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 1551 to 1575 of 2669 results

1551. In Defense of the Offense

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Sermon

James Merritt

... my Lord and Savior, there is really no way of getting around being an offense to people like you." That's why this morning I want to speak in "defense of the offense." Every religion and ideology has its visual symbol which illustrates its history and beliefs. For example: Buddhism uses the Lotus Flower. Because of its wheel shape it is thought to depict the cycle of birth and death, and the emergence of beauty and harmony out of the muddy waters of chaos. Judaism has adopted the Star of David, a hexagram ...

1552. What to Wear to the War

Ephesians 6:13-17

Sermon

James Merritt

... capable in defending the Word and articles of their creed, they must have teachers and preachers who study the Scriptures and have daily fellowship with it, so that they can fight for all the others. Yet each Christian should be so armed that he himself is sure of his belief and of the doctrine, and is so equipped with the sayings from the word of God, that he can stand up against the devil and defend himself when men seek to lead him astray. If you will take the armor of God everyday, and from head to toe ...

1553. Are You In the Know

Job 19:23-27

Sermon

James Merritt

... despair. Opinions are abundant while convictions are scarce. Opinions are produced by the superficial, while convictions are the result of agonized struggle. Opinions are what we think, while convictions are what we know. Opinions are conjectures or guesses, while convictions are firm beliefs founded on evidence. An opinion is something that we may change, but a conviction is something that changes us…one will die for a conviction, but never for an opinion. It is refreshing, in the day and age in which we ...

1554. For His Eyes Only

Matthew 6:1-4

Sermon

James Merritt

... was just playing a part. A hypocrite is someone who tries to make himself appear to be something that he really is not. Its someone whose actions do not really match his words. In other words, these were people who are playing a game of religious make-belief. Churches today are full of make-believe actors who could win an academy award for impersonating what a Christian ought to be like. Today's actors will tell you that good acting always begins when the actor believes in the reality of the person that he ...

1555. Power in the Pulpit

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

James Merritt

... less depression, more self esteem, few out-of-wedlock births, less drug abuse, fewer suicides, less crime, and fewer instances of divorce. Regular churchgoers live longer, have less heart disease, and a quicker rate of recovery from illness. Finally, church attendance and religious belief is a major cause of strength and recovery from the damage that is caused by alcoholism, drug addiction, and marital breakdown.7 US News and World Report had a cover story not long ago with a picture of a church and this ...

1556. In Love with Howard

Matthew 13:44-46

Sermon

King Duncan

... behind. So, we might as well give every thing we own to get there. However, doesn’t this imply that entrance to heaven is something we can purchase? If not with dollars, at least with good works? Well then, what about the cross? Central to our faith is the belief that, in terms of our salvation, Christ paid it all. You can’t buy your way into heaven no matter how much you’re willing to give. Eternal life is the gift of a gracious God. Surely it would be worth everything we have, but Christ has taken ...

1557. A Mother’s Faith

Matthew 15:21-28

Illustration

King Duncan

... who prayed constantly for her son's salvation. She devoted her whole life to praying for Augustine's conversion. At one point, when Augustine was becoming devoted to the Manichaean philosophy, Monica begged a holy man to speak to Augustine, and show him why their beliefs were not true. The holy man refused because Augustine was known to have a great intellect, and would likely try to savage the holy man's arguments. The holy man assured Monica that he, too, had once been a Manichaean, and that Augustine was ...

1558. The Great Divide

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... from the dead, what the Bible said about homosexuality would be the least of his concerns. He’d have to change the way he thought about success and ambition and money and possessions and love and forgiveness and relationships, well, just about everything else including sex. Beliefs matter, and if you choose to believe Jesus rose from the dead, then that means you believe Jesus is who the Bible declares him to be: the Son of the Living God, Savior, Master, King of the Ages and Lord of all glory and might ...

1559. How To Be An Easter Person

Luke 24:1-12

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... that. Within a seven-week period following the death of Jesus, a little band of depressed, cowardly men were transformed into a militant, exuberant team of evangelists who spread the Resurrection news across the world. Ten of the original disciples were executed for their beliefs. Their lives would have been spared if they had just denied that Jesus arose. But they would not. People are not usually willing to die for a lie. According to Dr. Luke’s account of what happened on that first Easter morning, two ...

1560. An Excellent Epitaph

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... modern wisdom. They will tell you that all religions are just different versions of the same song, and that if there is a heaven, all people are going there whether they believe anything or not. Dear friends, those are lies. At the core of our faith is the belief that the Bible is God’s inspired word. It is the true rule and guide for faith and practice. And faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved. Don’t waver in those core commitments. Keep the faith! One of the truly great Methodist bishops ...

1561. Hope In A Hostile World

Matthew 1:1-17

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... either buying remodeled houses or building new houses. Most Binghampton residents are welcoming them with open arms. Gradually, Binghampton is becoming a healthier and more diverse community. Those thirty families moving into the community are staking their money and lives on the belief that God is doing something wonderful in Binghampton and they want to be part of it. They are hopeful for the same reason I am, that because of Christ, every barrier can be bridged. The fourth and final reason for my hope ...

