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 2401 to 2425 of 4340 results

2401. The Fifth Commandment: The Value of Family

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... her cubs. As they grow older we provide for them. The toughest part is that there comes a day when we have to let them go. Then we must pray for them. We have invested ourselves in them and we must trust the harvest of their character, conduct and Christian faith to almighty God. Every 4th year the Democrats and Republicans meet in conventions to write their platforms and programs to save America. There is a lot of rhetoric, and when all is said and done, mostly more is said than done. The government ...

2402. The Ninth Commandment: Liar, Liar

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... movie is as comical as it is tragic about truth-telling in our modern society. Lying had become such a way of life for this young lawyer that to tell the truth for a 24-hour period required a major reorientation and transformation of his life and character. Years ago Dostoevsky wrote in The Brothers Karamazov: "The important thing is to stop lying to yourself. A man who lies to himself and believes his own lies becomes unable to recognize the truth, either in himself or in anyone else, and he ends up losing ...

2403. King of the Road

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... like a common criminal at Golgotha upon a cross. The event now shadowed them everywhere they went. They could not get it out of their minds or memory. They were caught in the paralyzing emotions of despair, defeat and death. Once the cartoon character Charlie Brown was talking with Lucy about the meaning of life. Lucy asked Charlie, "Do you think life has any meaning?" Charlie Brown thought for a minute, and then started to answer her, "Well, I..." Before he could say anything more, she interrupted ...

2404. Your Faith: Winning or Whining?

Hebrews 11:1-40

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... and understand that the object of our faith is strong. That is why this is the most Christ-centered book in the New Testament. It focuses on Jesus Christ: therefore, it is one of the greatest books for hours of discouragement, defeat, or depression, because it emphasizes the character and the qualities of Jesus Christ. If we see him as he is, we cannot help but be strong in faith. When we are strong in the faith, we have no desire to quit after the first lap, because it is now our desire to follow the King ...

2405. The Power of Remembrance (Part III)

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... out in the hopes that modern civilization must never forget the painful lessons that the Holocaust has taught us. His lecture was entitled, "What the Ancient Masters Can Teach Us." He started in the Book of Genesis and went all the way to the biblical character Job. He was outstanding as he lifted the central truths from these biblical stories to instruct us as we approach the beginning of a new millennium. He ended his lecture by saying that it is a great tragedy to have an important message to share ...

2406. The Power of Encouragement (Part VIII)

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... been denied if Ludwig had listened to his critics. Pablo Picasso: Picasso was born prematurely and was left to die by his mother on a table in the house. He was considered too sickly to make any contribution to our world. Then I think of all of the strange characters that our Lord Jesus Christ gathered around him to be his disciples, and I think of all the men and women who through the corridors of history had been chosen to be part of our Lord''s work. Not many of them were highly regarded in the social ...

2407. A Faith that Works with a Victorious Attitude

Philippians 2:12-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... quietly for attention. What is urgent says "do this now." What is important says "put this first." What is urgent is knowledge-intensive. What is important is value-intensive. What is urgent may boost my career. What is important will build my character. What is urgent shows in quarterly profits. What is important is seen in empowering people. What is urgent is having taller buildings. What is important is building stronger families. What is urgent may add to my reputation. What is important will determine ...

2408. The Importance of the Second Violin

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... servant. He was willing to play second violin behind the talents of the Apostle Paul. He was committed not to convenience but to the purpose of the Cross. There is a powerful illustration of this in that great Christian classic, PILGRIM''S PROGRESS. There is a character named Pliable who wishes to accompany Christian to find the Promised Land. He was excited when he heard the talk and promises of the eternal Kingdom of God and the Crown of Glory. He even gets a little ticked off at Christian for not wanting ...

