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 901 to 925 of 4943 results

901. What Would Jesus Say About Medical Care?

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... care companies, provide insurance, staff hospitals, do social work and become the doctors and nurses to whom ordinary people like me trust their lives. In the name of Jesus Christ today, I challenge you to find a just, compassionate, and fair solution to this concern of America. What would Jesus say? Be motivated by mercy. What would Jesus say about healthcare in America? I think He would say: III. Work together for the good of all. Healing is a team effort. Nobody can operate in their corners anymore. Take ...

902. What Is the Future of United Methodism?

John 2:12-22

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... We still don’t count numbers.” I wonder if a bishop and a general board executive will be consoled by that argument when they wake up one day to discover they are the only remaining members of this denomination. That is denial as far as I am concerned. ‘All of this has been said before,’ say those with their head in the sand. It has been said before: Richard Wilke said it in his book And Are We Yet Alive? twenty-five years ago. Will Willimon said it in his book Rekindling the Flame. Our response ...

903. From Hunger to Satisfaction

Mark 6:30-44

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... today, Jesus feeds 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two sardines. This compelling story told in all four Gospels has a couple of phrases that I want to point out on our way to Holy Communion. The first is a COMMAND given to the disciples who are concerned about a crowd at suppertime. In Verse 37 Jesus responds to them saying, “You give them something to eat." They said to him, “That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat ...

904. Finding Our Place in the Body of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:12-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... one spirit to drink." How can we be truly one? We can check our egos at the door. Every once in a while someone pays me a visit to complain that the church is not meeting their needs. While I am always concerned about effective means of ministry, I suggest the concern is more secular than spiritual. Customers question the effectiveness of providers to meet their needs. You are not a customer; you are a child of God. We were baptized into one Body. Two things happen at baptism. We are claimed and cleansed ...

905. Mulliganeers, All

Luke 13:10-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to be a better person.” Mr. Thomas needs an crash course in Christianity 101. Christianity is not a morality. Christianity is not about getting people to follow a code of right conduct, or to follow certain rules. Christianity isn’t concerned with bringing some sort of moral balance to the universe. Christianity is about entering into a relationship with a redeeming, rising and reigning Lord and making Jesus the Christ Lord of your life. “Religions” have rules. Christianity has a Redeemer. Religions ...

906. Choosing a Master

Matthew 6:16-24

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... problems with food. Her most important insight was that fasting freed her from compulsions about food. Fasting created room "where grace might flow." She begins to help us see what Jesus meant by slavery.4 If food can enslave us, Jesus tells us that our concern for clothing can enslave us as well. As with food, we have taken a necessity and turned it into a burden. Clothes are supposed to protect us from the elements. Clothes also protect our emotional vulnerability. As Adam and Even in the garden, we are ...

907. When You’re Free (In Christ), Sacrifice Is No Burden!

Matthew 10:24-39

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... Warren, teaches, on the basis of our gospel lesson for today, that "each of us will have to give a personal account to God." Eternal rewards are at stake if we have served others with our lives.1 That is only part of the story. Those concerned with purpose-driven living make it too hard, but also too easy. The whole story is evident in today's gospel lesson. Jesus was continuing what we read last week — his commissioning and instruction of the disciples. Keep in mind that most New Testament scholars have ...

908. Ready for God’s Reign

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

Chris Ewing

... of God. It is this that Jesus calls us to be part of, even though the world around us hasn't caught on. "Live tomorrow's life today." Fuel yourselves with all that you know and have experienced of the love and the nature of God and of God's concern for the world; let that oil, drawn into the fibers of your daily existence, flame brightly, bringing God's light to your world. Get some oil in your lamp, keep on burning! A fire-insurance baptism isn't going to do that — a hurried dash to the bridegroom's ...

909. To Say Elohim

Genesis 1:1-2:4a

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... see the problem with that position. If we have God all defined, if he is capable of being grasped in his entirety in the human mind, then he is less than the human mind and cannot be much of a god. That god is too small. The other conclusion that concerns me is the one that says, "We cannot know anything about God" and therefore we shouldn't spend any time thinking about him. That god is meaningless. It's this second position that I want to address today, and I want to do that by directing you to the very ...

910. A Vision of Hope

Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... other. "Though my circumstances remained unchanged," Connie shared, "it wasn't long before my burden began to feel lighter. Instead of turmoil, I now felt comfort and peace. My prayers began to reflect quiet rest in God's presence rather than preoccupation with my concerns." After one month, Connie realized that "walking with God in the middle of the woods is more vital than finding a way out." With God she said, "We find stability, rest, and hope, no matter what path we're on." What seemed like a hopeless ...

911. Will It Last?

1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... left standing. Why did some structures survive? The obvious question for anyone in the process of building would be, "If this were to happen in my neighborhood, would my house hold up? Would it last?" We have seen, for the past several weeks, Paul's concern about the fractured nature of the Corinthian church, a fellowship he had been instrumental in founding. And, as is typical, Paul uses a variety of metaphors and examples to make sure his audience understands what he is saying. In 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, he ...

912. Legacies of Power

Ephesians 1:15-23

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... ? Where do you find the power to be a disciple of Jesus in this world?3 Much of our power depends on the choices we make in life. As we stand at the threshold of a new church year, it's time to make a new year's resolution concerning our own choices. The Power of Choice Choose to love rather than hate. Choose to love rather than hate. Choose to smile rather than frown. Choose to smile rather than frown. Choose to build rather than destroy. Choose to build rather than destroy. Choose to persevere rather than ...

913. Silly Putty, Play-Doh and Potter's Clay

Jeremiah 18:1-11

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. [7] At one moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, [8] but if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will change my mind about the disaster that I intended ... to bring on it. [9] And at another moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, [10] but if it does evil in my sight ...

