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 951 to 975 of 1913 results

951. A Song Sung Blue

1 Samuel 1:1-20

Sermon

Robert Noblett

Years ago, Neil Diamond wrote and recorded a song that became quite popular; it was entitled “Song Sung Blue.” The lyrics have long left me, but that title came rushing back when I began looking at David’s lament for Saul and Jonathan. That’s a good definition of a lament a song sung blue. A Medium for Grief At first this might strike us as a bit strange singing our grief but there it clearly is in the first chapter of 2 Samuel: Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,who clothed you daintily in scarlet,who ...

952. When Something Is About To Happen

Mark 13:32-37

Sermon

Thomas Long

"I'll tell you what keeps me coming to this church." The man who spoke was punching the air with his finger, pronouncing every word with force, and the dozen or so other people in the room turned to listen. The group called themselves the "Searchers Class," and had done so since the time, more than ten years before, when, as young adults, they had formed an alternative church school class. As the "Searchers" crept into middle age, the act of searching itself seemed to take more and more energy. Indeed, the ...

953. Christ The King

John 18:28-40, 2 Samuel 23:1-7, Daniel 7:1-14, Revelation 1:1-3, Revelation 1:4-8

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: At this end of the Church year we pay homage to Christ as our king through his cross. COMMENTARY Old Testament: 2 Samuel 23:1-7 These words are purported to be the last words of King David, though some scholars think that it comes from a much later era. The introduction identifies him as: "King David, the son of Jesse ...a man raised on high." Like Jesus, he had a lowly beginning and exalted end. The passage is actually a song that raises the point that God blesses the people ruled by a righteous ...

954. Epiphany 8

Hosea 2:2-23, Mark 2:18-22, 2 Corinthians 3:1-6

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: The marriage covenant in both the First Lesson and the Gospel provides an image of the kind of intimacy which God seeks with his people. For Hosea this means going back to the honeymoon period (the Exodus). In the Gospel Jesus suggests that he is the bridegroom and his disciples are the bride. It was a fitting time to celebrate the marriage. COMMENTARY Old Testament: Hosea 2:14-23 The prophet Hosea speaks the word of God to the eighth century people of Israel (the northern kingdom). It was an age of ...

955. Proper 25

Hebrews 7:11-28, Job 42:7-17, Job 42:1-6, Mark 10:46-52

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: God in Christ is ever available to hear and heed our cries for mercy. COMMENTARY Old Testament: Job 42:1-6, 10-17 The story of Job comes to completion as the sufferer comes to acknowledge his own finitude and God's power. Job does not receive a direct answer to his questions but receives something better, the very presence of God. "I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you" (v. 6). This verse contrasts knowledge of God from tradition with a more direct relationship of God ...

956. God, The Holy Spirit

Acts 2:1-13

Drama

Jerry Eckert

Comment: In Volume 2 of this set, there were two sermons on the Trinity: "God the Father," which was a telling of a meeting of two old friends; and "God, the Son," which was an interview with John the Baptist. These were done at Faith United Methodist Church in Milwaukee. The third in the series on the Trinity is this use of the "You Are There" format. After feeling successful using it two years earlier for the Tower of Babel story, the story that is the Old Testament antecedent to the story of Pentecost ...

957. Boaz: I Am Blessed!

Ruth 4:13-22, Ruth 3:1-18

Drama

Dr. Raymond Bailey

THEME: Our God uses traditions to bless, but He isn't stuck in them. He will even bypass normal traditions when it will accomplish His purposes. SETTING FOR THE SERMON MONOLOGUE: On two successive Sundays in the fall of 1994, the Old Testament lectionary reading was from the book of Ruth. In the first one, I extolled Naomi. The message title was "How's Your Mother-In-Law?" It centered on the need to recognize people seldom recognized. In a sense, the book of Ruth is about her. It is principally, however, ...

958. The TV Revolution

Sermon

Michael Rogness

As the dominant medium of social expression, television is pervasive in a profound way that we seldom recognize fully. Because most of us get most of our information about the society most of the time from television, it becomes the primary social fact of our lives.2 -- James Monaco Preaching Today While visiting many congregations I am constantly astonished to hear how much complaining there is about preaching. Faithful churchgoers find themselves wondering, "What's happened to good preaching?" "Where ...

