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 2652 results

2401. Flying High

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

King Duncan

... the manner in which that man could change my life.” “May I suggest that this is where many of us are,” writes The Rev. Marek Zabriskie, “‘I was not ready for the manner in which that man could change my life.’ We know we lack the love, the compassion, the humble caring that Christ embodied. We’re thankful for the grace that covers this and all our sins, but we’re not certain if we want to take our faith that far. We think to ourselves: ‘I am not ready for the manner in which that man could ...

2402. Crisis Management

Luke 21:25-36

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

... the pain. See the brokenness. See the despair. See the danger. Look for Herod — the Herod of modern day Hitler, the Herod of Assad, the Herod of TV evangelists preaching a gospel of prosperity and success instead of Jesus’ gospel of service and compassion. Look for the despair of the homeless and the hungry, the lonely and the depressed — as well as the falling stars of our own lives — dreams that are deferred and relationships that are broken and values that are ignored — thus distancing us from ...

2403. Wilderness Work

Luke 3:1-6

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

... You see, the other team had the ball and in my misguided enthusiasm, I had just cheered our rivals onto a touchdown. Today, John the Baptist stands before us — bold, loud, energetic. Before he cheers us enthusiastically down the field, he asks us to check our spiritual compass — to check the direction of our lives. He implores us to make sure we know where we are headed. He asks us to make sure that we are clear about which direction we are carrying the message of our lives. And he assures us that it is ...

2404. Sheepish Shalom

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

... hell? It is interesting to me that Jesus’ vision of the last judgment day, as recorded in Matthew, could never be considered the blueprint for Michelangelo’s painting. Why? Because Matthew’s vision is not a vision based on fear. It is vision based on compassion. And Jesus’ image has less to do with the salvation — the judgment — of individuals as it does with the judgment, the salvation of nations. Instead of one terrified soul hanging over the pit of hell, what we see in Matthew 25 are all the ...

2405. Holy Happiness

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

... to give us a second even stronger message. Not only are we called to recognize our own need and dependence upon God. We are called to recognize the need and vulnerability of others. And then to offer to them, through our lives, the rich soil of compassion and justice. We are called to be in solidarity with the poor, the hungry, with those who are weeping. We are called to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. Biblical scholars point out that the Beatitudes are what is called a “performative ...

2406. Blessed Among Women

Luke 1:39-56

Sermon

Charles H. Bayer

... the future, of competition as the source of power and wealth? Where did he get the idea that was to be the lynchpin of his life; that abundance did not lie in doing well but in doing good? Where did he come upon the notion that God demanded compassion, gentleness, humility; that the meek would inherit the earth, the merciful obtain mercy, the pure in heart see God and the peacemakersbe called God's children? Listen to the words of Mary's song and you will discover where Jesus got his image of the world and ...

2407. Blago and Radnan, Two Lost Sons

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... story irritated the scribes and Pharisees. Once upon a time there was a dysfunctional family composed of Radnan, a troublesome younger son who posed a serious challenge to his father; Blago, a dutiful older brother who did everything his father asked; Yakob, their father whose compassion and understanding had no limits; and, we assume, a wife and mother who never gets mentioned in the story. The family lived on the cul-de-sac of a quiet street in a residential area of a large city. As you might guess from ...

2408. The Good Hunter

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

During hard times in the darkness of winter in an Alaskan Eskimo village a young man of unequaled courage might go out into the bitter cold in search of food for his people. Armed only with a pointed stick and his compassion for his starving village, he would wander, anticipating the attack of a polar bear. Having no natural fear of humans, a polar bear will stalk and eat a man. In the attack the Eskimo hunter would wave his hands and spear to anger the bear and make him rise up ...

2409. One Good Word for Santa

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

... of sacrifice and love and the spirit of Jesus. Nicholas became so Christlike that when the town needed a bishop he was elected. He was imprisoned for his faith by Emperor Diocletian and released later by Emperor Constantine. There have been many stories of his generosity and compassion: how he begged for food for the poor, and how he would give girls money so that they would have a dowry to get a husband. The story most often repeated was about how he would don a disguise and go out and give gifts to poor ...

2410. Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Hope

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

... surprised Peckhams. For two years they corresponded; Hoa married and had a son. Five years later, the Peckhams agreed to co-sponsor the emigration of Hoa, now thirty-one, and his family. They arrived for an emotional meeting with the Peckhams--and a new life from an old bottle. Keyword: Compassion

It was in those who had recovered from the plague that the sick and the dying found most compassion. (Plague of Athens 430 B.C.)

Thucydides

2412. The King Among Us

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

... such a disguise, he was able to move freely about the land, making friends with ordinary folk, entering into their difficulties, appreciating their handicaps, sympathizing with them in their sorrow. And when as king he sat again upon the throne, he was better able to rule over them with fatherly compassion and mercy. God shares in human experience and thereby is better able to accept man.

2413. Who Is a Missionary?

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

... heart of a servant. Similar Ministry: Their message was reconciliation to God, they had a worldwide vision, they had a strategy, they focused on basic ministries, they trained disciple makers to carry on the work, they were men of perseverance, they were part of a team, they were men of compassion, and they were men of passion.

