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 2301 to 2325 of 4952 results

2301. Prepared Servants

Luke 12:35-48

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... of the '50s and '60s. She was a rather inauspicious person to take such a critical action. Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison. He was released to bring a shift in the politics of South Africa at a critical juncture when many thought either that change would never come or if it did, it would be accompanied by a vast bloodbath. The transition to a more just society came relatively peacefully under his leadership after he was unexpectedly released from prison. Lech Walesa led a movement which ...

2302. Proper 18

Psalm 139:1-24, Philemon 1:8-25, Philemon 1:1-7, Jeremiah 18:1--19:15, Luke 14:25-35

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... and other teachings. Jesus participated in a wedding at Cana and assured the host that he would not be embarrassed by a lack of good wine for the celebration (John 2:1-10). He expected that people would marry and establish their independence from their parents. He thought such marriages ought to be permanent. (Matthew 5:31; 19:7-9; Mark 10:2-12; Luke 16:18.) Jesus used family terms when describing the nature of God. He referred to God as Father. Even though he would not let family ties detract him from his ...

2303. Proper 22

Luke 17:1-10, 2 Timothy 1:1-2:13, Lamentations 1:1-22, Psalm 137:1-9

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... needs to be made operational by doing what is commanded. Verbal expression may help to remind us of what is commanded, but unless people trust enough to act on the statement, the faith confessed is no faith. The life negates the words of the mouth and the thoughts of the mind. A faithful slave or servant does what ought to be done and makes the confession of faith real. 3. Taking It for Granted. How readily do people take for granted the grace of God? They think that they ought to get credit and recognition ...

2304. Proper 24

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40, 2 Timothy 3:10--4:8, Luke 18:1-8, Psalm 119:1-176

Bulletin Aid

William E. Keeney

... discern the right time in God's larger plan. The third reason is that the answer may not be the one we expect. God has surprises. We see the outcomes of prayer only dimly. Sometimes we discover that our prayer was answered, but not in the way we had thought it should be. It may take a look back and a maturing of our spiritual understanding to know that the prayer was answered. We were just not able to recognize it at the moment. Homily Hints 1. The Insistent Widow. (v. 3) Use the character of the woman as ...

2305. Love And Resurrection

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

Don M. Aycock

... in some strange unexplainable way, we feel that hope and faith begin once more to flicker within our hearts. And just when we thought that love would never live again, we find it standing there on those words of Christ: I am the resurrection and the life. ... to us, "I LOVE YOU!" The cross was a slap in God's face by humanity. It was the utter rejection of him by those who thought they knew more than he. But the resurrection was God turning the other cheek. It was his way of saying, "I don't care what you ...

2306. What To Do With A Self-willed Child

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

Charles H. Bayer

... stuff together and hit the road -- doubletime. My guess is that when they got back home there were extra chores for Jesus to do. He might even have been grounded for a couple of weeks. I hate to think Jesus never pushed beyond the borders of what his parents thought he ought to be doing. If he wasn't that real, then he can't understand me. After this reprimand, Jesus did what most teenagers I know do. He tried to get the last word -- something about needing to be in his father's house. Mary's response is ...

2307. The Hands And Arms Of Grace

Luke 15:1-7, Luke 15:8-10, Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Glenn E. Ludwig

... concept, our experiences of love, are never like that. We live in a world where we are rewarded for doing good and punished for doing bad. We grew up hearing that if you want something, you have to earn it, work for it, fight for it. That reward system of thought has always been with us. If we work and get good grades, we will get into the best colleges and get our degrees and earn big bucks. If we brush our teeth and floss everyday, we will have good teeth and gums. If we please our employers, we can get ...

2308. The Tiger At The Edge

John 21:1-14

Sermon

Glenn E. Ludwig

... eyes opened all he saw was a goat's life, so it became his style of life, too. The tiger munched grass with the rest, butted heads with the younger goats for recreation, and learned to bleat in an odd sort of way a sound that resembled, or so he thought, a goat's voice. Once in a while there was a nagging voice inside him that said, " You don't belong to this life!" But always, he put it aside as fantasy, some disturbing intrusion from the world of dreams. If his present life didn't satisfy him, he just ...

