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 2653 results

1726. Prophets or Professionals?

Deuteronomy 18:14-22

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... a seat? This is the church's problem. It is our problem because the church is becoming just another "dysfunctional family" among all the others. Our dysfunctions affect our attitudes and betray what have become our greatest convictions and compassions. We have become so concerned with preaching our message to the world, finding our own politically correct niche on the liberal-to-conservative, evangelical-to-pentecostal, liturgical-to-nonliturgical spectrum of religious life in America that we have lost ...

1727. Written in Red

1 John 5:9-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of being "politically correct." In our blood-soaked, war-torn, gang-banged culture, the blood and guts of Christ's loving sacrifice has never been so powerful or so pertinent. People are spiritually starved and frantically searching for any crumbs of hope and compassion. Some of us got excited a few years ago when this spiritual hunger awakened in the wider culture a renewed interest in angels and other spiritual beings and bearers. But the newfound popularity of the witness of these spirits of goodness and ...

1728. Close the Loopholes

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... . A mean spirit cannot see beyond the drive to satisfy its own needs and desires. A mean spirit hoards away happiness and labels exuberance and laughter as frivolous. The mean spirit is concerned only with keeping itself going day by day, with no time or compassion for the welfare of others. A mean spirit may do no apparent wrong, but neither does it do any spontaneous rights. A stingy spirit keeps the body of Christ on a mere subsistence diet, refusing to glory in or enjoy the embarrassing abundance of ...

1729. God's in Charge (so shut up!)

Ephesians 5:15-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... we feel and proclaim for God's never-ending gifts must find an active outlet in our lives. Knowing that "God's in charge" means we don't have to worry about the bottom line, we don't have to hedge our bets, we don't have to ration our compassion. Once we quiet down our fears and frustrations, once we successfully squelch the illusion that we must be in control, God's Spirit will show us just how simple it is to open our hands to others in need. When we learn to "shut up" to "let [our] words be ...

1730. Holy Spirit Holes

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... richness. In general, we think of this period as a time of cold weather, bad food and nonexistent plumbing. But there was one bright spot in the darkness, where medieval men and women from miles around could gather for comfort, care and a measure of compassion and discipleship training in the Christian life the local cathedral. How ironic that these so-called "Dark Ages" are known for their stained-glass windows. In fact, our medieval forebears had a Bible, but it wasn't a book. It was the cathedral itself ...

1731. Dr. God

Matthew 9:18-26

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... out healing powers that immediately connected with the one in need of healing. Love Heals: There is something that long-distance as well as "hands-on" (or "energy-transfer") healing events seem to have in common the presence of love. Compassion, concern, empathy all those nonmedical elements we long for are the common components in successful healings. Without love, without specific caring, making the "healing connection" is impossible. Healers of all stripes testify to this common belief that the ability ...

1732. Hello!?

Romans 8:26-39

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... gift of the Cross. In the face of greed ... there is the abundant life. In the face of pollution ... there is God's redemption of all creation. In the face of hunger ... there is a legacy of loaves and fishes. In the face of homelessness ... there is compassion. In the face of hardship ... there is the promise of goodness. Alternative Sermon Idea Simply reverse the sermon theme. Are you prepared for the world to say "Hello!?" to you? As a disciple of Jesus, what you do and say will be greeted with a chorus ...

1733. A Bill of Rights

Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... squatter camps, but also into the affluent suburbs of comfort and indifference. 'Let justice roll' into the boardrooms of corporate wealth and the corridors of political power. 'Let justice roll' into a church made lukewarm by its conformity and isolated by its lack of compassion. 'Let justice roll' and set free all the captives those under bondage to poverty's chains and those under bondage to money's desires. 'Let justice roll' and let faith come alive again in all of those whose eyes long to see a new ...

1734. Easter Dreams

Luke 24:1-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... ]: 5). Because the Good Friday nightmare was transformed into the Easter Dream, the way has been opened for ending all nightmares and incarnating all dreams. The Resurrection means that Christians can expectantly: - dream of plenty in the midst of poverty; - dream of compassion in the midst of poverty; - dream of justice in the midst of inequity; - dream of holiness in the midst of hell; - dream of love in the midst of hate. New generations of Christians are despairing of dreaming because they have not yet ...

1735. The Devil's I

Acts 5:27-32

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... it all," "have it all" or "be it all," makes the me-only solo a frighteningly lonely tune. When we surrender the authority over our lives to God, when we finally admit that God is God, and we are not, we open ourselves up to a tidal wave of divine compassion and love. Recognizing that God is the Absolute of all absolutes relativizes all other absolutes. Pleasing God, serving God and obeying God become an expression of God's strength, Christ's love and the witness of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

1736. On Being a Hot-Fudge-Sunday Church

Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... minister to a world that is getting richer, and poorer at the same time? (What are the two groups toward which the church is least prepared to do ministry? The rich and the poor.) No middle ground will get the message of Christ's love and compassion to the "ends of the earth." Only the incarnated Logos, Jesus Christ, who loved to play in the extremes, can be our message. Alternative Sermon Idea One of the first definitions of Logos comes from the Greek philosopher Heraclitus. For his inspired vision of such ...

