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 71 results

1. “Lord, Who May Dwell in Your Sacred Tent?”

Psalm 15:1-5

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... 15:2). These life functions are illustrated by the following descriptors, but not arranged as orderly as we might like. The second set of qualities (15:3), expressed negatively, includes speaking (“whose tongue utters no slander” and “casts no slur on others”) and doing (“does no wrong to a neighbor”). The third set of qualities (15:4), expressed positively, includes doing (“despises a vile person,” and perhaps also “honors those who fear the Lord” and “keeps an oath”). The first ...

2. Advent's "Invisible" Man

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... of the great pageantry. But Joseph? Who is he? Why in a culture dominated by men is his role so recessed? When the question, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" was asked disbelievingly by others mocking Jesus, could this not have been so much a slur on the town as it was an indirect rebuke of the lineage of Joseph? Who is he anyway? He's too obscure. Too quiet. Too much behind the scenes. Too invisible for our liking. Advent's "invisible" man is Joseph, father of the baby Jesus. And his invisibility ...

3. Abner Goes Over to David

2 Samuel 3:6-21

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... of power and power brokering is apparent. 3:21–23 The repetition that Abner was sent away in peace emphasizes that he was given legal sanction to pass through David’s territory unharmed. David had guaranteed his safety. Thus Abner’s death was inevitably a slur on David’s integrity. This again makes it difficult to understand why David did not call for the execution of Joab. 3:29 David’s cursing of Joab’s family, here and in v. 39, was not insignificant. Its content is fierce, and it stood as ...

4. Joab Murders Abner

2 Samuel 3:22-39

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

5. Ish-Bosheth Murdered

2 Samuel 4:1-12

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

6. BIG DADDY, J.C., AND THE SPOOK

Illustration

John H. Krahn

Many Christians are hurt by even the slightest criticism of their faith. Yet God often uses attacks and slurs on one’s faith to strengthen it. Madalyn Murray O’Hair was invited by the Student Christian Association to speak at a certain college in Ohio. Mrs. O’Hair will go down in history as the one who knocked prayer and Bible reading out of the public schools. Over 350 students, ...

7. Woe to Nineveh

Nahum 3:1-19

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

Yahweh Confronts the Bloody City: Chapters 1 and 2 only hinted at the reasons for Yahweh’s anger, but the opening and close of chapter 3 are more concrete. Here Yahweh speaks all through the chapter. Yahweh confronts the city because it is responsible for the deaths of so many people as a result of its desire to accumulate wealth, which has led it into empire-building and war-making. Its apparent strength will not save it. 3:1–4 Woe is an over-translation; the Hebrew hoy resembles English “Oh,” which we ...

8. The Vocation of Leadership: A Prophet Among Them

Ephesians 4:1-16

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

The original invitation to deliver this Johannaber Lecture included the general instruction that the lecture theme have something to do with spirituality and/or spiritual formation. The more I thought of that in the context of a “ministers week,” the more certain I was that I wanted to focus on leadership – the vocation of leadership. Pastors are leaders, but they are specifically Christian leaders. So that’s my focus: leadership from a Christian perspective. I begin with three pictures. The first is out ...

9. Just Showing Up Doesn't Get the Job Done

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Eight words that can change your life. Cowboy culture is still dominated by the larger-than-life image projected by the greatest cowboy-actor of them all, John Wayne. The rough-and-tumble, heart-of-gold, good-guy character John Wayne perfected on-screen never failed to embody the qualities of honor, loyalty, bravery and commitment. John Wayne's cowboys didn't just look good. They were good. In the classic, "Rio Bravo," Wayne's character summed up the essence of his cowboy philosophy by declaring to a less- ...

10. Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

Genesis 39:1-23

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

Joseph in Potiphar’s House: Joseph goes from favorite son to bondservant and from chief steward to prisoner. Although Joseph appears prone to bad luck, the narrator makes it clear that God is directing Joseph’s destiny, including his setbacks, to his ultimate destiny of ruler as anticipated in his boyhood dreams. A key term in this episode is “hand” (yad). It captures the trust Joseph inspires and plays a key role in his fall. Potiphar places all things in Joseph’s “hand” (vv. 3, 4, 6, 8, 22, 23). But in ...

11. A Prophet Without Honor

Mark 6:1-6

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

6:1–6a Although it is not explicitly stated that this episode took place in Nazareth, the description of the setting as his hometown (6:1, or “his home area”), plus the mention of his family as living there (6:3), make it virtually certain that Nazareth is the intended location. But this story is not just the account of the rejection of Jesus in his hometown, it is also a symbol and portent of his rejection in Jerusalem by the leaders of the Jewish people. As noted earlier, this episode can be seen as ...

12. Demon-Possessed Child

Matthew 15:1-20, Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon Aid

Dallas A. Brauninger

First Point Of Action After the miracle of walking on the water (see Cycle A, Miracle 8), Jesus leaves the land of Gennesaret and goes to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Second Point Of Action A Canaanite woman from that region comes out and shouts at Jesus for mercy because a demon torments her daughter. Third Point Of Action Jesus ignores her. Fourth Point Of Action When the disciples urge Jesus to send the persistent woman away, Jesus tells them God sent him only to save the lost sheep of the house of ...

13. Passion Sunday

Isaiah 50:1-11, Luke 22:14--23:56, Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Isaiah 50:4-9a Yahweh's servant faces suffering confident of his help. This pericope constitutes the third of the four Servant Songs in Isaiah. Yahweh's servant hears his voice and is therefore fortified with determination to suffer mental agony in terms of ridicule, false accusations, humiliation, and shame. He suffers confidently because he believes Yahweh will vindicate, help, and pronounce him innocent. Epistle: Philippians 2:5-11 Jesus' humiliation and God's exaltation of him ...

14. Proper 13

Ephesians 4:1-16, 2 Samuel 12:1-31, John 6:25-59

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: Receiving the true bread of life, Jesus Christ. COMMENTARY Old Testament: 2 Samuel 11:26--12:13a This text continues the story of David's sin with Bathsheba and spells out the consequences. After Bathsheba's period of mourning, David brings her into his household and marries her. He might have thought that he had gotten away with his crime when Nathan the prophet tells him the story of the rich man who took the poor man's little ewe lamb to slaughter for a feast. David unknowingly pronounces ...

15. The Conversion of Saul

Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

Saul's conversion is important to us because we are always wanting detailed accounts of the journey of those people who have become great or famous. They always fascinate us. We avidly consume all the minute specifics we can find about them, sometimes even stooping to seek out tidbits of gossip. We are titillated by the trivial. Why was Sir Winston Churchill buried in a small country cemetery rather than in Westminster Abbey? Why was Churchill born in the servant's quarters of Blenheim Palace rather than ...

16. The Faith Of Outsiders

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

William J. Carl

Have you ever had an inner emotional pain that would not go away? A depression that would come and go in waves? Sometimes it seemed like everything was completely normal and then it would come upon you totally unexpected. Perhaps it was related to something that happened in your childhood, something so awful that you couldn’t tell anyone, not even your spouse or your best friend because in reality you weren’t really sure you believed it yourself. Sometimes it would sneak into your dreams, dreams so bad ...

17. He Who Has Ears to Hear, Let Him Hear

Luke 8:1-15

Sermon

Larry Powell

There is an old "preacher story" about the traveling evangelist who had a flair for the dramatic. His sermons were flamboyant and intensely theatrical. His ability to turn a phrase and masterfully create "word pictures" captivated his listeners almost to the point of hypnosis. He was a strong portion. After accepting an invitation to preach in a little country church, he went out early one afternoon to familiarize himself with the church and its appointments. Among other things, he observed that the ...

