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 851 to 875 of 4455 results

851. Being More than Civil

1 Corinthians 1:1-9, 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Sermon

Mark Trotter

The trial of a president is a terrible thing for a country to endure. We can be grateful that in the Senate, at least, the proceedings have been conducted in a more civil manner than we have been subjected to over the last several years. Although we have been told that just underneath the surface, in the Senate as well, there are deep divisions and the same partisan acrimony that has characterized the investigation and the impeachment. There has always been division in the world. In our own society, in ...

852. Three Ways to Know a Saint

Sermon

King Duncan

The Rev. Miles Brandon of The Episcopal Student Center, Austin, TX notes that our culture is captivated with making lists. It all started in 1955 when Edgar Smith of Fortune suggested that the magazine publish a list of the largest U.S. companies. At that very moment, the Fortune 500 was born. Today Fortune not only prints up the 500 list, but “The Forty Richest People Under 40,” “The Fifty Most Powerful Women in Business,” “The 100 Best Companies to Work For,” “The 25 Most Powerful Lobbyists in Washington ...

853. Strong in Faith: A Little Dab'll Do Ya

1 Corinthians 16:13

Sermon

John E. Harnish

Have Faith: Everything changes. Some things never change. I grew up in the nostalgic days, the "Happy Days" of the 1950's. Our fathers, without a doubt the "Greatest Generation," returned from a world torn by war to build a new world out of their hopes and dreams. They began by giving birth to the largest generation in history, the Baby Boomers. Born in 1947, I was one of the first. It was a time of great vitality and optimism, a time of peace after the trauma of two world wars. And it was a time when a ...

854. God Knows....Me!

Psalm 8:1-9

Sermon

John E. Harnish

I found it….the quotation I used in Steeple Notes about the faith that sings. It comes from a 1949 sermon preached by James T. Cleland, Professor of Preaching at Duke. The sermon is entitled "A Religion That Sings." "There are times and occasions when a religious person has to shout hallelujah or stand the risk of an inner explosion." He reminds us that the birth narratives of Jesus are filled with the songs of angels and shepherds, Mary and Elizabeth, Zachariah and Simeon. Like a Rogers and Hammerstein ...

855. Back to the Real World

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

King Duncan

There is always a letdown the week after Christmas. How could it be otherwise? Christmas demands so much of us. Now it’s back to the humdrum of ordinary living. Plus a few extra bills to pay and a few extra pounds to work off. Some unknown author spoke for many of us: Twas the month after Christmas and all through the house Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse. The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste. All the holiday parties had gone to my waist. When I got on the scales there arose such a number ...

856. Like a Good Neighbor – Jesus Is There

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

James Merritt

If you have ever watched the President of the United States deliver the State of the Union Address in recent years, you know that at some point in his speech he will point to the balcony and introduce an ordinary citizen as a real hero in this country. You may not know but that custom began when President Ronald Reagan introduced a man named Lenny Skutnik. To this day reporters will ask presidential aides the question: "Who are the ‘Skutniks' this year?'" Lenny Skutnik was a federal worker walking down the ...

857. The Dark Side Arrives

Sermon

James Merritt

As we left our story last week in galaxies beyond, we found Darth Vader kneeling before the hologrammed image of the Emperor pledging his loyalty to his evil master. In the meantime, the battle between the forces of light and darkness has intensified and the Jedi are gaining ground. The young, but powerful Jedi leader, Luke Skywalker, must be stopped and the Emperor is making a visit to insure his demise. Every day, in every way, when you walk out the door of your home, Satan is going to try to turn you to ...

858. Soaring with Christ

Matthew 28:1-8

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

What an absolute joy to worship here, to be your pastor, to celebrate this Easter Sunday. Thank you for giving me the privilege to do that. What does Easter mean to you? I posed that with a preschooler yesterday and he said, “The Easter bunny is coming to bring me some candy." I asked a teenager, “What does Easter mean to you?" With a twinkle in her eye she said, “Fun in the sun. I'm on my way to spring break." If you happen to be employed with the church, Easter week is the busiest week of the entire ...

