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 1668 results

1101. Something to Brag About

Galatians 6:11-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... white wool. The weavers would take that perfect white wool and weave it just as it was. But over in another area lay a pile of flawed, tarnished, stained wool. The weavers took the flawed wool and dyed it many colors. Then, with great skill, they began weaving the flawed wool. Weaving 60,000 knots every square meter they took that newly dyed wool and produced magnificent wool rugs. “All of a sudden Donna scarred, stained, flawed, never living up to her own expectations said to herself, that’s what ...

1102. Biblical Passages Are Like Rental Cars

Luke 10:1-24

Illustration

C. Joshua Villines

Biblical passages are, in some ways, like a fleet of rental cars. Some get driven a lot, some are less popular. Some are easy to handle, others take more skill and experience to manage. Almost all of them get abused by their drivers. If today's gospel text were a rental car, it would be a great big SUV with a lot of miles on it. One look at it, and you would know that this one has hauled a ...

1103. Neighborly Prayer

Luke 10:25-37

Illustration

King Duncan

Some of you may be familiar with a story by journalist Tom Junod. It is a true story of a young man afflicted with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy did not affect this young man's mind, but it affected his motor skills and his ability to speak. The boy could only communicate through typing on his computer. In addition to his physical disabilities, the boy suffered emotional problems after some of his care givers callously abused him. Overwhelmed with self-hatred, the boy often hit himself. Using his computer ...

1104. Looking at Jesus from Behind Prison Bars

Matthew 11:2-11

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... world, we see that power now. The arrival of the Messiah didn't instantly fix all of our problems. It didn't free John from prison. Nevertheless, Jesus came bringing power. When we see the church working in the inner city teaching job, parenting, and life skills, that is Jesus' kind of power. When we see people break the power of addiction and live free, that is Jesus' kind of power. When we see the walls of prejudice shattered brick by brick, that is Jesus' kind of power. When we see families healed and ...

1105. Becoming Good Trees

Matthew 5:17-30

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... be strict. It is stressful, but it can produce great rewards. One must nag, scold, cajole, and maybe even threaten in order to motivate a child to practice. Eventually, however, if all goes well (and it doesn't always) the child begins to develop some skill at music. Maybe the child hears a song on the radio and learns to play that song. A turning point occurs. After years of strong-arm tactics, the child begins to practice without scolding. The day finally arrives when the child sits down to play because ...

1106. Always with Us

John 14:15-21

Sermon

Lee Griess

... without guidance or comfort who feel like orphans as well. They can be like the following people. The 55-year-old factory worker is laid off when the plant closes leaving him with no prospect of another job. Too old and too weary to consider re-training, without skills that can be retooled, he feels alone. Unemployed and living off pension funds that will soon run out, who is there to say to him, "I will not leave you as orphans"? I will not abandon you. Or how about the eighty-year-old, alone at home after ...

1107. Sick People Like Us Will Always Need The (Divine) Doctor

Matthew 9:9-13

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... heal his patient, but finds that he is a man who denies that he is sick, calling the doctor a fool and an even sicker person than himself for presuming to cure a healthy man. And because of the man's resistance the doctor cannot get around to recommending his skill and his medicine. For he could do so only if the sick man would admit his illness and permit him to cure him....8 But we all want to be great and good. What of those parishioners of mine and my colleagues who wanted to be built up in church ...

1108. Mistaken Identity

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... instance, acted the part of a genuine cowboy in dozens of motion pictures and fired make-believe rifles and revolvers hundreds of times. Even his last starring role in The Shootist had him portray an aging western gunslinger. Yet, here is what Wayne had to say about his skills with a firearm: "I couldn't hit a wall with a six-gun, but I can twirl one. It looks good!" Appearances can be deceiving. Still, we often trust what we see more than what we read or hear. That is one of the reasons why television is ...

