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 1976 to 2000 of 4340 results

1976. Minute Accounting

Matthew 12:22-37

Sermon

Herchel H. Sheets

... those words "give in evidence" to us now, so that we may know more surely, while there is still time to do something about it, the true state of our hearts. If we want to know ourselves, we dare not ignore this valuable index to our personality and character. But what shall we do about making sure that our idly spoken words are the right words? How can we go about insuring that the evidence they give in at the time of reckoning shall be in our favor, rather than against us? One might think that the thing ...

1977. Hindering Riches

Matthew 19:16-30

Sermon

Herchel H. Sheets

... that they were at a turning point in their lives, but now they are. The actor says, "There we were, Barbara bright in blue, I dull in dark. Young, young, terribly young, and with scarcely any weapons save our youth and what time was to reveal as our character - by which I mean our real preoccupations. Time was to tell us what we really cared about. Then, we really did not know."3 One’s preoccupations do not always remain the same; they may change. One can come to care about different things. And it makes ...

1978. Cheering Stones

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

Herchel H. Sheets

... Episcopal Church in New York City, he had an old building fixed up and began a mission to the down-and-out men of the Bowery. A famous cartoonist became interested in the Mission and drew for Dr. Shoemaker a moving poster, with a Bowery-type character standing against a wall, the Cross showing from round the corner, and the caption, "There’s a place near by, where a Carpenter still mends broken men."2 That’s cheering for Christ! The need of the world for Christ is so great today that someone must ...

1979. Ghosts - 1951

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

Kent Moorehead

... ! Consequently we may expect yet many a year to send boys to study mummies as a training for dealing with men. When you approach politics you still hear the trailing garments of dead reasons. Why are the states so curiously shaped, with no possible relation to the character of the population or to political or commercial utility? Why does Rhode Island have as many senators as New York or Texas? For that matter, why do we have any senators at all? The U.S. Senate is, or was, merely an attempt to function as ...

1980. The Narrowness Of The Christian Way - 1950 (date estimated)

Matthew 7:13-14

Sermon

Kent Moorehead

... of partial truth is a mighty mean weapon to wield, but it is so frightfully effective that many men are so sorely tempted to use it that they yield all too frequently. Certain newspaper publishers, for example, have virtually ruined their personal characters as well as their professional reputations by resorting so habitually to this vile method of misrepresenting causes or persons they dislike. They lie about their opponents, not by saying something that is untrue about them, but by stating just a piece of ...

1981. The Time of Our Visitation

Sermon

Leonard Mann

... produces some interesting questions: Who is coming? When? Why? Where will the traveler meet us? And what will he do; what impact will he have? There is a remarkable French drama by Samuel Becket titled Waiting for Goudot. The entire plot is that two pathetic characters are waiting for someone to come. He is called Goudot. But who is Goudot, and why is he coming? We never know, because Goudot never comes. We are left with a whole complex of tantalizing questions as to the identity and mission of Goudot and ...

1982. Name Above Every Name

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

Leonard Mann

... utmost irreverence and disrespect. I’ve never heard any cussing done in the name of George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, but I’ve heard a lot of it that used the name Jesus. If the uses of the word, reverent or irreverent, are any clue to its special character, then this word is indeed a special one. It is written in Luke 2:21 that eight days after the birth of the Bethlehem Child "when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus." This was the name given to him. Jesus was his "given" name. A surname is ...

1983. Why Did The Cheering Stop? - Sermon Starter

Matthew 21:1-11

Illustration

Brett Blair

... That was something new. Earlier they had been afraid to speak out for fear of the masses, but they began to perceive that the fickle public was turning on him. Soon the opposition began to snowball. When they discovered that they could not discredit his moral character, they began to take more desperate measures. Before it was all over a tidal wave welled up that brought Jesus to his knees under the weight of a cross. Why did the masses so radically turn against him? How did the shouts of Hosanna on Sunday ...

