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 2151 to 2175 of 4340 results

2151. Struggling with God

Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon

David E. Leininger

In all of scripture, and even in all of literature, you would be hard pressed to find a character more interesting than Jacob. We meet him first before he is even born - his mother Rebekah is in such agony during her pregnancy carrying him and his twin brother that she wants to die. When the babies finally make their appearance, little Esau comes out first, but his brother is ...

2152. The Ten Commandments #3: God's Name

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... use of the name of the Lord your God," not for magic, not in insincere pledges, not in court, and certainly not as a casual curse. A corollary could well be You SHALL take the name of your God - in other words, God's power, God's majesty, God's character, everything that you think of when you hear God's name - you SHALL take God's name SERIOUSLY. When we DO, it makes all the difference. We will not be content with the standards of the world. We will share a gospel that is genuinely GOOD NEWS, not bad - not ...

2153. The Ten Commandments #4: The Sabbath

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... would have if they got their way.) Sunday was automatically special because there was no time for anything but church. Society was geared to that, so no one planned to conduct business on that day. Everyone was otherwise occupied. But as the rural character of the nation changed, as transportation became more efficient, people had more time to do things on Sunday beside go to church. Businesses began to operate since there were opportunities to "make a buck" that had not existed before. Sports events began ...

2154. Remembering the Good Old Days

Numbers 14:1-10a

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... imagined of this great screen lover. Gilbert was once called on short notice to play the role of the heroine's father in a Chicago production. He learned his lines in record time, but was still struggling to remember the name of his character, Numitorius, when the play opened. A colleague suggested simply remembering the book of Numbers as a mnemonic device. So, full of confidence, Gilbert rushed on to the stage that evening and delivered his opening line: "Hold, `tis I, her father - Deuteronomy."(1) That ...

2155. Super Sunday

Deuteronomy 5:1-33

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2156. Remember!

Deuteronomy 31:30--32:47

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... days. He had been born in Switzerland in 1722 and emigrated to America in 1739. Apparently, he was quite the fire-brand in advocating a break with the English king, and as such, got himself in all sorts of difficulties. He sounded like an interesting character, but I doubt that I would have given him much more than passing curiosity except for the fact that there was included in his story a list of his children. It turns out that Rev. Samuel Suther was my great-great-great-grandfather. That knowledge ...

2157. David and Bathsheba

2 Samuel 11:1-27, 12:1-31

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... , as our lessons this morning indicate, a preoccupation with sex is nothing new, especially in high places. And if you were either horrified or fascinated with the saga of Bill and Monica a couple of years ago, this one is exponentially worse. Of all the characters portrayed in scripture, it is hard to find one more complex than King David. David is the great hero who rose to power from humble beginnings, a shepherd boy not even admired by his own brothers, who had become, by God's amazing grace, the ...

2158. When God Is Gone

Job 23:1--24:25

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Job. Fascinating character. Fascinating story. Scholars tell us it is one of the oldest in scripture. And it wrestles with one of the oldest questions encountered by people of faith: WHY? Why me? Why my kids? Why my marriage? Why six-million Jews in the Holocaust? Why 17 US sailors in Yemen this ...

2159. The Best Birthday Ever

Psalm 90:1-17

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... , Lord. Give us wisdom, so that we might make the most of these fleeting years! Age should not be a hindrance to anything. As most of you know, some years ago, I served as pastor of a Presbyterian church in south Florida. Because of it's unique character as a retirement destination, that part of the country has come to be known as God's Waiting Room. Our next-door neighbor was the United Methodist District Superintendent, and he told us that, in one of his congregations, in one year, the minister did 270 ...

2160. Religion and Politics

Isaiah 1:1-31

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... to this day, from Sunday to Sunday. I don't want to claim that God is on our side. As Abraham Lincoln told us, I want to pray humbly that we are on God's side. And whatever our faith, one belief should bind us all: The measure of our character is our willingness to give of ourselves for others and for our country. These aren't Democratic values. These aren't Republican values. They're American values. We believe in them. They're who we are. And if we honor them, if we believe in ourselves, we can build an ...

2161. I'm On a Mission from God!

Jonah 1:1-17

Sermon

Did you happen to see the tribute to John Belushi on television this past week? (Or TRY until the cable went out?) John was an incredible comic talent who created fascinating characters. What brings him to mind this morning is the delightfully wacky pair that he and Saturday Night Live partner Dan Ackroyd teamed up to create - Jake and Elwood, the Blues Brothers. These two genial bozos are sent out on an ill-fated fund-raising mission for their old parochial school ...

