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 1101 to 1125 of 1622 results

1101. Just Deal with It

Luke 20:27-38

Sermon

Scott Bryte

... Jesus and told him this big, long hypothetical story: an elaborate and drawn-out set-up. And then for the punch line, they asked a question. Only it really wasn't a question. You ask a question if you want to learn something; a fact perhaps, or someone's opinion, maybe some bit of wisdom. The Sadducees don't want to learn from Jesus. Their question wasn't really a question at all. It was a quiz, a logical trap. "There's this woman, see, and her husband dies, which is very sad, and they have no children ...

1102. The Overflowing Tea Cup

Mark 7:1-23

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

... about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he could no longer restrain himself. "It is overflowing! No more will go in!" "Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?" In today's Gospel, Jesus encounters a group of people who, like Nan-in's visitor, are full cups that need to be emptied if they are ever to receive his message.

1103. The Trouble With Stables

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... fall deeply and deliciously in love. They plan a beautiful life together. They marry. They have children. They create a lovely home. All goes well. And suddenly, it's over. You see, boy has met another girl ... younger, prettier, no stretch marks, no independent opinions ... and boy takes off, leaving girl number one with the children, the mortgage, and a boat load of broken dreams. That is hard to deal with. The situation is miserable. There is anger. There is hurt. There is grief. There is a feeling of ...

1104. The Gospel By Starlight

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... alignment in Aries as a sign that a powerful leader was born. "In fact it would have even meant that (the leader was) destined to die at an appointed time." So, is that the answer? We have no idea. As Professor Mathews says, "There are plenty of strong opinions out there. I think this is as good as you can do for now." This brief story has been described as the entire gospel crammed into a few short paragraphs. How about simply the gospel by starlight? It begins with God getting the attention of people who ...

1105. The Truth, The Whole Truth, And Nothing But The Truth

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... to information that he wishes were true even if it's not. Did you catch that? A devotion to information that he wishes were true even if it's not — okee-dokee. "I'm not a fan of facts," he says. "You see, facts can change, but my opinion will never change, no matter what the facts are." Uh-huh. Colbert is a comedian, but in hearing him one wonders whether he has not opened a window into our souls. Are we more devoted to truth ... or truthiness? William Bastone, the editor of The Smoking Gun website ...

1106. Choosing a God

1 Kings 18:20-21 (22-29) 30-39

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... a confrontation. Once and for all, they would determine just who the God of Israel would be. It would be a fight to the finish with the entire nation as witness. The word went out and the people gathered at the mountain. "How long will you waver between two opinions?" asked Elijah. "If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him" (1 Kings 18:21). Short and to the point. The word of the prophet was, "Choose a God." Of course, they would have preferred not to. They would have been content to ...

1107. Lent 2

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18, Psalm 27:1-14, Luke 13:31-35, Philippians 3:17--4:1

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... better pay attention! They didn’t understand so they kept quiet about their hilltop experience. How does this story interface with twenty-first-century discipleship? There’s a lot we don’t understand and we must learn to ponder without forming opinions. We may have strange experiences that simply cannot be documented or explained. That’s okay. Language of the spirit often is not verifiable but is true nevertheless, like a myth is true and not necessarily factual. Synonyms for transfiguration work ...

1108. Proper 26

Psalm 119:137-144, Isaiah 1:10-18, Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4, Luke 19:1-10, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... the sermon might explore the major themes of the prophets and explicate how Jesus falls in line with them and how he extends expectations. Consider how the concept of sin changes and how the concept of manners and acceptability change. When Jesus ignores popular opinion and goes home with Zacchaeus, he sets up a new etiquette for his followers. A sermon title might be: Etiquette for Friends of Jesus. Contemporary Affirmation We believe that God is, was, and will be; we call God Mystery, Creator, Holy, I AM ...