859. The Road of Joy

Philippians 4:4-7

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Browse through any local book store and you will be bombarded with books on joy. Joy of Cooking, Joy of Sex, Joy of Not Working, The Complete Joy of Home Brewing –just to name a few. Our Advent word for consideration today is JOY. The Bible is full of joyful sayings: “The joy of the Lord is our strength" (Nehemiah 8:10) “Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy" (Luke 2:10) “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4) A nervous pastor conducting his first Christmas Eve Candle ...

860. Help Me, I'm Lost

Luke 15:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

It is one of the great adventure stories of all time. A man named Thor Heyerdahl wanted to test the theory that people from South America could have settled the Polynesian Islands in the South Pacific long before Columbus sailed to the New World. So Heyerdahl took a small team of men to Peru, where they constructed a raft out of balsa logs. These logs were tied together with rope much as a group of sailors might have done in earlier, less sophisticated times. Heyerdahl named the raft the Kon-Tiki. He and ...

861. Living in The Present

Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12

Sermon

Thomas Lentz

Just stop for a moment and take a look at how many opportunities are yours today, right now, this moment. Think about where you are — this church, this group of people, the person sitting beside you. Think about the one behind you and in front of you. Consider how your presence might affect each of these people. Think about what your presence here stands for in this congregation and in this community. This is your life! You are making a statement by being here. You can use these moments not only to fill ...

862. Epiphany 7

Genesis 45:3-11, 15, Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40, Luke 6:27-36, 1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-50

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

Call To Worship Leader: Greetings! The year is not quite so new. But we’re glad for the breath of life and for the opportunity to gather in this place. People: We enjoy being together and we anticipate hearing God and responding with music, silence, and words. Leader: Here we learn the teachings of Jesus, and we can practice them with each other. People: It’s easy to love one another here; it’s easy to share our money and our clothes, our food and our homes. Leader: It’s not so easy, though, to practice at ...

863. I Am a Rose of Sharon

Song of Songs 2:1-17

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Huwiler

The Lovers Together (2:1-7): As this section opens, the two lovers are clearly together: they become partners in dialogue. The woman and the man first exchange playful banter, then admiring comments. The admiration closes with the woman speaking to or about the man. She then speaks for the first time a verse which will recur. 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). 2:1–7 ...

864. The Poor Man in the Mercedes

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

King Duncan

Jesus told a story about a rich man named Dives and a very poor man named Lazarus. Dives drove a Mercedes, lived in a fifteen-room mansion, ordered his suits tailor-made from Europe. Poor Lazarus was a street person. The Public Library, where he tried to rest during the day—particularly on cold days—threw him out. Even the police turned their heads when they drove by. They were tired of giving him a free ride to jail for a meal and a night’s lodging. He had nowhere to sleep except a hard sidewalk. There ...

865. The Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Lori Wagner

This morning, I want you to imagine with me for a moment. Close your eyes if you will. Sit back. I’m going to take you to another place. But first a warning: during a big chunk of this sermon, you will have your eyes closed. You can tell your friends that you went to church this Sunday and the preacher told you to shut your eyes and keep them shut for a long time. Where else can you go to church and be encouraged to shut your eyes? Are you ready? Let’s take a trip in time. [pause] You’re driving home from ...

866. Even in Our Hiding

Matthew 2:19-23, Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

Lori Wagner

In Haarlem, Holland, 1837, a man named Willem ten Boom opened a watch shop. His family lived in the rooms above the shop. Later, the home and business was passed on to his son, Caspar ten Boom, and then later to Caspar’s daughter, Cornelia, who went by the name of Corrie ten Boom. The ten Boom family were devoted Christians, and their home was always open to anyone in need. The family served their community in Haarlem for many years; however, they would become well-known for their kindness and humanity ...

867. The Complete Picture

John 11:1-45

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

Quick quiz for you this morning: whose portrait is on the front of the one-dollar bill? That’s right, George Washington, first President of the United States. If you have a one-dollar bill on you, I’d encourage you to take it out right now and look at it. Don’t worry, this isn’t my sneaky way of taking up a special offering. If you don’t have one on you, you may want to look up an image of one on your phone. The man who painted Washington’s portrait was a famous artist named Gilbert Stuart. He painted a ...

