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 1726 to 1750 of 2669 results

1726. Do Not Be Quickly Shaken

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... in the midst of conflict. We are "all shook up" for Jesus. Christians are wildly happy, luxuriously free, and always in trouble, according to one old folk saying. "Ministers appear dangerous to people," observes social critic, David Heifetz, "When you question their values, beliefs, and habits of a lifetime, you place yourself on the line. You tell people what they need to hear, rather than what they want to hear. Although you may see with clarity and passion a promising future of progress and gain, people ...

1727. The Hard Sell

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... be content with our “alien” status. The Master told his disciples it would be that way. He tells you and me — sometimes frequently — that’s the way it is. We are on different wavelengths. We discover that our assumptions about life and even our most cherished beliefs do not strike a significant chord with those seemingly content to live as the world directs. Our best mode of behavior is to succumb to the blessed reality, in our case, that all is well with us because we have seen a great light in ...

1728. Jimmy Carter's Effectiveness

Mark 10:35-45; 2 Cor 12:9

Illustration

Katherine Fagerburg

... James Wall, "What do you think made Jimmy Carter so effective as an international negotiator?" Wall replied, "Carter has the prestige and experience of the presidency without the political baggage. Furthermore, he is able to draw on his personal, deeply held religious belief that in talking with another person, one must be sensitive to the other's perspective." Calloway responded, "You are really saying that it is the one without power who really has power." That is closer to what Christ taught, that power ...

1729. A Servant in Saigon

Illustration

Keith Wagner

... be Mother Teresa or a Betty Tisdale. He is talking about denying ourselves the demand for power, honor and status and being servants. Faith is a paradox. Life in the kingdom is not acquired with honors, prizes, achievements, awards and success. It is realized with sacrificial love, unwavering faith and belief that God has a seat reserved just for us. It's better than the 50 yard line. It is not just good for a single game or a single season. It is good for eternity.

1730. Gateway to Grace

Joshua 5:9-12

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... the gateway to Grace, and our real home. Come, let us reclaim our past as Christians, recall the glorious story of how we were lost in the slavery of sin, and how we were reclaimed, renamed, and restored to our heritage. The manna of the law, the belief that everything can be divided into a clear right and wrong without our having to make any mature decisions as believers, will cease. Instead we will claim the grace that saves us, and allows us to view others whose faults are no worse than our own, to ...

1731. What Church Looks Like

Acts 16:9-15

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... river to find believers because there is no synagogue in this town, and that's what he finds — believers who cannot form a church because they do not conform to the standards of that time. They are Gentiles, they are single women, they are believers whose belief is not accepted by others. This prayer group consisted of that class of people known as God-fearers. These were Gentiles who believed in the God of Israel, but for one reason or another were not able to take the next step and become part of God ...

1732. What Are You Looking At?

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). In other words - get to work - but don't forget that Jesus is coming back. Our trust in the imminent return of Jesus is an essential belief. But we are not to stand slack jawed on the hillside staring at the sky waiting for his return. Nor are we to spend our time circling dates on the calendar, predicting his return in the face of his assurance that none of us could possibly know the date. No ...

1733. When Nothing More Can Be Done

Amos 8:1-12

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... , a Catholic, a Methodist, or any of the denominations into which Christians divide themselves, for we hold in common that powerful reality that Jesus both taught in words and demonstrated with his resurrection: The end is not the end. It is true that Christians share a belief in an end of this age, but we should note that such a doctrine is not really about ending. Rather it is about a new beginning, the beginning of God's kingdom fully come and the beginning of true life in its enduring form. Yes, we ...

1734. A "Somebody Done Somebody Wrong" Song

Hosea 1:2-10

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

... would take such a risk is a testimony to love's hope and strength. That the Creator of the universe would do so for the sake of humanity is nearly incomprehensible. That this God would continue to pursue and woo us despite our faithlessness is almost beyond belief. Those who insist "you can't put Humpty Dumpty together again" don't know God's power or Christ's mercy. Still, the task of such reconciliation is not easy. Ask anyone impacted by an extramarital affair. Before love can be restored, there is a lot ...

1735. Song of the Vineyard

Isaiah 5:1-7

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

... is a lesson to which the church must give heed. Most of us sit comfortably in our padded pews. We are surrounded by beauty and ample material possessions. We worship in freedom and (with few exceptions) safety. We are not persecuted or harassed for our beliefs. By all calculations, we should expect to grow and thrive, to produce spiritual fruit of spectacular quality; but not many do. Christ commands us to invite others in but instead we chase them out. Rather than the sweet wine of communion and grace, we ...

1736. Jesus: What's in a Name?

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... save us from our fear. That’s the second common bondage we need to name if we are going to know deliverance. The popular writer Loren Eisley, has put it into focus. Writing about a study of Eskimo culture, Eisley reported that when asked about his beliefs, the Eskimo replied, “We do not believe. We only fear. We fear those things about us and those things which we do not understand.” And so Eisley comments: “The winter of man has not departed because, like the Eskimo, we do not so much believe as ...

1737. God in the Ordinary

Ps 100; Luke 17:11-19; Matt 6:25-34

Illustration

Once upon a time, there was a far-away land that was ruled by a vicious king. His iron hand reached into every corner of his subjects' lives. Every corner - except one. Try as he might, he couldn't destroy their belief in God. In his frustration, he finally summoned his advisors and asked them: "Where can I hide God so the people will end up forgetting about him?" One suggested hiding God on the dark side of the moon. This idea was debated, but was voted down because the advisors feared ...

