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 2451 to 2475 of 2747 results

2451. Before You Start Ripping Your Clothing

Joel 2:12-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... of Lent. Our lesson from Joel is part of that preparation. Our story begins like this. A disaster has come on the people of Israel in the form of an invasion of locusts. One Bible scholar notes that an army of locusts is incredible. They fill the air, and darken the sun like an eclipse. They swarm for miles over the land. The advance columns attack all that is green and succulent. In half an hour every leaf and blade is destroyed. Other locusts coming on in succession strip the bark from the trees. The ...

2452. His Final Words

John 18:1-19:42

Sermon

King Duncan

... a Sunday school teacher in his church who was telling her preschoolers about Jesus’ arrest, trial and crucifixion. She had their undivided attention--even Michael was listening. When she finished the lesson and asked for questions, Michael’s hand shot into the air; the teacher was thrilled. “I just want to know one thing,” he said. “Where the heck were the State Police when all this was going on?” (2) Good question. There was nothing just about Jesus’ death. Even Pilate confessed that he could ...

2453. Some Greeks

John 12:20-33

Sermon

John Jamison

... wanted to have happen that day, but as it began to unfold, it seems that things began to get out of control. As Jesus began to walk up the hill toward Jerusalem, some in the group grabbed branches of palm trees and started waving them around in the air. This looks to us like a great celebration and something Jesus would appreciate. But again, it helps to understand a bit more about the situation. While it is true that we look at the palm branch as a symbol of peace, the odds are that was not the message ...

2454. Out of Control (Good Friday sermon)

John 18:1-19:42

Sermon

John Jamison

... and tradition, Jesus was then stripped of all clothing and made to lie down next to the pole that had been pulled out of its hole. His wooden cross piece was tied to the pole and then the two pieces of wood were slowly raised into the air, lifting Jesus up. For added strength, spikes had been driven through Jesus wrists and into the cross piece. Experience had taught the Romans that it was important to use the wrists, because the hands were too fragile and the victim might fall from the cross too early ...

2455. Does Easter Really Matter?

Mark 16:1-8, John 20:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... hill when the van turned into a gated drive, leading them straight into a cemetery. “What kind of sick joke is this?” Chris wondered. Shortly after they entered the cemetery the teacher pulled the van off to the side, and they got out into the cool, damp Easter air. Their assignment was given to them as they ate donuts from a box that had been set on a headstone. They were to walk around the cemetery and read what they saw on the stones. And they were to make note of the stories that were told on those ...

2456. From Fear to Overflowing Joy

John 20:19-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... of our Lord. We should be able to identify with those early disciples. There is much fear in our society. That fear is often fed by rumor. We have perfected the rumor mill in our society. We have the press. No paper or television station wastes ink or air time on good news. Bad news IS good news for the nation’s media. A steady stream of bad news feeds many people’s fears. And we have blogs on the Internet, many of them characterized by “fake news,” that are dedicated to stoking people’s fears as ...

2457. The Mighty Wind of God

Acts 2:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... side of a school, raced across a road, took the roof off a barn, crossed the road again, and lifted a horse about thirty feet before setting him down. Again, it was unharmed . . . A cow in that same area was found lying on her back, four legs in the air, anchored to the ground by her horns. The cow was otherwise unhurt, but the farmer chose not to milk her . . . He thought the milk might be sour after such a traumatic event. (1) Obviously he was a pessimist. I would have gone ahead and milked her and hoped ...

2458. Treasure Hidden In a Clay Jar

2 Corinthians 4:5-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... China for more than 69 million dollars, the most ever paid at auction for a Chinese antiquity. “They had no idea what they had,” said a Bainbridge spokeswoman. When the final bid was official, “they had to go out of the room and have a breath of fresh air.” (1) Well, I should think so! Maybe some of us should spend some time cleaning our attic this afternoon. An old vase worth more than $69,000,000. Wow! Some people do get lucky sometimes. It’s like a couple in Lander, Wyoming who went to the city ...

