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 1451 to 1475 of 1499 results

1451. God's Most Welcome Gift

Isaiah 9:6-7

Sermon

King Duncan

We’re grateful for the boys and girls in our congregation this evening. I want to begin with a riddle just for them. Boys and girls, what did Adam say to his wife on the night before Christmas? The answer: He said, “It’s Christmas, Eve!” And, of course, it’s true. This is Christmas Eve. And what an exciting evening it is as you await the coming of Santa. Of course this is the season for giving and receiving gifts. And the greatest Giver of gifts is God. Think for a moment about all the gifts God has given ...

1452. Are You a Super-Fan?

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

Kevin Greene is a former linebacker who played in the National Football League for 15 years. Greene retired after the 1999 NFL season and ranks third among all-time sack leaders, leading the NFL twice in that category. As a result, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016. Maybe one reason Greene was so successful was the support of his wife, Tara. From 1992 to 1996, while Greene was with the Pittsburgh Steelers we’re told that 30 minutes before kickoff of each home game Greene would seek ...

1453. A Shrewd Christian?

Luke 16:1-13

Sermon

George Reed

For many the term “shrewd Christian” is an oxymoron as these two terms just seem to be so opposite in their minds. But in the parable of the unjust steward Jesus calls on his disciples to become as shrewd in doing good as others are in doing evil. According to Webster’s dictionary shrewd means “keen-witted, clever, or sharp in practical matters.” We have often used the word in its secondary sense of cunning and in a context where one has used their intellect to take advantage of a person or a situation in ...

1454. For the Glow of It

Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 6:16-18

Sermon

David & Marian Plant

Our Ash Wednesday service is full of rich symbols. With the Imposition of Ashes and the Sacrament of Holy Communion, we are reminded that our faith, our church, and our worship life, has much outward symbolism. The scripture for our time together this Ash Wednesday is one of those passages that seems to go against the very fabric of our tradition as we understand it. We might be tempted at first reading to wonder if everything that we traditionally do as part of a worship service is called into question, ...

1455. The Proof is in the Roof

Luke 5:17-26

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…” (Isaiah 61) Prop: Big Box (Bigger the Better) I have here a box. If I were to step inside of it and close it up, not only can’t we see each other, but my life will become very limited and very narrow. And yet, this is the way many of us live our lives today –closed off, ...

1456. Lazarus

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Animation: a skunk (if you dare) or a stuffed animal that looks like a skunk [don’t show them what’s in the cage until they come up to see] I have here a friend I’ve brought with me today. He’s here in this cage, and I’m going to take him out for a bit. Come on up some of you. Here he is. His name is Sandy. [Take the skunk out of the cage ….make sure it’s a de-fumed one J….and hold him out to those gathered] What! You are backing away. You don’t want to hold this skunk? [Walk down the aisles with him ...

1457. The Sign of the Servant

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Props: on screen images of the pictographs for shepherd’s staff, ox, and yoke (both together) What do you get when you cross a shepherd’s staff and an ox? A yoke, of course! At least, that’s what you get in Paleo-Hebrew, the pictographic forerunner of the Hebrew language and image-rich metaphorical roots of the Hebrew scriptures. [Put the symbols on screen if you can. Show people the symbols for staff and ox….together they mean "yoke."] So, a Yoke is something that "guides" and "harnesses" the ox –two oxen ...

1458. 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 ...

1459. Identity Crisis

Genesis 32:1-21, Genesis 32:22-32, Genesis 33:1-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

We all walk with a limp. Our walk with God is a broken gait. Or at least an uneven one. God is always in the lead. Always sure. Always strong. We (on the other hand) walk with God weakly and imperfectly. Sometimes even disastrously. But as long as we continue to walk, we remain in relationship. And that’s what’s most important. In life, our limps and our scars tell our stories. Stories of the struggles we’ve survived. Stories of the wounds we’ve suffered. They leave a visible trace upon our person, a ...

