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 201 to 225 of 3082 results

201. Proper 10

Psalm 119:1-176, Romans 8:1-17, Matthew 13:1-23, Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... the parable, and perhaps some will find that a secure guide to interpretation. But, if we dare, the story may throw open a series of windows on a variety of fields related to our faith. Thus preaching the parable from a variety of points of view may communicate the dynamic quality of this powerful story, looking now at Christ, then at faith, then at responsibility, and then at the marvelous richness of the Kingdom that triumphs despite setbacks. There may well be other central elements in this parable that ...

202. The Spirit of Cross Pointe

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Sermon

James Merritt

... to reach a wide range of people: religious, non-religious, meticulous, moralists, loose living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized whoever. I did not take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ, but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God - saved life. I did all of this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in ...

203. Whatever became of Kingdomtide?

John 16:17-33

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... in line with other branches of Christ’s universal Church. Or perhaps the name of the season became an embarrassment to a church which attempts to be inclusive, smacking of masculine imagery as it does. I can sympathize with these points of view, but I miss it nevertheless. It is understandable why Methodists would latch onto such a period of celebration, for, as it has often been pointed out, Methodists have traditionally been the “doers” of Protestantism. One theologian suggests that the Methodist ...

204. Pentecost Sunday

Acts 2:1-13, Psalm 104:1-35, Joel 2:28-32, Genesis 11:1-9, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 16:5-16, John 20:19-23, John 15:18--16:4

Sermon Aid

George Bass

... 32 (E); 104:25-34 (L) - Although this psalm is appointed for other Sundays of the year (see the ORDO, for example), it is traditionally associated with Pentecost, because it speaks of the Spirit as Creator of the world and all things in it, from the psalmist's point of view, and of the renewal of all of creation in God's redeeming act in Jesus Christ. The work of renewal begins with the creation of the church, the Body of Christ, which is to carry on his work and witness to his Lordship in the world. So the ...

205. Called to Be Saints

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon

Hubert Beck

... and title as the "saints of God"? It takes faith to say that this is more than an accident, that there is an intentionality behind our calling. One could never identify how everything works together to this end by observing life from our point of view. Paul’s words, however, suggest that God has deliberately encountered the Corinthians through the proclamation of Christ in order to place them within the community of his people for his own purposes and has "graced" them with special gifts in rich abundance ...

206. Hoshea Last King of Israel

2 Kings 17:1-6

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... worship that led to Israel’s exile in the first place. We must reckon, then, with the presence of irony in 2 Kings 17:25–33. It is not a passage meant to be taken at face value. The authors are simply setting up a particular point of view in order to demolish it—rather in the manner of a participant in a debating competition. The tone of the passage is best caught, in fact, if the reader mentally supplies quotation marks to the words “worship” and “worshiped” in the NIV translation of verses ...

207. Israel Exiled because of Sin

2 Kings 17:7-23

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

208. The Fall of Jerusalem

Jeremiah 39:1-18

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

... from a human perspective he acted like one. He went around the city telling Judeans that they did not stand a chance at the hands of the Babylonians and that they should simply put their arms down and surrender. From Nebuchadnezzar’s point of view, Jeremiah was a boon to his efforts. He wanted Jeremiah found and treated well. Nebuzaradan and two other officers (Nebushazban mentioned here for the first time and Nergal-Sharezeer, the Rab-mag [translated a high official], mentioned in 39:3, see Additional ...

209. Samaria Resettled

2 Kings 17:24-41

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

210. Whatever Happened to those Mansions?

John 14:1-4

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... people who believe that Christian hope in life beyond death takes the edge off concern for this world and this life. A promise of heaven in the next world takes their attention away from doing something about the hells in this world. This point of view is expressed with great cogency by Rabbi David Small in the fine series of mystery novels by Harry Kemelman which began with “Friday the Rabbi Slept Late.” The novels are most entertaining, but are really an apologia for Orthodox Judaism; and traditional ...

211. The Babel Disaster - You Are There

Genesis 11:1-9

Drama

Jerry Eckert

... pretty good at the front and the back for speaking without a mike, people in the middle were not heard very well without it. Genesis 11:1-8 Introduction by the pastor: We have been looking at the stories from the book of Genesis from a more dramatic point of view than usual. The fall of the Tower of Babel lends itself to a special treatment. Most of us are old enough to remember the radio and television series "You Are There." With the help of members of our church's drama group and a few others, I have ...

212. Achan's Sin

Joshua 7:1-26

Understanding Series

J. Gordon Harris

... have acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things because Achan of the tribe of Judah has taken some of the forbidden booty for himself. The impact of this violation of herem means that the LORD’s anger burned against Israel (7:1). The point of view of the narrator focuses the story on the ban violation and its implications for the entire people. These responses explain why the army of the tribes was defeated, suffered casualties, and felt embarrassed when God did not fight for the people. Verses 2 ...

213. Epiphany: A Faith to Work Miracles

John 2:1-11

Sermon

J. Ellsworth Kalas

... the implied request for help. "Why are you asking me?" Jesus countered. "It's not my time." Mary proceeded as if she hadn't heard Jesus' objection. From the human point of view, hers was the style of many a mother: while you complained that you were not going to school, Mother continued to pack your lunch. From a faith point of view, Mary was doing what we need to do more often: she was riding over the objection without giving it undue credence. She simply instructed the servants to do whatever Jesus told ...

