Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: humiliation, mortification, chagrin, ignominy, loss of face, shamefacedness, embarrassment, indignity, abashment, discomfort, discomfiture, discomposure, guilt, remorse, contrition, compunction, disgrace, dishonour, discredit, degradation, disrepute, ill-repute, infamy, scandal, odium, opprobrium, obloquy, condemnation, contempt, pity, misfortune, crying shame, cause for regret, source of regret, sad thing, unfortunate thing, discredit to, disgrace to, stain on, blemish on, blot on, blot on the escutcheon of, slur on, reproach to, bad reflection on, bring into disrepute, degrade, debase, defame, stigmatize, taint, sully, tarnish, besmirch, stain, blacken, drag through the mud/mire, give a bad name to, put in a bad light, humiliate, mortify, make someone feel ashamed, embarrass, abash, chasten, humble, put someone in their place, take down a peg or two, cut down to size, show up

Antonyms: honor, pride, respect, glory, praise, dignity, honor, esteem, glorification, laud, compliment, regard, credit, elevate, acclaim, pleasure, favor, kudos, recognition, flatter, admiration, greatness, happiness, self-confidence, reverence

Showing 1 to 25 of 38 results

1. The Color Wheel of Blindness

John 10:22-42

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to giving a black eye to any member of the church, we are giving a black eye to the Body of Christ. When the world sees that black eye, it assumes the church is just another brawling, mauling example of “faith in action.” When we blacken the eyes of our own, we blacken the image of Christ we present to the world. [You can add more colors to the Color Wheel of Blindness here – e.g. rose-tinted, black-and-blue, etc or shorten the chart as you see fit. Paint companies sell more than 2000 colors to ...

2. The Seven Bowls: Why God Delays Ultimate Justice until the End

Revelation 16:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... intense the judgment, the more humanity seems to clench a defiant fist at God. With the fifth bowl comes a plague of darkness (16:10–11), which is reminiscent of both the Egyptian equivalent (Exod. 10:21–29) and the eighth plague, which sent a blanket of locusts to blacken the land (Exod. 10:12–20). This is a spiritual darkness inflicting agony to the point where people bite their tongues desperately (Rev. 16:10; cf. gnashing of teeth in Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30). Sin has the power to blind, dull, and ...

3. Job's Third Reply to Bildad

Job 26:1--31:40

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... venom as in 20:14–16), Job’s internal organs seethe and boil (NIV churning inside me) without ceasing. Since days of suffering confront me (Heb. “come to meet me”), Job has only more affliction to look forward to. 30:28–30 I go about blackened. The NIV takes the participle qoder (“be black”) as a description of the externally visible effects of Job’s illness. Others take the term to refer to the black garb of mourning (NASB) or the somber gloom of depression (NRSV; NJB). Still others emend ...

4. Perseverance

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

... are going to withstand further torture and be true to \ntheir God. \nPlaying Time 5 minutes\nSetting A prison cell\nProps A crude stool, a wooden cup\nCostumes Old rags, bloodied rag over Aurant's eyes\nTime The future\nCast ARAUNT -- a man, terribly tortured, blackened holes \n where his eyes once were \n NEBUTH -- a young woman\nNEBUTH: (ENTERS SUPPORTING AURANT. THEY ARE BOTH IN FILTHY RAGS) \nCome on now. You can make it. \nAURANT: (STUMBLING) No, no, I can't go another step. \nNEBUTH: Yes, yes, come on ...

5. 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

... on justice. 6. "Grant Me Justice." (v. 3) Jesus does not elaborate on the nature of the injustice. We are to assume that she had a legitimate case that deserved rectification. 7. "Wear Me Out." (v. 5) Literally the Greek says that she would slap his head and blacken his eyes. This probably is not actually what she would do. It is doubtful that a widow would attack a judge with such violence. Probably it is a figurative way of saying that she would give him a headache. It also would shame him, which in that ...

6. When The Saints Come Marching In

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

... catch bits of dialogue here and there: "I promise you ... and no more shall we ... but only love ...." The news story shifts to a reporter standing on a beach. Behind her you can see the waves of oil from yet another spill washing ashore. The blackened carcasses of fish and birds litter the landscape. People in raincoats move back and forth in the thick sludge attempting to save what animals they can. You begin to hear the distinct sounds of Mendelssohn's "Wedding March." The movie in the next room must be ...