1460. House of God

Ephesians 2:1-10, Ephesians 2:11-22

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Prop: Bowl and Ingredients for Hummus or Pesto I know many of you kids out there have seen the Disney movie Ratatouille, right? How many have seen it? I’m going to play a little clip from that movie for a moment…. [Play the clip in which Remy the rat is discerning the flavors in food, as he creates a new delicacy by placing varied tastes together.] https://youtu.be/pRIwj05eEvw Well, this morning, I have brought an experiment of our own to tempt our tastebuds. I have here…… let’s see …. some garlic, some ...

1461. Ask Jacob!

Matthew 6:25-34, Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Steady as she goes” the ship’s helmsman cries, hoping to keep the ship on its current course. The nautical term urges the helmsman to first observe where the ship lies and its current direction, and then to maintain that course steadily going forward. What lies out there? No one knows. Sometimes in a storm, a sailor cannot see in front of him or her, let alone further ahead. That’s why the compass is so important. Like an internal clock, the compass is the ship’s true North that can perceive the direction ...

1462. The Magic Ingredient

Romans 8:18-27

Sermon

King Duncan

I don’t know if any of you ever read the obituaries. My guess is that the older you are the more likely you are to let your eyes drift over to that section of the newspaper. As the comedian would say, “just to make certain your name’s not printed there.” Of course, some of our younger members are asking, “What’s a newspaper?” An interesting obituary appeared in the Chattanooga Times-Free Press recently (12/18/2019) that, in my estimation, was good for a chuckle or two. It was for a Katie McDonald, 80 years ...

Men weren't really the enemy – they were fellow victims suffering from an outmoded masculine mystique that made them feel unnecessarily inadequate when there were no bears to kill.

Betty Friedan

1464. Lord, Let My Heart Be Good Soil

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

The song “Lord, Let My Heart Be Good Soil”[1] by Handt Hanson, is a beautiful piece that suggests a deep sense of longing for something important. The melody, tone, and words all come together perfectly as an interpretation of the gospel reading for today. While it is tempting to want to move on immediately to what a story like the parable of the sower means that reaction is usually an attempt to distance ourselves from the personal impact of the story. The story is safer if we can intellectualize it and ...

1465. Caesar or God?

Matthew 22:15-22

Sermon

King Duncan

Let’s talk about leadership for a few moments. It is an important subject in today’s world. There is a professor from University College London who has written many books on personality and leadership. And he has some strong views concerning incompetent leaders. He says incompetent leaders create a toxic corporate culture that drags everybody in their sphere of influence down. And he claims that the number one trait that incompetent leaders possess is arrogance. According to this professor’s studies and ...

1466. About That Anger

John 2:12-25

Sermon

King Duncan

Professional golfer Tommy Bolt, who won 15 PGA titles back in the 1950s, earned the nickname “Thunder Bolt” for his temper tantrums on the golf course. He admitted later in his career that his displays of anger on the course were more about theatrics and entertaining the crowd than about actually losing his temper. He even advised other golfers on the proper way to express anger on the course. He would tell his fellow golfers, “Always throw the club ahead of you so you can pick it up on your way” or “Never ...

1467. Rising to New Life

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Akron, Ohio, in 1935 was the site of what many might call a miracle. That year Bill Wilson, a former New York stockbroker, and Dr. Bob Smith, a surgeon in Akron, met. Both men for many years had been helpless and hopeless alcoholics. Their meeting, however, led to the foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous, an international organization which over the last eighty plus years has literally saved millions of lives by assisting people to realize their own brokenness and their need to seek reconciliation and ...

1468. Responding to God's Love

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon

Richard Gribble

A long time ago there lived a little boy whose parents had died. He was taken in by an aunt who raised him as her own child. Many years later, after the boy had grown and become successful in business, he received a letter from his aunt. She was terminally ill and from the tone of her letter quite afraid of death. Thus, the man who had been raised and touched by this woman decided to write her a letter in response. He began, “It is now 35 years since I, a little boy of six, was left quite alone in the ...

1469. Chosen and Appointed

John 15:9-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Jesus’ disciples were very different kinds of people. Very different. Let’s just say that the only thing that held them together was Jesus. Other than that, they would have been perpetually at odds and I suspect often were. Otherwise, Jesus would not have had to keep emphasizing the scripture we read today about loving each other! Peter, called “the rock” could be impulsive, forceful, impetuous, and sometimes belligerent. While Jesus would have valued these qualities, as he knew they would be important for ...