2409. The Servant Who Delivered the Mail

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... in the era and culture he lived in. It is certainly not a common name today. As Max Lucado shares: "`Epaphro-what-us?'' you say. Just ask the apostle Paul. He''ll give you the correct pronunciation. He''ll also give quite a character reference. To describe this fellow with the five-syllable name, Paul used more succinct words, like brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and messenger. You don''t earn eulogies like these from appearing at an occasional youth rally or showing up at church picnics. These ...

2410. Titles, Credentials, or Resurrection Power

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... human achievement and performance rather than the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Much like our Lord, who spoke harsh words against the Pharisees and their teachings, Paul follows in that same spirit. Now, I agree it might seem out of place and out of character in a letter that is dominated by the themes of joy and spirit for Paul to speak so harshly against other human beings, but Paul knew that the stakes were very high if these folks succeeded by infecting this congregation with their false teachings ...

2411. Trusting the Truth

James 1:1-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... and all will be given to him." James instructs us to seek God''s wisdom first in problem-solving, but we are reluctant to try the truth, or to trust the truth of God''s will and way. In a recent Frank and Ernest comic strip, one of the characters was pictured with one of those "List of Things To Do Today" forms. The first item listed was "Make list of things to do tomorrow." This is exactly our approach in asking God''s wisdom to fill our hearts and minds. The great evangelical pastor A. W. Tozer shares ...

2412. Tackling the Tough Tasks

James 2:1-13

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... item. Then they watched the next morning with a kind of sinister delight as shoppers became ever more confused. The God of the universe created the world exactly as God wanted it to be, putting the highest value on items like faith, honor, character, compassion, commitment, sacrifice, servanthood and eternal life. During the night the thief came in and switched the price tags. God said the things that are worthy in life are the things which our society so often neglects or ridicules. God declared the things ...

2413. Tired of Trying?

James 5:7-12

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... of seeing the play, Fiddler on the Roof--both on Broadway and in a variety of other settings. It is a very moving and memorable play. The play begins with the "fiddler" balancing on a steep rooftop in the village playing his fiddle. The main character, Tevye, points to him and suggests that the fiddler symbolizes all the people of the village. Yes, that does certainly describe us as a people. Trying to balance family, careers, hobbies, church, faith and a host of other things. Trying to stay one day ahead ...

2414. The Lord Is My Shepherd

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... in the water? But I cannot leave it. Only death sets me free." Thus, Narcissus, fixing his gaze upon his own reflection, fell into the water and died with the lovely voice of Echo repeating in his ear the message, "Farewell." To be Narcissistic (like the mythological character, Narcissus) is to be obsessed with one's self. This, of course, is not a modern phenomenon. The waters of self-reflection ripple in every age. (2) Only here in God's church can we gather and say, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not ...

2415. Paths of Righteousness

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... , that is what nouns do. If you want definitions, nouns can give you definitions. (1) Now, the word "Righteousness" is a good word, but we have allowed someone to hijack it, trash it, and almost make it a negative word rather than a positive word of character. Do any of you remember the scene in the movie, "Alice in Wonderland" when Alice states, "A word means what I want it to mean"? This is exactly the dilemma faced when we hear the word, "righteousness." So often when we think of the word righteousness ...

2416. Depression: When the Spirit Is Faint

Psalm 142:1-7

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... as if a ton of bricks has fallen on us. What is the Good News of the Gospel for us, Preacher? So glad you ask! I have shared with you before that the purpose of the Christian faith is not to avoid difficulty and trouble but to produce a character adequate to meet it when it comes. However, depression does not need be an overwhelming problem. Face it, admit it, seek the power of God and the presence of other people to help you move through this dark valley of despair and discouragement. For persons in the ...

2417. Maundy Thursday: Two Memorials

Luke 22:7-38

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... assessed his life and found very little to admire. He was referred to as a "self-invented money-making machine," and described as ruthless, selfish, and grasping. According to Kenneth W. Porter, there was an event that took place that illustrated his true character. While on his deathbed, he ordered one of his rent collectors to go out to collect from an impoverished widow, but the employee told Mr. Astor that the woman needed some more time. John Jacob Astor would not accept such an excuse and ...

