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 101 to 125 of 744 results

101. Oh That Cookie Jar Goodness!

Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, Luke 18:18-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) Prop: If you can find one, a “lie detector” device could also serve as an interesting opening (in reference to the movie, “Meet the Parents”) Has anyone had one of those mothers or grandmothers….or maybe a father or grandfather who just seems to know your next move? You’re going for the cookie jar when you hear a voice clear from the other ...

102. One Tough Master?

Matthew 25:14-28

Sermon

Will Willimon

"Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid,...I hid your talent in the ground. " You know with whom we identify in this story of the Parable of the Talents. We are on the side of the little one-talent man. Perhaps because few of us are overburdened with talent, perhaps because we love stories of the little guy who makes good. The woman who stood up to the powers of the IRS and won. Toe worker who fought the great ...

103. "He Who Commands Is He Who Fulfills"

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

Some years ago, a parishioner gently offered his pastor a piece of criticism. It had to do with the way one of the rubrics in the weekly bulletin had for decades been phrased: an asterisk in the margin indicated those times when "the congregation reverently kneels." "You can command people to kneel," said this lay theologian, "but you can’t command that they be reverent about it." Interesting observation. On the one hand he had a point: some people kneel humbly and reverently; others kneel haughtily ( ...

104. Yes!!!

2 Corinthians 1:12--2:4

Sermon

King Duncan

A young fellow was called on to light the candles for the first time in church. This was a big event for the little fellow. He was naturally nervous. He could feel the eyes of the entire congregation on him as he advanced timidly toward the two majestic candlesticks on the altar. It should have been no problem, except for one thing. The candles were very tall, and young Travis was very short, even for a kid. He reached the altar and began his motion upward toward the top of the first candle, but he came up ...

105. Is Your Conscience Clear?

1 Timothy 1:18-19

Sermon

James Merritt

It may surprise you to know that every year the Federal Government receives hundreds of thousands of dollars, plus items ranging from wrenches to silverware, from citizens with a guilty conscience who have cheated on their income taxes. In 1811, the U. S. Treasury established what is known as a Conscience Fund when an anonymous individual mailed the government $5. Since that time, over $4 million has been received from guilt-ridden citizens with a guilty conscience, with donations ranging from a single ...

106. Our Common Life in Christ

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

It glows with light and power today as we turn to verses 1 through 4 of the second chapter of this Philippian letter. “If then our common life in Christ yields any thing to stir the heart, any loving consolation, any sharing of the Spirit, any warmth of affection or compassion, fill up my cup of happiness by thinking and feeling alike with the same love for one another, the same turn of mind, and a common care must be no room for rivalry and personal vanity among you, but you must humbly reckon others ...

107. The Four Sacred Chords of Home

Mark 13:24-37

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Salmon do it. Hummingbirds do it. Butterflies do it. Turtles do it. All these creatures, and many more: they all . . . go home again. Salmon find their way from the vast ocean back to whatever tiny tributary in which they were hatched. Hummingbirds fly over 6000 miles to find their nesting sites. Butterflies congregate in the same trees, generation after generation. Migrating turtles closed down whole runways this past summer (2011) at JFK Airport as they made their way back to home ground. The instinct to ...

108. The Intersection Of The Cross

Matthew 5:31-32

Sermon

Mark Radecke

The pastor finishes reading the Gospel text and the people squirm more than usual. What will he say? What can he say? The passage he has just read proclaims a chain of hard sayings, some of them impossibly harsh, condemning sin and strengthening the commandments. Anger, insulting speech, adultery, lust and swearing oaths are all roundly condemned. But it is the stark prohibition against divorce that has the people wondering what he will say. In the text, Jesus clearly says, "No divorce." The pastor must be ...

109. The Quality of Mercy

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

"... Forgive your brother from your heart ..." - Matthew 18:35 A very long time ago a ruler of many people, a king, decided to settle accounts with all who were in his realm. As they came one by one before him, one of those who came was found to owe the astronomical sum of 10,000 talents. Now that was a lot of money, literally an imponderable amount - something like the "national debt," I suppose. Of course, the man was unable to pay. In those days a citizen who owed more then he was able to pay could be ...

