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 2552 results

1551. WaterFire Disciples

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... and on fire. In their study of people who are making a difference in the world, one hundred moral mentors whose lives are committed to human betterment and justice, the Lilly Endowment funded research team discovered something surprising. Can you guess the one common ingredient, one "common fire" in these people who are exercising the spiritual practices of peace, justice and hope? According to Laurent A. Parks Daloz, Cheryl H. Keen, James P. Keen, Sharon Daloz Parks (Common Fire: Lives of Commitment ...

1552. The King Who Died

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

King Duncan

... on the following course of action: they light the 40-second fuse; then, with a mighty thrust, they throw the stick of dynamite as far away as possible. Unfortunately their dog is a highly-trained Black Lab used for retrieving-- especially things thrown by the owner. You guessed it, the dog takes off across the ice at a high rate of speed and grabs the stick of dynamite, with the burning 40‑second fuse, just as it hits the ice. The two men swallow, blink, start waving their arms and screaming at the dog to ...

1553. When Self-esteem is Snake Oil

Galatians 5:1-15

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... in raising self-esteem as an all-purpose cure for social problems has created a huge market for self-help manuals and educational programs that's threatening to become the psychotherapeutic equivalent of snake oil." (Quote on p. 158 of Furedi). But wait a minute. Guess the title of Professor Emler's latest work? Self-esteem; The Costs and Causes of Low Self-Worth (York: York Publishing Services, 2001). So even those who condemn the folk myth of self-esteem as snake oil are profiting from it. Forget the fact ...

1554. Living Outside the Box

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... through the grace of a humble spirit and open mind that the keys to freedom to a life outside the box is accessible. A little girl returned home from her first day at school. "Did you learn anything?" her mother asked. The little girl replied, "Not enough, I guess. I have to go back tomorrow." We ALL have to go back and learn more tomorrow. Between today and tomorrow our insights and experiences will open us up to see new possibilities and new pathways if we're only open enough to consider them and act upon ...

1555. Be Ready!

Matthew 24:36-51

Sermon

King Duncan

... at an hour when you do not expect him.” Like John Brown waiting for Queen Victoria to resume her duties, we are to be ready to serve Christ when his kingdom is established. We need to take this summons to be ready more seriously than we do. My guess is that we will spend much more time in the next few weeks preparing for the celebration of Christmas than we will spend in a lifetime preparing ourselves for Christ’s reign in our world. A few years ago, the B.C. comic strip had a Christmas cartoon that ...

1556. Patience

James 5:7-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... uncommon show of unity, the twenty-six patrons shouted together, “We want service!” Two minutes later, another clerk ambled out and without crackling a smile said, “Next?” Well, the twenty-six patrons knew they were on to something, so they tried it again. You guessed it, one more clerk appeared. An amused customer summed up the situation like this: “I got through that line in four minutes. I’ve never seen anything like it!” (1) I hope I haven’t given any of you ideas. Lines can still seem ...

1557. Looking for Shoots or Roots?

Matthew 11:1-19

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... s personal history with Jesus, his kinship connection, their meeting in the wilderness, Jesus’ apprenticeship to John, John’s apologetic baptism of the one whom he feels should be baptizing him, stands in contradiction to this apparent back-pedaling, second-guessing challenge. It is significant that Matthew’s text records that “John heard what the Messiah [‘the Christ’] was doing” (v.2)---the first time Matthew uses “Christ” as a title for Jesus (Peter’s confession is not until chapter ...

1558. Follow Me!

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

James McCormick

... s a cross for everyone, and there’s a cross for me.” But again, taking up our cross does not mean what many people think it means. All my life I’ve heard people who were ill, or who had experienced something painful or disappointing say, “Well, I guess this is just my cross, and I have to bear it.” But they are wrong. The cross is not something difficult or painful that comes to us involuntarily. That’s not what happened to Jesus. Remember, Jesus said, “No-one takes my life from me. I lay it ...

