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 1426 to 1450 of 2747 results

1426. To Hell and Back

Luke 15:1-7

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... ’t think that God will carry anyone kicking and screaming into heaven against their will. I think some people would never be comfortable in heaven. It’s like visiting a foreign land where we don’t know the language very well. How like a breath of fresh air it feels when we arrive back to our home country, where we can speak and understand the language! Well, according to Jesus, Love is the language of Heaven. A lot of folks are not too skilled in speaking it. For them, heaven is likely to be hell. I ...

1427. What Happens When I Die?

John 14:1-4

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... we know that our heavenly Father is there! That is the faith which we find in Whittiers familiar lines: I know what the future hath Of marvel or surprise, Assured alone that life or death, His mercy underlies. I know not where His islands lift Their fronded palms in air; I only know I cannot drift Beyond His love and care. O Lord, support us all the day long of this troubled life, Until the shadows lengthen and evening comes, And the busy world is hushed, And the fever of life is over, And our work is done ...

1428. How Do You Explain the Resurrection?

John 11:17-37

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... an infusion of life and hope into the world. The poet Swinburne said that “Thou hast conquer’d, O pale Galilean, and the world has gone gray from thy breath!” But I would suggest that precisely the opposite is the case. The only breath of fresh air and fresh hope that we have in our world has come because of Christ. If God’s resurrection power as manifested in Jesus Christ could turn the worst that the world could do (Good Friday) into the best good news the world has ever heard (Easter Sunday ...

1429. If Christ Had Not Come

John 15:18--16:4

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... in the church. “Move along, there! Can’t you read? The sign outside says NO TRESPASSING! This church is closed!” Sadly, I turn to go home. Even though it is Advent, the period just prior to Christmas, there is no sound of Christmas carols in the air, no gaiety, no giving and receiving of gifts, no visiting of family and friends, no church services and no pageants and parties to plan for. We used to complain about being so frazzled due to the “Christmas rush;” now, we’d give anything for just a ...

1430. Whatever became of Kingdomtide?

John 16:17-33

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... was, as the prophet Isaiah said, “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” And yet, the main criticism that His enemies had of Him was that he always seemed to be having much too good a time to be a holy man! He carried Himself with the air of One who enjoyed God’s world fully and trusted in God’s promises completely. G.A. Studdert-Kennedy, that famous chaplain-poet of the First World War once wrote a poem which began: Our padre was a solemn bloke; We called ‘im Dismal Jim... But nobody ever ...

1431. Only the Neighbors’ Kid

John 6:25-59

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... at work in their own little town, missed seeing the miracle growing up in their midst. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Or out of Dayton, Ohio? On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright kept their home-made airplane in the air for less than a minute. But that minute was to revolutionize the world! They sent the following telegram from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to their sister in Dayton, Ohio: “First sustained flight today fifty-nine seconds. Home for Christmas.” The sister took the ...

1432. An Unpopular Profession

Matthew 9:9-13

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... are religious at all it is because of “a lump in the throat,” as he says, “a bush going up in flames, the rain of flowers, the dove coming out of the sky. We are likely to be religious because once somewhere, somehow, a doorway opened in the air and a word was spoken and we heard.” (New York Times Book Review, March 16, 1969, p. 1) Buechner knows whereof he speaks, for that is exactly what happened to him. One day he entered Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City, and heard that great ...

1433. Secretary to Saint Peter

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... place was on fire, which in a way of course it was, for trembling and astonishment had come upon them, and they said nothing to anyone for they were afraid. Later editors added a few extra verses to round things off, but that’s where Mark ended it. In mid-air.S (Ibid., pp. 98-99) THE REST, I GUESS, IS UP TO US.

1434. A Sign for a Sign

Mark 8:11-13

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... and our freedom, standing at heart’s door to seek admission there.” (Wallace Hamilton, WHO GOES THERE? N.Y: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1958, p. 34.) As an unknown poet put it: Thou shalt know Him when He comes, Not by any dint of drums, Nor the vantage of His airs, Nor by anything He wears; Neither by His crown, Nor His gown, But His presence known shall be By the holy harmony Which His coming makes in thee.