2162. The Preacher Was A Bigot

Jonah 3:1-10

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... ends there except for the little postscript that lets us know that Jonah did indeed finally go to Ninevah to preach. The message that comes through is that you cannot run away from God, no matter how hard you try. Jonah comes across as a sympathetic character...a little misguided to start out, but one who eventually sees the light. A nice story. Not altogether true...but nice. Unfortunately, to stop the story with the landing on the beach is a problem. The book of the Bible that bears Jonah's name contains ...

2163. The Original "Average Joe"

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... , and back further to the greatest patriarch of his people, Abraham. Oh, there are a few glitches. Four women are identified in this genealogy,(1) and they are all foreigners, that is, non-Jews, and, except for Ruth, they are all of doubtful moral character, and even Ruth could be considered aggressive. Tamar, a Canaanite, posed as a prostitute in order to blackmail her father-in-law Judah, into keeping his promises to her. Rahab, a Canaanite of Jericho, was a prostitute (this one, for real) who helped the ...

2164. What Is Truly Important

Matthew 6:25-34, Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... see what is truly important. This week we buried Slick Shepherd, at age 95 St. Paul's oldest member. Not too many of you knew Slick - he did not join this church until he was 90 and, because of ill health, was never able to attend. Slick was a character. I never asked him how he got his nickname - probably something to do with hair way back when. He was more than a bit of a curmudgeon. Everything else on him had failed - eyesight, hearing, mobility, but not his temper...he could let loose with the best of ...

2165. The Apostle's Creed: Jesus Christ...Our Lord

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... nature of Jesus' birth was not that big a deal - it is only mentioned twice in the gospels, Jesus never refers to it, the Twelve never discuss it, Paul never mentions it. The truly big deal was that he was born at all! This divine character actually took on human flesh, laid aside the "perks" of heavenly office, and became a man. This affirmation was never meant to prompt or encourage non-Christians into joining the band of believers in response to Jesus' supernatural origins. It was actually to slap down ...

2166. Stay in the Boat!

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... a magic trick than a miracle. Perhaps that is why there are old jokes about pious folks trying to walk on water but sinking like a stone until being told where the rocks and roots are just under the surface. In the musical Jesus Christ, Superstar the character who plays the buffoonish King Herod sings, So if you are the Christ Yes, the great Jesus Christ Prove to me that you're no fool Walk across my swimming pool.(1) And the audience laughs uproariously. Even the church jokes about this one. Recently there ...

2167. The Apostles Creed: "The Holy Catholic Churc"

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... , then the thing of supreme importance is the living church, with all of her sanctuaries of worship and her avenues of service, where men and women come to have their faith strengthened, their thoughts clarified, their ideas uplifted, their convictions born, and their characters created. The called out church, for all her faults, is the institution of supreme significance and value in the world through the ages. But remember the words of the catechism: "The mission of the church is to bear witness to God's ...

2168. The One in the Middle

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... like the one-talent dummy. Case closed. OK. But there is one aspect of this story that troubles me if we close the case so quickly. What about the one in the middle, the two-talent guy? Is he superfluous? For that matter, were any of the characters in Jesus' stories superfluous? I do not think so. Yes, there was the wise, multi-talented servant as an example of excellent stewardship and a foolish, single- talented servant as an example of poor stewardship. But also this one in the middle, a person with a ...

2169. The Forgiveness Factor

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... know the story. He does precisely that. Amazing. Terrific story. We have loved it since the first time we heard it. Have you ever put yourself IN it? That is a wonderful way to get something new from it. If you were to identify with any of the characters in this divine drama, who would you be? Would you be one of the crowd, a spectator? Probably. At least sometimes. We are here from week to week because we can find ourselves as fascinated with Jesus as anyone else. Sometimes it might be curiosity, sometimes ...

2170. When Evil Wins

Mark 6:14-29

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... in John the Baptist. But more about that as we get into this horrible story. And it IS a horrible story. The foolish murder of a good man whose only "crime" was speaking out about immorality in high places. John the Baptist is a fascinating character. Scripture introduces him before he is even born.(2) His father, Zechariah, a priest in the hill country of Judea, and his mother Elizabeth, also of a priestly family. They had prayed for years for a child. Now suddenly, after almost all hope was gone through ...

