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 1826 to 1850 of 2699 results

1826. Jesus Calls the Common Man

John 1:29-42; Matt 4:12-22

Illustration

Gary Inrig

... asked him, "Son, what has Christ done for us all - for you -which entitles him to our love?" His response was, "I don't know. I think Christ has done a great deal for us, but I don't think of anything in particular that I know of." Hardly and impressive start. Years later his Sunday school teacher said of him: "I can truly say that I have seen few persons whose minds were spiritually darker than was his when he came into my Sunday school class. I think the committee of the church seldom met an applicant for ...

1827. Carbon Pure and Perfect

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... ” (v.18). Salvation is a lifelong process, a lifetime of growing in prevenient grace, a lifetime of living through saving grace, a lifetime of slip sliding on sanctifying grace. Jesus didn’t call one perfect disciples. Jesus called twelve impressively imperfect disciples. Twelve different inclusions of following Jesus. Jesus is our diamond, whatever his clarity. Fourth, Cut: Every diamond is made beautiful by the shade it takes and the number of light reflecting facets that are carefully incised across ...

1828. The Great Physician

Matthew 4:23-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... told he had six months to live, but tonight he believed that God had healed him. The young man told Yancey, “I had never known such certainty of faith before. My search was over; I had seen proof of a living God in those people on the stage.” So impressed was he with this proof that God healed this man that he tried to follow up and talk with this doctor. A week later he listened excitedly as the phone rang in the doctor’s home. When the phone was answered, the young man explained the reason for the ...

1829. The Case of the Dancing Men

Psalm 51:1-19

Sermon

King Duncan

... I told you it was bizarre, but true. Don’t you hope that the girl who did call was brought to faith by what she thought was the response of her father to her situation? We don’t know what the phone call meant to her, but what is impressive was the reaction of the man’s real daughter to the letters of support she received from her Mom and Dad who thought she had let them down. “These letters are my treasure,” the daughter later said, “real love letters written by a godly father who never imagined ...

1830. The Evangelist Has a Shady Past

John 4:1-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... true.” Do you understand that biblical people are really not any different than people today? You and I know couples who are cohabitating without the benefit of wedlock. Does it surprise you that they did so in Jesus’ time as well? The woman was impressed. “Sir,” she said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship ...

1831. K.I.S.S.

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

King Duncan

... the Apostle Paul’s theology knows that his theology can be quite challenging at times. But he is saying that he tried to communicate the Gospel to the churches in which he ministered as simply and as directly as he could. He was not trying to impress people with his knowledge but with God’s love and God’s power. Indeed, I believe that, from these words, he too would encourage those two inscriptions on every pulpit: “We would see Jesus” and K.I.S.S., “keep it simple, stupid.” “For I resolved ...

1832. Come with Me to the Mountain

Matthew 17:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... see what Augustus Caesar did! One element in his amazing career is undoubtedly the fact that in his youth he visited Theogenes, a famous astrologer, to have his horoscope cast. When Theogenes saw the young man’s horoscope, so runs the story, he was so impressed with the marvel of it that he fell on his face and worshiped him. You and I do not believe in astrology but, you see, Augustus did. It was a superstition, but, being believed, it worked. All his later life through difficulty, peril, burden-bearing ...

1833. God's Work of Art

John 9: 1-41

Illustration

Mickey Anders

... . Wilder offers this as his explanation of why good people have to suffer in this life. God has a pattern into which all of our lives fit. His pattern requires that some lives be twisted, knotted, or cut short, while others extend to impressive lengths, not because one thread is more deserving than another, but simply because the pattern requires it. Looked at from underneath, from our vantage point in life, God's pattern of reward and punishment seems arbitrary and without design, like the underside of ...

1834. Will You Dance the Metanoia with Me?

Acts 2:14-41

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... as a troublemaker. During the years of his earthly ministry Jesus was often in trouble with the authorities because of his “bad behavior.” Jesus didn’t act the accepted part of a teacher, preacher, rabbi. Jesus did not draw his disciples from an impressive list of established scholarly students. He called fishermen, Galilean peasants, tax guys, hot heads, and blowhards. Jesus didn’t keep the Sabbath as strictly as he could have. He walked too far, he healed some sick folk, he did some things the ...

1835. From Temple to Table

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... that belongs to God. These pastoral, agricultural images mean the most to Jesus. This is the new identity that Jesus most wanted those listening to him to embrace and embody. But why? Sheep were NOT and still are not the poster children for “amazing, impressive, creatures.” It is more like sheep are stupid, defenseless, easy to fleece and gullible. Sheep are flock animals who need at least one companion for them to be happy. So what is it about “sheep” that spoke to Jesus? What is so important about ...

1836. It's Not Fair!

1 Peter 2:13-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... God. Philip Yancey studied this problem at great length and this is what he found. Some people caved in when they felt God let them down while others used their time of adversity as a stepping stone to a richer, fuller relationship with God. I was especially impressed by Yancey’s description of a man named Douglas. Yancey says that when he got to the portion of Disappointment with God that dealt with the Book of Job, he decided to look around and find the person he knew who was most like Job. He found ...

1837. John 14:15 21

John 14:15-31

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the events that are about to unfold there. Repeatedly he warns his companions that he is going away from them soon. Not surprisingly the disciples are flummoxed and frustrated by Jesus’ words. Jesus’ predictions of his own death and return to the Father give an impression of failure and the utter abandonment of his followers to the whims of the world. In today’s reading Jesus reveals to the disciples that what will appear to “the world” as an ending (end of his life and mission and end to his ...

