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 1251 to 1275 of 4456 results

1251. Saturday: The Week Of The Cross: Lazarus, Come Forth

John 11:1-7, 17-44

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

There was a guy riding in a cab one day. He was new to the city and was looking for a good place to eat, so he leaned forward, tapped the cabby on the shoulder and said, "Hey, Buddy." The driver let out a blood curdling scream and lost control of the cab. He nearly hit a bus, jumped the curb and stopped just inches from going through a huge plate-glass window and into a crowded restaurant. For a few minutes, there was dead silence in the cab. All you could hear was two hearts beating like bass drums ...

1252. Thursday: Broken Bread And Broken Trust

Mark 14:10-26

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Mark 14:10-26 (NRSV) [10] Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. [11] When they heard it, they were greatly pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him. [12] On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?" [13] So he sent two of his disciples, saying to ...

1253. Celebration (Series: Fundamentals of Family)

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

When our Lord wanted to drive home a truth, he told a story. There were 99 sheep safe in the fold, but the good shepherd went searching for the one that was lost. A woman had 10 precious coins. She lost one of them. A certain man had two sons. The Bible never gets better than here in Luke 15. The thread that binds these stories together is the single word celebration. (Luke 15: 23-24) “Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to ...

1254. My Country, Is It of Thee?

Psalm 9:9-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

We called her Miss Anna. She was my first grade teacher in a tiny, four-room Kentucky school. Miss Anna taught us to stand at attention, to speak with reverence, and placing our hands over our hearts to pledge our allegiance to “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Life seemed much simpler back then. I guess it was. I didn't know anybody who didn't believe in God. Unlike Michael Newdow out in California who last year tried to get the “God-word" out of the pledge, parents ...

1255. Saying the Right Thing: True Thanksgiving

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

James W. Moore

In one of my favorite Peanuts comic strips, Lucy's feeling sorry for herself and she laments, "My life is a drag. I'm completely fed up. I've never felt so low in my life." Her little brother Linus tries to console her and he says, "Lucy, when you're in a mood like this, you should try to think of things you have to be thankful for; in other words, count your blessings." To that, Lucy says, "Ha! That's a good one! I could count my blessings on one finger! I've never had anything and I never will have ...

1256. Aha! An Epiphany!

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

King Duncan

There is a wonderful story about a young man who was dating a very attractive girl. One Sunday after church the two went for a picnic. The young man had made arrangements to rent a row boat. His plan was to row to a small island on their favorite lake and enjoy a lunch which he himself had prepared. Since he had been unaccustomed to making lunches, he had forgotten to pack a number of things. His attractive friend said, “It might be nice if we had some salt, ketchup and napkins.” Without hesitation the ...

1257. Christians and Grits

Acts 4:32-37

Sermon

King Duncan

The Rev. Brian Bill tells about a friend of his named Ray who is originally from the South, but is now living in Chicago. Being a southerner, Ray says that one of the most challenging things about living in the Windy City is that it’s difficult to find a restaurant that serves grits. Rev. Bill asked Ray once what a “grit” is? Ray informed Rev. Bill that there’s no such thing as a “grit.” They don’t come by themselves. They come in a community of other grits. You can’t just order one grit. Rev. Bill says ...

1258. A Lost Boy

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Sermon

King Duncan

(Growing Strong in the Season of Lent, Lent 4) A father tells of putting his 4-year-old daughter to bed one evening. He read her the story of the Prodigal Son. They discussed how the younger son had taken his inheritance and left home, living it up until he had nothing left. Finally, when he couldn’t even eat as well as the pigs, he went home to his father, who welcomed him. When they finished the story, the Dad asked his daughter what she had learned. After thinking a moment, she quipped, “Never leave ...

