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 1668 results

851. What Happened to the Leftovers?

John 6:1-15

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... together the leftovers. Food was hard to come by. Food wasn't grown in laboratories. Food was grown in laboriously maintained orchards or raised on hard-scrabble farms. Food was tended and protected-whether by shepherds or cowboys. Or food was hunted with skill, hard work, and sheer luck. Food cost much in time, materials, and dedication. Leftovers are the raw materials from which casseroles, soups, stews, and stir-fries are made. Leftovers have a long and proud tradition in our history as a nation. Even as ...

852. The Most Important Top Ten List

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... words. After all, do you really forget to put your shoes on before leaving the house for work? Or forget that you need to eat? Or overlook the fact that bathtub faucet is still running? Of course not, those behaviors are just common sense, sheer survival skills, everyday coping mechanisms. But our moral/ethical common sense seems to be pretty dismal. We read the Ten Commandments and think they offer the be-all and end-all for human achievement. We put them on our walls and even in our judicial chambers. But ...

853. Maker's Mark

2 Corinthians 1:12--2:4

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... in Italy had begun using watermarks or papermarks to distinguish the works of one house of trade from another. In our own recent history we know that a signed Tiffany lamp is probably NOT made by Louis Comfort Tiffany himself, but by the skilled artisans of the Tiffany Studios that created that unmistakable glassware with the distinctive markings. Today we're all too aware of the hold brand-names have on this culture. Although there are signs of a shift away from brands, especially among tweeners (witness ...

854. All God's Children Can Dance

Psalm 30:1-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... God has intentionally choreographed for creation. There's a soul movement and a spiritual rhythm that pulses throughout the universe, inviting us to participate in a dance, in a joyful response to life, in a resonance with love. Jumping into this dance doesn't take any special skills or shoes. It doesn't require a good band or a flawless floor. Anyone can join in at any time as long as they have access to the one necessary attribute. Joy. You can't dance without joy. You can't move without feeling joy. You ...

855. By God’s Spirit

Zechariah 4:1-14

Sermon

James McCormick

... assured the people that Zerubbabel would complete the rebuilding of the Temple. And then he said something very important. Listen: Zerubbabel would be able to complete this difficult task because he was not alone. God was with him. He wasn’t dependent only upon his skill and effort, as important as those always are. This is how it would be done: God said, “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit.” Remember that! What is not possible by human effort alone becomes possible by the power of God’s ...

856. Weak Sauce

1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... with every facet of life, those whose existence is characterized by a weak heart, a weak will, a weak mind, a weak body, a weak position, a weak spirit. Paul's prime identity isn't as a learned Pharisee, a Roman citizen, an accomplished speaker, a skilled leather-worker, a gifted writer, a recognized apostle of Christ. Paul confesses to being a namosh a Hebrew word which combines the meaning of weakling, wimp and loser. Paul is a namosh. Paul is a weakling. And it's that weakness that enables him to become ...

857. Luke 2:1-14

Luke 2:1-7

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... infancy narrative is everyone's favorite Christmas read. Luke knows how to weave a story, providing intimate details, describing emotions, juxtaposing dramatic characters and events. Can you imagine any Christmas pageant without Luke's narrative? Notice how Luke's text skillfully moves Mary and Joseph from their residence in Nazareth to the important, holy city of David, Bethlehem. In today's text vs. 8 introduces yet another Davidic component. David was himself a shepherd when he was chosen as king. Among ...

858. Which End Is Up?

Ephesians 3:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of which way is up. What his own senses could not tell him the force of gravity could. Even under several feet of snow, water does NOT drip up. Re-oriented to which way was up, the buried boarder was able to dig himself out. It seems a strange survival skill, but if you’re buried in an avalanche, the first thing you need to do is spit so you can determine “which end is up.” This same not knowing “which end is up” is what killed John F. Kennedy, Jr almost 10 years ago (1999). In the midst of fog ...

859. Seeking a Shepherd King

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Sermon

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... ’s rise to power that is found in 1 Samuel 16—2 Samuel 5. In that narrative, three different stories are told about how David comes to public attention. At the end of chapter 16, he becomes a member of Saul’s court because he can play skillfully upon the lyre to soothe Saul’s fits of depression. In chapter 17, David is celebrated as the slayer of Goliath. And in 18:5-9, David is honored by the populace as a warrior who is always successful in their battles against the threatening Philistines. It ...