1109. Why Is God Unfair?

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... . For God is not stingy with his wealth or his earnings. There are never any losers when they sit at table with God. God's laughter is always without malice or one-upmanship. This is the gospel according to Jesus' parable. In spite of our good fortunes or savvy playing skills or sheer hard work, we never really win at the game of life when we play it by our own rules. But if God is bending them in the direction of grace, something wonderful always happens. Amen.

1110. Nations on Trial

Matthew 25:31-46

Drama

Chris Ewing

... Notre Dame. We were awed by the grandeur of the cathedral. We spent the day snapping pictures, trudging up and down its steps, and listening in on the insights of tour guides. We were awed by the feats of engineering, physical design, and artisan skill that had gone into its creation ... but we were also awed by the number of Eastern European and Middle-Eastern beggars who roamed the cathedral's square competing with the pigeons for tourist handouts. 2: The strangers? 1: The strangers. 4: In fact, it wasn ...

1111. Burned Beef

Isaiah 42:1-9

Sermon

Tony Everett

... Terry's eyes, Jenny was unable to control herself any longer. She burst into laughter: long, loud, contagious laughter. Jenny grasped Terry's hands and said, "I just knew you'd do that! It's a good thing I didn't marry you for your money or for your cooking skills. Get in the car. Pizza's on me." Jenny was well aware of her husband's tendency to mess up a meal. She chose him out of love. She gazed into his eyes, grasped his hands, and paid for the pizza. She married Terry because she loved him; not because ...

1112. Being a Blessing

Genesis 12:1-4a

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... we count up these blessings, we need to ask the same question of the nation that we ask of ourselves. In what way is our nation a blessing to others? Certainly we can look to things like the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps, where Americans volunteer to offer their skills and training to others. After World War II, the US became a blessing as it used its wealth to rebuild much of the devastation from the war. But let us be honest here, there are also ways that our greatness is used to exploit. There are ways that ...

1113. Are We There Yet?

Acts 1:6-14

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... , in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. — Romans 12:3-8 — Romans 12:3-8 Consider the power of this text. "We who are many, are one body in Christ." Each of us, with our different gifts, skills, and talents, are part of the body of Christ. As members of this body, we need to ask ourselves how well we are performing our various functions. Are those who have the gift of prophecy actually prophesying? Looking around, I would have to say that ...

1114. God, What Are You Up To?

Genesis 12:1-9

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... God, who are called according to his purpose." God's intentions will be fulfilled, regardless of actions or inactions on our part, because God is in ultimate control. In the second verse of Cowper's hymn he says: Deep in unfathomable mines Of never-failing skill [God] treasures up his bright designs, And works his sovereign will. In the television show, God chooses to use actions in Joan's life to accomplish his purposes, but only if she is willing to trust him enough to cooperate. In the Genesis story, God ...

1115. God's Laughter

Genesis 18:1-15, 21:1-7

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... subject of humor, and director of The Carmel Institute of Humor, whatever that is. According to Mr. Wilde's website, National Humor Month "is designed to heighten public awareness on how the joy and therapeutic value of laughter can improve health, boost morale, increase communication skills and enrich the quality of one's life." Wilde says, "Since April is often bleak and grim and taxes are due on the fifteenth, it can be one of the most stressful times of the year. Besides it's the only month that begins ...

1116. Show Me What’s Real

Exodus 33:12-23

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... a handful of friends into a sprawling forty-acre campus in downtown Detroit. Today, Focus: HOPE employs over 500 people, boasts of more than 50,000 volunteers, and has helped over 4,000 people become gainfully employed through job-training programs, and teaching skills for the twenty-first century. "You will not change a thing," Eleanor claims, "by sitting in front of the television with the clicker in your hand."1 This incident from Exodus reminds us to trust in God at all times especially when everything ...