1109. The Lost Five Commandments

Mark 12:35-40

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... aboard, surely it was a good idea. The old-fashioned “band wagon” continues today with daily reports of what is electronically “trending,” or what is being “tweeted” around. We happily “pile in” and go along for the ride, wherever the wave of public opinion is heading. We humans can be such lemmings. Just look at the power of fashion in our lives. Or remember Candid Camera. Anyone remember Candid Camera? There is a classic Candid Camera episode. In one a man walks into a doctor’s waiting ...

1110. The Difference a Baby Makes

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan

... Christmas it was to symbolize the words of Isaiah that the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. Christmas represents hope. There is no finer symbol of hope than the birth of a child. As Carl Sandburg wrote: “A baby is God’s opinion that life should go on . . .” In his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela tells about the impact a baby had on his life. Mandela had been a political prisoner for fourteen years doing hard labor in a rock quarry on infamous Robben Island, South ...

1111. Strength through Diversity

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... Jews as a race, culture, and religion led directly to the Holocaust. These historical events stunted the world's ability to grow for a time. We were all the losers. We need to root out the attitude of exclusivity, the idea that some people, ideas, opinions, and attitudes are acceptable while others are not. We may not agree with certain ways of doing things, but we cannot dismiss them out of hand. Such behavior not only contradicts the message of Paul and his diversity of spiritual gifts for the common good ...

1112. The Blood of The Lamb and The Voice of The Shepherd

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... of sheep and shepherds, we should not be surprised that this fourth Sunday of Easter has historically been designated by the church as "Good Shepherd Sunday." I once knew someone who actually grew up on a sheep farm. He said that, contrary to popular opinion, sheep are not that dumb. He said that cattle ranchers are the ones responsible for spreading that ugly misunderstanding because sheep do not behave like cows. He said that cows are herded from the rear by hooting cowboys with cracking whips, but that ...

1113. When God Adds Insult to Injury

Colossians 2:6-15

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... our faith as trust of the heart, this half calls us to think through what we believe, not necessarily accepting what we have always heard and thought. We can never agree on everything, but we can agree together to seek the truth, respecting each other's opinions. What do we do with all of the divisions within the body of Christ? Is there any hope for unity? Can we call other Christians our brothers and sisters, even if we think differently? This passage shows us two things to cling to in that hope. First ...

1114. The Word Alone

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

... a unique word. This is the only time it occurs in the New Testament. It refers to wisdom that comes from God, or quite literally, God's Spirit has been infused or breathed upon it. Therefore, more than just the creative thoughts or opinion of some authors writing on papyrus, scripture has a unique divine authority unlike any other writing. That authority, that power, is shown in what God's word accomplishes. It inspired faith with a wisdom that transcends human knowledge. It teaches, reproofs, and corrects ...

1115. Rally or Rail?

John 18:28-40

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... dead! And I have to leave today!” The wise old abbot looked at him and said, “What wise men they must be, to not be swayed by either the empty blessings or angry curses of other people. They must know true happiness.” How many of us allow the opinions of others to sway us rather than be true to our colors as followers of Christ? There is a third reason why we may rail rather than rally. Have we really enthroned Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords in the first place? Eric Geiger, Michael Kelley ...

1116. A New Name

Isaiah 62:1-5

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... Teresa Now think of the names of people in your life who have influenced you parents grandparents other relatives Sunday school teachers schoolteachers pastors friends classmates coworkers The first set of names you have read about, and you have formed opinions from someone else's perception. The latter are names that you know or have known personally. They have intersected your life either positively or negatively. Charles Swindoll reminds us that in Pilgrim's Progress the pilgrim's name throughout the ...

1117. Mugwumpers

1 Kings 18:20-21 (22-29) 30-39

Sermon

Stephen P. McCutchan

... sacrifices. Many people in Israel tried to cover their bases by participating in rituals that responded to both the Canaanite gods and the God of Israel. Elijah challenged the people to choose who they truly worshiped. "How long will you go limping between two different opinions?" (v. 21) or as one translation has it, "How long will you continue to sit on the fence?" To use an 1884 political term: How long will you be mugwumpers — that is people who like to keep their mug on one side of the fence and ...

