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 826 to 850 of 1259 results

826. Prayer

Matthew 3:1-12

Bulletin Aid

Stephen Brown

O God who shoots forth in our gardens… grows as winter’s wheat… God who breaks through thistles and thorns… blossoms in field and forest. In the winter of our soul we long for your coming To warm our hearts and cheer our spirits. In the cold of our frozen lives we await your arrival To thaw our relationships and fire our visions. Your Spirit comes upon him: The one who bears your likeness The one who bears our flesh. The one who carries all creation. The one who carries our burdens. His understanding sees ...

827. Death by Chocolate

Hebrews 9:11-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

"Death by Chocolate." Just the words put moisture in your mouth. [If you can bring out here some parishioner's recipe of Death by Chocolate, and tease them with its deliciousness, so much the better.] Almost every upscale, elegant restaurant seems to offer their own version of this extra rich, extra decadent, extra artery-clogging delight they dub Death by Chocolate. For committed chocoholics this dessert offers the ultimate attempt to sweeten the bitterest reality life offers all of us the plain and ...

828. Dirty Laundry or Angels?

John 20:1-9

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

He is Risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! The miracle of Easter has shocked us out of our "No-name Saturday" sadness, and filled our broken hearts with joy, our souls with hope, our mouths with praise. Even after two thousand years the resurrection still packs a powerful punch of awe and astonishment every year we're privileged to celebrate Easter. Try and imagine then, if you can, how utterly mind-boggling and adrenaline-pumping that very first Easter morning must have been for the men and women who ...

829. A Word of Hope for a Hard World

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

King Duncan

If you’ve ever felt like your life was out of control, then you can relate to the harrowing adventure of Tattoo, a basset hound from Tacoma, Washington. One evening, Tattoo’s owner headed out for a drive. He didn’t notice that Tattoo’s leash had gotten caught in the car door. Police officer Terry Filbert, patrolling the neighborhood on his motorcycle, spotted the poor dog running--and occasionally rolling--alongside the car. The officer stopped Tattoo’s owner and alerted him to the situation. Tattoo came ...

830. Which End Is Up?

Ephesians 3:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Exegesis: Ephesians 3:1-12 The epistle text for this week can be read with two different agendas in mind. On one hand the focus is on establishing apostolic tradition. In the first century there was a necessary concern with creating a continuity of tradition and authority for the fledgling Christian church. Hence Paul’s apostolic authority, his priority of leadership, is part of these verses’ testimony. Especially since these Ephesians probably had not known Paul’s preaching personally, it is an imperative ...

831. Give Thanks in All Circumstances

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

James W. Moore

When our grand-daughter Sarah was two years old, she was extremely active. She was always busy, always moving and always in a hurry… because at two years of age, she had already realized that there are so many exciting things to do and see and experience in this incredible world God has given us. One day Sarah interrupted her play-time just long enough to run into the kitchen in search of a mid-afternoon snack. Hurriedly, she said to her mother: “Banana, Momma, Banana!” Jodi, her mother, handed her a ...

832. There's an Elephant in the Room and Her Name Is Katrina

Exodus 14:10-15

Sermon

James W. Moore

There is an elephant in the room and her name is Katrina. Hurricane Katrina was the most destructive storm to hit the United States in historic times. It caused extensive damage to the coastal regions of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama when it slammed ashore on August 29, 2005. By late morning of August 29, the storm caused several sections of the levee system in New Orleans to collapse. Subsequent flooding over most of the city resulted in horrendous damage, destruction and death. Estimates are placing ...

833. What's So Great about Going to Church

Isaiah 6:1-8

Sermon

James W. Moore

He is a comedian… and he was very, very funny,… but in recent months he has become very, very political. And now (in my opinion) he’s not so funny anymore… because now he considers himself an authority on everything that has to do with politics. Now, he considers himself the final word on everything that has to do with life in our country and in our world. He is brash and cocky. He is rigidly opinionated, closed-minded and even insulting towards anyone who disagrees with him. Now, let me hurry to say that ...

