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 1151 to 1175 of 2669 results

1151. Augustine, Defender of the Faith

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

... race, inherit a moral disease - from these evils we can be saved only by God’s grace. It is not our choice. The Almighty elected and chose us to be the saved and part of his redeemed family. (This idea of predestination and election profoundly shaped the belief of John Calvin, about whom we will hear more later in this series.) Dean Fischer at Grand View College here in Des Moines tells a humorous story about graduation day last spring. He was amazed to see, complete with robe and mortar board, one of the ...

1152. Hot Tubs and Fishing Trips

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

Thomas Long

... around the renewal of their marriage "contract" and send the following invitation to their friends: Kate Smith and Harvey Holroyd request your presence at a Spring Festival - a Celebration of Open Commitment and Feeling Exchange where we can just Be. Come reaffirm with us our belief that in Life, it’s the Journey that counts, not the Goal.1 However well-aimed such parody may be, it is not the whole story. It is true that many of our attempts at change are laughably naive and shallow, but taken as markers ...

1153. Wait and Witness

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

Richard A. Jensen

... Acts 1:6-11, he gives us a fuller version of Jesus’ parting, of his ascension into heaven. Jesus’ ascension into heaven is one of the basic realities of his life and ministry. In the Apostles’ Creed, Christians throughout the ages have confessed their belief that Jesus, "... ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father." The Nicene Creed confesses faith in his ascension using the very same words. Being seated at the right hand of God is not a reference to some actual geographical ...

1154. All-Out Love

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

James W. Robinson

... . They hope to find blasphemy and treason in his responses. What pastor has not found himself in somewhat the same situation? The telephone rings in the parsonage, manse, or rectory. A caller, who prefers to remain anonymous, launches a mini-probe of the pastor’s beliefs about heaven and hell, and how he advises his flock to reach the former and escape the latter. If the pastor fails to answer to his satisfaction, the caller warns him that he is on the path to perdition, and proceeds to outline the plan ...

1155. Take a Close Look (At the Widow)!

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

James W. Robinson

... her dark night of the soul. Was she isolated? Was she lonely? Almost certainly. There was a stigma attached to being a widow in those days. Few Hebrew laws gave sympathetic consideration to her plight. "One reason for this strange neglect may be the Hebrew belief that death before old age was a calamity, a judgment for sin which was extended to the wife that was left. It was therefore a disgrace to be a widow."[1] The word "widow" itself implies disgrace. " ‘Widow’ in Hebrew resembles the word meaning ...

1156. In Control

Mark 13:1-31

Sermon

James W. Robinson

... the presence of a superior rationality behind the existence of the universe as it is to comprehend a theologian who would deny the advances of science." He said of space flights: "Our outlook ... at the vast mysteries of the universe only confirms our belief in the certainty of its Creator."2 This, then, is God’s world by virtue of Creation. But even as we respond to that with a hearty "Amen," we - humankind - seem driven to usurp prerogatives of ownership and management that the Father Creator ...

1157. Waiting

Isaiah 63:7--64:12

Sermon

Thomas D. Peterson

... ? Are not all examples we give blessed with the opportunity to be life-giving? William James wrote, Were one asked to characterize the life of religion in the broadest and most general terms possible, one might say that it consists of the belief that there is an unseen order, and that our supreme good lies in the harmoniously adjusting ourselves thereto.* * William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, (New York, The New American Library, 1958), p. 58. The Mosaic heritage puts it more concisely. God ...

1158. A Way Back In

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

Thomas D. Peterson

... help others find a way back in. One has to do with love. We treat them by recognizing and respecting the good in them which at the time they may not be able to see. We believe in their ultimate worth, and we want to enjoy it with them. Our belief is expressed in practical caring that does not turn loose even when things look hopeless. This is not the love of romance novels, but it is the love which permits others from getting so far out on a limb that they cannot get back in. The second skill is knowledge ...

1159. Movin’ Around Room

Isaiah 43:14-28

Sermon

Thomas D. Peterson

... gives us a beautiful illustration of this. He confronts the crippled man at the Pool of Bethzatha (John 5:2-9). This cripple had been locked in for 38 years to his excuse. "I do not have anyone to move me to the pool when the water is disturbed." The belief was that from time to time an angel flew over the pool and disturbed the surface. The first person to touch the water after the angel’s visitation would be healed. This poor man had no one, only his excuses. He was on a ten-inch leash. Jesus, looking ...

