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 4770 results

1976. Let God Be God

Zephaniah 3:1-20

Sermon

... condition of these people. They were alienated from God. Though they paid lip service to him, they had no sense of need of his grace. They figured they were saving themselves by means of their piety and good works. In defense of this exalted view of themselves, moreover, they had become alienated from their fellow human beings. Despising others put props under the feeling of being elevated above them. This is the kind of tragedy that always accompanies self-idolatry. It shuts persons off from the love and ...

1977. The Now-ness of Eternity

Zechariah 7:1-14

Sermon

... ? Do we see this present life as a testing, prelude, or qualifying run for the real life to come? Or are we looking upon our day-to-day existence here as an integral part of eternal experience? Seeing eternity as being now, versus viewing it as beginning after physical death, can make a great deal of difference in our living. Very possibly, however, the most important consideration has to do with where we are in our thinking about eternal life in quantitative-versus-qualitative terms. Are we focused ...

1978. Working and Praying Go Together

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

... is the meaninglessness and frustration that can overtake us in our work, because we allow it to be too much of a gauge of our personal self-worth. In our own insecurity, we are always pushing toward the next higher step. And then there is the case that we sometimes view our work as nothing more than a necessary evil. We have to work to make bucks. In our scheme of things we aren't living for anything or anyone else, so our work, too, becomes a drag. We work to make money. We make money to have a powerful ...

1979. The Yoke of Christ

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

... the route of concealment. For there is also the distinct possibility of hearing his father's word of forgiveness, of knowing that this deed has not really separated him from his father's love and grace. This is the kind of easy yoke Christ offers us in view of our sins and human failures. Many are bearing the yoke of guilt, of concealment, of sin that nags, of sin not ever really confessed or faced. They do not choose a spiritually creative but spiritually fatal way of dealing with their sin and guilt. Time ...

1980. If Only We Would Do The Obvious ...

2 Kings 5:1-27

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... felt so unworthy of being loved that she had convinced herself that even God could not love anyone as despicable as she. At every session, Ann made some reference to her parents. One time she had had a "disgusting" letter, another time a "manipulative" telephone call. She viewed an invitation to come home for a visit or a holiday as an interference. When her parents sent food or money, Ann said that was their way of trying to control her. "Why can’t they leave me alone!" she would cry, as her face twisted ...

1981. If Only We Would Confess ...

Ezekiel 18:1-32

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... demands honesty. Confession must be specific. It is easy to ask God to forgive our many sins. It is painful to confess particular sins like pride and envy, anger and lust, and then feel worthy of forgiveness. We usually take a rather bland view of our conduct, preferring to congratulate ourselves on our virtues rather than dwelling much on our failures. Those who talk about being sinners in need of forgiveness are unwelcomed. They are like one who persistently calls attention to the fact that there is ...

1982. The Golden Gift

Drama

... it, my dear? ARLETTE: He has gone. Our guest has left. He has stolen the candlesticks. BISHOP: No! No! That cannot be. He could have taken anything else in the house, but not my candlesticks. ARLETTE: And now, perhaps, you understand the folly of your views on stewardship. BISHOP: One must ask oneself: where does goed come from? ARLETTE: Gold! Who cares about where gold comes from? The candlesticks came from Grandmama. BISHOP: Yes. They were hers. Then they were mine. Now they are his. ARLETTE: Here we are ...

1983. The Holy Trinity

Deuteronomy 4:32-40

Sermon

... you, how much I care for you. How can you think that I will fail you?" It is far more comfortable to confine him to the museum of ancient history, where all that is required is to look and admire. However, from the biblical writer's point of view, a reminder of the past is simply a prelude to God's call for the future. Of course, many people refuse to be lured even by a call to greatness. It is said President Grover Cleveland made a shrewd observation regarding his close friend, Joseph Jefferson. Cleveland ...