1559. Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry

1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Sermon

James McCormick

... make gifts of love to others who have other preferences. For the sake of unity, for the sake of oneness, we will practice “holy hospitality,” all of us, together, trying to provide a welcoming place for all of God’s children. I guess, because it is so difficult, and because it requires a high level of Christian maturity, few Christian groups even try it. One congregation serves vanilla. Another serves chocolate. Another serves strawberry. And, they say, “Choose your flavor.” The Chapel is trying ...

1560. Sing the Resurrection Song

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

James McCormick

... like that? Jesus was resurrected. The women ran away in fear and said nothing to anyone. And the gospel ends right there. Why? Some have called Mark, “the unfinished gospel”. It ends so abruptly, and it ends not with joy and celebration, but with amazement and fear. Unfinished. I guess that’s why I like it. Because it’s up to us now to finish it. Jesus has been raised from the dead. He has won the victory over those ancient enemies of sin and death. He has shown once and for all that this is God’s ...

1561. I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

John 16:17-33

Sermon

James McCormick

... I would not ask for a larger share of difficulty. I’d like to have far less than I have. But can you imagine a world without pain, without challenge, without struggle? Without such experiences life would be far different than it is now. And I would hazard the guess that without such experiences life would be far less than it is now. That’s not a bad way to say it: life would be a bore. It has taken me a great many years to learn that without struggle there is no growth, and without pain there is ...

1562. A New Beginning

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few of the others who had been waiting for the rain to stop who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. I guess they needed washing, too. Do you need washing? Have you been living up to your baptism? Jesus made a new beginning when he was baptized by John in the Jordan. There was no cause on his part for repentance. But he was starting his public ministry and he ...

1563. The Lonesome George Church

Matthew 4:23-25, Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 4:12-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... doesn’t “get it.” He doesn’t seem to know how to court others or have any sort of “drive” to reproduce his species. Whatever the reason Lonesome George seems stubbornly determined to be the last of his species. When he dies (and he is now guessed to be eighty to ninety years old, so he’ll be around longer than you or I) there will be no more of his kind again. A scientist’s greatest dream is to produce some never-before realized results. A scientist’s greatest nightmare is never again ...

1564. Christmas Eve\Christmas Day

Luke 2:1-7, Isaiah 9:1-7, Psalm 96:1-13, Titus 2:1-15, Luke 2:8-20

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... shepherds of Bethlehem. No had the angels departed than the shepherds turned to investigate the good news! Being told about God's saving grace produced action in the lives of the shepherds. What they did about the care of the flock is anybody's guess, but clearly they moved swiftly to see the highly acclaimed baby with their own eyes. For those viewing this text with homiletical eyes, the various actions of the characters are remarkable. On the one hand, Mary experienced the results of the operation of ...

1565. Easter 7

Jn 17:1-11 · 1 Pet 4:12-14; 5:6-11 · Ps 68 · Acts 1:6-14

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... of the earth." Christ calls us to global missions as well as to daily Christian living. Notice the presence of the two "angels" at the Ascension. The disciples are not left to ponder the significance of the Ascension. Christianity is not a guessing game. God's purposes are plainly enough revealed that we need not ponder ourselves into inactivity. Finally, notice the rich mixture of the earliest band of disciples—followers, friends, and family—united anew in prayer. Faith unites us in mutual devotion to ...

1566. Changed Lives - The Woman at the Well

John 4:1-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... hangar. In an interview late that night, the counselor said that this was his first time flying. He said that during the tumbles, turns, and pitches of the plane, though he is an atheist, he prayed! “This might make me change my ways,” he concluded. (1) I guess it might! There are stories in the Bible of people who met Christ and then changed their ways. Such is the story of the woman at the well. We need to note, first of all, that this story is set in Samaria. You’re familiar with the prejudices ...

1567. God's Dirty Job

Romans 5:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to make sure you were OK,” I explained to her. Have you ever looked at your hands?” she asked. “I mean really looked at your hands?” I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point she was making. Grandma smiled and related this story: “Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though ...