1562. I Am the Keeper of the Zoo

Isaiah 11:1-9

Sermon

... made" as the psalmist says (Psalm 139) and as Bill Loechel loves to remind me on Wednesday mornings. And just this past week, another man well into his eighties….renowned atheist philosopher Anthony Flew of Oxford….is alleged to have opened the door to belief in an intelligent creator, suggesting that he knows of no other way to account for the incredibly purposeful genetic material we know as DNA. Yet Sandburg returns to humble us: There is a hog in me . . . a snout and a belly . . . a machinery for ...

1563. People See Things Differently

Matthew 16: 13-20

Illustration

Johnny Dean

... !" The archaeologist commented, "What a wonder of nature this is!" And the cowboy said, "Can you imagine trying to find a lost steer in there?" People see things differently. The Messianic hope of those in the Jewish community who held such a belief was that the Chosen One would reestablish the supremacy of Israel among the great nations of the world. The assumption was that this would be accomplished in a violent and vengeful manner, with the forceful overthrow and total destruction of the current ruling ...

1564. Good News...Really?

Luke 1:46-56

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... tutored by Mary. The very ordinariness of Mary proclaims the church's faith in a God who becomes one with us, in human flesh, in Jesus Christ. Byassee says: In Mary, the church ties a string around its finger to remember the particularity of its belief about God in flesh, made known in a baby. [1] Other New Testament writers minimize her, the Protestant church tradition ignores her, but Luke remembers her. Luke's Mary is neither silent nor passive. Her humility is the humility of strength. Her submission to ...

1565. Bugles in the Afternoon

Philippians 2:1-11, Psalm 46:1-11

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... -making God God literally known by the company he keeps: The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, The God of Sarah, Rebekah and Ruth This God is faithful. In contrast to the capricious pagan gods around them, the people of Israel clung tenaciously to the belief in Yahweh, the God who is consistent and dependable, the God who can be trusted, the God who is faithful. While I was pastor in Dexter, the congregation purchased an old Boy Scout camp along the Huron River with a vision of relocating from the little ...

1566. Where Earth and Heaven Meet

John 1:14

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... mystery and majesty of the heavens, across the ages of human history, the Word breaks forth—the Word has become flesh and dwelt among us—here and now, earth and heaven meet. 1. Christmas Eve is first of all a theological statement, a statement of belief. My predecessor at Ann Arbor, Don Strobe, is one of the great preachers of Michigan Methodism, still going strong in his retirement. Years ago he preached a Christmas sermon called "The Autobiography of God." He tells the story of a woman who called her ...

1567. Searching: MySpace

Hebrews 11:8-13

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... our place in the world. We all search to find an identity, search to know who we are and where we belong. This "MySpace" is not measured by megabytes or band width. It is measured by the values I hold, the convictions and commitments, the beliefs which guide my life; the loves and hates which shape my life. Oh yes, there are some things worthy of hating…like prejudice, racism and war; poverty, injustice and oppression. These are the things which define my identity. Finding "My Space" is all about finding ...

1568. Yet Alive....Are We?

Romans 12:1-13

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... I beg you, let all true Christians remain united. Is your heart right as my heart is with yours? I ask no further questions; give me your hand. Do you love God? This is enough. I give you the right hand of fellowship. It is not that theology, beliefs and social issues don't matter. In the pamphlet, Wesley addresses several key issues of theology, faith and practice. But the bottom line is love. Paul calls the Romans to exactly that pattern of living: Let love be genuine. Hate what is evil, hold fast to what ...

1569. Breakfast on the Beach

John 21:1-14

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... a company exists, must be balanced with a willingness to change and grow in order to fulfill the mission. If an organization is to meet the challenges of a changing world, it must be prepared to change everything about itself except its basic beliefs... The only sacred cow in an organization should be its basic philosophy of doing business. [1] Central to our mission, our business, is the business of fishing. The Book of Discipline says that the mission of the United Methodist Church is "to make disciples ...

1570. When Seeing is Not Believing

John 20:19-31

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... was so. Resurrection faith is true because something in this witness to God's way of working connects with your own experience in a way that says, "Yes, of course."[1] Jesus affirms Thomas's desire to see in order to believe, but Jesus also affirms belief which goes before and beyond sight. "Blessed are those who haven't seen and still believe." As you all know, C.S. Lewis was an incredible author of fantasy and science fiction, the Narnia series and all the rest. As a student at Oxford, however, he became ...

1571. Worship and Wonder

John 1:1-14

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... do it." To be fair, Jack Twist didn't have it right, either. But I am afraid Ennis's experience is too true of all too many children of all too many Methodists: a lack of clarity about our faith, a lack of conviction in our beliefs, and biblical illiteracy to boot. St. Paul's letters to the Corinthian church are written to a church torn by political and theological battles, a church unsure of its foundations and faith, a church struggling with issues of sexual morality and social pressure. So he reminds ...

1572. Lost in Wonder, Love and Praise

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

John E. Harnish

1573. Gifts: Standing on the Promises

Malachi 4:10

Sermon

John E. Harnish

1574. Will The Real Saints Please Stand Up

Esther 4:1-17

Sermon

John E. Harnish