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 51 to 75 of 4339 results

51. Job Hears the Whispers of God’s Works

Job 26:1--31:40

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... to turn on him ruthlessly, so Job is convinced that he is going to die. Job is confident that God is sovereign over all that happens in life, so Job has to conclude that what is happening to him must be attributed to God, even though it seems out of character for God to act this way. This is what makes Job’s situation so painful and perplexing to him. Because Job feels rejected by both humans and God, he can see no hope for the future. If he had only human oppressors, then he could count on God to ...

52. “Show Me Your Ways, Lord”

Psalm 25:1-22

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... see table 1). In light of the psalmist’s earnest desire to know God’s ways, that is, his will, it is not surprising to hear him plead that the Lord will remember his “mercy” and “love” (25:6, 7b), two covenant terms flowing out of God’s character of goodness (25:7, 8). The negative side of that coin is to ask the Lord not to remember the sins of his youth (25:7a), a plea that he will forgive the suppliant as he forgave the ancient recipients of his covenant grace. David’s “enemies,” who ...

53. Job's Third Reply to Bildad

Job 26:1--31:40

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... complete avoidance of evil, while “turn” acknowledges that humans sin and will need to reorient themselves to God in order to leave evil behind. Longing for God’s Intimate Presence After the dialogue with the friends ends, Job’s continuing monologue takes on a new character. It is as if Job is turning his back on the friends and lifting his face towards the heavens. In chapters 29–31 Job puts his case before God in its final form. He moves from a longing reflection on a lost past (ch. 29), through ...

54. The Compelling Call

Drama

Karren Boehr

... that. Since the brethren in Antioch laid hands on the two of us and sent us out to preach the forgiveness of sins through Jesus, it's amazing what we've faced: angry crowds, opposition from men and women in high authority, kicked out of town. (Characters stop walking when they reach front center stage) PAUL: And every time we've been persecuted, we've felt joy. Never forget that. Amazing, isn't it? Every time we've been buffeted, the Holy Spirit filled us to overflowing with his indescribable presence. It's ...

55. That Heavenly Call

Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-38

Drama

Karren Boehr

... m too busy to joke! And, yes, I'm fine! Please find this man and send him back to my office. We have some unfinished business to complete. Please ... find him! Scene III: Matthew 1:18-19 Scene: Mary's apartment three months later Characters: MARY: Same character as Scenes I and II JOSEPH: Warm young man, Mary's fiance, confident, well educated Costumes: Both Mary and Joseph are in casual modern attire Props: Two chairs, end table, footstool, two glasses of tea Setting: Two chairs and an end table sit center ...

56. Here I Am, Lord; Send Somebody Else!

Drama

Timothy W. Ayers

... can I do? Nothing of any value in missions. I'm just a carpenter, I work with my hands. God can't use me, can he? Character 2: Every morning, in my devotions, I ask God what it is that he wants me to do. If God wants me on the mission field ... on an airplane or some ocean tanker to head off for Boinga-Boinga Land. Is there anyway to get the mission field to come to me? Character 3: What? Me on the mission field? Forget it! I'm getting too old for that. Besides, I have kids in school that want to graduate ...

57. Moving Toward Sainthood

Isaiah 26:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... Saints Day. It is a day of celebration of those who have lived the life of faith before us and now surround God's throne in praise. But it is also an acknowledgment that all of us are moving toward sainthood. We are establishing habits, fashioning a character, shaping a destiny. As such our latter days may be more exciting and more profitable than our earlier days. Why? Because our lives are becoming a shining example of the life of righteousness and grace that we have found in him. That is an exciting and ...

58. How to Turn the Ballot into a Blessing Box

Proverbs 29:2

Sermon

James Merritt

... , there are marks of a vile leader. You can always tell a wicked leader by three things. First of all, wicked actions. "It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, for a throne is established by righteousness." (Prov. 16:12) If you want to know a man's true character don't read his lips, read his life; don't listen to what he says in a press conference, see what he does in the Oval Office. Prov. 20:11 reminds us, "Even a child is known by his deeds, by whether what he does is pure and right." The ...