2418. Do You Know What Time It Is?

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... of revelation. When Jesus came preaching, he said, "The time is fulfilled." Jesus was born in the "fullness of time," exclaimed Galatians 4:4. Today in our Gospel lesson from Luke 10:38-42, we see that Chronos and Kairos are each represented in the Biblical characters of Martha and Mary. We know the Biblical story of Martha and Mary and the special time Jesus comes to visit with them. Mary sits at the feet of Jesus and listens to his every word. Martha, however, clatters about the kitchen doing what must be ...

2419. Mother's Day

Proverbs 1:1-7

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... show her our love. It is always inspiring as we leaf through the pages of history to see the great influence that mothers have had on their sons and daughters. Our own founder and spiritual mentor, John Wesley, was deeply influenced by the godly character of his mother, Suzanna. There is much debate and controversy today among Christian leaders and pastors over the Biblical role of mothers and motherhood. I know the struggle that many of the young mothers of our church have shared with me--of returning back ...

2420. Thanksgiving: Where Are You Looking for It?

Psalm 103:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... it''s his turn to pray and give thanks, he says something to this effect: Lord, my dad earned the money to pay for this food and my mom worked for hours to cook it. What did you do? Thanks a lot for nothing.'' Bart Simpson is only a cartoon character, but he says what a lot of us are tempted to think." (1) Thanksgiving Day is a special holiday. It is a national holiday that is different from all others. On it, we do not celebrate a great victory in battle. Nor do we honor a great person who did ...

2421. When Life Seems to Be Going in the Wrong Direction

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... in church and in the silence of these few moments your soul cries out with anguish and hurt, "Is there any word from the Lord for me?" I am very glad that you asked that question! For our Bible is packed full with pages of those faithful Biblical characters who traveled the road of life before us and who also experienced broken dreams, crippling roadblocks and major disappointments that seemed to have the tenacity of a junk-yard dog. DO NOT GIVE IN OR GIVE UP. There is hope for our lives. Today I want to ...

2422. Are We on Speaking Terms with the Almighty?

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... to the same synagogue. They go to the synagogue for the same reason--to pray--yet they experience such different results. One goes to pray to God, and the other goes and hopes God overhears his litany of how good he is. I believe these two characters represent in a very real way our approach to prayer. We, too, shift gears from talking to God to the posture of talking at God. Despite the fact that the secular media of television, magazines, and newspapers are not always very positive in their coverage and ...

2423. Reverse Direction

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Paul E. Flesner

... holiness so that our lives can take on a new look -- a new luster -- a new value -- a new direction -- a new hope. How can we prepare ourselves for an encounter with the Holy One? Allow me to take you back to this morning's Gospel. The main character is none other than John the Baptist. I will grant you that his appearance is not in keeping with Christmas. A camel hair outfit is certainly not as festive as a Santa suit. Nor does his message ring with the "holiday spirit." However, he does address the matter ...

2424. Up and Running

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

Robert Noblett

... minute and mundane. Translate that in terms of raising children, and we see parents so focused on the daily frustrations of raising children -- scheduling, transporting, managing, and all the rest -- that they forget what they are ultimately about, namely the shaping of character and the fulfillment of maturity. C. S. Lewis said it well: "To follow the vocation does not mean happiness; but once it has been heard, there is no happiness for those who do not follow."1 We gather weekly for public worship and ...

2425. Life: From the Inside Out

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Robert Noblett

... impressive, but is there not a downside to all of this? What good is the technology if children are not being helped with the creation of an internal set of controls, making self-governance possible? We are talking here about the development of character, and parents do their children no good if they simply use technology as a further extension of discipline externally applied and not eventually internally cultivated. Self-control is absolutely necessary if one wants a life worth the living. Or think of the ...

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