860. Cha-cha-cha Christians: The Dance that Advances

2 Peter 1:12-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... challenging, we need people to remind us who we are. *** You might want to develop the metaphor of “Wallflowers Christians” more concretely. Ask your congregation, “Know any wallflower Christians?” What are their characteristics? *** “Christian theology provides the basic skills we need to step foot on the dance floor of faith and start dancing. But theology cannot tell us about everything we’ll experience when we do. The eschatological character of Christian faith orients us toward the edges of ...

861. Successful Judas

Matt 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-13

Illustration

Tim Kimmel

... absolutely stunning success was Judas, and the one thoroughly groveling failure was Peter. Judas was a success in the ways that most impress us: he was successful both financially and politically. He cleverly arranged to control the money of the apostolic band; he skillfully manipulated the political forces of the day to accomplish his goal. And Peter was a failure in ways that we most dread: he was impotent in a crisis and socially inept. At the arrest of Jesus he collapsed, a hapless, blustering coward ...

862. Lent 3

Jn 4:5-42 · Rom 5:1-11 · Ex 17:1-7 · Ps 95

Sermon Aid

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

... Structure. Initially this story is structured much like the one of Jesus and Nicodemus: narrative leads to conversation, which is filled with misunderstanding, but there is much more here as scenes and characters come and go. Generally, the story is skillfully constructed along the lines of Greek drama, wherein no more than two speaking characters appear at once though multitudes stand in the background as a chorus. Such construction says nothing about historicity, but it shows John's consummate artistry as ...

863. Proper 16

Exodus 1:1-22, Matthew 16:13-20, Romans 12:1-8, Psalm 124:1-8

Sermon Aid

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

... ; it is a call to selflessness, to Christlikeness. While the call to common service unites us as believers, Paul continues by stating that the service to which here are called will be different. God has granted us a host of complementary gifts and skills, and we are to assess our talents realistically and ask what it is that God would have us do. Paul lists several possibilities in vv. 6-8, but his remarks are more illustrations than an exhaustive catalogue of graces. What finally determines whether ...

864. Proper 21

Exodus 17:1-7, Matthew 21:23-27, Matthew 21:28-32, Philippians 2:1-11, Psalm 78:1-72

Sermon Aid

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

... or impossible to attempt to forge a mental identification between persons in the pews and th priests and elders in this passage. Perhaps, should one have the opportunity to preach to a college of bishops or to a gathering of clergy, that strategy could (with skillful development) work, but probably not. What are we to do with this text? Two suggestions: (1) Look at the parable apart from the setting provided in Matthew. Verses 28-31 tell a story that can have more applications than one—as is usually the ...

865. God's Dirty Job

Romans 5:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... has scrubbed out penguin enclosures (above and below the water line) at a zoo. He has slogged through muddy swamps in search of gators. The people who do all these dreadfully “dirty jobs” for a living always seem pleased to show off their skills and introduce Rowe to the filthiness unique to their profession. Kids love “Dirty Jobs” because kids love to get dirty. The grosser, the dirtier, the better. Parents like to watch “Dirty Jobs” for two reasons. First, you can threaten your kids with “If ...

866. Getting a Handle on Our Faith

John 11:1-16

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... ?’ (Peter Braunstein, “Ms. America: Why Jane Fonda Is Mirror of The Nation’s Past Forty Years,” American Heritage, July/August 2001, 31.) What Fonda’s daughter didn’t know at the time was that even the creepy chameleon, known for its skill at changing color, has what is called a “rest coloration,” a colored state that is its true self. (I first discovered this reading Jim Thomas, Streetwise Spirituality [Eugene, OR.: Harvest House Publishers, 2001], 190.) Do you know your “rest coloration ...