59. Uh-Huh!

John 18:33-37

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... ?" Do we have yet the right one, baby? (Again, hope they say "Uh-uh!") Too often we let the world's definitions determine what versions of the "truth" the church will offer, even to the point of accommodating fanciful standards of moral behavior and character. Today, for example, many perceive personal and communal "integrity" as a luxury they simply can no longer afford. For these the "Golden Rule" (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you), long observed mainly in the breech, has pitched down a ...

60. Boast in Our Suffering

Romans 5:1-8

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... , self-indulgent rogue suffered deeply before he could be transformed. The Earl had wasted his life, yet in his dying months, Christ enabled him to stand tall, to be strong, to be bold, to boast (if you will) in his suffering. Finally, he became a man of character. At last he had hope to face his final days with confidence. Suffering has this amazing power to clear the deck and remove the clutter that confuses and distorts so much of our lives. Both for Paul and for the Earl of Rochester suffering had a way ...

61. Let Him Kiss Me

Song of Songs 1:1-17

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Huwiler

... This verse is clear in imagery although not in time (2:6). Then there follows the first instance of another recurring verse, the adjuration to the daughters of Jerusalem (2:7). 1:7–8 These two verses are most likely a teasing exchange between the two central characters, with the woman speaking in 1:7 and the man replying in 1:8 (although recent versions of the NIV, along with many interpreters, assign 1:8 to the friends instead of to the male lover). There is a double-entendre in 7a—b. Although the NIV ...

62. Elihu Makes His Appearance

Job 32:1--37:24

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... a crime and thrown into jail, whom would you call with your one phone call? Who would trust you and believe in your innocence, even before they heard your side of events? Why would they do that? Are they blind, biased fans, or do they actually know your character that deeply? Who are the ones that would stay on your side, forgive you, and love you, even if you did do it?” Point out that God knows our hearts even better than we do. The Lord knows us and our motivations completely and still loves us whether ...

63. A Sure Path to the NFL

1 John 2:28--3:10

Sermon

King Duncan

... is shaping us to be like Jesus. We can’t know for sure what the future holds. And we can’t know for certain what eternal life will be like. But we know that God’s plan is to use every moment of our lives to create in us the character and spirit and mind of Jesus. There is nothing random or purposeless about our lives. God is at work in the big and small moments of our lives, opening our eyes to new truths and new opportunities for love and service and insight and wisdom. No experience in our lives ...

64. Strength to Overcome Suffering

Romans 5:1-11

Sermon

James R. Tozer

... that liberty is right, for Christ teaches it and Christ is God." Lincoln found the perseverance to trust God in times of affliction. Lincoln could see the tumult of his day in the light of God’s purposes. 3. Become stable in personality. "Endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us." (Romans 5:4, 5) God can work through times of suffering to produce stable ...

65. Proper 6

Matthew 10:1-42, Matthew 9:35-38, Romans 5:1-11, Psalm 116:1-19, Genesis 18:1-15

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... where her final speech is really directed to the reader. Both the end of the story in Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-7 and Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19 provide focus for preaching, because they invite the worshiping congregation to claim the transformation in the character of Sarah from unbelief to belief as affirmation of their own faith in God's ability to save. NEW TESTAMENT TEXTS As we move into ordinary time, we return to Romans and Matthew. The passages in the lessons for this and the following weeks are but selected ...

66. Proper 24

Exodus 33:12-23, Matthew 22:15-22, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Psalm 99:1-9

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... (v. 9) Significance. Sometimes the psalms that praise God as king are judged as too authoritarian or too concerned with raw power for its own sake. Psalm 99 is certainly about God's power, but we must read it carefully to determine the content and character of power. Verses 1-3 provide a variety of symbols of power. God is a king, enthroned in Zion, fearful to all people and hence universal in power. The imagery here includes symbols from the Temple and many traditional motifs of theophany (trembling of ...