959. The Set Face And The Turned Head

Luke 9:51-56, Luke 9:57-62

Sermon

Larry Powell

"I know you've been sworn in and I've read your complaint." So begins Judge Wapner as another case unfolds on the popular television series, "People's Court." Repeating the phrase before each case, the implication is that the litigants have already placed their hands on the Bible and sworn to tell nothing "but the truth." However, courtroom cases do not progress far until it becomes apparent that either the plaintiff or the defendent is lying. Immediately, the whole matter of swearing-in comes into ...

960. Lent 5

John 11:1-16, John 11:17-37, John 11:38-44, John 11:45-57

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

"Get a life!" is the new catch phrase for the 90s. It is said that it replaces the slogan of the 80s, "Have a nice day." Now, they say, the smiley stuff no longer works in the present when times are harder and people have to knuckle down and get serious about doing what they have to do. "Get a life" - where does one get life? Is it earned? Is it a gift? In today's miracle, raising Lazarus from death to life, Jesus gave him life. Can anyone give life other than Jesus? Why did Jesus bring Lazarus back to ...

961. God's Gift Of Life

Psalm 139:1-24

Sermon

Erskine White

For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst knit me together in my mother's womb. (Psalm 139:13) Fathers in earlier generations usually weren't allowed to do this, but I have had the splendid privilege of watching and helping as two of my children were born. The first time, the experience was new and overwhelming. I felt I had witnessed God's hands at work in the world and when our baby was safely delivered, I was left groping for inadequate words to describe what I had seen. The word "awesome" came to ...

962. The Message In The Means

Sermon

Erskine White

On that silent, holy night so long ago in Bethlehem, we all know what God did, don't we? We've heard it said many times: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son ..." (John 3:16). "The Word became flesh and dwelled among us ..." (John 1:14). Or, as the Christmas carol puts it: Remember Christ our SaviorWas born on Christmas Day,To save us all from Satan's powerWhen we had gone astray. Yes, we all know what God did at Christmas, but have we thought very much about how God did it? Have ...

963. Proper 7

1 Kings 19:9-18, Psalm 63:1-11, Zechariah 12:1-9, Luke 8:26-39, Galatians 3:23-29

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The preacher, who hopes to make the most of the lectionary and the church year during the long season of Pentecost, has to be cognizant of the kerygmatic accent marks that are built into the church year. Sunday is always the "little Easter," a celebration - if muted, at that - of the death and resurrection of our Lord; it is also the Ogdoad, the eighth day, or the day of new creation. Thus, the church is reminded that it and the people of God have been made new by Jesus Christ, and that a ...

964. The Problem With Miracles In Our Time

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

William J. Carl

If the truth be known, most of us would have to admit that we walk a very fine line between believing and not believing. There are times in our lives when, yes, we do seem to believe all these things we say about God when we read the Bible and sing the hymns in our own churches. There are even times when we’d say, yes, we feel close to God, whatever that means. But there are also those desert times in our lives when we wonder whether or not we believe any of it at all anymore: God, Jesus, the church, ...

965. Prepare The Way Of The Lord

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

James Garrett

Jeannette Clift George, director of the Houston-based A. D. Players, sent me a copy of her book titled Travel Tips from a Reluctant Traveler. It’s a delightful book with many helpful tips for the journey of life. In the opening chapter she writes: “My cousins live in Asheville, North Carolina, where Jesse is a prominent surgeon. He is a fine man, a very gracious man, a very loving man, but a man who doesn’t like cats. His wife, Frances, is a delightful person who loves cats. “One day, a little neighbor ...

966. Jerusalem: City for All Time

2 Samuel 5:1-5

Sermon

Donald Zelle

"If you want one simple word to symbolize all of Jewish history, that word would be Jerusalem." So wrote Teddy Kollek in 1981, then mayor of the city. He explained it further. "I do not think you can find any Israelis who are willing to give up Jerusalem. They cannot and will not. This beautiful golden city is the heart and soul of the Jewish people. You cannot live without heart and soul." Similar words, though probably without military overtones, would express the feelings of many Christians. Moslem ...