834. Just Do It

Romans 12:1-2

Sermon

James W. Moore

A well-dressed businessman was walking down the street one morning when all of a sudden, a beggar stopped him and asked him if he had a dollar or two he could spare. The businessman said: “Look, if you are down on your luck, I’ll be glad to help you, but first let me ask you something. You look like you are in pretty, good health… why don’t you get a job?”- The beggar answered: “O, I have a job! Actually, I’m an author. In fact, you may have seen one of my books. It was a Best-Seller entitled “500 Ways to ...

835. Away In a Manger

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

James Merritt

I want to share with you three stories, that take place in three different nations, that illustrate a central truth about Christmas. The headline read "Japan Goes Wild for Ho-Ho Holiday." A nation, made up almost entirely of Shinto and Buddhist believers, has taken to celebrating "Kurisumasu" with the heartiest of Ho-Ho-Hos. The season is marked by extravagant gift-giving, with shoppers lined up for blocks outside of expensive department stores. Red-garbed choirs give enthusiastic if uncertain voice to " ...

836. The Grasshopper Mentality

Numbers 13:26-33

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Bob Biehl, in his book “Masterplanning,” tells about a conversation he had with a man who trains animals for Hollywood movies. He asked him, “How is it that you can stake down a ten-ton elephant with the same size stake that you use to restrain this baby elephant?” “It’s easy,” said the trainer. “When they are babies, we stake them down. They try to tug away from the stake countless times before they realize that they can’t get away. At that point the elephant memory takes over and for the remainder of ...

837. I Believe In God The Father Almighty

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

The most radical words in the Apostles Creed are the first four- “I believe in God.” But you might respond, “Wait a minute, brother Bill. I thought that all cultures, past and present, have believed in some kind of god. So, what’s so radical about that?” Well, that’s true. But in those first four words of the Creed, we are saying much more than just that we believe God exists. We are declaring that he is the central truth around which our lives revolve. He is our Sovereign, our supreme commander. Notice ...

838. A Circle for Dorothy

Ephesians 2:11-22, Ephesians 2:1-10

Sermon

John E. Harnish

"If you only had one sermon to preach..." Well, we made it through the first one, and you came back! So what's the theme of the second Sunday? The church, of course. This week and next, we will explore two images of what it means, for me, to be the church. This week, we look to one of the most important books in the New Testament: Paul's letter to the Ephesians. I discover that I have preached from this book more often than any other book in the New Testament. It offers Paul's clear statement of the core ...

839. Only Matthew…Only Joseph

Matthew 1:1-13

Sermon

John E. Harnish

If you only had Matthew's Gospel, what would you have? Last week we looked at the opening of Luke's Gospel and his version of the Advent narratives, his "orderly account." He begins with Zechariah and Elizabeth and the birth of John the Baptist who would come to prepare the way, then on to Mary and the miracle birth. But if you only had Matthew, what would you have? No Annunciation to Mary No visit to Elizabeth and the Magnificat No detail on John's miraculous birth No enrollment calling people to ...

840. In the Upper Room

John 17

Sermon

John E. Harnish

What does it feel like to have someone praying for you? By name, in person, one-on-one? John Indermark remembers a childhood experience of being in the hospital for surgery when he was ten years old. He says he remembers a priest praying for him: "I seem to recall that as he came and stood at the foot of my bed, I felt a mix of wonder and fear. I did not know him, but he prayed. For me. He took time to bring my name and need before God. That I knew. That I still know. That I carry with me in ministry." [1 ...

841. Accepting the Lord Once Again

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Richard Gribble

He came softly, unobserved and yet, strange to say, everyone knew him. The time was the fifteenth century; the place was Seville in Spain. He came to announce peace and to proclaim the good news. He came to teach and to cure; he came to bring the light. As he walked by the cathedral, a funeral procession for a little seven-year-old girl was just beginning to form. He heard the sobs and pleas of the girl's mother. Moved with compassion he asked the bearers of the funeral bier to halt. He touched the girl; ...