67. Sleep With the Lions Without Being Eaten

Daniel 6:1-28

Sermon

James Merritt

... , you can't trust him politically. Daniel was a man of integrity in a shady world; a man of purity in a soiled world; and a man of stability in a shaky world. II. The Command He Defied Since these men could not find anything wrong with Daniel's character, they came up with plan B. For the only way to condemn a moral, godly man is to pass an immoral ungodly law. That is exactly what they did. "Then these men said, ‘We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning ...

68. The Compleat Christian

Romans 5:1-5

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... particular art or pursuit." Being a compleat Christian for Paul entailed being able to accept the gift of justification, and then respond to that grace with such eschatologically-based expectation that the Christian is moved to hope, suffer, endure and build a character which reflects that joy. Such an attitude necessarily involves the whole person in commitment to faith in Jesus Christ. Fordham theologian Robert Masson has suggested the term "the charmed circle" in his book of the same name as an image for ...

69. A Guide for Growth

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... verses 9-11 of Chapter 1 and share from the American translation: “And it is my prayer that your love may grow richer and richer in knowledge and perfect insight, so that you may have a sense of what is vital, and may be men of transparent character and blameless life, in preparation for the day of Christ, with your lives filled with fruits which pf’ uprightness produces through Jesus Christ, to the honor and praise of God.” I focus on this passage because the call is so clear, and it is a challenging ...

70. When We Feel Lost

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

King Duncan

... all, he’s learned how lonesome it can be when you turn your back on those who love you. He is headed home. He has done wrong. He has repented. Now he is headed toward the safety of his father’s house. The prodigal is the first character in this remarkable story. The second character is his father. The young man has rehearsed what he is going to say to his father. “I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to ...

71. Christ's Sacrifice Once for All

Hebrews 10:1-18

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... He also makes use of a favorite text, Psalm 110:1, in this passage. In the last sentence it is pointed out that where the promise of Jeremiah has been fulfilled, the sacrificial system is necessarily at an end. 10:11 Once again the repetitious character of the levitical priestly duties is stressed (cf. 7:27; 9:25; 10:1, 3). Day after day (cf. Exod. 29:38) every priest stands and performs his religious duties. The very posture of standing suggests the ever-unfinished task performed by the priests, especially ...

72. Ruth and Boaz on the Threshing Floor

Ruth 3:1-18

Understanding Series

Michael S. Moore

... are hazy. Does he want to keep his daughter home indefinitely? Is it his intention to persuade his son-in-law to stay in Bethlehem? Does he know something about the bad reputation of the Gibeahites? And what about his methods? Is he trying, like other biblical characters, to wear down his houseguest with food and drink (like David with Uriah, 2 Sam. 11:12–13)? Or is he simply unable or unwilling to make a decision? The old Gibeahite faces a fierce challenge. He has to make a split-second decision before a ...

73. A Squirrel Crossing a Busy Street

Romans 5:1-5

Sermon

King Duncan

... life. Bad times are not designed to destroy us but to make us stronger. Times of adversity also make us wiser. They help us take stock of our lives and make changes that can propel us forward. As St. Paul writes, “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Sherwood Wirt, in his book Jesus, Man of Joy has a very helpful section on the positive role that pain can play in our lives. He tells the story of a young boy growing up in a Christian home in Ohio. One day this ...

74. Walking in the Light

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

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... stands for evil, sin, and impurity. It implies deceit, falseness, and inauthenticity. Light and darkness are ultimately incompatible, and, while in all human character and behavior there is gray, in God there is nothing unworthy, undependable, or morally ambiguous. God is light. 1:6 If we ... Acts 3:14; 7:52; and 1 Pet. 3:18; as God is righteous in 1:9), not only in view of his sinless character (John 8:46) but because he saves and advocates for sinners. He is our paraklētos, translated in the NIV as one who ...

75. An Unholy History

Ezekiel 20:1-29, Ezekiel 20:30-49

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... save and restore Israel (vv. 32–44) comes as a complete surprise. In no sense does anyone either expect or deserve that restoration. God acts, here as throughout this book, for the sake of God’s name (that is, to manifest God’s own identity and character), and not because of Israel’s righteousness or repentance: “You will know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name’s sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, O house of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD ...

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