18. The Friday We Call Good

John 18:1-11

Sermon

Dean Lueking

A Strange Title for This Day We call this Friday - good. I recall a comment by a person who challenged this tradition of calling the day of Jesus’ crucifixion a good day. She told me that there was enough betrayal, denial, violence, bloodshed and death in the world. The idea of coming together in a church to hear of all this as it was heaped on Jesus was too much for her. She could not hear of it without coming to tears, or feeling a combination of outrage and depression. From Other Traditions But still we ...

19. Sunday of the Passion

Lk 22:14--23:56 · Isa 50:4-7 · Php 2:6-11

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Isaiah 50:4-7 Yahweh's servant faces suffering confident of his help. This pericope constitutes the third of the four Servant Songs in Isaiah. Yahweh's servant hears his voice and is therefore fortified with determination to suffer mental agony in terms of ridicule, false accusations, humiliation, and shame. He suffers confidently because he believes Yahweh will vindicate, help, and pronounce him innocent. Philippians 2:6-11 Jesus' humiliation and God's exaltation of him. Paul is pleading for ...

20. Miracle On Main Street by Dr. George A. Buttrick

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Leonard Mann

There’s always mystery on Main Street, and one day the miracle occurred. You look into the mirror. You don’t say, "Who am I?" No, a Voice asks, "Who are you?" You don’t say, "I needn’t be here." No, the Voice says, "It is inevitable that you are here." Try it, and see. You are meant to be here. Then trouble begins. Who meant your life? "My parents," you say. Oh no, parents don’t create life: they only transmit life. We shouldn’t speak about "my children." They are not ours: they are God’s, every one of ...

21. Blessed Are The Focused - Father's Day

Proverbs 4:1-27

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

This is Father's Day weekend when Dads are complimented, pampered, and given gifts. One little boy gave an interesting description of Father' Day. He said, "Father's Day is just like Mother's Day; only you don't spend as much on a present." This is a tough time to be a parent because of all the competing claims on our time, energy, and money. The typical parent, mother or father, could be responding to all of the following claims simultaneously: The Parent Teacher Organization needs a new treasurer, and ...

22. What Would We Do Without Friends?

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

Brett Blair

After Jesus had completed his tour of the synagogues he returned to Capernaum to rest for a few days. The news got out quickly that he had arrived and soon the house was filled to overflowing with people and people even spilled out into the streets. Into this crowd came four men carrying on a stretcher a friend of theirs who was paralyzed. So jammed was the narrow street that they could not get through. But they were as resourceful as they were determined. Thus, we read, that they climbed on top of the ...

23. An Arm Around the Shoulder

John 15:9-17

Illustration

Brett Blair

You will remember Jackie Robinson as the first black man to play Major League baseball. In his first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Robinson faced venom nearly everywhere he traveled. Pitchers threw fastballs at his head. Runners spiked him on the bases, brutal epithets were written on cards and spoken from the opposing dugouts. Even the home crowds in Brooklyn saw him as an object of reproach. During one game in Boston, the taunts and racial slurs seemed to reach a peak. To make matters worse Robinson ...

24. Be Careful How You Live

Ephesians 5:15-20

Sermon

Brett Blair

There are two birds that fly over our nation’s deserts: One is the hummingbird and the other is the vulture. The vultures find the rotting meat of the desert, because that is what they look for. They thrive on that diet. But hummingbirds ignore the smelly flesh of dead animals. Instead, they look for the colorful blossoms of desert plants. The vultures live on what was. They live on the past. They fill themselves with what is dead and gone. But hummingbirds live on what is. They seek new life. They fill ...

25. Comfort My People

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you ever noticed that people are funny? It makes no difference what time of the year, people are funny. Maybe you read the story in the newspapers this time last year about a young Romeo in France who was trying to woo his girlfriend Santa Claus-style. Attempting a surprise visit to his girlfriend while her parents were away, the youth climbed down the chimney of the girl's home. On his way down, he became trapped in the narrow flue and called for help. Firemen, alerted by the girlfriend, said they ...

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