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 1776 to 1800 of 4963 results

1776. Acts 2:1-21

Acts 2:1-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... have come to pass. The final verse from this week's text offers both an invitation and a challenge to the Jews surrounding the disciples: "Everyone who calls upon the Lord shall be saved." The invitation has been made, even in their native languages; the response is now up to them. Relating the Texts The gospel text from John relays Jesus' promises about the Holy Spirit - the "Advocate" or "Counselor" - in greater detail. The John text read this week is part of a larger section (15:26-16:33) believed to ...

1777. James 1:17-27

James 1:17-27

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... God and so were redeemed or offered to God. Christians now are the first fruits of the gospel. While God's word is the word of truth, human words are not nearly so noble. In verse 19 James now looks at the deficient nature of human responses. Again James is probably citing a common proverb to listen carefully and not respond rashly - which he now gives a specifically religious ring. James' writings are often characterized by an over-arching concern for the well-being of the Christian community, so it is not ...

1778. Nehemiah 8:1-4a, 5-6, 8-10

Nehemiah 8:1-4a, 5-6, 8-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... forbade the land-grabbing, freedom-robbing practices of the wealthy that put the poor into slavery and the community into disarray. In rebuilding the city walls, Nehemiah helped to once again cement the bonds of community that made everyone responsible to and for one another. Ezra was the establishment, the officially recognized religious leader of those days. Now numbered among the prophets, Ezra worked alongside Nehemiah and added another message to the reforming, rebuilding activities. Ezra reminded the ...

1779. 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... . A new history of deliverance is about to come to the Hebrews. When God continues, and Moses realizes that he is to be God's instrument in making this deliverance real, he is filled with dismay. As with all those whom Scripture records God calling, the immediate response of this chosen one is to deny his ability and worthiness to perform such a mission. In Moses' case, he objects no less than five times between Exodus 3:11 and 4:17 to Yahweh calling him. But while Moses keeps doing his best to convince God ...

1780. Luke 9:51-62

Luke 9:51-62

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... kingdom of God because he was busy in his own little corner of the world. The third confrontation with a hesitant follower once again echoes the Elijah-Elisha cycle. Compare this exchange to the one in this week's Old Testament lesson. Elijah's response to Elisha's hesitation is much more subdued than Jesus' retort to the similar question posed in Luke 9:61-62. Elijah is intentionally ambiguous, neither approving nor disapproving Elisha's request for a farewell moment. In what will many centuries later be ...

1781. Galatians 6:7-18

Galatians 6:7-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... applicable to this situation. Verse 8's sowing and reaping imagery defines the active role believers take in shaping their own destinies. The Spirit is available to all who seek it. But it is also quite avoidable. Paul states plainly where the ultimate responsibility lies for those whose harvests are stunted and decayed. It is within everyone's own power to determine whether the outcome of their life will be blessing or judgment. Verse 9 relieves this somber picture with the apostle's positive advice that ...

1782. 2 Kings 5:1-15ab

2 Kings 5:1-15ab

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... , the king despairs and suspects a trick. The slave girl's prophet from Samaria, Elisha, now enters the tale to bail out the panicked king. From the outset Elisha is in control of this situation - relieving the Israelite king of any responsibility. He chastises the king for his cowardly response and orders Naaman to be sent to him. Once again this powerful general loads up his gear and journeys out to see the prophet. But when he arrives, his reception is far from what he expected. Naaman's presence, which ...

1783. Luke 21:5-19

Luke 21:5-19

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... much time they have left. Instead of giving them a definite time, Jesus describes a series of tell-tale events. One impending sign will be the proliferation of false leaders (v.8). Their success will indicate that "the time is near." Still in response to the disciples' question, Jesus continues to describe other events signaling the rapid approach of this judgment day (v.9). Yet Jesus counsels courage in the face of these "wars and insurrections" - for even these are only portents of even more extensively ...

1784. Colossians 1:11-20

Colossians 1:11-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... . The rock motif is a carry-over from Psalm 94:22, reminding Israel that the Lord is its refuge. But primarily this procession opens with praise and thanksgiving. Verses 1-5 are ecstatic, calling for noisy prayers and songs and praises as the proper response to the miracle of salvation. Rather surprisingly, however, what this psalm first chooses to highlight about this praiseworthy God is not the specifics of salvation, but the power and majesty of God. The Lord is to be exalted not because of what God has ...

1785. 1 John 5:9-13

1 John 5:9-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... "this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son," we must accept not only the witness of the Holy Spirit and the risen Christ, but that of a Jesus dunked in a river and nailed to a cross for our sake as well. The various human responses to the proclamation in verse 9 is the focus of verses 10-12. In the face of this divine witness, what is the impact on human beings? 1 John offers the results of both a positive and a negative ...

1786. John 18:33-38

John 18:33-38

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... into the intricacies of such a debate and the legal ramifications they might have on Jesus' case. He grasps at the only logical if tangential conclusion he can draw from Jesus' circular reply: If Jesus has a "kingdom" he must then be a "king." Jesus' response in verse 37 refuses to give Pilate a break by actually confessing kingship. Jesus merely repeats Pilate's own accusation back to him. The emphatic "you" demonstrates the claim is Pilate's "You say that I am a king." Jesus' final words to Pilate in ...

1787. Acts 16:16-34

Acts 16:16-34

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Philippi. In the Roman army, any failure of duty was deemed reason enough to commit one final "honorable" act, suicide. Paul and Silas save the jailer's life by calling out to him and assuring him of their continued presence. The jailer's response to this situation appears abrupt. Although there is no evidence that he has heard the gospel message except, significantly enough, within the context and content of the hymns Paul and Silas had been singing this Roman jailer recognizes a demonstration of profound ...