2309. Getting and Giving

John 13:31-38

Sermon

Glenn E. Ludwig

... lost someone close to them knows only too well how short life can be. I hear again and again, the sadness that people face in the death of loved ones over those things that were left unsaid or undone because we just didn't get around to them. We always thought there would be time later. Or, we were too stubborn to put our egos aside and risk resolutions where avoidance had been the order of the day. So, the question becomes, how do we make the most of the life that we have? With life being all too brief ...

2310. When Did Jesus Pray?

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

John G. Lynn

... as he ended this part of his commentary on the Lord's Prayer, that at such times of distress our only help or comfort is to take refuge in the Lord's Prayer and appeal to God from our hearts. If we attempt to help ourselves by our own thoughts and counsels we will only make matters worse. A congregation's hope for peace and unity lies in prayer. The prayer question is this: What decision will most help the advancement of God's kingdom? What decision will most allow God's sovereignty to reign over us and our ...

2311. Breakthrough!

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon

B. Kathleen Fannin

... the tension, to regain perspective. But there was no time. And now it's too late. I've gone over the edge." "No," something like a voice seemed to say inside her head. "You haven't gone over the edge; you've only fallen from a tree." "Oh, fine!" she thought. "I've fallen out of a tree, but am floating to the ground, not plummeting, and I'm hearing a voice in my head telling me I'm not nuts!" Expecting the jarring impact of flesh and bone with solid earth to end her conscious existence at any moment, she ...

2312. An Idea Wearing Bid Overalls

1 John 5:1-12

Sermon

James E. Sargent

... up his courage because he wanted to tell her that he loved her. Those words didn't come easy for him. They especially didn't come easy because he didn't always get his words exactly as he wanted them to be. Maybe, he thought, it was because he had watched too many movies. He thought that because the stars of the cinema spoke eloquent words that he too would have to speak eloquently. But as often as he tried to form the words he simply couldn't do it. Maybe something else would work. If words weren't ...

2313. Persisting In Integrity

Job 1:1-5

Illustration

... her beautiful desk with its neat files, and the large window to the left overlooking the intersection. Numb in her thoughts, she gazed below. Red light. Green light. People crossing. Cars passing. "How dare he!" Her concentration returned to the ... busy? Is it power? He's on the board and I'm not. Is it I'm a woman and he's the man?" She shuddered at that thought. "Is he hard-hearted? Genuinely ignorant? Doesn't he see his own pattern? His meeting isn't 'til next Thursday. He doesn't 'just' need it ..." She ...

2314. The Weaver

John 18:28-40

Illustration

... what a beautiful piece could be fashioned from the gift. It would be a robe fit for a king and when she finished it she thought so herself. As she listlessly dried her tears, she heard a knock on the door. It was her husband's friend, a fellow soldier. "Julia ... painfully, "I need your help! The soldiers are looking for a robe for some scoundrel in the prison. He thinks he's a king and so they thought they'd play along. We'll pay you for the robe you were working on. Please, help me. I'm in a fix. I'll get in ...

2315. Taking The Good With The Bad

Job 1:1-5

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... expect. Many would respond with anger and resentment demanding an explanation from God. "Why? Why me and why mine? How could God permit such a thing to happen? Haven't I tried to live a good life?" Because of one's overwhelming loss and pain there is no thought that anything good or meaningful could ever come from such a experience. A good many people look at human suffering and say, "Don't talk to me about God!" Job's statement is remarkable. He was willing to take the good with the bad, but the bad seemed ...

2316. What's So Great About Jesus?

2 Samuel 23:1-7

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... Jesus. Why all of the commotion? Why all of the excitement, celebration, and festivity? Why all of the contatas, concerts, and pageants? How would you answer that question? If your child or grandchild would ask you that question, how would you respond? I have thought a great deal about this question. I realize that we would probably have as many answers as we have people in church today. Each of us has come to Christ by a different road or pathway. There is a vast variety of religious experiences. Since ...

2317. Thankful Living

Joel 2:18-27

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... this human birth of Jesus Christ the word became so transparent, that Jesus could say, "He who has seen me has seen the Father." In the incarnation God entered all created reality, even nature. The coming of God through Christ is the final answer to any thought that the flesh is evil. Thank God for a creation that is "very good." Third, let us affirm our thanksgiving by affirming our love for the God of creation. Could you take any thing that is precious and meaningful to someone you love and who loves ...