1738. If This Is Your Faith, Tell Me Your Stories

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... , prayers, and parables that needed to be communicated to that first, most crucial generation. If the first generation, which for Christians is every generation, doesn’t “get it right,” doesn’t hear the message, then there will be no more. Some sort of belief system might endure for a while, watered down and without roots, an air fern faith. But the heart of the story the “God the Father,” “Jesus the Lord,” “love one another” center of our faith would eventually be lost. The Season of ...

1739. Every Kiss Begins with K

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... is because those “kings” themselves were so different from the rest of the Christmas crowd that this carol strikes such an unusual chord. Those so-called “kings” were extreme outsiders. Very doubtfully “kings,” they were most certainly not Jews. Their belief in a single God was unlikely. In a best case scenario, these travelers were elite Zoroastrian priests, quite Gentile, probably from Persia or perhaps Arabia. We know there were at least two of them, but just because they brought three gifts ...

1740. What the Lord Does Best

Exodus 1:1-22

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... does is certainly best, probably. Now what the world needs is persons like those Hebrew midwives, who will put their faith beyond the tentativeness of probably. The problem with most of us is that, that we have good head knowledge. We have a good rational belief system; our doctrine is pretty much in order. But we lack the commitment and the will to act in response to God, to move from that tentativeness of probably to the certainty of the heart. In her satirical novel about suburban life entitled, The Demi ...

1741. Braveheart

John 20:24-29

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... a God who cares so much about you, why did he allow you to have the surgery in the first place? I have lived 41 years in this old world and have yet to see any piece of genuine evidence that there is anything real about any of those religious beliefs you talk about. God certainly does not love me and has never done a single thing to express that love for me. I have had to fight for everything I ever got in life. Nobody cares about what happens to me and I don't care about anybody else either ...

1742. A Crib, A Cross, And A Cave

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... resurrection story. Molly had sunk into the pit of despair and the sight of the store drove her even deeper. What she needed was a good dose of faith. Like Peter, she had no faith in herself, but then one who had never believed suddenly came to belief and his faith in Molly was enough to spark her faith in herself once again. I believe that the world is a magical place filled with the wonder of God's creation and unconditional love. But somehow, like Molly Mahoney, we've gotten stuck. We've become stuck ...

1743. Plenty Of Room

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... the question, "Is There Room At The Inn?" We discovered or reminded ourselves there is room for Christmas, prophets, shepherds, a Savior and Wisemen. In other words, There is Plenty Of Room. As United Methodists, we have a distinct heritage and a unique set of beliefs which uphold that understanding. We believe that there is Plenty of Room at the Table and In The Water. Through the two Sacraments of Holy Communion and Baptism we are reminded that God's Table and the waters of Baptism are open to everyone. I ...

1744. Spiderman: Saved To Serve

Colossians 3:1-4, 12-17

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... . You see, I believe it was because they were "Saved To Serve." II. Saved to Serve A. Of all the disciples, Paul may be the one who exemplifies best that's it's not all about what's up here in the head. It's not just about knowledge and belief. But rather our faith is all about what's in here, the heart and how our heart guides all that we do so that the love of God in Christ emanates through everything we do. We aren't saved so we can feel good about ourselves. Just like Paul and ...

1745. Altar Your Witness

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... area I'm an advocate of what I call "Non-Confrontational Evangelism." I've found that most people don't like to talk about their faith because they're afraid they are going to be verbally accosted by the person with whom they're talking for not having the same beliefs the have. Or we're afraid we're going to be treated like Carl treated Russell in our opening clip. In Romans 10:9-15 (NRSV) the Apostle Paul writes [9] if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised ...

1746. LOST? Looking For Peace

Matthew 18:21-22, Colossians 3:8-15, Hebrews 11:1

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... of baloney." But for us, the abnormal people, Faith is what fuels our lives. And that Faith in God through Christ is what empowers our daily life so we can live as Disciples and not just believers. Being a Disciple is the hard part. Believing is easy but living your beliefs and living how our Savior lived is the hard part. II. The Hard Part So, what do I mean, by the hard part? The best way to explain that is to look at the passages from Matthew. First, Matthew 18:21-22 [21] Then Peter came and said to him ...

1747. Lost? Looking For Happiness

1 Peter 2:9-12

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives." If we're Looking For Happiness, then as Christians, we have to be conscious of the fact that we're different. We live by different rules, beliefs and ethics. And we have to be careful so we don't get cozy. You see, the World Beckons. I. World Beckons Remember this commercial - Bud Lite: Rock, Paper, Scissors: This is how the world tells us to act. The world, in general, tells us to put self ...

1748. That's All I Want

Psalm 23:1

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... we know it so well, we don't listen to it any more. It's right up there with the two great commandments to "love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves" and John 3:16. These are some of the core beliefs of our faith but because they are so familiar, we've let them lose their meaning in our lives. It's sort of like when you move to a new community. The first thing you do is start learning street names and addresses. You get confused when you ask someone ...

1749. A Chance To Be Made Whole

Matthew 9:18-26

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... same compassion He looks at each of us. Jesus felt the same love and understanding for this leader of the synagogue that he felt for the woman with the hemorrhage or the woman caught in adultery. There's an old story about an atheist who was very vocal about his beliefs. He never let an opportunity to deny the existence of God go by. He truly was a thorn in the flesh. He decided to go on vacation to Scotland one year and chose to visit Loch Ness. He was fascinated with the myth of the Loch Ness monster. He ...

1750. Gratitude Not Platitudes

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... kingdom of God and his righteousness" Once upon a time, there was a far away land that was ruled by a vicious king. His iron fist reached into every corner of his subjects' lives. Every corner, except one. Try as he might, he couldn't destroy their belief in God. In his frustration, he finally summoned his advisors and asked them: "Where can I hide God so the people will forget about him?" One suggested hiding God on the dark side of the moon. This idea was debated, but was voted down because the advisors ...

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