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 676 to 700 of 744 results

676. That The World May Believe

John 17:20-26

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

In one of his writings, Thomas Carlyle told of a country boy who went to a fancy dinner. In the midst of the meal, he got a piece of hot potato in his mouth. Much to the embarrassment of all those dignified ladies and gentlemen there at the table, he spit the piece of potato out and put it back on his plate. Then he looked around at the shocked faces of all those gentled people and said, “You know, a fool would have swallowed that.” We come today in our preaching through John’s GospeI to the 17th chapter. ...

677. Taking the Shape of Christ

Galatians 4:8-20

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

The little girl had been giving her mother a hard time all morning. Finally her mother said, “Please behave your self. Don’t you know that every time you misbehave, I get another gray hair in my head?” “My,” the little girl said, “you sure must have been a bad little girl. Just look at all the gray hairs Grandmother has!” That’s a story about how we become the way we are. Apart from the obvious lessons that we parents need to be careful in the way we seek teach our children - we can’t put anything over on ...

678. Doing What Disciples Do

John 15:12-17

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

The new pastor of a congregation preached his first sermon from the text, “Love one another.” The people were pleased. The next Sunday the pastor preached the exact same sermon from the exact same text, “Love one another.” The people were surprised. When the pastor preached the same sermon the third week from the same text , the people were angry. The Staff Parish Relations chairperson confronted the new pastor with the obvious question, “Why do you preach the same sermon every week?” The pastor replied, “ ...

679. Impossible Possibilities

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

As Max Lucado tells the story, the visiting professor was about half way through his lecture when a young man in the auditorium stood up and started firing questions: “Are you telling us that God almighty really became Mary's little boy?" “Yes," said the professor. “Are you really asking us to buy into a religion banked on a young girl's dream of divine pregnancy?" “Yes," said the professor. “Are you insinuating that the life of Jesus then actually affects me now?" “Yes," said the professor. The young man ...

680. Made Perfect In Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:2-10

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

When Ben Franklin was the ambassador to France for the newly independent United States of America, his quick wit and well-thought wisdom opened many doors for him and for this new country. At one dinner in 1781 where the guest list included the powers of the day, the French foreign secretary began the dinner with a toast to King Louis XVI, "To His Majesty, King Louis, the Sun, whose shining presence radiates the earth of France." Not to be outdone, the British ambassador rose with the toast, "To King ...

681. Step into Your 'Adjacent Possibility'

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Ever get overwhelmed? When my Gramma would get overwhelmed with work, anger, excitement, whatever she would exclaim: “I am just beside myself!” What she meant was that there was just too much of what she was feeling to be contained by one person. To be “beside yourself” was not a good thing. But what if where you are starting from is not the best place to be? What if where your life stands right now is not a good place? Maybe if you could get outside yourself if you could get out of the space your heart ...

682. Those Kissing Christians

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

How many of you remember your “first kiss?” Wow. Now I need some “first kiss” stories. [This would make a great EPIC [Experiential, Participatory, Image-rich, Connective] moment. Take a mike into the congregation and ask for details.) I hate to burst your bubble so early in the sermon. But all those “first kisses” you remember . . .whether it was a stolen smooch in the schoolyard, or a braces-locking embrace and teenage embarrassment: whatever you call your “first kiss” . . . was not. Your “first kiss” was ...

683. A Grandmother’s Touch

Acts 19:1-7

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

It's texts like this one from Acts 19 that create so many misunderstandings and downright disagreements about baptism for all ages. There was a story about a mom who glanced out through her kitchen window at her children playing across the yard. It was one of those games children play that looks complicated to the outside eye but for them it makes perfect sense. They had brought out a shovel and dug a hole in the soft dirt of the garden, dragged over the garden hose, and had an array of dolls lying on the ...

684. Interceding for Us Now

Hebrews 7:23-28

Sermon

Patrick J. Rooney

Heads bowed, hands clasped, the words are spoken softly and gently. A prayer is lifted up for this need, for that person, for those in trouble or affliction. There is need, want, despair — for someone or for many. A hope is voiced that God will intervene, help, safeguard, or assist. Then, with these needs and wants laid before God, the prayer ends, "In Jesus' name we pray. Amen." That's it; that's the assurance that God will hear us, for this prayer is being offered in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, ...

685. A Four Word Memoir

Philippians 1:12-30

Sermon

King Duncan

Human beings are a terrific source of creativity. Even at the time of death. For example, consider this epitaph on a grave from the 1880s in Nantucket, Massachusetts: Under the sod and under the trees . . . Lies the body of Jonathan Pease. He is not here, there’s only the pod . . . Pease shelled out and went to God. Or this one from a more recent burial: Here lies my wife . . . Here let her lie. Now she’s at rest . . . And so am I. Or this one from the grave of a dentist named John Brown: Stranger! ...