1788. 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14

2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... they meet up with a "company of prophets" (perhaps members of a guild of prophets or followers of Elisha and Elijah) who come out to meet them (v.3) and who, in an aside to Elisha, ask him whether he is aware that Elijah's departure is imminent. Elisha's response is testy: "Yes, I know; be silent." From Bethel, they reverse field and journey to Jericho where they are again met by the "company of prophets" (v.5) who again find Elisha alone and ask the same question the prophets had posed at Bethel. Elisha's ...

1789. Luke 12:13-21

Luke 12:13-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... question might be properly addressed. Issues of inheritance are treated in such Pentateuchal texts as Deuteronomy 21:15-17 and Numbers 27:1-11, and therefore, if Jesus were perceived to be a scribe or religious scholar, it was a question he could legitimately answer. Jesus' response is terse and to the point: "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" (v.14). The NRSV's use of "friend" is curious; the NIV and others use "man" or "sir," retaining the aloofness of the Greek anthrope in Jesus ...

1790. Luke 19:1-10

Luke 19:1-10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.'" In the Greek, the tense of these verbs is present, which leaves unclear whether Zacchaeus is here offering a defense of his character as a response to the complaints of the crowd, or whether he is announcing a change of character, i.e., a conversion. Those who see this as a vindication rather than a conversion or salvation story argue that the use of the present tense is iterative, i.e., repeating what ...

1791. The Last Parable

Mark 12:1-12

Sermon

James McCormick

... them, for they know not what they do,’ And still it rained the wintry rain that drenched him through and through; The crowds went home and left the streets without a soul to see, And Jesus crouched against a wall and cried for Calvary.” That’s the unkindest response of all - indifference. I am sure that Jesus would rather be crucified anew than to be ignored. So, what will you decide? This parable is a dramatic story of God’s love and God’s patience. But that is not all it is about. It’s also a ...

1792. A Burden or a Song

Matthew 5:43-48

Sermon

James McCormick

... the friend. I think there is wisdom in that description. First, there is nothing – we are not aware of God at all - God the void. Then, when we first become aware of God, He is God the enemy. He is the one who lays on us all the rules, the responsibilities, the obligations. We sense that God is not for us – in fact, if we don’t measure up, He will punish us. At the feeling level, that feels like an enemy no matter how much we talk about God’s love. And so many people never get past that stage ...

1793. John 9:1-41

John 9:1-41

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... place on the Sabbath. The Pharisees jump on this Torah infringement. Making clay, which required kneading the dust and water together, was a forbidden act of work on the Sabbath. The Parisees grill the cured man about his healing and are divided in their responses. Some of them are convinced that Jesus is a dangerous fraud. Others are still wavering. Yet even those not willing to declare Jesus "not from God," still conclude that he "is a sinner" (v. 16). Turning once again to their witness for his opinion ...

1794. Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... ' comprehension. The illustrations in 44-50 are so obvious and straightforward, however, that many scholars do not even classify them as "parables." Jesus appears to have given easy tests. The first two of these images share a common theme: people becoming disciples in response to their perception of God's presence in their lives. In both cases the kingdom of heaven is equated with a fabulous treasure - an analogy common to a Jewish tradition that also identified wisdom as a treasure. The first story (v.44 ...

1795. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... 5:12-28) in which Paul gives a series of final instructions. Amid these lists of "dos" and "don'ts," Paul also includes two prayers or benedictions (vv.23 and 28). In these few verses Paul covers relationships between members and leaders (vv.12-13), Christian responsibility (both to other community members and to non-Christians [vv.14-15]), interior attitudes of believers (vv.16-18) and the workings of the Holy Spirit (vv.19-22). He then offers a prayer (v.23) with its own assured addendum (v.24). Verses 25 ...

1796. Luke 1:26-38

Luke 1:26-38

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

1797. Mark 10:17-31

Mark 10:17-31

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... that Jesus actually reached out and gently "caressed" this ardent yet ignorant seeker. Whatever the case, from Mark's text we get a sense of Jesus' regard and compassion for this man whose questions seem so sincere. In light of this empathy, Jesus' command and the man's response seem all the more poignant. While Jesus states that the man lacks "one thing," he actually gives him two commands. First, he is to go, sell what he has and give it all to the poor. Second, he is to come and follow Jesus _ a path ...

1798. John 1:43-51

John 1:43-51

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... ’s identity is also unique in that this is John’s only use of the term “Israelite.” Though “Israel” will ultimately reject Jesus, it is a true “Israelite” whom Jesus invites as one of his first disciples. Nathanael’s first response to Jesus is not particularly gracious. Without using any courteous or respectful titles, he simply blurts out, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus’ description of seeing Nathanael “under the fig tree” has suggested to some commentators that this ...

1799. About Sex

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... but joyfully. This is a gift God has given us. But there is a second thing we need to see. Like all of life, sexuality is to be used with discipline. This makes sense, doesn’t it? Every gift God gave us is to be used responsibly, or else we spoil it. Paul actually begins our text for today writing about food. “Everything is permissible for me,” he writes, but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me” but I will not be mastered by anything. “Food for the stomach,” he ...

1800. Experiencing God's Call in Our Lives

Mark 1:14-20

Illustration

Joe Pennel

... about to say, but I want to sell the business and go into the ministry'!" Within a few days, the business had been sold, and the family began tramping along another path. "We have never been hap-pier," said his wife. There was, for this family, a call and a response. Life, for them, has been reoriented... Where does this leave us? If others have heard the call and have responded in a radical way, then shouldn't we all do the same? That's a question only you can answer. It has to be answered by each of us as ...

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