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 323 results

51. With Unwavering Trust

Romans 4:1-25

Sermon Aid

Clement E. Lewis

... Jesus "was delivered (to the cross) for our offenses, and was raised for our justification." (Romans 4:25) The purpose of orders of worship, rituals of faith and sacrament, processes of religious education and spiritual growth, is to arouse in us a favorable climate for the reception and transmission of the Christian message, and subsequent performance in life. The basic condition for a person to be religious is to assume the reality of God -- then give God an opportunity to prove the man. The promises that ...

52. He Came Seeking Fruit

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Clement E. Lewis

... to wonder if the room the fig tree required, in which several grape vines could be planted, was not unwise and unproductive use of the soil. A large fig can take up a considerable amount of ground in the expanse of its branches and large leaves. The climate in Palestine is very similar to that in Texas, and is conducive to the production of that kind of fruit tree. The owner brought knowledgeable, experienced help to care for his vineyard and fig tree. The owner wanted the benefit of one who knew how to do ...

53. Proper 6

Mark 4:30-34, Mark 4:26-29

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

... resist the good news, surprise us with words of grace and power which will quench the thirst of the soul.When ministries are launched and problems surface, surprise us with creative solutions. When people are hurting and angry, surprise us with the compassion and presence of mind to create a climate of healing. Yes, preside over our surprises, Lord, and lead us toward the never-ending joy of your kingdom. Amen.

54. Ninth Sunday After Epiphany

Psalm 80:1-19, Mark 2:23-3:6, 2 Corinthians 4:1-18, Deuteronomy 5:1-33

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING Creator of all things, Firstborn of all Creation, Timeless Spirit: how wonderful are the cycles of your universe and the measures of time that govern our life in days and weeks and years. What suspense spices our days in the uncertainties of climate that provoke adaptability in us and all your creatures! What delight we may take in good weather after what we call bad weather. Give us wisdom to enjoy also the changing moods of our spirits, always giving thanks to you in good times and ...

55. What "They" Say

Luke 9:18-27

Sermon

Larry Powell

... . "Who do you say that I am?" That is the question. Think one last time before answering. (3) Do not claim Jesus as Lord while clinging to some false security. Norman Vincent Peale has observed, "It is curious and sad the way much of the intellectual climate has changed. Once we roared like lions for liberty; now we bleat like sheep for security." In the absence of security, confidence and a sense of well-being go begging. We have a low tolerance for insecurity. Frankly, there is only one thing worse than ...

56. Pie in The Sky

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Erskine White

... days' " (cf. Exodus 16:1-3). In ancient Israel as in modern America, nations periodically enter a phase of longing for "the good old days." Old movies and old music and "old time religion" come back in style; a wave of nostalgia sets in. A conservative climate takes over the nation's politics and tries to turn back the clock, back to the days when businesses had no regulations and workers had no unions, when we could throw our weight around in the world and everyone respected our power, when women stayed in ...

57. Wedding: The Goal of Marriage

Sermon Aid

John M. Braaten

... important, so necessary for us (for you) to take to heart. God intends that you should be able to relax in your love and in the commitments of your vows, and so be able to celebrate your marriage with unconditional enthusiasm. It is in the climate of total commitment showered liberally with unselfish love that you truly become one, as Jesus says, and your marriage becomes an exquisitely beautiful thing which grows more priceless as the years pass. _______ and ________, that's the hope we have for you today ...

58. Something Special Coming

1 Corinthians 7:31

Children's Sermon

... are some places where the rain falls and it is green and lots of trees are growing. And up here it is freezing cold. And down here it is hot and wet. What an amazing world. There are all kinds of different places in the world. And all kinds of climates and temperatures. And all kinds of people. Do you think it is better that God made the world with all these differences, or do you think it would be better if God made it with everything the same? I think so too: it's better to have differences, because the ...