1984. Proper 6

Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon

... people and their leaders have, over the centuries, not always been paragons of virtue. In fact, even among the most honored, one finds feet of clay. However, when one is thinking about the concept of "being chosen," one can come to two points of view. People can be, and often are, chosen for privilege, honor, position, and/or reward. On the other hand, people can be chosen for responsibility, devotion, service, even suffering. Sometimes it takes a long time to find out which one is chosen for. In this ...

1985. Proper 7

Genesis 28:10-22

Sermon

... , when everything was going for him as he planned and expected, the ability of such a dream to lift him to a higher consciousness would probably have been unlikely. Transforming experiences such as these usually come only when the conscious point of view is severely shaken, as through an illness, a catastrophe, or a personal crisis like Jacob was facing. It is interesting and significant that, in his dream, Jacob did not climb the ladder. Only the angels ascended and descended that stairway. Jacob remained ...

1986. Proper 8

Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon

... we just cling in desperation and seek the blessing of God. Then, if the dawn breaks properly for us, we receive the divine blessing, hear the whispered new name, and open our eyes to find ourselves living with new obligations and new opportunities. Thus, we enter a new future, and view the dawn of a new day. We may go forth limping, as it were, from our spiritual and psychological wounds, but we also know that into our battered and scarred ego has been poured new life from God.

1987. Proper 9

Exodus 1:1-22

Sermon

... was a grazing rather than a farming area, they were isolated from the Egyptians and basically untouched by the local culture. To compound the problem, Egyptians looked upon shepherds as virtual outcasts and, since nearly all of the Hebrews were shepherds, they were viewed as inferior and unacceptable people. At any rate, whether out of fear, revulsion, loathing, or a combination of all of these, the Pharaoh became obsessed with the idea of destroying the Hebrews. At first, he didn't want to do it openly ...

1988. The Passion of Our Lord

2 Corinthians 5:21

Sermon

... this, in reaching out our heart to Him, Our life will be His, and His life will be ours. Amen. 1. I am indebted to Dr. C. Truman Davis, M.D., of Mesa, Arizona, for his work entitled "The Crucifixion: The Passion of Christ from a Medical Point of View." It is a work that I would recommend for reading. PRAYER BEFORE A CRUCIFIX Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, while before Thy face I humbly kneel, and with burning soul pray and beseech Thee to fix deep in my heart live sentiments of faith, hope, and ...

1989. Parable of Jealousy and Jeopardy

Illustration

... which often keeps one's own talents and personality from proper development. You do not carelessly mishandle other people's time or talents, if you have the right evaluation of the days and the opportunities God gives you. Sound religion gives you the right views and the real laws that lead to human happiness. Be on time for appointments thus respecting the time God gives. Take care in handling the property of others and learn to care for your own. Give love and appreciation with sincerity and find that ...

1990. Parable of the Kettle

Illustration

... kettle with a large capacity and a high price. Being made of copper, it was valuable in its ability to heat quickly. Being made of copper, a useful metal, its alloys also gave it a gleam of gold. So it sat on the table of the merchantman and was prominently viewed by many. Two of Jesus' disciples came to purchase a large kettle and inquired of the merchant the price. The merchant said, "I would really like to sell you this kettle, but I dare not. You see there is a small hole here at the edge and though it ...

1991. Whoever Would Be King

2 Samuel 5:1-5

Sermon

... turn the image of king upsidedown. Kings are to serve, not be served. This king does his Father’s will, not only in heaven but also on earth. Life is about doing the Father’s will. This king creates a new starting point, a new point of view, a new way of looking at things. This king gives new lenses. In the words of Bornkamm, "Redemption now means ‘change of rulers,’ liberation from the tyrannies of the powers of the world. But still more: it means liberation to obey him who himself was obedient and ...

1992. The Fourth Sunday in Lent

Matthew 20:17-19

Sermon

Kendall McCabe

... kingdom that would never be, a kingdom where her sons might have had a place to the right and left of the throne. Her thoughts must have been bitter with anger and regret as they finally cleared the city gates, and the scene on Golgotha's slope came into view. What she saw was not one cross, however, but three. No one had told her it was a multiple execution. Good God! Had they arrested some of the disciples as well and found them guilty of some co-conspiracy? Her sons! Could they be hanging there? What had ...

