the TVA lakes. He was stopped by a game warden as he was leaving the lake with two large buckets of fish. The ...

663. On the Road with the Rich Young Ruler

Luke 18:18-30

Sermon

James W. Moore

Let me begin with three true stories. The thread that runs through them and links them together will be obvious. (1) The first story comes from the Winter Olympics of 2006. It was one of the most memorable moments in Olympic history,… but it was not the memory that Lindsey Jacobellis had dreamed of, hoped for and wanted. She was way ahead in the snow-board cross finals… so far ahead that some say she could have crawled across the finish line and won the Gold Medal. But, she got carried away… caught up in ...

664. A Curse for Our Redemption

Galatians 3:1-14

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.” (verse 13) This is one of the most diff cult verses in the New Testament. How do we translate it in order for it to make sense to us today? There’s a marvelously funny story about translation that comes out of Texas. There was a certain Mexican bank robber by the name of Jorge Rodriguez, who operated along the Texas border around the turn of the century. He was so successful in his forays into Texas, that the Texas rangers put a ...

665. The Fellowship of Kindred Minds

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

A cartoon, in a Saturday Evening Review, features a young boy sitting under a tree taking inventory of his relationships. “So far, I have 14 people who love me, 22 people who like me, six people who tolerate me, and I have only three enemies. I’d say that’s not bad for a little kid.” When it comes to relationships, how are you doing? We are made for community; we will never be satisfied to be self-reliant. We need one another. The friendships in the fellowship of the first century Church were so focused ...

666. The Down Side of Christmas

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

‘Twas the day after Christmas When all through the place There were arguments and depression— Even mom had a long face. The stockings hung empty; And the house was a mess. The clothes didn't fit; Dad was under stress. The family was irritable; The children were not pleased. The instructions for the swing set Were written in Chinese. The bells no longer jingled; And no carolers came around. The sink was stacked with dishes; And the tree was turning brown. The stores were full of people Returning things that ...

667. Conversion or Credentialing?

Acts 9:1-5, 10-12, 17-19

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

It's been an eventful week in the Olds' household. Sandy and I flew in from vacation last Tuesday and immediately drove to Lexington, Kentucky to participate in the service of ordination of our son, Wes, who is now a full elder in our denomination. As I recessed from that service a long-time friend of mine asked, “Howard, which was the best, your ordination or the ordination of your son?" Without hesitating, I replied “Need you even ask?" It is a moving and humbling experience to see your son or daughter ...

668. Why We Need the Pledge of Allegiance

Matthew 13:31-35, Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:47-52

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

When I was in high school, a new music teacher came to town. He was fresh out of college and full of ambition. But here he was, stuck in a very rural community where people didn't put up with (as they called it) "long-haired music," either from the Beatles or Beethoven. Still, he was determined to teach us good music. We were going to sing selections from Handel's Messiah for our Christmas concert. Most of us had never heard of George Frideric Handel, and when we first tried to sight-read through the ...

669. What Should We Do?

Luke 3:7-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Three-year-old Gracie was playing in the living room, testing things out. Her mother saw her pick up a nickel, examine it, then swallow it. The mother immediately picked her up, turned her upside-down and pounded her on her back. Whereupon, Gracie coughed up two dimes. When that happened the mother really got worried. Hysterically, she shouted to her husband who was out in the back yard, “Gracie just swallowed a nickel and coughed up two dimes. Hurry! Tell me what to do!" The father shouted back, "Keep ...

670. Counting Our Spiritual Blessings

John 6:25-59

Sermon

King Duncan

One of my favorite Peanuts comic strips is the one that came out some years ago just a few days before Thanksgiving. Lucy’s feeling sorry for herself and she laments, “My life is a drag. I’m completely fed up. I’ve never felt so low in my life.” Her little brother Linus tries to console her and he says, “Lucy, when you’re in a mood like this, you should try to think of things you have to be thankful for; in other words, count your blessings.” To that, Lucy says, “Ha! That’s a good one! I could count my ...

671. Aha! An Epiphany!

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

King Duncan

There is a wonderful story about a young man who was dating a very attractive girl. One Sunday after church the two went for a picnic. The young man had made arrangements to rent a row boat. His plan was to row to a small island on their favorite lake and enjoy a lunch which he himself had prepared. Since he had been unaccustomed to making lunches, he had forgotten to pack a number of things. His attractive friend said, “It might be nice if we had some salt, ketchup and napkins.” Without hesitation the ...

672. The Rabbi's Gift

Luke 2:21-40

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

Theme: Jesus among you Characters: Sexton Monk 1 Monk 2 Rabbi Abbot Tone: Thoughtful Setting/Props: CD or tape of “Chant” by Benedictine monks Door Table Chairs Large Bible Monks habits (optional) Approximate time: 10-12 minutes Sexton: Good day. My name is Abelard. I am the sexton here at St. Dominic’s monastery. My job is to take care of things. What things, you ask? Why, things like tolling the tower bell, tending to the candlewicks in the chapel, and caring for the details of the cemetery like the ...

673. Facing the Consequences

Illustration

Tim Kimmel

When you're raised in the country, hunting is just a natural part of growing up. For years I enjoyed packing up my guns and some food to head off into the woods. Even more than the hunting itself, I enjoyed the way these trips always seemed to deepen my relationship with friends as we hunted during the day and talked late into the night around the campfire. When an old friend recently invited me to relive some of those days, I couldn't pass up the chance. For several weeks before the trip, I had taken the ...

674. Don’t Touch Me With That Water!

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

"Fill the glasses with water, honey. Daddy's guests will be here soon," Mother said. Her young son carefully filled the fragile, crystal goblets. "How's it look, Mom?" Surveying the elegantly set table, she smiled and ruffled his hair. "You did great work, honey. Daddy will be so pleased." The boy grinned in anticipation of his father's approval. The door bell rang. "Our guests have arrived. Let's go greet them. We're done in here." Opening the door, the boy took his father's hand. "Come and see! Come and ...

675. Oh, Jerusalem

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

Nowadays we have 24-hour news stations, satellite radio, email alerts, and other ways of finding out breaking news pretty much the instant it is happening. But it wasn't always so. When John Adams acted as an ambassador to Europe during the Revolutionary War he could go for months without hearing from the Continental Congress. He arranged loans of millions of dollars to help the fledgling nation, but no one back in America knew. The Battle of New Orleans was a decisive victory for the new nation in the War ...

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