1984. Our Inclusive Christ

Colossians 3:1-17

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... 's favorites. Slaves outnumbered free people and were treated like animals. Women were usually treated like pieces of property. Then came our revolutionary Christ and barriers began tumbling. Jesus violated social mores by hanging around with questionable characters: thieves, prostitutes, political radicals, lower class laborers. He laid hands on contagious lepers. Traditionalists were aghast at him for talking publicly with women. Jesus shattered every barrier between people that he could get his hands on ...

1985. That Hallowed Name (The Third Commandment)

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... in here." We are part of a secular society in which Christianity is a minority movement. Some of the most influential leaders in our society, including a majority who dominate the TV and movie industries, are addicted to profanity. Have you noticed that if a TV character is surprised or frightened or delighted, he or she uses God's holy name in a thoughtless, irreverent way. Some time ago I watched an American gymnast win a televised competition. All he could say over and over was "0 my God." But there was ...

1986. Turn On The Lights!

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... race relations. The majority of Americans of all races love justice and yearn for interracial peace. Most Americans cherish the dream of Dr. King that one day all persons will be judged, not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. We must not forsake the dream. In fact, I challenge us to channel whatever moral outrage we feel into an increased determination to build a just society, a society in which neither wealth nor race tilts the scales of justice. The realization of that dream ...

1987. "Hands Off!"

Exodus 20:1-21, Luke 19:11-27

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... 's credit cards without their permission, and that is stealing. The politicians are so addicted to this shameful practice that they will never stop unless we express monumental outrage. And, we must be willing to see our government benefits reduced. That takes character. We must change the mentality that is illustrated by the following story. Three friends met for dinner, a purely social occasion. The bill came to around $50.00. The first man reached for the check, saying, "I'm in the 31 percent ...

1988. "Almost" Is A Sad Word

Matthew 19:16-30

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... you wouldn't call us down here to talk about squirrels." The little boy had a point. The only thing we have to offer of life-changing value is Jesus--savior, Lord, intimate friend, pioneer of the faith. Our primary mission is not to offer people character guidance, friendly fellowship groups, or pastoral care. Our first mission is to help people meet Jesus and respond to his offer of new life. Notice in verses 18 and 19 that Jesus checks on whether the young man has kept the commandments, and Jesus lists ...

1989. Failures Need Not Be Fatal!

Mark 14:66-72

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... with plaques. There must be more to the story. There lS. That butcher then moved north to Wyoming where he opened a dry goods store. It did rather well. His name was J.C. Penney. He knew that a failure need not be fatal. A biblical character who learned that essential lesson was Simon Peter, unofficial chairman of the board of Jesus' disciples. Simon was nicknamed "Petra" or Peter by our Lord. That name means one who is rock-like, solid, dependable. It's the same as calling someone "Rocky" or "Old Gibraltar ...

1990. A Wonderful Sacrifice

1 Chronicles 21:1-22:1

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... really be wonderful? Remember the dictionary definition of sacrifice: the surrender of something prized for the sake of something which has a higher claim. When one sacrifices cheerfully in response to a high and noble claim, that sacrifice is truly wonderful. A biblical character who can teach us something about sacrifice is that great Old Testament leader, King David. On one occasion David was instructed to build an altar to the Lord at the very spot which is today the most holy place in Jerusalem. It is ...

1991. With What Shall I Come?

Micah 6:1-8

Sermon

James Bjorge

... Maybe we ought to go that route this year. The first gift wrapped up in human housing is justice. This gift that God really loves comes hard. Juries deliberate for hours, sometimes weeks, in trying to hand down a just decision. Justice is the basis of moral character ... one of God’s own attributes. Justice should cover all life like a mantle. It is a fair-mindedness in every action. It governs our play. A golfer has his sharpest test when his ball has been hit in the rough and nobody is looking but God ...