1160. Fourth Sunday in Lent

2 Chronicles 36:15-23, Ephesians 2:1-10, John 3:1-21

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... set a most familiar and beloved New Testament verse (3:16) into its proper textual context, which is a matter of life and judgment, light and darkness. It should be noticed, too, that what precedes and follows verse 16 at least suggests a non-Pauline understanding of belief as something humanly generated as a response to Christ’s Passion rather than divinely given in that event. Call to Worship Leader: We meet in the name of the God who gave a Son to the world! People: WE MEET IN THE NAME OF THE GOD WHO ...

1161. Palm Sunday

Isaiah 50:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Philippians 2:1-11

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... , but of heavenly power and promise. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen Prayer of Confession Merciful God, we confess that we are so fond of glory and glamour and glitter that we often fail to see the deep spiritual implications of even our most cherished beliefs, or to acknowledge the human cost at which they were purchased. Forgive us our distraction. Help us to see in the events of this Holy Week that Christ’s spiritual triumph comes, as it must, cloaked in human sacrifice and tragedy. In the name of ...

1162. Easter 2

Acts 4:32-37, 1 John 1:5--2:14, John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... RISEN CHRIST ON THE BASIS OF THE REPORTS OF OTHERS. Leader: The risen Christ did not stifle the doubt of Thomas, but provided irrefutable evidence that satisfied it. People: SO MAY GOD IN CHRIST BREAK THROUGH OUR DOUBTS WITH EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS BELIEF. Collect Most understanding God, who gave us inquiring and skeptical minds for the discerning of truth, help us to overcome our misguided notions of faith and to admit our honest doubts; that, presenting our uncertainties and misgivings to you and Christ, we ...

1163. Proper 13

2 Samuel 12:1-31, Ephesians 4:1-16, John 6:25-59

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... , the subject now is spiritual sustenance. Jesus now prods the crowd who were fed the day before to turn their attention to the imperishable and enduring food of eternal life. When asked what task (or "work") they might perform to earn such bread, Jesus asserts simply "belief in" himself, for God has given the "true" Bread from above. Call to Worship Leader: As God gave the children of Israel manna to satisfy their hunger in the desert, People: SO GOD HAS GIVEN US BREAD FROM HEAVEN THAT IS LIFE TO THE WORLD ...

1164. Proper 14

2 Samuel 18:1-18, John 6:25-59, Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... : God’s gracious spiritual nourishment Exegetical Note The two "I am the bread" sayings here are followed by a series of declarations to the effect that it is God who provides the spiritual nourishment and who takes the initiative in drawing people to belief. Verses 45 and 46 do not teach a clear doctrine of predestination, but certainly can be used to support one, if only because, like the doctrine, they point to God’s sovereignty in the redemptive process. Call to Worship Leader: Listen, people: Jesus ...

1165. The Discipline of Witnessing

Isaiah 43:1-13

Sermon

... our faith, but in the meantime we’re content with a once-a-week drill. The only problem is, the war has already broken out! (I don’t refer to the war in Southeast Asia; I’m talking about the war between faith and unfaith, the conflict between belief and the estrangement and alienation that separates us from God.) If we don’t go out to witness in these days the next generation may not be aware of the conflict, for Christianity may pass from the scene! Let me admit that I, too, have real difficulties ...

1166. LORD, I BELIEVE

John 9:35-41

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

... my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were all my business. My dealing in trade was but a drop of water in the ocean of the comprehensive demands of my business." Again, too little Christianity reduces our faith - so called faith - to fatalism. A cheap belief in God is always an easy way out of the hard challenges of life. A psychologist tells us of talking to a girl who was a college senior. She had a pressing personal problem. The decision was not easy, and it would have far-reaching ...

1167.

Drama

David E. Ullery

... sympathy from me? Caiaphas: Not sympathy, sir, but I would like to have you place a guard at Jesus’ tomb. Pilate: Place a guard? Are you out of your mind? He’s dead! What more can you do? Caiaphas: You don’t understand. There is a popular belief that Jesus will come forth from the dead - return to life. Sergius: What! Caiaphas: He is claimed to have brought people from the dead, and some believe that he will do so himself. Pilate: Surely you don’t believe that! Caiaphas: Of course not. But should ...