7. Proper 17

James 1:19-27, Song of Songs 2:1-17, Mark 7:1-23

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... all bent out of shape when some of the Lord's disciples were seen eating with defiled (unwashed) hands. Jesus' response to them can be paraphrased in this manner: "Don't get all upset about defiled hands; rather be concerned defiled hearts, hearts that are blackened by sin." The defilement comes from inside the human heart. Lives must follow where your lips lead (v. 6). Jesus quotes Isaiah: "This people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from me." We confess God with our lips; our lips lead ...

8. A Fireside Chat

Exodus 3:1-22

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... . Moses must have thought:"Odd, how did that bush catch fire out here in the desert?" But even more strange, as he continues to gaze at the bush he noted it was not burned up! Things that burn are ordinarily consumed by the flames, or they melt down, or are blackened, or turn to ashes. Why is this bush different? So, curious, he thought, "I'll go closer. I'll see why it does not burn up. I'll get the answer. I'll figure it out. I'll see why!" How typical of us humans. Most of us figure that ...

9. A Faith To Live By John D. Mauney, Jr.

Deuteronomy 4:32-40

Sermon

... of the age." (Matthew 28:19, 20) Jesus commands that we not simply believe, but that we also proclaim our faith in the Triune God. There is a place just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near the Virginia-North Carolina line where the hills were blackened as far as the eye could see. A forest fire had swept the area and destroyed countless acres of forestland. One could hardly drive through the area without wondering, "What do you suppose started that terrible fire?" And we remember the repeated warnings we know ...

10. Repentance

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

... 's Field, which is located just outside the city of Bethlehem. It was a few weeks before Christmas and we were gathered with Christians from all over the world. It was one of those brisk nights when the cold was pushed by a gusty north wind. The blackened sky was dotted with a multitude of sparkling stars. Rocks cracked and moved under our feet. Off in the distance, we could see the lit skyline of Bethlehem where Mary had gone to give birth. While standing in Shepherd's Field, we sang the songs of Christmas ...

11. Train Whistle In The Night

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

... of a simple flower gets lost in the hurried rush of the high-speed, passing car. The colors of a sunset go unnoticed in the hectic, gadgetry rush of evening mealtime and meetings. The simple gifts of a young child get hidden behind the heavily-blackened page of the evening newspaper. And the artificial separates us from the genuine, from each other, and from ourselves. Still another part of Christ’s message deals with reasons for preparation. Familiar to us is the news that a nation is preparing for war ...

12. The Good Samaritan Didn’t Leave His Name

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... and through sheer courage brought hope and light to others. They are symbolized by a plant called Rosebay Willow herb or "fire weed." This plant, like Good Samaritans, grows in the most unlikely places. Its flowers can be seen among the ruins of a building blackened by fire or along the walls of a neglected house. It gives a cheerful color among debris and death. During World War II, "fire weed" served as a symbol of the renewal of life among the rubble, debris, and wilderness that followed the bombing and ...

13. An Identity Crisis

Sermon

James Bjorge

... man being flung headlong into an identity crisis from which he has never really recovered. God’s heart broke that day when man forgot who he was and for what he was made. He began to call man back to his created position but it was tough going. Sin had blackened the whole atmosphere and man’s vision of God was blurred. In fact, at times God was blotted out of man’s mind and man either made gods for his own purposes or occasionally he played god himself. And man didn’t know who he was. But God’s ...

14. Bad News from a Good Man!

1 Kings 21:1-29

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... the full counsel of God, there is a price to be paid. Elijah must deliver the message faithfully, as must I. Some years ago in Logan County, West Virginia, a mountain cabin burned to the ground. All that remained was the large stone fireplace and its smoke-blackened chimney. Since the owner wanted to keep people out of the ruins, he painted a sign as a warning and posted it at the edge of what used to be his cabin. It was intended to read, “WARNING — NO TRESPASSING.” In his hurry, however, the owner ...

15. The Difference Between Looking Good And Being Good

Matthew 23:1-39

Sermon

King Duncan

... in their own lives." (italics mine). "They love everyone," he continues, "but are persecuted by all. They are put to death and gain life. They are poor and yet make many rich. They are dishonored and yet gain glory through dishonor. Their names are blackened and yet they are cleared. They are mocked and bless in return. They are treated outrageously and behave respectfully to others. When they do good, they are punished as evildoers; when punished, they rejoice as if being given new life." (9) Jesus wasn't ...

16. If Your Eye Offends You

Mark 9:42-50

Sermon

King Duncan

... your life fixed on that standard, you are not going to miss the mark. The ancient Greeks held that when the goddess of Thebes came among them she left her track. Her footprints were in the fields and the forests. Passing by a tree that had been blackened by a thunderbolt, she paused, and afterward woodbines sprang up to cover the tree's nakedness. She lingered by a stagnant pool, and it became a flowing spring of pure water. She rested upon a log, and from decay and death, came moss. the snowdrop, and the ...