2459. Such a Little Thing

Mark 4:26-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... the kingdom of God to a mustard seed. He called the mustard seed the tiniest seed on earth. But when the mustard see grows up, he added, it is taller than any of the other plants in the garden, with branches so large that the birds of the air can make their nests in its shade. If Jesus were telling that parable today in our culture he might point to a giant Sequoia in California’s Sequoia National Park. One such tree, the General Sherman, has been called the most massive living thing on planet Earth. The ...

2460. What Does the Kingdom of God Have to Do With Anything Today?

John 3:1-17

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... raise. He does more. He tells us what we need to know not what we think we need to know. We come to the presence of Jesus with one set of expectations and often find that our preconceptions are burst like so many precarious bubbles fluttering in the air. In other words, we come into the light of Christ with the distinct possibility that we will come to know a great reversal. Another Bible story may help us connect with the reversal in this story. A Samaritan woman, despised by the Jews, living in sin with a ...

2461. Some Things I've Learned Since I Knew It All

Mark 4:26-34

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... , but he was quite sure that his father just didn't know much about anything and his mother knew even less. As for his younger brother and sister, well, it wasn't even worth the time of day to talk to them. When Adam talked, it was with an air of superiority. His family noticed the change in his behavior right away, it even caused a few squabbles with his younger brother. When Adam left to go back to college, his father explained to the others, "Many students go through that kind of thing. As they begin to ...

2462. Close Calls

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... asked about his origins, he replied, "I will answer your question if you answer this one: 'Was John the Baptist sent by God or not?' " When a lawyer asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus never answered his question. Instead Jesus left a question hanging in the air for the lawyer to consider: "Are you going to be a neighbor to those in need or not?" A Jew was once asked, "Why do you Jews always answer questions with questions?" He replied, "Why not?" In Jewish thinking, the one who asks the question is in ...

2463. No Reason to Worry

Matthew 6:25-33

Sermon

April Yamasaki

... country and the state of the world, whatever your worries about your own daily life, whatever worries you may have about this holiday weekend, Jesus' call is the same: do not worry. Instead of worrying, look at God's provision in nature. Learn from the birds of the air that always seem to find enough to eat. Learn from the lilies in the field with all their natural beauty. Have faith in God, the great Creator and sustainer of the birds and lilies, of you and me, and of all things. One young woman started a ...

2464. When Your Life Is Put On Hold

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

King Duncan

... concerns. We have confidence that he is moved by our prayers. It’s just that sometimes he seems to move very slowly. And it is difficult for us to deal with those delays. We feel so helpless. An O’Hare Airport study of air traffic controllers, completed just prior to the controller’s strike several years ago, confirmed the high stress level that these controllers are under. The job is stressful, however, not simply because these controllers have to make decisions that affect the lives of others. They ...

2465. When I Am Weak, I Am Strong

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... that, though the Dalai Lama may be what the Buddhists call an “enlightened being,” he has his weaknesses. According to a report in The Week magazine, it’s said he sneaks chocolate chip cookies when he’s supposed to be fasting. And he uses an air gun to scare away irritating birds. Anybody identify with that? Here’s a good one: While the Dalai Lama meditates, he likes to have a radio on in the background, playing news from the BBC World Service. His Holiness also admits that mosquitoes have caused ...

2466. Things a Child Can Teach Us

Mark 9:30-37

Sermon

King Duncan

... one day be pastors. He said that he never wanted to hear of any pastor complaining about a crying baby in worship. One Sunday on his trip, he had been in a rural, remote village assisting with a baptism. Hundreds of people had come to the open air ceremony. In the middle of the baptism, Rodger was surprised to find that the congregation was totally quiet. All he could hear was the buzzing sound of the flies all around, but not a peep out of any of the parishioners or their many children. Then he looked ...