110. Proper 10 & Pentecost 8

Isaiah 55:1-13, Psalm 65:1-13, Romans 8:1-17, Romans 8:18-27, Exodus 2:11-25, Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE As the first third of the Pentecost cycle/season approaches its conclusion, the preacher must keep in mind that the theological framework of the season continues to be eschatological; the church continues to wait and work in anticipation of the Parousia. The Gospel for the Day, supported by the first reading, continues to provide the primary theme for worship and preaching, depending on whether or not one reads the shorter or longer lection, while the second reading continues to go its own ...

111. Someone At the Door

Revelation 3:14-22

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

According to the story I heard a man was at the Atlanta airport one day waiting for a flight to New Orleans. He had a little time to kill. As he strolled the concourse he noticed one of those fortune-telling machines. He dropped a quarter into the machine and out came a card that read, "You are John Smith. You are 35 years old, and you are waiting for a flight to New Orleans." It was all incredibly true. He was absolutely shocked. Surely there must be a trick, he reasoned. He looked behind the machine. He ...

112. A Deserter in God's Army

1 Timothy 4:9-10

Sermon

James Merritt

One of the most fascinating cities I have had the privilege of visiting is the City of Rome, Italy. If you ever go there, one of the main attractions in the very heart of the city is the ancient ruins of the Roman Coliseum. This was the place where chariot races were held, and where the Christians were fed to the lions. Right across the way from that coliseum, underground, dug out of rock, are the remains of what was called the Mammertine Prison. It was literally carved out of stone. There were no windows ...

113. Joy to the World

Luke 2:8-12

Sermon

James Merritt

If you were to ask anyone on the street what is the most joyful time of the year? Without any question, it would be practically unanimous that Christmas is the most joyful time of the year. One of the carols you will hear everywhere you go is one entitled, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." In 1719 Isaac Watts wrote a hymn that came to be entitled, "Joy to the World." Now the interesting thing about this song is, the only stanza that is related to Christmas and the birth of Jesus, is the first one ...

114. Advent 3

Lk 3:7-18 · Phil 4:4-7 · Zeph 3:14-20 · Isa 12:2-6

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Zephaniah 3:14-20 Rejoice, for Yahweh will restore his people to their homeland. This is the only use of Zephaniah in the three-year Lectionary. Zephaniah lived during the reign of Josiah in the seventh century, prior to the Babylonian captivity. Our pericope is considered an addition by an unknown author of the Deutero-Isaiah period. The passage gives good news of salvation to those in exile: a return to Jerusalem, victory over enemies, Yahweh in their midst, and renown among the ...

115. Proper 4

Genesis 6:1-8:22, Deuteronomy 11:1-32, Matthew 7:21-29, Romans 1:1-17, Romans 3:21-31

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: A contrast between the righteousness of obedience and the righteousness of faith. The First Lesson from Deuteronomy presents Moses' instruction to obey God's laws by making them an integral part of their daily lives. The First Lesson, from Genesis, shows how Noah obeyed God by building the Ark. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches that everyone who hears his words and does them is like the person who built his house on the rock. In contrast, the person who hears his teachings and does not do them resembles ...

116. The Ten Commandments For Today

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Erskine White

And the Lord spoke all these words, saying "I am the Lord your God ..." (Exodus 20:1-2) Imagine that your job in life is to get up each morning and prepare an egg for someone else to eat. There are many different ways to prepare an egg: hardboiled, soft-boiled, poached, fried, baked, scrambled, benedict, souffled, and so on. Now, if you didn't want to get bored and were willing to take a risk, you could constantly be striving for new ways to prepare an egg. If you wanted to play it safe, and you knew that ...