17. God's Dirty Job

Romans 5:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... and for souls. Ever get a good, hard rope burn hauling in a fishing line or hoisting a sail? Burns hurt, and burns leave marks. A working man in the first century, like a working man in the twenty-first century, would have calluses, scars, many a blackened nail waiting to fall off, not to mention dents and divots from a host of old injuries. Why should Jesus be shown with “dirty job” hands? Because Jesus did the dirtiest job in the history of humanity. Paul gives us the dirt about this dirt in today ...

18. Dusting Off Our Gratitude

Joel 2:21-27

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... survived a devastating invasion of locusts, followed by an all-consuming drought. Their barren land and darkened sky must have looked similar to that of the 1930s dust bowl in the heartland of this country. But instead of dust and dirt, their sky was blackened by insects that were making a terrifying, unearthly noise as they moved from one place to another, ravaging the land. If that were not enough, water was scarce, placing both human and animal life in jeopardy. Joel calls upon the people of Judah to ...

19. If You Really Want to Be Number One

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

King Duncan

... slumped body as they hurried along.” Imagine that! Giving a dissertation on the Good Samaritan and stepping over the prone body of an unfortunate person. Not much of a servant mentality there. A comedian said he was once mugged. He was beaten up, his face blackened and bruised. Someone asked him, “Why didn’t you fight back?” His answer was, “I started to but I decided not to get involved.” Non‑involvement is the curse of our time. And, of course, we have many ways of rationalizing our lack of ...

20. The Cookie Thief

Luke 7:36-50

Illustration

Brett Blair

... the man beside her helping himself to her cookies. Not wanting to make a scene, she read on, ate cookies, and watched the clock. As the daring "cookie thief" kept on eating the cookies she got more irritated and said to herself, "If I wasn't so nice, I'd blacken his eye!" She wanted to move the cookies to her other side but she couldn't bring her self to do it. With each cookie she took, he took one too. When only one was left, she wondered what he would do. Then with a smile on his face and ...

21. Cheering from the Stands

Hebrews 12:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... of their car and drove to the nearest hospital. Amazingly, Womach sang hymns until they reached the emergency room. Once there, doctors attended to a young man who now had no recognizable facial features. His once handsome face was charred, blackened, and swollen. Fortunately, perhaps miraculously, the synthetic wool jacket he was wearing when the plane crashed hardened in the flames into a plaster‑like material which protected his upper body from burns. This left doctors with healthy skin tissue that ...

22. Burned Beef

Isaiah 42:1-9

Sermon

Tony Everett

... was not just warm, it was so hot that Terry quickly dropped the dish onto the wooden cupboard next to the stove. Carefully, he lifted the lid, and immediately the entire kitchen was engulfed with blue smoke. A terrible, burning stench filled their nostrils. Blackened chunks of beef adhered to the bottom of the dish, securely fastened there by a glue-like paste that once was potatoes, carrots, and gravy. By now the smoke alarm was blaring, and the boys were dashing through the house opening windows and doors ...

23. Death Meets The Lord

Isaiah 25:6-9

Sermon

Ken Lentz

... Yellowstone National Park would never be the same again. In spite of the expenditure of millions of dollars and the efforts of 25,000 firefighters, the fire raged on and the whole nation began to lose hope. Finally, it ended in smoldering blackened ruination. The serious observer, however, noted that a resurrection began to occur within days of the end of the fire. It was observed, for example, that only a few animal inhabitants, relatively speaking, perished; within days, there was luscious grass to eat ...

24. Ring of Fire

Illustration

Paul F.M. Zahl

... truth; a brushfire was advancing, so fast they couldn't outrun it. Rifling through his pockets, he soon found what he was looking for--a book of matches. He lit a small fire around the two of them. Soon they were standing in a circle of blackened earth, waiting for the fire to come. They didn't have to wait long. They covered their mouths with handkerchiefs and braced themselves. The fire came near and swept over them. But they were completely unhurt, untouched. Fire would not pass where fire already had ...

25. Love Among the Ashes

Illustration

Soon after Angi and David's sixth anniversary, the couple's home burned to the ground. Angi's first act, when they were allowed to hunt through the blackened remains, was to search for their photo albums. When she went to tell David that the pictures had indeed survived, she found him carefully placing in a box some charred, folded pieces of paper, their courtship love letters. "As I watched David kneeling there in the ashes," she says, "I ...

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