1435. On Being the Greatest

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... reported to have said, “When you’re as great as I am, it’s hard to be humble.” Whether or not he actually said it, I don’t know, but it sounds like him. I recall seeing pictures of the famous fighter waving his boxing gloves in the air and saying, “I am the greatest!” How much was media “hype” designed to strike fear into the hearts of his opponents in the ring, and how much he actually believed it himself, is open to conjecture. But once we start saying it, it becomes hard not to believe ...

1436. Childish or Child-like?

Mark 10:13-16

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... ideals, we worry about whether they will be able to function in the real world. After all, the real world is some place else. We have to be tough and even a little cynical.” Goodman goes on to give examples of what she means: “Adults know that clean air is all very nice, but it must be balanced against jobs. Adults know that helping others is neat, but it may well take away their motivation to find a job. Adults know that peace is swell, but we can’t ever trust our enemies to ever stop preparing for ...

1437. Blessings Beyond Our Dreams (Part 2 )

1 Chronicles 4:1-23

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... with great possibilities. And he knew he would never be ready for the future without God’s blessing. Dear Abby once received a letter that describes the "if only" attitude: "It was Spring, But it was Fall I wanted, the colorful leaves and the cool dry air. It was Fall, but it was Winter I wanted, the beautiful snow and the wonderful holiday season. It was Winter, but it was Spring I wanted, the warmth and the blossoming of nature. I was a child, but it was adulthood I wanted, the freedom and respect ...

1438. Who Is the Light of Your Life? (I am the light of the world)

John 8:12-30

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... are words that recur many times. These words are more than words. They represent the themes, the directions, the paradigms of a person''s life. Scientists tell us that there are four grand essentials necessary for human life to be sustained and nourished. They are light, air, water, and food. As we study these great "I am" statements and other passages in John, we will see Jesus make claims to all of these physical and spiritual dimensions of our lives. You don''t have to read the Bible very long before you ...

1439. Called by Life ( I Am the Resurrection and the Life)

John 11:17-37

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... and death. Jesus is the Good Shepherd because his light shines in the darkest of circumstances, and can open any door--even the door of death. We remember how in our 7th grade earth science classes we learned that there are four things necessary to sustain life: air--food--light--and water. However Jesus came not only to sustain life--but to give life--and ultimately eternal life. In the Broadway play Showboat there is a line that is sung by a gentleman with a deep bass voice which goes as follows: "I gits ...

1440. The Lord's Prayer: A Surplus of Meaning

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... New York, 1953, p. 394.) The great church father, Tertullian, whose thoughts on the Trinity are superb, said about The Lord''s Prayer, "In this prayer is comprised the 'epitome'' of the whole entire gospel." Tertullian said, "The Lord''s Prayer was a breathe of fresh air." Yes, it is obvious the old legalism was dismantled--a greater way of prayer was ushered into the Divine-human encounter. I no longer get upset when I read and examine the vote on The Lord''s Prayer by the "Jesus Seminar." Now, I simply go ...

1441. The Lord's Pryaer: Our Daily Bread

Matthew 6:5-13

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... , unpaid bills and dead ends; too much of words lobbed in to explode and leaving shredded hearts and lacerated souls; too much of turned-away backs and yellow silence, red rage and the bitter taste of ashes in my mouth; Sometimes the very air seems scorched by threats and rejections and decay until there is nothing but to inhale pain and exhale confusion. Too much darkness, Lord, too much of cruelty and selfishness and indifference... Too much, Lord, too much, too bloody, bruising, brain-washing much. Or ...

1442. Where the Bread Loaf Is Not a Stone

Matthew 7:7-12

Sermon

Eric Ritz

It was always a pleasant experience when we lived in the Easton area, motoring down Northampton Street past Maier''s Bakery in the early spring with the car windows open, being able to smell the sweet aroma of freshly baked bread lingering in the air. There are few things in life so inviting and delicious as freshly baked bread. My mouth is watering from just thinking about it. During my 5 days of retreat recently, I had the joyful experience of eating many kinds of delicious bread products: Italian bread ...