59. How Does Your Garden Grow?

Mark 4:26-29

Children's Sermon

... to grow and flourish; and when the fruits of the seed are mature, they must be shared and enjoyed if they are to have any real meaning. Next take your child to a garden shop, and help her decide upon some seeds which are appropriate for your climate, soil, space, and the time of year. Ask the salesperson if you have questions about fertilizing, watering, or planting. You may also wish to buy your child a spade, watering can, and other equipment of her own. When you get home, explain carefully to your child ...

60. Epiphany 6

Luke 6:17-26, Psalm 1:1-6, Jeremiah 16:1--17:18, 1 Corinthians 15:12-34

Sermon Aid

George Bass

... desert, which is at the mercy of the elements and always threatened with destruction. But the persons who trust in God are like a "tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream." The stream sustains it, regardless of the vicissitudes of climate and weather. These two images are introduced with contrasting "cursed is the man who trusts in man" and "blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord;" the Gospel for the Day reverses the order of the "cursed" and "blessed" and develops them according to ...

61. Let Freedom Ring!

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Thomas Slavens

... , how do they do that? The most elementary thing they can do is to read and to become informed of the issues in political action. They can think for themselves and give other people that right, thus rejecting any attempts to supress freedom. They can struggle for a climate in which issues may be openly discussed. As it is basic to a happy family life to be able to discuss problems, so it is basic to political life to be able to discuss freely the problems confronted by the citizenry. One need not agree with ...

62. Where You Go — I Will Go.

Ruth 1:1-22

Sermon

Robert A. Kramer

... of jealousy, boasting, arrogance, resentfulness. These are all qualities of interaction between persons. As ideals they confront us with objectives to grow in graciousness, respect, mutual supportiveness. Our need for divine forgiveness accompanies our aspirations that somehow the climate of our love will nurture the growth of these qualities among us. The contemporary words of Kahil Gibran, (The Treasure of Kahil Gibran) “Love is the only freedom in the world because it so elevates the spirit that ...

63. Mary Christmas

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

John Jamison

... Jezreel Valley with its fields of grain and springs of water, go through the mountains of the central highlands with their steep and twisting roads and occasional snow, and end up on the border of the wilderness of Judea with its rugged cliffs and waterless climate that absorbs a quart of water from your body each hour simply by your breathing. Did I mention Samaritans? Contrary to what their son would teach in a few years, Mary and Joseph knew there was no such thing as a "Good Samaritan." The hatred ...

64. The Victory Of The Cross

Sermon

Erskine White

... thongs. They whipped Him nearly to death, and His blood was flowing like rivulets from His wounds. Then came the mockery, the "sore abuse and scorn." This was especially gratifying to the soldiers, who didn't like being assigned duty in the hot, unfriendly climate of Israel. The chance to mock a prisoner, to humiliate him and play with his mind before killing him, this was good for the soldiers' morale. It began with something called the "King's Game" - a sort of "board game" carved into the pavement (John ...

65. Save Us From the World-Savers

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Carl Jech

... pastors and congregations. The third goal is to deepen the spiritual life of those within the Christian community. The fourth is simply to affirm the responsibility of the individual for sharing faith while the fifth speaks of creating an attractive climate of growth within congregations. The sixth goal stresses the development of inclusive visions of what the Christian community should be, not just racial inclusiveness but inclusiveness in terms of such things as economic status and lifestyles as well. The ...

66. Peter. Rock. Follower of Jesus.

Matthew 16:13-20

Drama

Thomas Blowers

... into space just like a preacher sometimes catches you busily counting the organ pipes or the number of stained-glass pieces in one of the windows. Well, one day, right out of the blue Jesus asked us what people thought of him. Perhaps he was simply testing the climate, wanting to learn how people were receiving him. Perhaps he was testing us, trying to see how well we were listening to the crowd, noting what people were in fact saying. Anyway, he put to us the question"Who do men say that the Son of man is ...