1470. The Heart's Deceit

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Rules. We need them. They are like guardrails for our safety, our well-being, and our peace of mind. What feels like a risky journey is made secure and free of worry by the guidelines, laws, and rules of our societies. When rules function as our boundaries, our structure to our otherwise aimless endeavors, they comfort us. But when our rules become our journey, our primary focus, the purpose for the trip itself, we have become prisoners of our own safety nets. How does this happen? It usually has to do ...

1471. Perks for Following Jesus

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

King Duncan

What would you say are the best employee perks in your workplace? Some places offer “casual Fridays,” where the dress code is less formal. For most workplaces, that’s as cutting-edge as they get when it comes to employee perks. But other business owners go out of their way to offer unique benefits to attract and retain employees. Patagonia, the outdoor equipment company, encourages their employees to get outside on their lunch break and go surfing. They even offer a companywide weather report each day ...

1472. Who Is The Prisoner? Who Is The Judge?

John 18:33-37

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

The Elder John Kline (1797-1864) was a doctor, a carpenter, a preacher, and an elder among the Dunkers, one of the Plain People. Kline’s home was near Linville Creek, Virginia. He, like all the Dunkers, lived peaceably with his neighbors, which is not surprising since the Dunkers believed in non-resistance to violence. For the most part his people stayed out of politics, but from their arrival in America in 1729, the group had taken an unmitigated stance against slavery. Needless to say this made them very ...

1473. The Favorite

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

Lori Wagner

We all know that person –the one who is supposed to succeed, the favorite of all the teachers. Everybody likes this kid. Let’s call him Jake for now. Jake is kind. He’s respectful. He’s smart and eager to learn. He’s ambitious and industrious. He’s the one who climbs the tree to save the neighbor’s cat or takes soup to the homeless. He always greets his neighbors on the street and takes part in community events. He’s the one everyone loves. Zip forward 20 years – Jake has embarked on an edgy campaign. He’s ...

1474. Everything You Do Bears Witness

John 10:22-30

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

I remember once a few weeks ago, I was having a bad day. Have you ever had a bad day? Bad days can cover a pretty wide arc of human reality, but my day began with not being able to find my bedroom slippers. Then, as soon as I got in the shower, someone downstairs ran the dishwasher and I was suddenly receiving cold water therapy at no extra charge! Then I tripped getting out of the shower and broke the table in the bathroom. Once I was out of the shower and shivering, I reached for clothing, only to ...

1475. Church, Interrupted

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

Will Willimon

I know a Methodist preacher who, on his very first Sunday at a church in a small southern town, made it to the end of his very first sermon in his new parish, and then asked the congregation stand for the last hymn. As was their custom he said, ''Now during the singing of the last hymn, if there are those who would unite with our church, or those who, in response to the sermon would simply like to come forward and kneel in prayer for a time at the altar, please feel free to come during the hymn." The hymn ...

Showing results

Showing 1451 to 1475 of 1499 results

1451. God's Most Welcome Gift

Isaiah 9:6-7

Sermon

King Duncan

1452. Are You a Super-Fan?

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

1453. A Shrewd Christian?

Luke 16:1-13

Sermon

George Reed

1454. For the Glow of It

Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 6:16-18

Sermon

David & Marian Plant

1455. The Proof is in the Roof

Luke 5:17-26

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1456. Lazarus

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1457. The Sign of the Servant

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1458. Oh That Cookie Jar Goodness!

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

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1459. Identity Crisis

Genesis 32:1-21, Genesis 32:22-32, Genesis 33:1-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1460. House of God

Ephesians 2:1-10, Ephesians 2:11-22

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1461. Ask Jacob!

Matthew 6:25-34, Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1462. The Magic Ingredient

Romans 8:18-27

Sermon

King Duncan

Men weren't really the enemy – they were fellow victims suffering from an outmoded masculine mystique that made them feel unnecessarily inadequate when there were no bears to kill.

Betty Friedan

1464. Lord, Let My Heart Be Good Soil

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

1465. Caesar or God?

Matthew 22:15-22

Sermon

King Duncan

1466. About That Anger

John 2:12-25

Sermon