1838. When Christians Pray

Acts 1:12-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... this great ocean-going vessel. He visited the bridge of the ocean liner and spoke with the captain. Mark asked the captain about the biggest seas he had ever sailed in that ship. The captain told Mark that he had been in seas with ninety foot waves. Impressed, Mark inquired about how he had managed to keep the ship intact. The captain told him that while ninety foot waves were daunting, the ship could negotiate them quite handily as long as the ship didn’t lose power. “If you lose power in big seas in ...

1839. We Replace the Lamb

Mt 10:40-42; Is 11:6, 65:25

Illustration

... name that made all of us tremble: the Russians brought an exhibit to the World's Fair that was entitled "World Peace." In it was a large cage. And in the cage were a little lamb and a Russian wolf ... feeding peaceably together. As an exhibit, it was most impressive. And as the fair unfolded, it was spectacularly attended. One day, however, somebody asked the curator the obvious question: "How in the world do you do it?" To which he replied: "Oh, it's really very simple. We replace the lamb every morning."

1840. What to Do with the Weeds

Matthew 13:24-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... tell. In the Roman Church, seven is traditionally the age of reason. When children reach seven they are expected to attend Mass regularly and go to confession. Why? Because when they are seven they are accountable for their sins. One five-year-old girl was impressed when she learned about the age of reason. When her older brother turned seven she greeted him like this, “Happy birthday, Matthew. Now you can go to hell.” (1) What an honor. You’ve finally arrived. Now you can go to Satan’s domain. It ...

1841. God’s Most Troubling Promise

Romans 8:28

Sermon

King Duncan

... life is one series of challenges after another. Some of these challenges are routine everyday headaches and irritations. The car breaks down; you’re late for work. The heavens unleash rain on your daughter’s wedding. You have lunch with someone you want to impress; afterward you discover that the whole time you were with them, you had a piece of spinach firmly entrenched in one of your front teeth. These kinds of events drive you crazy, but they are just passing flights of bad luck. However, some other ...

1842. When the Caterers Weren’t Available

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... people have tried to give a rational explanation for the miracle of the fishes and loaves. Early in the twentieth century, it became fashionable to find natural explanations for miracles. Albert Schweitzer wrote that each of the 5,000 people was so completely impressed in the presence of Jesus that they felt satisfied even though they were not actually filled. Another theory was that the crowd brought food with them. When a small boy offered to share his lunch, this shamed others into offering theirs as ...

1843. The Ad Vent Wheat

John 1:1-18

Drama

Frank Ramirez

... ; with the angels let us sing, Alleluia to our King; Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born! (Teachers enter during the last song. They clap when the song is over. Teacher Two carries a bag filled with the puppets.) Teacher One: Very good! I’m impressed. Teacher Two: And the decorations are so nice. But what is this big metal shaft? And why do you have this wheat here? Alexis: This is the Ad Vent! Kristin: We want to tell the whole world about Jesus, so we’re telling our Ads through this ...

1844. Send Her Away!

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... who remain vivid in Hubbard’s memory were women who had cancer. Both of these women described themselves to Hubbard as lapsed Roman Catholics. Both told Hubbard that they pictured God as powerful but very remote. Moreover, they pictured Him as male, cold and uncaring. Their impression of Jesus was just the same. Both told her that in their hours of suffering and great need they thought it was useless to pray to God the Father or to Jesus so, each said, “I pray to Mary, because she’s a woman and she ...

1845. Power!

Mark 1:4-11

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... , they came down into the river, allowed John to "bury" their old ways under the water in baptism, then raise them again to a better life — neat ceremony — wonderful symbolism — Sonny Dewey understood. And in the hands of a dynamic personality, too ... so forceful and impressive that some were led to think that John was the promised Messiah finally come. He debunked that notion out of hand: "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of ...

1846. A “No Surprises” Easter

John 20:1-18

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... us that, despite all the evidence to the contrary, our God is still in charge. In the early 1970s, a certain theological seminary held a conference on the future. Alvin Toffler's book, Future Shock, was all the rage, and an impressive group of scholars was assembled to "do futuring." They gave well-documented addresses, speculating about the sweeping changes moving toward us in education, economics, community life, and technology. They envisioned the future and described it in dazzling detail. The closing ...

1847. A Winsome Witness

Acts 8:26-40

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... in your life ... the comfort in times of trial, the happy fellowship in times of joy. Try to put that into words so that, when the time seems right, you can share it with someone who wants to hear. Something Philip said made a profound impression on the Ethiopian. "What is to prevent me from being baptized?" he asked. Something Philip had shared gave this man the idea that, where religion had excluded him before, now he would be welcomed. "What is to prevent me from being baptized?" The scriptural account ...

1848. Cross-Bearing

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... , but when he met her he found someone so very compelling and endearing that he titled his effort, "Something Beautiful for God." For years, Muggeridge had been an outspoken agnostic, but by the time he arrived in Calcutta he was in full spiritual-search mode. Beyond impressing him with her work and her holiness, she wrote a letter to him in 1970 that addressed his doubts. "Your longing for God is so deep and yet he keeps himself away from you," she wrote. "He must be forcing himself to do so — because he ...

1849. Beating Babel

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... seems to be more of an effort, particularly during cold spells. If you visit our campground, perhaps we could go with you the first time, sit with you, and introduce you to the other folks. Ours is a friendly community. Sincerely yours Mistaken impressions notwithstanding, research has been done which shows that some of what we hear and do not hear is quite deliberate. One experiment had two groups of subjects, smokers and non-smokers, listen to messages, some of which implied that smoking causes cancer and ...

1850. Thanks for the Memory, Bob

John 6:24-35

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... written. In it he included all sorts of church activities and community service, involvement with young people, his community, support for the various educational institutions, help with the United Way — one worthwhile activity after another. When the obituary was finished, he was most impressed, but at the same time, most discouraged. He realized that what he had written was a big lie. It became a challenge to him, and for the rest of his life, he made the effort to live up to that glowing obituary he ...

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