1737. Fingerprints of the Soul

Romans 5:1-5

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to admire intelligent people. As I grow older, I admire kind people." The focus of this sermon could be on how to save the world from the debilitating and death-dealing "Rhett Butler Syndrome" through small acts of kindness (a "Charlie Lang" table for the homeless) and other virtues like compassion, honesty, generosity.

1738. The Five Adjectives of a Noun Christian

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... and have decided to go for broke. 4. They'll know we are Christians ... because we're "too much." I want to be a "too-much" Christian. The religious establishment of Jesus' day found him "too much for them." "Too much" passion; "too much" compassion; "too much" forgiveness; "too much" giving, etc. To "turn things around," Jesus taught that we must turn things upside down. Jesus turned the values of the world upside down and inside out. People will find us "too much" for them. Why? Because we, like Jesus ...

1739. Jonah 3:1-5, 10

Jonah 3:1-5, 10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... to burst into the full flower of repentance. In verse 10 Jonah's worst fear comes true. Moved by their genuine spirit of repentance and prayers for forgiveness, Israel's own God spares the pagan Ninevites rather than destroying them. The powers of divine compassion and transformation are shown to know no national boundaries. The God of the Hebrews proves all creation to be under the same watchful, judging, yet loving eye. Relating the Texts Both of this week's First Testament texts call the reader to stand ...

1740. Mark 1:21-28

Mark 1:21-28

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of eating food that has been offered to idols as an opportunity to state tersely and sometimes tensely some crucial points of Christian theology. In verse 7 Paul quickly returns to his real point and parry: Knowledge enacted without concern and compassion for those who are "weak" is a failure of Christian communal responsibility. Historically, the issue concerning Paul was a generational one. Gentile Christians had been raised to believe in a pantheon of gods who truly partook of the food sacrifices offered ...

1741. Philippians 4:49

Philippians 4:49

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... dwelling upon the victory and the vanquished enemy, the prophet focuses on what every lost heart desires. God, it is promised, is the one who still "brings you home, at the time when I gather you" (vs. 20). Zephaniah's song is bursting with confidence in the mercy, love, and compassion of God and God's complete ability to turn a disastrous situation around into a day of triumph.

1742. Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... 's social message. This tradition is lost in the other gospels, making this material unique to Luke. It surprises us to hear the spitfire in the hair shirt giving thoughtful job counseling to the newly baptized tax collectors and soldiers. With compassion and calm insight, Luke's John provides a way for these individuals to maintain their professional identities while they enflesh their new faith. The portion read this week completes the threefold nature of John's preparatory message to the people. Verses ...

1743. 2 Kings 5:1-15ab

2 Kings 5:1-15ab

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... lowliest, anonymous member of Naaman's household that the solution to Naaman's greatest personal anguish comes. Despite her own position as a helpless, nameless captive, the Israelite girl's faith in her God and God's prophets remains unshaken. With confidence and compassion she boldly suggests that if her new master were to stand before the Lord's prophet, even as he now stands before the authority of the king of Aram, he would surely be cured. Naaman's first surprising action is that he takes seriously ...

1744. John 14:23-29

John 14:23-29

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... , these closing words offer a bit more comfort to the disciples. Jesus is responding to questions put to him by his followers. Here he addresses the query the gospel writer puts on the lips of Judas. Jesus' tone has increased in gentleness and compassion for his disciples as he continues to talk. He gently clarifies how his presence will remain with his disciples. When Jesus declares, "Those who love me will keep my word," we must remember that in Greek "word" ("logos") encompasses a vast area of meaning ...

1745. Luke 10:25-37

Luke 10:25-37

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... whatever more he may need. Obviously, a gang of dangerous robbers is in the vicinity their handiwork lies crumpled at the side of the road. But the Samaritan not only turns aside to help the wounded man, he takes the time and expends the compassion to do what he can there at the roadside. Before even moving the man to safety, he administers rudimentary first aid, wine as a cleansing disinfectant, oil as a soothing healing aid and bandages for comfort and cleanliness. Only then does the Samaritan carefully ...

1746. Mark 1:21-28

Mark 1:21-28

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

1747. Philippians 4:49

Philippians 4:49

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

1748. 2 Kings 5:1-15ab

2 Kings 5:1-15ab

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

1749. John 10:11-18

John 10:11-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the Father." The "knowledge" shared between God, Jesus and the "sheep" who know their "shepherd" should not be thought of as some special esoteric gnosis necessary for salvation. All that the sheep "know" is their faith in the Good Shepherd's unfaltering love and compassion. This is "knowledge" only in that it is knowledge of faithfulness. What the Father "knows," what the sheep "know," is that Jesus as the Good Shepherd, the one in perfect accordance with God's own will, gladly lays down his life for the ...

1750. John 6:1-21

John 6:1-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... . Unlike the synoptics, John now records a dialogue between Jesus and his disciple, further emphasizing the heuristic or teaching "feel" John gives this scene. In fact, what is most missing from John's version of this feeding miracle is any reference to Jesus' compassion for the crowd or any direct mention of the crowd's plight (they are hungry, far away from any town, etc.). John omits any mention of Jesus' emotional reasons for performing this miracle. The focus is not on the crowd but on the disciples ...

Showing results