2318. You Can Create A Godly Heritage!

1 Kings 2:1-12

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servant of the Lord..." And there is even the promise that a goodly heritage is ripe with witness. In Jeremiah 3:19 God says, "I thought how I would set you among my sons, and give you a pleasant land, a heritage most beauteous of all nations, and I thought you would call me, 'My Father,' and would not turn from following me." All this is in the heritage of the Lord! Conclusion Look to your heritage, my friend. None of us lives or dies to himself ...

2319. Through The Eye Of The Needle

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... everything, and he seems to have come to the right place. He comes to Jesus to find an answer, to get his hungers filled, to become a disciple. It's hard to knock someone who's interested in Jesus. That's why Jesus' reaction seems to be so strange. We thought Jesus was in the business of making disciples, but here he seems to brush the guy off. Why? This is not the way you become a disciple of Jesus. You don't volunteer to become a disciple of Jesus. You don't sign up for Christianity like signing up for ...

2320. What's In It For Me?

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... in Jesus' kingdom means drinking of the cup of suffering. Places of honor in Jesus' kingdom means baptism in the waters of death. "What's in it for me?" James and John thought it would mean celebrity and fame and power. And Jesus tells them it will mean suffering and death. Did they get it? Did they understand what Jesus was talking about? They thought they did. "We are able." They are sure that they will be able to drink the cup and be baptized with Jesus' baptism. They almost seem eager to do it. But as ...

2321. Do You See What I See?

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... Hilda and giving her back her eyesight." "But Hilda wasn't healed. She died!" I insisted with a firm sense of objectivity. "But, Pastor, Jesus took Hilda home. And Jesus heals all his friends. That's why I know that Hilda is finally getting to see." And I thought to myself, Hilda had been blind, but she saw clearly, more clearly that the rest of us. Like blind Bartimaeus before her, she saw Jesus and trusted him. During all those weeks and months she came to weekly worship that was what she wanted me to see ...

2322. Baptism And Self-Esteem

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... I checked out Brubaker, an old Robert Redford film from the late '70s, from my local video store I expected some romantic adventure from one of Hollywood's biggest stars. That's not at all what I got. Instead I saw a wonderful and thought-provoking portrayal of human nature. Brubaker turned out to be a spellbinding film about the futile attempt of an enlightened prison warden to reform a hopelessly corrupt prison. Brubaker was the name of the warden, played by Robert Redford, who had dramatic success in ...

2323. Judgment Day

Mark 13:1-31

Drama

Steven E. Albertin

... look for substitutes, for ways to pay for our sins, to earn a hearing, to get a fair trial, because ultimately, deep down in our hearts, we believe that we have earned our piece of heaven. But God's ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. He turns our world upside down and inside out. What we think is important, valuable, strong, and enduring is trivial in the eyes of God. And what we think is weak, foolish, and insignificant is in the eyes of God powerful, wise, and important. A popular ...

2324. Miracles Seven and Eight: Healing An Issue Of Blood & Healing The Rulers Daughter

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon Aid

Harold H. Lentz

... her ailment. Jesus felt the healing power flow from him and turned around. Why he would ask who touched him is a matter of conjecture. Perhaps he wanted to direct the attention of many to what had just happened. But his question baffled the disciples, for they thought it was not at all unlikely that many had pressed up against him in the crowd. His question made the healed woman realize that Christ knew what had happened, so she came forth, with fear and trembling, not knowing whether or not she was to be ...

2325. Miracle Nine: Healing A Deaf-Mute

Mark 7:31-37, Mark 7:24-30

Sermon Aid

Harold H. Lentz

... those who had a spiritual hungering so that he could build his kingdom. And by now his fame had spread over a wide area, so he did not need a miracle to attract attention to his message. His kingdom could now expand on its own strength. Without giving it much thought we live in an atmosphere where the air is filled with music and speech. By means of a radio or television we catch that music and those verbal messages. But we have to turn on our radio or television or else what is in the air is unknown to us ...

Showing results