1992. Solomon and the Outline for Renewal

2 Chronicles 7:11-22

Sermon

Don Yocom

... we must be the least. To be the minister, we must be the servant. Humility is what it takes. Methodist Bishop Edwin bit Hughes, in a pastorate before becoming a bishop, conducted a prayer meeting one night in which the subject was "The Imitation of Bible Characters." One person said he would like to have been Simon Peter; another said Andrew; others named other names. Then a person stood up and said he would rather have been Simon of Cyrene because he carried the cross for Christ. That’s the spirit! That ...

1993. Remember Lot’s Wife

Luke 17:20-37

Sermon

Don Yocom

... to our town, the desire to get away would be much stronger than the urge to be curious about what was going on. But Lot’s wife looked back. The longings and urges were too great. She gave in and lost all God had to offer, and her strength of character was lost. The Bible says Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt. There exists in the Holy Land to this day pillars of rock salt, one of which has been traditionally associated with this story. The story is a stern reminder of one who failed to look ahead. If ...

1994. Whose Life Is It Anyway?

Drama

Sarah Walton Miller

Characters: Mr. Horton, his teenage son, James, and the Teacher. They all enter at once and stand on different levels in a closed position [their backs to the audience]. They remain in these places throughout. They do not look at each other when talking, but rather at the audience. Hold for ...

1995. The Young Man

Drama

Sarah Walton Miller

In this skit use modern clothing. Don’t tell who the characters are ahead of time. Let the audience decide who they were when it has ended. For your use: Boy 1 is Jesus’ brother James; Girl 1 is his mother, Mary; Boy 2 is Jesus’ cousin James, the son of Zebedee and Salome, whose brother is John; Girl 2 is Mary ...

1996. Molehills and Mountains

Matthew 6:25-34, Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

... : "What do you think I am?" "We’ve already established that," said Shaw, "now we are just determining the price." Long before the coming of Christ, the pagan philosophers decided that the process of growing, maturing, learning, developing character and living was, essentially, the process of establishing values - getting the proper price tags on everything in life. In simple terms, making value judgments. Certainly Jesus Christ confirmed their convictions. When our Lord asks us the rhetorical question ...

1997. Perhaps Next Summer...

Acts 24:1-27

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

... have it in the form of a limerick: "A godless young man in the Nation Put his faith in Procrastination. He said, ‘Wait till tomorrow,’ Till, alas, to his sorrow He died without regeneration." Well, perhaps the classic example in Scripture is the character Felix, the Governor of Caesarea, before whom Paul had to defend himself against the false charges that had been brought against him. Instead of defending himself as in a trial, the little apostle stood before the great Felix, ignoring the Governor’s ...

1998. Chapter IX

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Frank H. Seilhamer

... for this Commandment to be given, there obviously were cases where that was being done. These guides for living did not arise in a vacuum. There were wrongs being committed that needed to be stopped. Since time immemorial men have lied about each other. Character assassination with the tongue is nothing new. Plenty of people have speculated about why we do such a thing to each other. Why is it that men gossip, pervert the truth, and start vicious rumors about our fellows? The reasons probably are as varied ...

1999. Crossing the Great Divide

Matthew 27:11-26

Sermon

Michael J. Anton

... and cozy. Church members don’t like what’s going on, but the pastor can’t hear them. The pastor gripes under his breath, and the church can’t hear him. Meanwhile, the great divide gets bigger and the wide valley gets harder to cross. We can observe several characters from our Lord’s Passion who failed to make it across the big valley. For Simon Peter, being a disciple of Jesus was a good deal as long as Jesus was around to protect him, but on his own, it was more expedient to be a nobody who knew ...

2000. JUDGE

Num. 25:5 ; 1 Chron. 17:10

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

... and officers. Ezra was ordered by the king of Persia to appoint judges. All Israelites (except women, who were forbidden by the Palestinian Talmud) were deemed qualified to serve as judges in civil matters, but only priests, Levites, and Israelites of spotless character and ancestery could judge a criminal case. Qualifications for a judge were knowledge of the Law and integrity. Although there were no age limits for judges, as the Sanhedrin became the judicial body for the Jews, it became obvious that a ...

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