2171. Welcoming Jesus

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... greatest." A bit like the old Smothers Brothers routine: "Mom always liked you best!" Laughable. And, of course, childish. Actually, there is only one we know as "the greatest." Muhammad Ali. (And you thought I was going to say Jesus.) Ali is a fascinating character (despite his current battle with Parkinson's), and has been since his brash days in Louisville when we knew him as Cassius Clay and heard his boastful claim, made over and again through the years, that, "I AM THE GREATEST." A sportswriter once ...

2172. When Your Church Provokes You

Matthew 13:1-23, Hebrews 10:19-39

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... , then the thing of supreme importance is the living church, with all of her sanctuaries of worship and her avenues of service, where men and women come to have their faith strengthened, their thoughts clarified, their ideas uplifted, their convictions born, and their characters created. In an age when communities of all kinds are crumbling and individualism is the prevailing ideology, only the church "can offer a community that was here before any of us were born, that will be here after all of us die and ...

2173. Tell It Again, Daddy

Mark 13:24-37

Sermon

David E. Leininger

In my office in the manse is a framed needlework which says one word - Camelot. It was a gift from a dear friend many years ago who knew how much I loved that Broadway play (and eventually movie) - wonderful story, marvelous characters, tremendous music. In short there's simply not A more congenial spot For happ'ly ever aftering Than here in Camelot.(1) The story comes from a book by T. H. White called The Once and Future King(2) and is based on the legend of King Arthur and the ...

2174. The Apostles' Creed: "Suffered, Dead, and Buried..."

Mark 15:1-15

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... who caused the injury in the first place in no way restores the original relationship. There is no reconciliation there, not in any meaningful sense. One more. The SATISFACTION theory. This is similar to the one we just discussed. It recognizes the substitutionary character of Christ's death - he did it on our behalf; it recognizes the human offense against God, but insists that the offense is not just against God's law but against God's HONOR. The way the theologians described it, the price of satisfaction ...

2175. Surprise!

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... called the Son of God... And if you think this is a big deal, your cousin Elizabeth whom everyone knows is too old to have babies, is going to have a baby herself. Surprise!" What would your reaction have been had you been Mary? This odd-looking character shows up at your home with, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." So far, so good, but then this incredible announcement. How do you explain this to your parents? And what happens when Sadie down the street hears - it will be all ...

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Showing 2151 to 2175 of 4340 results

2151. Struggling with God

Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2152. The Ten Commandments #3: God's Name

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2153. The Ten Commandments #4: The Sabbath

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2154. Remembering the Good Old Days

Numbers 14:1-10a

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2155. Super Sunday

Deuteronomy 5:1-33

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2156. Remember!

Deuteronomy 31:30--32:47

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2157. David and Bathsheba

2 Samuel 11:1-27, 12:1-31

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2158. When God Is Gone

Job 23:1--24:25

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2159. The Best Birthday Ever

Psalm 90:1-17

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2160. Religion and Politics

Isaiah 1:1-31

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2161. I'm On a Mission from God!

Jonah 1:1-17

Sermon

2162. The Preacher Was A Bigot

Jonah 3:1-10

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2163. The Original "Average Joe"

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2164. What Is Truly Important

Matthew 6:25-34, Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2165. The Apostle's Creed: Jesus Christ...Our Lord

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2166. Stay in the Boat!

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2167. The Apostles Creed: "The Holy Catholic Churc"

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2168. The One in the Middle

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2169. The Forgiveness Factor

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2170. When Evil Wins

Mark 6:14-29

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2171. Welcoming Jesus

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2172. When Your Church Provokes You

Matthew 13:1-23, Hebrews 10:19-39

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... , then the thing of supreme importance is the living church, with all of her sanctuaries of worship and her avenues of service, where men and women come to have their faith strengthened, their thoughts clarified, their ideas uplifted, their convictions born, and their characters created. In an age when communities of all kinds are crumbling and individualism is the prevailing ideology, only the church "can offer a community that was here before any of us were born, that will be here after all of us die and ...

2173. Tell It Again, Daddy

Mark 13:24-37

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2174. The Apostles' Creed: "Suffered, Dead, and Buried..."

Mark 15:1-15

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2175. Surprise!

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

David E. Leininger

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