117. Advent 3

Lk 3:7-18 · Php 4:4-13 · Zeph 3:14-20

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Zephaniah 3:14-20 Rejoice, for Yahweh will restore his people to their homeland. This is the only use of Zephaniah in the three-year Lectionary. Zephaniah lived during the reign of Josiah in the 7th century, prior to the Babylonian captivity. Our pericope is considered an addition by an unknown author of the Deutero-Isaiah period. The passage gives good news of salvation to those in exile: a return to Jerusalem, victory over enemies, Yahweh in their midst, and renown among the nations. This is ...

118. The Time of Our Visitation

Sermon

Leonard Mann

You know how it was that Jesus of Nazareth began his career as a teacher and public figure in Galilee. You know how John came out of the wilderness and preached to the people who gathered around him on the banks of the Jordan. You know how for many long centuries the Jewish people had looked for the coming of their Messiah. When John appeared, their scholars speculated that perhaps this impassioned wilderness man might, actually be the Expected One. They sent their representatives to inquire of him ...

119. The Peace Of Christ In A Chaotic World

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Brett Blair

One of the best newspaper cartoons of all time is Calvin and Hobbes. One day Calvin and Hobbes come marching into the living room early one morning. His mother is seated there in her favorite chair. She is sipping her morning coffee. She looks up at young Calvin. She is amused and amazed at how he is dressed. Calvin’s head is encased in a large space helmet. A cape is draped around his neck, across his shoulders, down his back and is dragging on the floor. One hand is holding a flashlight and the other a ...

120. Homesick For a Future: New Life for the New Millenium

Genesis 12:1-8

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

I don’t know how it is with you, but occasionally I have flashbacks. Sometimes these are connected with a task at hand, or a decision with which I am struggling, or when I am wrestling with what I perceive as a call of God upon my life. Occasionally these flashbacks are connected with my preaching. It happened a couple of months ago. I was struggling with personal direction issues, but had also begun to think of the assignment of preaching on this occasion. The words of a young man named Nicholas in The ...

121. Advent 3

Lk 3:7-18 · Phil 4:4-7 · Zeph 3:14-20 · Isa 12:2-6

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

122. The God of Second Chances

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

King Duncan

A national magazine for pastors once carried a rating system for sermons similar to the rating system we’re all familiar with for movies. It went something like this. The person who designed it was a little bit cynical. Here is the rating he gave to various kinds of sermons: “G” - Generally acceptable to everyone. Full of inoffensive, childlike platitudes; usually described as “wonderful” or “marvelous” by those who leave church to shake the hands of the pastor. “MC” - For more mature congregations. At ...

123. Getting Ready

Luke 3:4-5

Children's Sermon

B. Kathleen Fannin

Object: A broom. Lesson: Advent; waiting; preparation; making room for Jesus. Having invited the children to come to the front of the sanctuary, I turn to the steps leading into the chancel area and begin to sweep, using the broom I have brought for this purpose. As the children arrive, I move to one side so they can take their places on the steps. "What was I doing as you walked up here?" I begin. "Sweeping," they answer. "Why was I doing that?" I continue. "To get the floors clean," comes their response ...

124. The Story Of The Scandalized Neighbors

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

John M. Braaten

I don't know what this world is coming to. It seems to me that parents don't do as good a job raising their kids as they used to. Consider my neighbor. His punk kid ran off with a wad of money last year. A couple of days ago he came back looking like death warmed over and what are they doing? They're throwing a party for him. From what I've heard they are going to spend a bundle on it. Sounds like the affair will be bigger than a wedding bash. If you ask me it's scandalous, celebrating as though he was a ...

125. Call Him a Story Teller

Luke 1:1-4

Sermon

George Bass

One of the treasures of Rome is a painting of Mary, the Mother of our Lord, which resides in the Borghese chapel of the Church of St. Mary Major and is attributed to St. Luke. It is a painting reputed to have healing powers, possibly because St. Luke was a physician as well as a painter; at any rate, on occasions like the cholera epidemic in 1837, it was carried through the streets of Rome to the Church of the Gesu, where it was placed so that the people might venerate it and be spared the dread disease. ...

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