2414. It Couldn't Be Done

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

... would break down under the strain. 7. Men insisted that iron ships would not float, that they would damage more easily than wooden ships when grounding, that it would be difficult to preserve the iron bottom from rust, and that iron would deflect the compass. 8. Joshua Coppersmith was arrested in Boston for trying to sell stock in the telephone. "All well-informed people know that it is impossible to transmit the human voice over a wire." 9. The editor of the Springfield Republican refused an invitation to ...

2415. Grabbing the Bull by the Horns

Luke 9:11b-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... park and a free children’s after-school program. The focus of all their ministries is to get involved in the community, meeting needs and bringing Jesus’ love and message to people where they are. As Taylor Fields says, “Jesus started by meeting needs first. His compassion grew people’s faith, and then He built the church on that faith.” (5) We can do the same work as Jesus. Our compassionate service can grow people’s faith, and the church can be built up on that faith. But first, we have to ...

2416. Planted for a Purpose

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

John M. Braaten

... the nurse gratefully. The nurse replied, "O, I'm not doing it for you; I'm doing it for Jesus." How would you feel if you were the patient? Sounds good, sounds religious, sounds pious - it's just awful! We are to be present for one another with compassion and respect. That orientation toward people has all kinds of things to say about how we run a congregation. It has an impact on everything we do, from our stewardship program, to our youth activities, to how we receive new members, to how we operate in our ...

2417. The Poor Man in the Mercedes

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... among our finest allies. I hope that our benign neglect of Third World countries today does not produce a terrible judgment on us someday in the future as the Second World War judged our conduct after the First World War. If we do not seek justice and compassion in such places as the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South America, if we do not become peacemakers, do we not face the possibility that one day we ourselves may pay horribly? This is becoming a tiny world. Other nations are only a matter of ...

2418. What Super Power Would You Choose?

Luke 10:1-11, 7-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... Isn’t that why Jesus sends us out to do his work—to give us a baptism into reality? What would it look like if we brought the kingdom of God to flophouses and soup kitchens and prisons and homeless shelters? Do we really believe in the justice and compassion and mercy of the kingdom of God, or do we just like to hear cheerful messages about it on Sunday? If the message of Jesus cannot hold up when faced with the cold, hard reality of people’s lives, then it’s not from God. Craddock reports that he ...

2419. Preparing the Way

Matthew 11:2-11

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... in their ancestry had done something horrible and they were having to pay for the bad done by other, previous generations. The prophets worked for centuries to convince the Hebrew people that this was not the case and that the poor should be treated with compassion and respect and given the opportunity to lift themselves up and out of their poverty. In fact, laws were created in Israel that were designed to give the poor a break and help them live better lives — but those laws were often ignored and most ...

2420. Poison or Pain?

Mark 15:23

Illustration

Adam Hamilton

Myrrh and gall were ways of speaking of poisons that were thought to expedite death or deaden the pain. If this is the case, then someone showing compassion to Jesus on the cross was offering him this drink. Because we know that most of Jesus' male disciples either had fled or were standing off at a distance and that women were standing near the cross, it is likely that this offer of wine was made by one or ...

2421. Joy as Our Hallmark

Sermon

George Reed

... communion with each other. When we combine these two elements and share God’s love with others, joy is the result. As we see God’s love made manifest in the lives of others it makes our joy more complete. As they receive God’s love through our care and compassion, their joy is brought to fruition. Joy is the peace and contentment of knowing we are loved unconditionally. It is the hallmark of who we are as God’s people and as Jesus’ disciples.

2422. A Shrewd Christian?

Luke 16:1-13

Sermon

George Reed

... we are do this in the midst of being disciples. We are the folks who know that justice and mercy are our calling. We can only find our way in the world with those who exhibit unethical shrewdness if our shrewdness is wrapped tightly in the love and compassion of God. Money should be used well as money but it should never be used in a way it becomes a weapon that wounds others. We should invest wisely but we should not invest in companies that are involved in actions that harm people. It is another place ...

2423. Worthless Slaves

Luke 17:5-10

Sermon

George Reed

... ourselves but, rather, to lift up the other person. The humility of Jesus has nothing to do with wearing hair shirts or inflicting pain upon our bodies. It consists in lifting up the lowly and not expecting any praise or reward for it. It is a humility based on compassion. Humility is living in the truth of who we are and all of us are wonderfully gifted and terribly flawed. We are God’s image and yet we are mired in the clay of the earth. From Saint Paul’s declaration that he is the worst of sinners to ...

2424. Service Is Its Own Reward

Luke 17:5-10

Illustration

Robert Schuller

... . Some months later she saw a sight which completely revolutionized her life, and would ultimately bring her worldwide fame as Good Housekeeping magazine's "Most-Admired-Woman" selection. What was the sight? A homeless, dying woman lying in the gutter, being eaten by rats. Compassion compelled her to beg an abandoned Hindu temple from the government, and convert it into a crude make-shift hospital for the dying. A comment of hers became her life's thrust: "If there is a God in heaven, and a Christ we love ...

2425. Trusting in the Goodness of God

Genesis 2:15-17, Genesis 3:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan

... about God. On Nov. 21, 1990, Bill Irwin became the first blind person to hike the entire Appalachian Trail, a rugged wilderness trail that stretches more than 2,100 miles from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mt. Katahdin, Maine. Irwin didn’t use maps or compasses or any technology to find his way. He counted on his guide dog, Orient, to take him over hills and into ravines and across rivers. Bill Irwin had been an angry, driven man with a drinking problem, four failed marriages, and battling depression when ...

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