867. The Prize

Philippians 3:14

Children's Sermon

Tim Carpenter

... , it's a trophy. Can you tell from the little person on top of the trophy what I did do to receive the trophy? (response) Yes, that's right. It's from playing basketball. What did I have to do to earn this trophy? (practice or be real good) What skills do you need to develop in order to be a good basketball player? (response) You need to learn to dribble the ball and what else? (response) Shooting the ball is very important. What else? (response) I can’t shoot all the shots so I need to learn how to ...

868. When Losing Your Baggage Is a Good Thing

Hebrews 12:1-2

Sermon

James W. Moore

... team wanted him. Baggage problems can hurt us and they can and do hurt other people. Listen to these quotes: “He is so talented, but he has a drinking problem.” “She is so brilliant, but she can’t get along with anybody.” “He has great skills, but he has a terrible temper.” The point is clear: All of us have great things about us, but we also can carry around troublesome baggage that is harmful and destructive… and it burdens and encumbers us and everyone around us. That baggage we need to ...

869. A Mother's Love

Mark 7:24-30

Sermon

James W. Moore

... and discarded. But, look at this… Jesus honors her by including her in a philosophical, theological discussion… the kind that was so important in the Greek world of old. Because of this… the Greek woman understands that Jesus is befriending her… and she skillfully rises to the occasion with a brilliant response. She says: Yes, I know the children are fed first, but surely, I can have the crumbs under the table which the children have thrown away. Jesus loved her response. He liked her spirit. Hers ...

870. That's What Jesus Does for Me

Psalm 139:7-12

Sermon

James W. Moore

... could not pinpoint the problem. Meanwhile Jodi was hurting more and more and getting weaker and weaker. Finally, on Tuesday night, she was rushed to the operating room for emergency exploratory surgery. The surgeon discovered that Jodi’s appendix had ruptured. Their skilled hands and our fervent prayers combined to produce a successful surgery and an excellent recovery… and in a matter of weeks Jodi was back teaching school and completely well. Just before we got the word that our daughter was sick, we ...

871. It's Thanksgiving Time!

Psalm 100:1-5

Sermon

James W. Moore

... by what he said about it. He said: "The surest way to be enriched is to share freely what you have, whether it be money, love, appreciation or devotion to a worth cause. Most people spend so much of their lives acquiring financial security that they never develop skill in giving money away. Too late they discover that giving is the greatest joy in life." He goes on to say: "We should be more generous… and to my mind the church is the most worthy recipient in meeting human needs." Each year at this time I ...

872. The Gospel According to Winnie the Pooh

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... take on a rich patina from our past. After two years we do understand gravity. After five or six years we do know how to read. After a few more years we do figure out a few things about interacting with other human beings. The most basic skills for dealing with these new beginnings are part of our childhoods. In the nineteen-twenties a wannabe poet/writer decided to put down a few stories and verses about his young son, a four year old named Christopher Robin. Like all four-year-olds, Christopher Robin ...

873. Luke 24:13-35

Luke 24:13-35

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The Emmaus Road story, told only by Luke, once again demonstrates his masterful narrative skills. What appears on the surface to be a simple journey story turns out to have a multi-layered, richly complex plotline. Within the structure of this story Luke describes the transition of the disciples from disbelief and despair to a more informed understanding of Jesus’ identity, and a newly re- ...

874. Regret & Comfort

John 14:1-14; 1 Cor 15:8-9

Illustration

J. Ellsworth Kalas

... ." Regret. It can eat at your inward being like the most malevolent cancer, destroying by the inch and the hour. And there is no surgeon's knife, no radium or chemical that can reach it. Yet, regret can refine and improve character as only a skilled teacher can do. I venture that there are few great saints who have not possessed a high capacity for regret. Effective regret is the growing edge of godliness. But the key word is "effective!" Saul of Tarsus knew something about regret. His regret was so strong ...

875. The Ability to Hear - Listening

Acts 2:1-41

Illustration

Will Willimon

Communication, an ability to hear, to know what other people "are getting at" and "where they're coming from," has got to be one of the chief characteristics of the effective pastor. I want to be a good communicator, a skillful preacher. Yet before that, I know that I must be a good listener. As someone has said, "A preacher must listen for six days a week -- listening to God and to the hopes, fears, and aspirations of the congregation -- for the right to speak one day a week." I agree. ...

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