686. Healing - Gone With One Call

Illustration

Philip Yancey

Even back then I was searching for hard evidence of God as an alternative to faith. And one day I found it on television, of all places. While randomly flipping a dial, I came across a mass healing service being conducted by Kathryn Kuhlman. I watched for a few minutes as she brought various people up on the stage and interviewed them. Each one told an amazing story of supernatural healing. Cancer, heart conditions, paralysis it was like a medical encyclopedia up there. As I watched Kuhlman's program, my ...

687. A Mother's Influence

Illustration

Staff

I took a piece of plastic clay And idly fashioned it one day; And as my fingers pressed it still It moved and yielded at my will. I came again when days were past, The form I gave it still it bore, And as my fingers pressed it still, I could change that form no more. I took a piece of living clay, And gently formed it day by day, And molded with my power and art, A young child's soft and yielding heart. I came again when days were gone; It was a man I looked upon, He still that early impress bore, And I ...

688. One Final Song

Illustration

A body is not crippled 'til its heart has ceased to praise. Louis Albert Banks tells of an elderly Christian man, a fine singer, who learned that he had cancer of the tongue and that surgery was required. In the hospital after everything was ready for the operation, the man said to the doctor, "Are you sure I will never sing again?" The surgeon found it difficult to answer his question. He simply shook his head no. The patient then asked if he could sit up for a moment. "I've had many good times singing ...

689. Let Your Diamond-Light Shine

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

[Begin your sermon by scanning your congregation intently. After saying nothing for a period as you scrutinize your people, offer this explanation for your behavior:] I am trying to see if you sparkle more this week than last week. How many of you [or, “it looks like some of you”] celebrated Valentine’s Day with a little bit of “bling!?” The holiday that elevates the warmth of our love and the softness of our hearts also pushes us to do so with something cold and hard — a diamond. Diamonds, we are ...

690. Let Your Diamond Light Shine

2 Cor. 4:3-6; 5:1-10

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

[Begin your sermon by scanning your congregation intently. After saying nothing for a period as you scrutinize your people, offer this explanation for your behavior:] I am trying to see if you sparkle more this week than last week. How many of you [or, "it looks like some of you"] celebrated Valentine's Day with a little bit of "bling!?" The holiday that elevates the warmth of our love and the softness of our hearts also pushes us to do so with something cold and hard — a diamond. Diamonds, we are ...

691. No Other Name

Acts 4:1-22

Sermon

King Duncan

We want to begin with a little trivia contest. Can anyone tell me the name of the 33rd President of the United States? The 33rd President of our country was Harry S Truman. Question number two: what was Truman’s home state? That’s right, Missouri. Last question. We remember him as Harry S Truman. What did the “S” stand for? Trick question: the middle initial of Harry S Truman’s name did not stand for anything. Both his grandfathers had names beginning with S so he was given the bare initial S to avoid ...

692. Go, Johnny, Go, Go, Go!

Luke 3:1-6

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

Every Sunday, a church broadcasts a one-hour service over the waves of 1450 WMIQ, the local radio station. It begins with this announcement, "From the shores of beautiful Crystal Lake, we bring you Our Saviour's morning service." One Advent season, the pastor had selected an "in the sandals" sermon series. The first biblical character to be heard from was John the Baptist. As John entered clothed in the prophet's clothing, a reader announced: "Prepare the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight" (Luke 3: ...

693. Is It True?

1 Corinthians 15:19-26

Sermon

David E. Leininger

The Joyful Noiseletter, that wonderfully hilarious monthly look at all things church-y, some time back noted a pastor who approached an older gentleman in his congregation and addressed him with the traditional Easter greeting, "Christ is risen!" But instead of giving the pastor the traditional response, "He is risen indeed," the man replied, "Yupper-dee-doodle!" Good for him. This is a yupper-dee-doodle day. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! A story has been roaming around about a little boy who was ...

694. The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

David E. Leininger

This is a familiar story. One researcher found in a survey that 49% of the people interviewed said they would be able to tell the story of the good Samaritan if asked to do so, 45% said they would not be able to, and 6% were unsure whether they could tell it or not. Among those who attended religious services every week, the proportion who thought they could tell the story rose to 69%.[1] Surprise! The details are important. There is more here than a simple reminder about our ethical obligation to assist ...