1568. Filtered Lives

1 Peter 1:13-2:3

Children's Sermon

Tim Carpenter

... filter, and an empty cup. Lesson: How many of you get thirsty? (response) What do you like to drink when you get thirsty? (response) When I get thirsty, I like to drink a cup of water, but I've got a problem. My is dirty. Show the dirty water. I guess I can't drink it, can I? (response) Do you want to drink it? (response) No? Maybe there is something I can do to make the water clean. What can I do? (response) Hold up the filter. Does anyone know what this is? (response) It's a coffee filter. When ...

1569. Zip-Lock Protection

John 17:6-19

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

... and zip-lock bags. You will need enough to give every child two or more cookies. Lesson: Good morning. (response) I have something to give you. Show them the cookie jar but keep the zip-lock bags hidden for now. What is this? (response) I bet you can guess what’s inside? (response) Can anyone tell me why the cookies are kept in this jar? (response) What would happen if we took them out of the jar and left them out on the kitchen table all night (response) Has anyone ever tasted a stale cookie? (response ...

1570. One Potato

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Children's Sermon

Tim Carpenter

... play with it? (response) I see, you place different body parts on it in order to make it look like a person. Let’s try it. Does anyone have a nose that we can place on the potato? Place the nose on the potato. Hey! That was pretty fun! I guess we’re through now. Hold it up high. Here’s Mr. Potato Head! (response) What’s the matter? Why are you all yelling “no” to me? (response) I see because it needs another body part. Repeat the previous step with one eye, letting the children tell you that it ...

1571. Hard Work

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

Children's Sermon

Tim Carpenter

... the hard work of many. Props: Any old pictures of the church, an old bulletin, old church newspapers, etc. If yours is a new church, you will have to adapt this by talking about another church. Lesson: Do you know how old this church is? Take a guess. (response) That's a long time ago, isn't it? Look at some of these pictures and articles about the church. Show the children the old pictures, the old bulletin, etc. Think about your parents. They are old, right? (response) Be careful how you answer that. This ...

1572. The Power of Belief in a World of Lost Hope

Jn 20:1-18

Illustration

King Duncan

... patient looked at him for a second, then back to the ceiling. That was all for that day. Next day the player came again. For several days he continued to come and to play quietly. One day he said, "Does my playing annoy you?" The patient said, "No, I guess I like it." They talked a little more each day. One day the harmonica player was in a jovial mood. He played a sprightly tune and began to do an awkward tap dance. The soldier looked on but was apparently unimpressed. "Hey, why don't you smile once and ...

1573. The Lost and Found Coin

Luke 15:8-10

Sermon

James W. Moore

... just as she turned off the engine, it started pouring down rain! There she was with two pre-school children and no umbrella. She thought: “It’s no use. There’s no way I can get into the church with these two girls without getting us all soaking wet. I guess we’ll just go back home and forget it.” But, just then, she heard a gentle knocking on her car window. One of our ushers had run to help her with two umbrellas. He took one girl and one umbrella and she took the other girl and the other ...

1574. The Lost and Found Coin

Luke 15:8-10

Sermon

James W. Moore

... … and just as she turned off the engine, it started pouring down rain! There she was with two preschool children and no umbrella. She thought: "It's no use. There's no way I can get into the church with these two girls without getting us all soaking wet. I guess we'll just go back home and forget it." But, just then, she heard a gentle knocking on her car window. One of our ushers had run to help her with two umbrellas. He took one girl and one umbrella and she took the other girl and the other umbrella ...

1575. What in the World Are We Doing?

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

James W. Moore

... ): “I know I ought to do something to help this poor wretch. But, after all, I’m from another district and I didn’t tell him to come this way. He should have known it was dangerous. He really has only himself to blame. But, still here he is. I guess I must do what I can. So, when I get back to Samaria I’ll write a letter to the authorities. I will write letters to the editor. I will get a group together and we will think about what should be done. Man: Will you help me? Samaritan: “Yes ...

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