1993. The Fifth Sunday of Easter

John 14:1-4

Sermon

Kendall McCabe

... they weren't going to die, or if I were to draw a veil over the issue and ignore it altogether. I suppose the problem we have with funerals is we think they have to do with death and the end of life. From the Christian point of view, of course, that is to miss the point entirely. Our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters got it quite right when they started referring to their funeral services as masses of the resurrection. What more appropriate time is there than Easter to hear again this Gospel we so often ...

1994. The Sixth Sunday of Easter

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Kendall McCabe

... the Cross makes it clear that the sense of God's absence is even important for us if we are to mature in Christian life and faith. So if we assume that having made a Christian profession will protect us from times of doubt, loneliness, unhappiness, we have a naive view of the way God works in the lives of women and men. Jesus is quite forthright in today's Gospel as he speaks to the disciples at the Last Supper. He tells them he is to die, he has to leave them. He does not deny the hard facts of ...

1995. A New Plan for Lent

Joel 1:1-12

Sermon

... and serve another. It's a great chance to learn about people, including yourself. If these sound too demanding, why not observe Lent simply by practicing to speak of your faith, to speak of it honestly, lovingly, sensitively. It's so easy for us to view witnessing to our faith as merely handing out brochures and living an upright life, without ever explaining to our neighbors what makes us upright. Why not take the risk of encouraging another to speak of his pursuit of God, and then humbly speaking of our ...

1996. The Cracked Crystal Ball

Jeremiah 28:1-17

Sermon

... and everything brought back to normal in two years. One of them was telling the people what they liked to hear, and the other was not. No one likes to hear a prophecy of subjection or servitude. Yet Jeremiah saw this as God’s will. That view goes a long way toward explaining Jeremiah’s seemingly unpatriotic and defeatist attitude in the years that followed. 2. Tell Us What We Want to Hear There is a remarkable short story, written by Pulitzer Prize winning author, James Agee, called A Mother’s Tale ...

1997. Let God Be God

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Dean Lueking

... first person of the blessed Trinity means regarding God as the creator of all, to be sure, but keeping him at a comfortable distance. It is a nature religion, agreeing mentally that God has put the world together and no doubt he keeps it going. But this religious view never gets us to our knees, in adoration and love for God our Father. It also sets us up for assuming that God is mainly active among people like us in color and status, and his favor rests upon nations that turn out to be compatible with the ...

1998. Wellspring for the Soul

John 4:1-26

Sermon

Dean Lueking

... from the community of living faith. It is right to desire spiritual good for masses of public school children. But this is not the method. The public school classroom cannot be the place of genuine spiritual renewal that issues into faithful prayer. I propose another view, and it comes out of my own experiences as one who went to public schools up to the college level of my life. The teachers who were men and women of integrity, of undisputable character and spiritual soundness made a difference in my life ...

1999. The Resurrection of the Body

John 11:17-37

Sermon

Dean Lueking

... ’s faithfulness to all. Put your hope in him. We do not need other human props or detours. We look to Jesus Christ. He is with us in death as well as life. That is all we need to know! This sure conviction exercises a definite influence upon our whole view of our lives here and now. When you and I know by faith that God has a plan to raise our mortal bodies from the dust in the resurrection of all people, we cannot treat our bodies carelessly here and now. We are for our bodies, we treat them with ...

2000. Birthday Binoculars

Illustration

... opera. Why didn't you get me something I could use?" The other son said, "Maybe I could use them watching football games." The father said, "I brought them to you as a gift. All I ask is that you look at your troubles out of one end and you view your joys out of the other." "How can we do that?" asked the first son. "Let's try it and see," said the second son. Both did as their father asked. One lived a happy life, but the other's life was gloomy.

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