914. Back to Real Life

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... and God’s way? My guess is that it would change the world overnight. The first thing we need to do after Christmas is to keep trusting God. The second thing we need to do is to take care of those we love. That was Joseph’s primary concern. He loved Mary and he loved their son Jesus and he was committed to doing whatever was necessary to keep them safe and to provide for them not only to provide for them materially, but emotionally and spiritually. That is what we do when Christmas has passed. We keep ...

915. Handling Freedom

Exodus 20:1-17

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... broad brush of meaning any sex outside of wedlock. The biblical concept of adultery refers to a man having sexual intercourse with another man's wife. The problem comes from subsequent children this woman might have: Who's your daddy? That becomes a major concern when passing on property from one generation to the next: It is harder to keep the property in the family when there are conflicting claims about who fathered the heir. The word is "Do not adulterate this family unit" by introducing some "foreign ...

916. Jesus and Divorce

Mark 10:2-16

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... together, let man not separate" (vv. 5-9). I wonder what the Lord would say if he came back today and spoke on the same subject? I suspect that, considering the current situation, he would say the same thing all over again, and particularly if he were as concerned with the protection of women, for that, after all, was the force of his words in the first place. We say "You've come a long way, baby!" — well, almost too far when it comes to divorce. According to statistics, the vast majority of women who are ...

917. Winning Over Worry

Matthew 6:25-33

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... they have nothing but the best - they worry about them ... but Jesus says, "Don't." To be sure, he is not saying that everyone will be provided with the latest designer fashions; what he is saying is that they do not make any difference. As far as God is concerned, clothes do not make the man (or the woman), because if they did, the flowers and the grass would be higher up on the scale of things than we are. The necessities of life, the length of life, the quality of life - are all things that tend to worry ...

918. Christmas In the Crossfire

Titus 2:11-14

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... tried to be somewhat sensitive and not extend the wish to my Jewish or Muslim friends. That would have made no sense, but I have never felt particularly reluctant to say it. Have you? What brings it to mind is this bizarre concern that some people have been supposedly feeling in recent years about being prevented from wishing folks, "Merry Christmas." Apparently, it all started when somebody on FOX News started a "Christmas Under Siege" campaign noting that many businesses were not wishing shoppers, "Merry ...

919. The Thoughts of Our Hearts

Luke 2:22-40

Sermon

Robert J. Elder

... officials who are busily going about their duties. Just a pious old man and a slightly mad woman even notice Jesus and his parents. But one day, later in the gospel, Jesus will enter this same temple in anger and brand it a den of robbers. Luke was concerned about those who would say that Jesus had no respect for, or understanding of, the laws of his own people. Jesus was raised according to the laws of his people. But he could see beneath the surface obedience of laws into people's hearts. We can sometimes ...

920. Words That Wound, Words That Heal

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Sermon

Thomas Lentz

... you; I hate you.' Words can wound and words can heal." This lesson is particularly poignant for our day. We spend a great deal of time thinking and talking about our diets. We are pre-occupied with what we eat, how we eat, when we eat. We are all very concerned about what goes into our mouths. Are we as interested in what comes out of our mouths? Jesus said, "It's not what goes into the mouth that defiles the person, but what comes out of the mouth that defiles" (Matthew 15:11). Have you listened to the ...

921. God, The Good Ally

Exodus 20:1-17

Sermon

Ken Lentz

... the latest "insider stories." John Otwell, a Canadian Lutheran theologian, once put it this way, "Much more serious than the mindless swearing or cursing of the modern age is the tendency of believers to use God's name to bless their many personal causes and concerns. The truly blasphemous taking of God's name in vain is that which uses God and the Bible to justify racial discrimination, aggressive war, and a host of other things that are contrary to God's revelation in Christ."1 There is also the issue ...

922. Are You a King?

2 Samuel 23:1-7

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

... that Israel hoped for and the type of kingship that Israel idealized. One who rules in the fear of God, driven by the values of God, concerned for the widow and orphan, the marginalized and oppressed. One who rules over people justly, which is to say, one who is concerned with the public's well-being, not just with the power and privilege of a few. One who is concerned with a fair distribution of goods, access, and power. So, like two bookends, we have, at the beginning and end of the books of Samuel, an ...

923. Antagonist: Antagonists in the Church

Illustration

Kenneth C Haugk

... to reason with them, but they will not be reasoned with). Identifying Antagonists Is his/her behavior disruptive? Is the attack irrational? Does he/she go out of h/h way to initiate trouble? Does h/s make insatiable demands? Are h/h concerns minimal or fabricated? Does h/s avoid causes that involve personal risk/suffering/sacrifice? Does h/h motivation appear selfish? Red Flags To Watch For: Previous track record Parallel track record (antagonist at work, school, club, etc.) Nameless others: "At least 24 ...

924. Kids' Advice On Love

Humor Illustration

... 9) It gives me a headache to think about that stuff. I'm just a kid. I don't need that kind of trouble. (Kenny, 7) CONCERNING WHY LOVE HAPPENS BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE No one is sure why it happens, but I heard it has something to do with how you smell. That ... t want to do it. It takes too long to learn. (Leo, 7) Like an avalanche where you have to run for your life. (Roger, 9) CONCERNING WHY LOVERS OFTEN HOLD HANDS They want to make sure their rings don't fall off, because they paid good money for them. (David, 8) ...

925. Bear the Light

John 1:19-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... unsettling was that John’s demand of repentance and the need for baptizing was issued to a Jewish audience — those who were by definition already God’s chosen, privileged people. John’s baptizing practices were definitely problematic and those most concerned with issues of proper purification, the Pharisees, demanded some additional explanation. They didn’t get it. Instead once again John turns the focus of the discussion away from himself and his activities and towards “The one who is coming ...

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