1118. A Marriage Made In Heaven

Hosea 1:2-10

Sermon

Chrysanne Timm

... 't we always been taught to trust that the Lord will do what is best for us? Haven't we been told that God will never give us more than we can handle? It would seem that when we are talking about challenging marriages, God has a very high opinion of Hosea, son of Beeri. This isn't the first time that God has commanded a person who is faithful to God to do a very difficult thing. In Genesis 6:14, the Lord commands Noah, Make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover ...

1119. Making Something Out Of Nothing

Haggai 1:15b—2:9

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

... the people. The good news is that God meets us where we are, not where we want or would prefer to be. Former President George W. Bush learned the hard way the value and importance of meeting people where they are when, in the opinion of many, he made the mistake of not going into the Hurricane Katrina disaster area quickly enough after that event. Apparently the Chinese leadership learned from President Bush's mistake; after the 2008 massive earthquake, they were almost immediately on the ground in the ...

1120. When We Don't Know God

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... great piety, “Oh, yes, if you follow Jesus, you will be persecuted.” How we cheapen the sufferings of the saints when we say that. Oh, you mean you might not get invited to a neighbor’s party because they’re worried you will embarrass them with your opinions? That’s persecution? Your neighbors might speak critically of you? The truth of the matter is that modern day Christians are more apt to persecute than to be persecuted. That’s because we do not know Jesus. How can you and I come to know God ...

1121. No Substitutes

Galatians 3:15-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... organization pattern. Advertising extols the virtues of conformity . . . This same sort of logic should have convinced Columbus that the world was flat and the Wright brothers that man could never fly. Thank God that some [people] of all ages have dared to dispute the majority opinion when it was in error.” Do you get what he is saying? There is tremendous pressure in our society for us to conform, for each of us to be like everyone else. Now I am not arguing for us to become crackpots or eccentrics. But ...

1122. Luke 12:13-21

Luke 12:13-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

There is no escaping hecklers. Preachers, politicians, any public speaker will someday find themselves confronted by a heckler. A heckler is someone with their own agenda who is anxious to take advantage of a gathered, attentive audience to voice that opinion publically. In this week’s gospel text, Jesus encounters a “heckler.” But he then uses the seemingly unrelated concerns of this man to connect both the larger crowd and Jesus’ own chosen disciples to a clearer vision of true faithfulness and ...

1123. The Dirt on Jesus

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... There is no escaping hecklers. Preachers, politicians, any public speaker will someday find themselves confronted by a heckler. A heckler is someone with their own agenda who is anxious to take advantage of a gathered, attentive audience to voice that opinion publically. In this week’s gospel text, Jesus encounters a “heckler.” But he then uses the seemingly unrelated concerns of this man to connect both the larger crowd and Jesus’ own chosen disciples to a clearer vision of true faithfulness ...

1124. The Church Is the Place

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... same way the Corinthians were chosen by God and called to be “saints.” “To the church of God that is in Corinth,” Paul wrote, reminding them that they were special, called by God to be saints. Even though they were experiencing some differences of opinion Paul was reminding them that they needed to continue working together to accomplish God’s desire and purpose. They needed to pause to see the bigger picture of what God was calling them to do and cease their petty disputes. We today are part of ...

1125. Work Like the Who?

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

... after time about the dangers of riches. And we know it’s true we cannot serve God and money. Money may be our number one national obsession. One estimate has it that close to one‑half of the nation’s divorces are due to differences of opinion on how to handle the family finances. And those couples are comparatively lucky. A sociological study in Chicago found that some 40.2 percent of all desertion cases were rooted in monetary tension between the husband and wife as were 45 percent of the reported ...

Showing results