1168. The Generation Gap

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

William McKee Aber

... it is safe to say that a larger percentage of youth than ever before experiment with drugs and stimulants, from cough syrups and glue to L.S.D! This does not represent a majority but it indicates, I think, a concern of the majority, namely a belief in the validity of the present experience. One takes a trip on L.S.D., I gather from what I read, to feel the heightened sensations of color, perception, form, and feeling. That the experience is hallucinatory is beside the point. There is a real concern for ...

1169. God Isn’t Dead - Death Is Dead

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

Charles L. Koester

... . A millionaire who said, "I’d give it all away to find meaning and purpose for life." There is another fellow of my acquaintance who came to church once a year. He would place a five dollar bill in the Easter offering. Yet, in spite of his belief that he could handle his own affairs, he was spending 25 dollars for a half-hour session with his psychiatrist every week, because his second marriage was going on the rocks. I wonder how many persons, even among you here this morning, have taken, or will take ...

1170. The Preparers

Luke 1:57-66

Sermon

Theodore L. Yewey

... used the bold approach on many occasions. Often it bordered on intrusion. His truth was sharp and pointed. His words hammered to the very heart of the matter, He would not be brushed aside. He thought bold new thoughts and spoke forcefully of his beliefs. He was a disturber, an intruder. He waded into the stagnation of the status quo. He arrested the attention of those he brushed against. John’s very presence left others with an uneasiness about themselves. By such intruding he stirred the senses and ...

1171. The Overlooked

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

Theodore L. Yewey

... least among Protestant Christians, the Mother of our Lord is overlooked. To he honest, we’d have to admit that this overlooking is quite probably intentional. For at times we are a little embarrassed by Mary. At other times, we are uncomfortable and uncertain about our beliefs concerning her place in the story of the birth of Jesus. And so it is when we repeat our creeds saying that our Lord was "... born of the Virgin Mary ..." we clear our throats and mumble and hope thai no one really asks us too much ...

1172. Recognizing The Hidden

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

... a short and illiterate witness that the priest had made. But it came from years of trustful living. His house had been built upon a rock a faith that could move mountains, or calm the dying. His words, while shaped by scripture, were spoken by belief, by a knowledge that the Resurrection of Christ had taken place, for him. The priest stopped talking. The old man nodded, and the face, creased by the years, formed a half-smile. The shades of fear were gone, it was a sudden transformation (perhaps a miracle ...

1173. Gentle Light

1 Corinthians 10:14-22

Sermon

William F. Dunkle

... ’s blame enough to share with both sides, but must there be "sides" at all in Christ’s church? Of course, tolerance is no substitute for the convictions of Christian conscience. Yet however strongly any of us feels about standards of belief and behavior, Saint Paul advises against argumentative attitudes when we deal with potentially divisive or emotional issues. He says, "I try to please ... not seeking my own advantage." Not trying to make debating points. Not trying to manipulate concessions to my ...

1174. Christmas: A Family Service

Drama

Ruthanne Cochran

... .) We dedicate this tree to be a part of our celebration of Christmas. As it has been beautifully decorated and loaded with gifts of love, may our lives bring happiness to others and may we bear God’s gift of love to all - regardless of race, color, or belief. The Prayer Mother: Let us pray: As we celebrate Christmas this year may our home be touched with its beauty and joy. Older Daughter: May we know more of time peace given to the world by the Christ Child. Young Son: Bless all mothers and fathers and ...

1175. LIFE! LIFE! ETERNAL LIFE!

1 Corinthians 15:12-34

Sermon Aid

John W. Rilling

... Easter hoping to get an answer to the gnawing question that Job asked ages ago. "If a man die shall he live again." Let’s face it - no arguments for eternal life will ever persuade any doubting Thomas. The order of persuasion is not from argument to belief, but from venturesome trust to unshakable conviction. The disciples did not come expectantly to the tomb "hoping it might be so." Their progress was not from faith to sight but from sight to faith. They saw the Risen Lord and only then did they begin to ...

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