695. Advent 4

Luke 1:47-55 or Psalm 80:1-7, Micah 5:2-5a, Luke 1:39-45, Hebrews 10:5-10

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

Call To Worship (Includes the lighting of the Advent Wreath) Leader: Good morning! We’ve gathered for various reasons; some of us are dreading being alone during this season; some of us to enjoy the holiday music and decorations. Most of us anticipate remembering the Christmas story with its holy family. People: Yes, we love the Christmas story and the images that remind us we too carry God into the world. Leader: We will sing and pray, dance and sing the old story of God coming into the world as a baby — ...

696. God as a Consuming Fire

Hebrews 12:18-29

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

Every pastor sees the damage that is done to people by too heavy an emphasis on God's judgment. The damage often begins in childhood. Because children can be rambunctious, adults too often try to frighten them into obedience. The church is no exception to this practice. Parents sometimes report that their children have come home from Sunday school or vacation Bible school in tears and trembling because some misguided adult had tried to frighten them into faith with horrifying images of the punishment that ...

697. From Slave to Brother

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

We often shortchange love. We think of it as sweet and sentimental, something that is good for children and family members. We think of love as sort of soft and cuddly, nice in its place, but not very useful in the things that really matter. Do we think of love as tough, transforming, powerful? This little book of Philemon, tucked into the back of the New Testament at the tail end of Paul's letters, teaches us about the potential of love. Thomas Long, who teaches preaching at EmoryUniversity in Atlanta, ...

698. When We Feel Lost

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

King Duncan

A certain aged Catholic priest had become deaf. So members of his parish would write out their sins on a piece of paper before going to confession. One day, a parishioner slipped a piece of paper to the priest which read, “Two loaves of bread, a gallon of milk, a box of detergent and a pound of bananas.” The puzzled priest scanned the note, then passed it back to the parishioner. The parishioner looked at the note, then exclaimed with horror, “Oh, no! I’ve left my sins at the grocery store.” Well, where ...

699. Pilate's Dilemma

John 18:28-40

Sermon

King Duncan

Pilate was a politician. That says it all, doesn’t it? I read recently that 53 percent of Americans can’t name their representative in Congress. That doesn’t keep Congress from being highly unpopular. As someone once asked, “If pro is the opposite of con, is progress the opposite of Congress?” Someone else has said that the reason a person in Congress try so hard to get re-elected is that they would hate to have to make a living under the laws they’ve passed. I heard about one southern Congressman who had ...

700. The Door of the Cross

John 10:1-21

Sermon

David O. Bales

Last summer my wife and I enjoyed visiting our friends Dick and Mary in Montana. They have about 45 quarter horses and they were thrilled to show us the herd and take us along one evening to feed them. That evening we also helped get a three-month-old filly into the barn in order to medicate a cut on her face. The filly was a little skittish, but we got her into the barn and into a large stall and then Dick tried to get a halter on her head to hold her still in order to clean and medicate the cut. She, ...

Showing results

Showing 676 to 700 of 744 results

676. That The World May Believe

John 17:20-26

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

677. Taking the Shape of Christ

Galatians 4:8-20

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

678. Doing What Disciples Do

John 15:12-17

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

679. Impossible Possibilities

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

680. Made Perfect In Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:2-10

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

681. Step into Your 'Adjacent Possibility'

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

682. Those Kissing Christians

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

683. A Grandmother’s Touch

Acts 19:1-7

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

684. Interceding for Us Now

Hebrews 7:23-28

Sermon

Patrick J. Rooney

685. A Four Word Memoir

Philippians 1:12-30

Sermon

King Duncan

686. Healing - Gone With One Call

Illustration

Philip Yancey

687. A Mother's Influence

Illustration

Staff

688. One Final Song

Illustration

689. Let Your Diamond-Light Shine

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

690. Let Your Diamond Light Shine

2 Cor. 4:3-6; 5:1-10

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

[Begin your sermon by scanning your congregation intently. After saying nothing for a period as you scrutinize your people, offer this explanation for your behavior:] I am trying to see if you sparkle more this week than last week. How many of you [or, "it looks like some of you"] celebrated Valentine's Day with a little bit of "bling!?" The holiday that elevates the warmth of our love and the softness of our hearts also pushes us to do so with something cold and hard — a diamond. Diamonds, we are ...

691. No Other Name

Acts 4:1-22

Sermon

King Duncan

692. Go, Johnny, Go, Go, Go!

Luke 3:1-6

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

693. Is It True?

1 Corinthians 15:19-26

Sermon

David E. Leininger