842. Would You Be a Saint?

Matthew 23:1-39

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

How many of you played “dress up” this weekend? Wow…There’s a lot of you who “dressed up.” What did you “dress up” as? …[make this as karaoke as you can ... You may want to prime the pump by arranging for some to wear their “dress ups” to church] On Halloween we “dress up” in costumes and put on masks to “hide out,” to conceal who we really are. Originally the “disguises” worn on “All Hallows Eve” were supposed to fool the demons and other dark forces roaming the planet on that fateful night. The idea was ...

843. Celebrate Your Critical Mass

Matthew 18:15-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Where two or three are gathered together, there is no need for a standing committee. Before AIDS, one of the most terrifying diseases people lived in fear of was polio. It was the cruelest of diseases. Overwhelmingly targeting children, it would break out primarily in the warm, golden summer months, killing or permanently crippling its victims within days, or even hours. When, at last, Dr. Jonas Salk announced the possibility that a vaccine had been developed, the hoped-for cure went from experimental ...

844. New Beginnings

John 1:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

Welcome on this first Sunday in a new year. Did you know that New Year’s Day is the one holiday that is almost universal? It is the world’s most observed holiday. I trust you’ve made your New Year’s resolutions one of which is to be in worship each week. Well done for this first Sunday. I won’t ask you if you’ve resolved to lose the weight you gained between Thanksgiving and Christmas, or if you’re planning on joining a health club, or if you’re going to run five miles a day. Five miles, by the way, is my ...

845. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The entire section of this week's epistle text serves as kind of a warm-up speech for Paul's later focus on the particulars of resurrection. In these first eleven verses of the 15th chapter, however, Paul takes pains to create the atmosphere of a coalesced community, bound together by firm faith, despite the fact that they may still be confused about where that faith may be taking them. Paul begins this chapter by claiming the Corinthians as his kin, joined to him through their mutual experiences with the ...

846. Philemon 1-21

Philemon 1-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

This short, personal letter of Paul to his friend and fellow believer, Philemon, has generated a surprisingly hefty amount of commentary. Textual scholars since the first centuries of the church's history have enjoyed studying this epistle. Part of the attraction is that while Philemon is quite brief, it is nevertheless the only piece of personal correspondence from Paul that has survived and found its place in the canon. Indeed, the particular and individual nature of Philemon caused some dissent among ...

847. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

848. Mark 9:30-37

Mark 9:30-37

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Once the glorious moment of the transfiguration is past in Mark's gospel (9:2-8), Jesus and his disciples begin on the journey to Jerusalem that leads them ever closer to the events of rejection, humiliation and death. This week's gospel text shows Jesus and the disciples moving "through Galilee" while keeping a low profile. Instead of enjoying the hospitality of friends and family as might have been expected in these familiar lands, Jesus circles the wagons tightly. He sequesters the disciples in ...

849. Easter 3

Psalm 116:1-19, Luke 24:13-35, Acts 2:14-41, 1 Peter 1:17-21

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter - Psalms 116:1-4, 12-19 First Lesson - Peter's sermon is a call to repentance and a promise of salvation to his hearers and their children and those still at a distance. Acts 2:14a, 36-41 Second Lesson - In his letter Peter extols the sacrifice of Christ as God's gift of immeasurable worth. 1 Peter 1:17-21 Gospel - The appearances of the Risen Christ bring surprise and joy. Luke 24:13-35 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. ...

850. Hell under Fire

Matthew 5:22; 28-30

Sermon

James Merritt

We are in a middle of a series that we have entitled "The War of the Worlds" and today the series is really going to heat up (no pun intended!) What we are talking about is the war of the world views. Remember, every person has a world view; a lens through which they see the world they live in, the life they live and it is the guide they use to make the crucial decisions about how they are going to live and what they are going to believe. There are basically only two world views the Christian world view ...

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