1117. The Way Things Are

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... involved in the creative process: Although it may look like fun to get in there and just throw a blob of clay or get our hands in the paint, we don't confuse that with real artistic ability; nor do we mistake a child's plunking on a piano with skilled jazz improvisation. One of the things I love about Paul's letters is that you can see his mind at work and almost see him pacing back and forth as he dictates. I love that passage we read last week where Paul says, "I only baptized a couple of people ...

1118. Hidden in Plain Sight

1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... that every Christian leader, pastoral or otherwise, should reread Irenaeus' On the Apostolic Preaching annually. This slim volume recounts the basics of the faith and provides a good checklist of essential Christian doctrines. We should never be seduced by glitzy communication skills into abandoning the central teachings of the gospel. What does that mean? I hope we would agree that keeping Christ and the cross at the heart of one's message is not at odds with effective communication. I have sat through ...

1119. By Whose Standards?

1 Corinthians 4:1-5

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... are we to evaluate how we are doing? Paul says we have to abandon conventional wisdom and the normal ways of evaluating. And that is very hard. Because we all know in our bones that even if he is accountable to his master, the oikonomos is more skilled and more highly valued than the huperetes. If there is one thing that pop psychology has taught us, it is that how we feel about ourselves, having a "positive self-image" is terribly important, a notion Paul seems to dismiss in 4b: "I am not thereby acquitted ...

1120. Spiritual Judo

Romans 5:1-11

Sermon

David O. Bales

... what gifts God has granted them for ministry. Then they can discern what ministry God has prepared for that congregation today (not the ministry God had for them four or forty years ago). After they discern God's call to a specific service, they'll know the skills and abilities they'd need from a pastor to help them do their ministry. The interval between pastors can be one of the most creative times in a congregation's life, if they don't waste such a promising problem. Paul's letter to the Roman ...

1121. Boast in Our Suffering

Romans 5:1-8

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... , then you grow in character. And if you grow in character, then you can have hope. And if you have hope, then you will not be disappointed. No, on the contrary, Paul reverses it all. This amazing ability to boast in his suffering is not an acquired skill but a gracious gift. Paul reminds us, "Because God's love has been poured into our hearts" (v. 5), this amazing attitude and disposition is possible. Then Paul reminds us of the basis of his optimistic conviction about the love of God. It has nothing to do ...

1122. David And The Giant

1 Samuel 17:1-58

Children's Sermon

Marti Kramer Suddarth

... , after everyone else protested, David said, “The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” David knew that he had practiced using that sling and that he was quite skilled, but more importantly, he knew that he had God on his side. David knew that God would protect him and help him kill Goliath. If David knew God would protect him, why did he gather five stones? Some people think that maybe David gathered five stones in case ...

1123. The Art of the Con Man

Luke 16:1-15

Illustration

King Duncan

... 's an enterprising young man. We might even call him something of a con man. There's something about a con man that captures the imagination. There have been several successful weekly television shows through the years in which the hero is a former con man now using his creative skills for the greater good. Jesus once told a parable about a man with that kind of wily disposition. He, too, was something of a con man. Most of you know the story quite well.

1124. The Burning Question

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... said. And that warmth, that fire, gave them the power they needed to carry out the mission of God. They received new life and a new source of power, the Holy Spirit. "What does this mean for us?" The same thing. We don't have to rely on our own skills and energies, we don't have to rely on just us. Now we can be filled with the presence of the Risen Christ every moment of every day. "What does this mean?" It means, the Holy Spirit both Fills us and Fuels us with the ongoing presence of the Risen ...

1125. Sitting at the Big People Table

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, 1 Timothy 2:1-7

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... GIVE THANKS TODAY or any day. It's easy to give thanks. I'm thankful for: my family, my health, my Church, my friends and colleagues in ministry. I'm thankful for music, food, for this great country we live in. I'm thankful for my wife and her teaching skills and how God is fulfilling her calling and her life through her profession. I'm thankful for my little brother and the relationship we have. For both of my sons. For my daughter in law. For my grandson who is 2 ½ months old (I've got pictures if you ...

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