2467. Big Bubba Has Your Back

Revelation 21:1-6a

Sermon

King Duncan

... forsake us. He is the God who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. Relax. Come out from under the seat. Big Bubba has your back. During the terrible siege of Leningrad in World War II, the city’s radio station remained on the air to reassure the people in this time of crisis that their country had not fallen. When the radio announcers were too weak or cold to play music or recite the news, they would turn on a metronome which monotonously clicked back and forth, echoing through loudspeakers on ...

2468. A Word to Busy Parents

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

King Duncan

... that Suzanne kept for her son, Nicholas. In the diary she finds these words of wisdom: “Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling five balls. The balls are called work, family, health, friends, and integrity. And you’re keeping all of them in the air. But one day you finally come to understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls--family, health, friends, and integrity--are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed ...

2469. What To Say When You Roll Out Of Bed

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

William G. Carter

... the background, and then a man was heard to say, "No, you didn't." It was a funny contest and drew a considerable audience. One morning, however, the third caller said something unusual. The station phone rang. "Good morning, this is FM-106. You're on the air. What did you say when you rolled out of bed this morning?" A voice with a Bronx accent replied, "You want to know my first words in the morning?" The bubbly DJ said, "Yes, sir! Tell us what you said." The Bronx voice responded, "Shema, Israel ... Hear ...

2470. Good-Bye Mardi Gras, Hello Lent

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... pick up a few things at the grocery, you might want to remove the ashes. Strangers might think you didn’t hear the sermon today. They might think you are showing off. 1. Thomas Moore (1779-1852) “Oft in the Stilly Night” a part of the second stanza from National Airs, c. 1822, p. 7. 2. George Parker, The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America (New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2013), pp. 100-102.

2471. What to Do With Human Failing

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... of judgment are gathering. No longer is there a hot wind of hades blowing. Now there seems to be a cool gentle breeze and a bright blue sky. That is the difference Jesus makes. As Richard Rohr put it, “The true gospel is always fresh air and breathing room.” And for that radical grace of another change, we give thanks. Amen and amen. 1. Conversation between Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, The PTL Club, September 13, 2001. 2. Richard Rohr, Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life (San ...

2472. The Devastating Influence of Faultfinding, Nay-Saying, and Nitpicking

John 12:1-8

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... t underestimate the enormous amount of power wielded by the “aginner.” With a raised eyebrow or a demeaning comment, a nasty letter to the editor, or a derogatory anonymous letter, an “aginner” can blow a worthwhile idea out of the water. He can suck the air out of the most self-confident person. She can turn a crowd from cheering to jeering with an off-hand remark. Do not underestimate the power of the negative. Second, beware that you and your words have that same power on other people. Your off ...

2473. From His Arrest to His Crucifixion and Burial

John 18:1--19:42

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... work on this theme that in spite of what any of us think or claim, death is the destination we have in common. Sandburg wrote: I am riding on a limited express, one of the crack trains of the nation. Hurtling across the prairie into blue haze and dark air go fifteen all-steel coaches holding a thousand people. (All the coaches shall be scrap and rust and all the men and women laughing in the diners and sleepers shall pass to ashes.) I ask a man in the smoker where he is going and he answers: “Omaha.”1 ...

2474. Be Ready for the Possibility of the Resurrection

John 20:1-18

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... that verdict and turned Jesus over to Pontius Pilate and charged him with the political crime of challenging the governing authority of Rome. Pilate, a political hack of the worst order, tested winds of popular opinion by sticking a wet finger in the air. When a few strident voices shouted “crucify him, crucify him,” the Roman governor condemned Jesus to death by crucifixion. That was a particularly cruel form of execution. Nails were driven through the hands and feet. The full weight of the victim’s ...

2475. The Bones of Belief

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

... his views, responded, "I certainly do believe the Bible to be the Word of God." "But aren't there things in the Bible you can't explain?" With humility the minister answered, "Yes, there are places in the Bible too hard for me to understand." With an air of triumph as though he had cornered the preacher, the atheist asked, "Well, what do you do then?" Unruffled, the clergyman went on eating his dinner, which happened to be Hudson shad, a tasty fish but noted for its bony structure. Looking up, he said, "Sir ...

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