67. The Two Fires

Luke 12:49-53

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... village life. It found us nomads and made us into urbanites! Fire also provided additional benefits. It could give warmth to the huts and caves where primitive persons lived, allowing settled existence even in areas where there were moderate shifts in climate. And, of course, fire helped banish the fears and limitations of darkness. Fire is certainly prominent in ancient folklore and ancient religions. Several old mythologies of various peoples say that fire is a special gift of the gods. Remember the tale ...

68. The Freedom To Be Wrong

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

... ourselves and admit we need help. Now the freedom to be wrong won’t pay off the mortgage, but it can give us the willingness to listen to each other without raising our eyebrows or clucking our tongues. The freedom to be wrong gives us the kind of climate where those of us who are hurting can open up and receive support and perhaps gain new insights that can help us find new meaning, new outlets, and new energy. The Good News today is this: that the good Lord has justified us for Christ’s sake, and ...

69. The Spirit and the Truth

John 16:5-16

Sermon

George Bass

... life by a flood seems to have made more of an impression on human beings. Too many of us live as though there were no such things as sin, judgment, and punishment on the part of God. The flood was at best a partial solution, a temporary change in the climate of human and divine relationships upon the earth. Something more had to be done. And so, John tells us, "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son" - as God’s final act to put things right in the world. Those who have seen Christ have ...

70. The Beginning of the End

Luke 9:57-62

Sermon

... and armies have done over the centuries. His would be no grand entrance like some of theirs had been. His was not a pilgrimage to be undertaken with the pomp and ceremony of near-modern secular power "to impress the inhabitants of the city and create a climate favorable to the illustrious pilgrim’s native land," writes J. Boudet in Jerusalem: A History (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Son, 1967, p. 262.) A road was prepared for Emperor Franz Joseph in 1864, who stopped in Jerusalem on his way to the opening of ...

71. Booby Trap

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

... would house them temporarily. But the bothersome thing about it all was that there was no outpouring of love and generosity toward these people who had been uprooted from their homes in Asia, transplanted to a part of this country where the customs and the climate were almost hostile to them. The community seemed to be saying, in the face of this catastrophe for the Hmongs, "Are these people our neighbors? Who are our neighbors?" Too many of us Christians seem to have a kind of vertical conception of the ...

72. Life in the Sunbelt

Malachi 4:1-6

Sermon

... we have read from Malachi we find an admonition that we live our lives in the sunlight of God’s love, assured of his grace and mercy, and governed by his righteousness. The implication is that, even when the drabness of winter and a hostile climate surrounds us, we have the certain promise of sunshine ahead. Sunlight will brighten the lives of those who live with confidence in God’s promise of life in the sunbelt. The people to whom Malachi spoke had learned that life can be bruising and discouraging ...

73. A Crippling Spirit

Luke 13:10-17

Sermon

Brett Blair

... . His behavior nearly cost him his high school diploma but private classes were arranged which enabled him to graduate. He continued to excel in his chosen sport gaining recognition around the world and then it happened. News which brought his career to a climatic end. In 1996, in the middle of a race, excruciating pains forced him to quite. Test revealed advanced testicular cancer which had spread to his lungs and brain. The once athletic and vibrant young man underwent three operations and began the most ...

74. Proper 4

Genesis 12:1-8

Sermon

... . Instinctively, we know this. Dr. Paul Shearer tells of Sir Francis Drake's sailors sitting on a rocky coast in England, spinning yarns for the young people about the adventure of the sea. Those men didn't talk about the balmy seas, the pleasant climates, and the beautiful places. They told of the thrill of the high waves and the stout winds and the terror of the storms. They talked about the dangers and the risks. Interestingly, when they got through, those country boys wanted to participate in this ...

75. Ask for a Sign

Isaiah 7:1-25

Sermon

... blossoming plum tree in our backyard tomorrow." That was my prayer the night before my First Communion, as Admiral Nimitz was about to launch into the Battle of the Coral Sea and General Patton was about to engage the "Desert Fox." The prophet Isaiah also knew the climate of war. His king was under attack. Two kings to the north had asked him to form an alliance with them so they could do battle with the Assyrians sweeping down from the north. Normally these two kings were like the two boys at the end of ...

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