1443. The Third Commandment: God's Last Name Is Not...?

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... lips a deep reverence for God. I am told that in Asia Minor resides a variety of bird known as a crane. It is a type of crane indigenous to the landscape. These birds, unfortunately, tend to create a high-pitched noise when they fly in the air. The reason this noise is unfortunate is that it gains the attention of the mighty eagles hovering above. The eagles, being alerted by this noise, begin to set the table for lunch. However, the intelligent cranes have learned to place a number of stones in their mouth ...

1444. Facing Difficult Decisions in Life! Part VI

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... his lap. I watched his stiff fingers force open the pages. And I watched people in the audience wipe away tears of admiration from their faces. Robert could have asked for sympathy or pity, but he did just the opposite. He held his bent hand up in the air and boasted, `I have everything I need for joy.'' "His shirts are held together by Velcro, but his life is held together by JOY." (1) This real life story from one of God''s special saints demonstrates that the source of joy depends on your orientation to ...

1445. Emptying and Exalting (Part XI)

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... theology that I forgot the obvious practical truth that was to be incarnate in my life as a servant of the Lord. I once heard Dr. William Sloane Coffin share at Riverside Church that "the human race has such great knowledge which enables us to soar through the air like birds, to swim through the seas like fish, but we are unable to walk on earth in peace as the children of God. We can have guided missiles, but we still have misguided men and women who control the buttons of the missiles." That is truth with ...

1446. The Powerful Fragrance of Sharing and Caring

Philippians 4:10-20

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... could. From what I could gather from various commentaries, Philippi was not a wealthy congregation, but "rich" in love for one of God''s servants. Many of you are aware of what a beautiful fragrance certain perfumes and colognes can leave in the air when worn by someone. It is pleasant. This offer-ing, according to verse 18, left a fragrance that thrilled Paul and pleased God. In his book, SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL FOR GOD, Malcolm Muggeridge shared this thought: "Doing something beautiful for God is, for Mother ...

1447. The Taming of the Tongue

James 3:1-12

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... not beat." The third physician said, "You are both wrong. It is the stomach and the digestive passages which are important, for without the proper digestion of food, the body will die." "The lungs are most important," declared the fourth, "for a person without air will surely die." "You are all wrong," said the Rabbi. "There are two vessels of the body only that are important, but you have no knowledge of them." "What are they?" asked the physicians. The Rabbi replied, "One is the channel that runs from ...

1448. A Rod And A Staff

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... his problem. About three hours later he happened to notice the beetle again and saw that in the hot sun its shell had become dry and brittle. As he watched, it slowly split open, and there emerged from it a new form--a dragonfly--which took to the air out of the old husk, its scintillating colors flashing in the sunlight. The winged insect flew further in an instant than a water beetle could crawl in days, and then it circled back and swooped down to the surface of the water. DeMille noticed its shadow on ...

1449. Depression: When the Spirit Is Faint

Psalm 142:1-7

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... resources of a Christian faith to see a man through. A vital faith in God gives a man available resources of interior power. We never produce power. We always appropriate it. That is true from the harnessing of the Niagara to taking a walk in the fresh air. We never create power--we assimilate it. So, a man with a real faith in GOD senses around his spiritual life a spiritual presence as truly as the physical world is around his body. He knows of the deep well of staying power that divine companionship can ...

1450. Feasting and Fasting for Lent (Part I)

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... out that basement people only criticize and poison the landscape of the human soul and spirit. They tell us what we are not--not what we can be. But, hear how Joyce Landorf Joyce describes the Balcony People: "Think of it! All around that sphere of clear air in our conscious minds runs a balcony filled with people who are not merely sitting there, but are practically hanging over the rail, cheering us on. My mother, already in heaven''s balcony since 1966, she is there. She always told me that I was special ...

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