868. It's Part Of The Plan

Drama

Karren Boehr

Theme: Forgiveness This drama centers on the relationship between Joseph, Pharaoh's second in command, and Joseph's brothers who many years before sold him into slavery, bringing home the struggle and the immeasurable reward of forgiveness. Setting: Joseph faces his brothers as they come to Egypt to buy grain. Dialogue takes place in two different areas, left and right of stage Characters:JOSEPH: A strong man who carries himself with authoritySERVANT: Joseph's servant RUEBEN: Joseph's brotherJUDAH: Joseph' ...

869. It Costs to Belong

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

William Barclay says that “James, the brother of John and the Son of Zebedee, is the most tantalizingly vague figure among the twelve.” (THE MASTER’S MEN, Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1959, p.100) We know that he occupied a leading place among the twelve apostles. In every list of the Twelve, his name appears in the first three—even ahead of Andrew, Peter’s brother. And yet we know very little about him. (His name is not even mentioned in the Fourth Gospel.) We know little about him, but what we do know is ...

870. You Meant Evil; God Meant Good

Genesis 45:1-28

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

"I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt." With this poignant revelation, we come to the primary resolution of the Joseph story; but do we remember the beginning? It all started with a dream! Young Joseph was the favorite son of his father, the son of his old age. He was the one with the luxurious coat from his father. Joseph was too good to be true, the kind brothers can hardly abide. He was also a bit of a snitch. He brought an ill report of his brothers to his father. Then Joseph had a dream ...

871. The Young Man

Drama

Sarah Walton Miller

In this skit use modern clothing. Don’t tell who the characters are ahead of time. Let the audience decide who they were when it has ended. For your use: Boy 1 is Jesus’ brother James; Girl 1 is his mother, Mary; Boy 2 is Jesus’ cousin James, the son of Zebedee and Salome, whose brother is John; Girl 2 is Mary of Bethany, a sister of Martha and Lazarus; Boy 3 is the Rich Young Ruler; Girl 3 is Mary Magdalene; Boy 4 is Pilate. The Narrator may be male or female. Total cast: eight. Arrange the staging as you ...

872. Pay Back Time

Genesis 45:1-28

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Some years ago Bill Cosby did one of his many great comedy routines about his growing up years in Philadelphia.(1) He recalled a snowy winter day, enough snow on the ground for a really good snowball fight. So he and his friends had one. Now, if you grew up in an area where snowball fights are a common winter occurrence, you will know that there are certain unwritten rules about what is allowed and what is not. For example, you did not put a rock in the center of your snowball, because that could kill ...

873. Priceless Scribbles

Eph 6:1-4

Illustration

King Duncan

A story appeared in the Christian Reader called "Priceless Scribbles." It's about a father who touched his child's life in an unexpected way. A young boy watched as his father walked into the living room. The boy noticed that his younger brother, John, began to cower slightly as his father entered. The older boy sensed that John had done something wrong. Then he saw from a distance what his brother had done. The younger boy had opened his father's brand new hymnal and scribbled all over the first page with ...

874. Practicing God’s Presence

Hebrews 10:11-25

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

In the early years of the sixteenth century, a young adventurer named Nicolas Herman left his parents' home near Loraine, France, to join the French army. Wounded in war, he returned home to recuperate and thus began a process of soul searching that led to Christian commitment. His quest for closeness to God first led him to life as a hermit. He found that unfulfilling, so he eventually joined a Carmelite monastery where he was assigned to menial duties in the kitchen. Kneading bread might truly seem an ...

875. A Sacred Death

Illustration

Thomas Long

Pastor Thomas Long tells about the time he was a guest preacher at a church where years before he served as a student pastor: After the service, I struck up a conversation with a woman whom I had not seen in many years. "How is your dad?" I asked her. "I remember him as one of my favorite people." "I lost my dad last summer," she said sadly. "Cancer. But he lived a long and good life," she added, "and in many ways he died a peaceful death. The last few moments of his life were amazing. "My sister, my ...

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