967. Step Two - Hope

Mk 10:46-52 · 2 Cor 12:7-10 · Is 12:1-6

Sermon

John A. Terry

Step two. "Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity." One word sometimes used to summarize this step is the word hope. We are going to look at today's texts as they relate to believing God restores us as we turn our lives over to that Power greater than ourselves. In the Old Testament reading, Isaiah sings a song of deliverance. The words might sound like a call for personal deliverance, but it is really a song for the deliverance of the nation and a call for a ...

968. Why Did Jesus Do That?

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

Johnny Dean

If there’s one thing we Americans value above everything else, it’s freedom. We cherish, guard and exercise our freedom, and woe be unto those who threaten it in any way. We’re even willing to go to war to defend freedom, whether it’s ours or someone else’s. We are the world’s self-appointed watchdogs of freedom. But Jesus says there’s a higher value than freedom. The first words the writer of the Gospel of Matthew has Jesus speak are not about freedom, but about obedience to the will of God. That’s what ...

969. Fingerprints on the Chalice

Luke 22:7-38

Sermon

Steven Burt

A while ago, while at a three-day pastor’s retreat, I overheard two young pastors discussing what happens at Communion. One wanted to discuss transubstantiation and consubstantiation -- that is, what actually happens to the bread and wine when the priest or minister pronounces that they are the body and blood of Christ. The second wanted to theorize about the effect the elements had on the worshippers when they took in the body and blood (or the bread and juice, if it wasn’t actually transubstantiated.) I ...

970. "Oh Yeah, Thanks a Lot" -The Grateful Leper

Sermon

Ron Lavin

On a certain day, long ago, I awoke and said: "Another day ... If only I could sleep all day ... Sleep is so comfortable ... I'd like to go back to sleep ... But the pain makes it impossible ..." "Another day ... I'll get up and do something. What shall I do? What do I ever do? No purpose... no reason ... If I could only do something, I might get my mind off this pain. "Another day ... I must begin with prayer ... Sometimes I wonder if it does any good. Sometimes I'm sure that if I didn't pray I would go ...

971. "Crown Him Lord of all!"

Sermon

William Luoma

According to the three-year ecumenical lectionary, developed in recent years, the Sunday before Easter is primarily known as the Sunday of the Passion, instead of Palm Sunday. The procession with palm branches is still recommended, but the emphasis of the day has shifted to the Passion of Christ, as seen in the suggested lengthy Gospel readings appointed. In this worship service, however, we have chosen to lift up the Palm Sunday theme, and to focus on the kingship of Christ and his triumphal entry into ...

972. Praise God For Adversity

Isaiah 43:14-28

Sermon

Carl Hoefler

Praise fills the pages of the Bible and dominates our hymnals; but, it is often difficult to find it in us as Christians. Praise is not easy to define. Most Bible dictionaries include it under the general classification of prayer, and it is frequently associated with the act of thanksgiving. In our First Lesson today, the author of Second Isaiah presents praise as the only response that a faithful people can make; because there is nothing else that God requires or desires. God is about to do a great deed. ...

973. The Bridge

John 1:1-18, Matthew 2:1-12, Luke 2:8-20, Luke 2:1-7, Luke 1:26-38, Genesis 3:1-24

Drama

H. J. Hizer

Narrator: Opening: Genesis 3:8-15 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him "Where are you?" And he said "I heard the sound of thee in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself." He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat ...

974. Living Passionately

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

Text: Luke 4:18-19 - "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Some years ago a friend wrote to the Russian author, Turgenev, telling him that he felt that the most important thing in life was to put one's self in second place. Turgenev replied to his friend: "I suspect that the ...

975. Saving A Church

Hebrews 12:1-13

Sermon

I imagine that different letters in the New Testament were written with varying degrees of haste. Paul wrote an angry letter to the church at Corinth. You can tell that as he wrote it he had a lot of things on his mind. On the other hand, the Book of 1st Thessalonians consists almost entirely of prayers and praise. Obviously, there was not a great sense of urgency about the letter. When Paul wrote his brief letter to Philemon, he told his friend and former slave, Onesimus, to personally deliver it. It ...

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