1259. Jephthah

Jud 10:6–11:40

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

Jephthah: Ammonite Oppression · Jephthah is not mentioned by name, but this section sets the stage, both generally and specifically, for his entrance on the scene. The author describes Israel’s deteriorating spiritual condition and interaction with God about their circumstances (vv. 6–16); more specifically, he begins to focus attention upon the events that directly led to Jephthah’s rise to leadership (vv. 17–18). The obvious emphasis in this section is upon the general, spanning as it does eleven verses ...

1260. Personal Rights and Christian Testimony

1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

Big Idea: Personal rights must be put aside when they hinder an effective witness to unbelievers, or if they endanger the faith of immature believers. Even theological arguments that disclose certain behaviors as immaterial to the Christian faith become irrelevant in light of the greater assignment to imitate Christ. Understanding the Text The transition from chapter 8 seems quite abrupt. Is Paul taking a ninety-degree turn from a question about participation in Corinthian parties (eating meat) to his ...

1261. Final Instructions

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

5:12–13 · Community leadership: After responding to the Thessalonians’ questions (4:9–5:11), the apostles take up a variety of issues, starting with the church’s relationship with their emerging leadership: “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you” (5:12a). In calling the church to respect the new leaders, the apostles literally call the church “to know” them, which means they should “recognize” who the legitimate ...

1262. No Longer Orphans

John 14:15-21

Sermon

King Duncan

The Rev. Dr. Stephen Hayner was the president of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. Dr. Hayner told a beautiful story about a young teacher he met several years ago in Uganda by the name of Christine Nakalema. Christine grew up in a rural village in Bokeka. When she was five years old and her sister Harriet was seven and her little brother was four, their parents both died within three months of each other of AIDS. The three siblings lived for nearly two years on their own. They had no parents, ...

1263. Who Cares?

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

David G. Rogne

When Vince Lombardi, the eminently successful professional football coach in the 1960s, was asked how he produced winning teams, he declared that any group of naturally endowed athletes could win more games than they lost if they concentrated on the "little things" of the game — the fundamentals. After a close game won by his Green Bay Packers, Lombardi called a special session for Monday morning because he felt his players were losing sight of the small details that guarantee victory. Appearing before his ...

1264. Do You Believe in Miracles?

Mark 7:31-37

Sermon

King Duncan

Joe Sardler had been blind for six years. His blindness was caused by atrophy of the optical nerve. One night Joe tripped over his dog’s dish which had been left on a step. Subsequently he fell down the basement stairs. As he fell, his head slammed against a wall--and suddenly, miracle of miracles--his vision was restored. All of a sudden Joe could see things he hadn’t seen in years, such as the face of his five-year-old daughter. Can you imagine such an incident? Can you imagine how this event made him ...

1265. Worse Than It Sounds

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

George Reed

The story of the rich man, often called Dives, and Lazarus is a heartrending tale of suffering on the part of the poor man and indifference on the part of the rich one. If that was all the story was about it would be dreadful enough but it also shows us the horrors of society when it is divided into classes. We see this clearly in the attitude of the rich man. While the rich man is comfortably situated in his luxurious home there is a beggar outside his gates who is starving to death. He is a miserable ...

1266. A Living Memorial

Exodus 12:1-30

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

Maundy Thursday can and should be one of the most meaningful days on the Christian calendar. It brings us face-to-face with the heart of the matter -- our sin, the estrangement from God it causes, and the cost of reconciliation. For much of the year, even faithful and good Christians can avoid facing the painful reality of sin in our lives and our need for a dramatic remedy for that sin. On this special day, we see clearly the pain and agony of what Christ faced. The suffering of Christ was essential ...

1267. Empowered By A Vision

Genesis 28:10-22

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

If your mother taught you to say only nice things about other people, Jacob will push you to the outer limits of your imagination. This younger of the twins born to Isaac and Rebekah has few redeeming qualities. He takes advantage of every available weakness in others. The older twin, Esau, must have had the common sense of a fence post. On two different occasions, Jacob cheats him of his birthright. Jacob's father Isaac was old, blind and on his death bed when Jacob exploits the situation to benefit ...