214. It's Hell, I Say: Herod Speaks

Matthew 2:1-12

Drama

Dr. Raymond Bailey

... . Others seemed to think I was something, too. The bowing, scraping, smiling, obsequious people rarely gave a hint in my presence of anything but adoration and respect. Out of my presence, I knew there was another element -- a different point of view -- evil ones, I thought. Respect is something I coveted. I was appointed by Caesar himself to overcome the Hasmoneans, earlier called the Maccabees. This group dominated the intertestamental period -- between the close of the Old Testament and the opening ...

215. His Last Command ... Our First Concern!

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... with him? The same with that Pakistani student, the lawyer, the janitor, that clerk, and the policeman. As John Wesley said, "The world is my parish!" Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:16, "From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view...." Instead, everyone we see is a potential brother or sister in Jesus. Dr. Mordecai Johnson, the African-American educator, once told of a colleague of his. He tried to interest his friend in Christ, but he was always met with polite refusals. Finally ...

216. It Isn’t Fair!

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

... agreement based on comparative performance. This was clearly not a union shop. There were no equity clauses nor was there provision for seniority. The concern from the employer’s point of view was clearly that of finishing a task, regardless of the cost. On the face of it, the situation looks unfair. From the workers’ point of view, especially those who started first, things were completely out of balance. The owner came off looking stingy. But if we assume the hardest worker’s wage was fair, then ...

217. Jesus Predicts His Betrayal

John 13:18-30

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... misunderstanding of Jesus’ last words to Judas, What you are about to do, do quickly (v. 27). The statement that No one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him (v. 28) gives evidence of being written from the beloved disciple’s point of view. The narrator seems, by making him the observer, to exclude the beloved disciple from the generalization that no one at the table knew what was going on. The narrator sees the action through the beloved disciple’s eyes. Though this does not prove the ...

218. Well, What Did You Expect?

Acts 12:1-19a

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

... put it this way: "My husband was cured by the power of prayer. There’s no other way of explaining it. Hundreds of people I know were praying for him, and their prayers were answered. No one will ever change my mind about that." All right. That is one point of view. Let’s look at another. This week I ran across those words of Mark Twain again, the words that he has Huckleberry Finn say in that delightful book of the same name: "Miz Watson took me into a closet and prayed, but nothing came of it. She told ...

219. Jesus Is Tried before Pilate and Sentenced to Death

Matthew 27:1-10, Matthew 27:11-26

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... deliberations and send Jesus to be crucified. I am innocent of this man’s blood. Pilate attempts to wash his hands of responsibility for Jesus’ death, but his words do not exonerate him. Narratively, it is helpful to attend to issues of point of view, asking whether Matthew authorizes Pilate’s perspective (see the sidebar “Characterization and Narrative Authorization” in the unit on 4:1–11). Given that Pilate represents the full power of Rome in this decision, and that he is the one who sends ...

220. The Gift of Peace

Sermon

Alan Bacon Bond

... there are no political boundaries, no racial barriers, no foreign language, no opposing economies. Christianity sees a world community, and lives as if world community is the reality. Christianity believes that God's realm is the only and ultimate reality. From God's point of view the dividing walls of hostility are broken down through Jesus Christ. That is the peace which Jesus gives. It is not a kind of peace the world gives, but we could receive it if we confess our anger, fear, and grief. We could ...

221. Herod and Hometown Misunderstand Jesus’ Identity

Matthew 13:53-58, Matthew 14:1-12

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... today inside and outside of the church: Jesus as simply a teacher of good deeds, Jesus as the epitome of Western masculinity, or Jesus as poster boy for any and every political perspective. Yet to preach Jesus from Matthew’s point of view is to highlight Jesus’ true identity as the Messiah and inaugurator of the kingdom, even if this challenges people’s comfortable assumptions about him. Illustrating the Text Jesus’ miraculous power signals his messianic identity but does not guarantee acceptance ...

222. The Art Of Transition

Luke 9:51-62

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... their reactions to us and our reactions to their reactions. We take disagreements personally. We are insulted by anyone who has another view, another idea, another way of doing things. These days it is rare to hear two people discuss differing points of view without raining fire and brimstone on each other. The well-modulated, rational discussion has become a thing of the past, a cliché, as we bombard each other with verbal fire and brimstone, axioms, sound bites, accusations, and denunciations. Rabbi and ...

223. Searching For Saints

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... Francis' friars saw the money disturbed by its presence at the cross, or perhaps knowing Francis's revulsion of money he tossed it over to a window sill. When Francis learned the friar had touched money, he did not take the errant brother aside, explain his point of view, and then hug him so as to be sure there were no hard feelings. Instead, Francis rebuked and upbraided the brother. He then commanded him to lift the money from the window sill with his lips, find a pile of donkey dung outside, and with his ...

224. Pulling Our Punches

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... .” Ahhh… Jesus is the Son of God, and we’d think he shared in God’s goodness, but the young man had asked a human-oriented question, and it demanded an answer from a human point of view. It is a human question, but as we shall see, there is no human answer. The divine point of view is implicit in the way Jesus answered the question: which commandment is the greatest? You will remember that Jesus famously replied with two commandments, one from Deuteronomy 6:5 and one from Leviticus 19:18 — You ...

225. The Last Compact

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Sermon

Ken Lentz

... into human hearts. Tablets of stone exist outside human flesh and bone. The renewed contract would be part and parcel of people; not over against them and judging them but inside them, stitched and woven into their very bodies and souls. From the post-resurrection point of view, one would say that the meeting with God at the mountain of Sinai has been supplanted by the meeting with God at the hill of Golgotha, at the cross. The fire and glory of the majestic God at the top of the mountain has become ...

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