1268. Proper 12

Mt 13:31-33, 44-52 · Rom 8:26-39 · Gen 29:15-28 · Ps 105:1-11, 45b

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

TREASURES AND TRASH The parables in Matthew 13:44-52 continue the series of eight that are found in this chapter. The previous parables were told in public to a large crowd (see Matthew 13:1-3). Now Jesus moves into a house where the disciples came to him (Matthew 13:36). He first explains the parable about the weeds among the wheat. He then proceeds to tell the three parables in Matthew 13:44-52. Two of the parables, the treasure hidden in the field and the pearl of great value, are twins. The third ...

1269. Easter 6

Acts 8:9-25, 1 Peter 3:8-22, Acts 17:16-34, John 14:15-31

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: Making God known. In the First Lesson, Acts 17:22-31, Paul witnesses to the cultured pagans on the Areopagus. Referring to a statue to an unknown god, he declares that unknown God is revealed in Christ. In the Second Lesson, 1 Peter 3:15-22, Peter encourages the beleaguered Christians to make Christ known through their words and actions. In the Gospel, Christ promises that he will make himself known to the disciples through the Holy Spirit. COMMENTARY Epistle: Acts 17:22-31 Peter alters his approach ...

1270. Words As Images

Sermon

Michael Rogness

... we are addressing a generation accustomed to acting primarily on visual stimuli ... In our modern age the preacher must therefore translate the biblical message into one that awakens all the senses, into words that cause a congregation also to see and feel and smell and taste. Otherwise the people listening may never hear the words in which the gospel is framed.15 -- Elizabeth Achtemeier The printed word communicates by a line of thought. Television communicates by images. Clearly we must use language ...

1271. How To Become What You Are

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

Erskine White

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. (Luke 21:28) What are you? If I asked you that question right now, you might come up with many different answers. You might say, "I am a wife," or a husband, a mother or a father, a grandmother or grandfather. You might say, "I am someone's son," or daughter, or a brother or sister to so-and-so. In other words, you might define yourself in terms of your family relationships or other relationships which are important to you. You might say, "I am Italian- ...

1272. The Pitfalls Of Practicing Piety

Matthew 6:19-24, Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 6:5-15, Matthew 6:1-4

Sermon

John M. Braaten

I have never liked the word "beware." It always seems to be written in intimidating block letters which suggest life-threatening consequences. The word brings to mind an experience I had as a 12-year-old paperboy. Entering a customer's yard I encountered a collie which, without provocation, charged me with fangs bared, knocking off my glasses and hurling me to the ground. I still remember its moist, rancid breath in my face. Hearing my screams, neighbors came and rescued me. That event not only changed my ...

1273. Saved From Water: The Storm

Luke 8:22-25

Sermon

Steve Swanson

Jesus performed many miracles during his ministry. These miracles didn't really prove that he was the Son of God, but they certainly did draw crowds. The disciples who have relayed these stories to us through the Gospels were part of those crowds, sometimes as reporters, sometimes as witnesses. The disciples, for instance, didn't really see the water become wine. That happened in an outer hallway. They must have heard the details from the servants or from Mary. Other miracles they saw with their own eyes, ...

1274. Lovers Never Ask, 'What's the Least I Can Do?'

Luke 17:1-10

Sermon

Alvin Rueter

I saw a cartoon once showing a man sweating and grunting, carrying a whole church on his back. Can you identify with that? It seems as though the demands of church membership are pretty heavy, aren’t they? Always asking us for money - if not to repair the roof, then for missions or for hunger. If we complain we don’t have anything to spare, then we’re told we should eat a bit less and give the difference. On top of asking for our money, the church also wants our time - for committees, for teaching, for ...

1275. Good News for the Multitudes

Luke 14:25-35

Sermon

Thomas C. Short

Now great multitudes accompanied him; and he turned and said to them, "If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of yon, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid afoundation, and is not able to finish ...

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