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 396 results

1. Tinctures of Truth in the Tincture of Time

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... first bright red drop of medicine to hit home. Parents took comfort in the fact that the more it stung the more germs must be getting killed. Kids took comfort in very little — except for the fact that both iodine and merthiolate left impressive blood-red stains on the wound until it healed. These were a red badge of, if not courage, at least of a common kid-in-kind communion in pain. Tinctures are technically an extract with alcohol in it (usually of some plant material) or a solution (like iodine) of ...

2. The Three Kings

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... some carpet cleaning businesses sometimes use to get pet owners to employ their services. To show potential customers their need for the service, they darken the room and then turn on a powerful black light. The black light causes crystals from certain pet stains on their customers’ carpets to glow brightly. To the horror of the homeowner every drop and dribble can be seen, not only on the carpet, but usually on walls, drapes, furniture, and even on lamp shades. One salesman tells the story of a homeowner ...

3. A Terrific Trade

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... penalty for every smudge and stain. And at that very moment when he cries out from the cross, "It is finished" and breathes his last, suddenly I, become aware that I am wearing a new coat. Instantly I recognize it. It is Jesus' coat. Not a smudge or a stain on it. It's a coat of perfect righteousness. Now I can walk into the very presence of God, clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. What a trade! Several years ago I was helping my friend Albert in a revival in a small town. One afternoon we were about to ...

4. Getting Rid of Anger

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

King Duncan

... made a ghastly red stain with a dark center all over the pocket. His wife said, “It won’t wash out, I’ll try the dry cleaners.” So, his wife took the white shirt with the dark red stain on the shirt pocket to the very dry cleaner Bob had exploded at. The manager took a long, slow look at the dark red stain on the front of the shirt and then looked sideways at Bob’s wife and said quietly, “Good shot.” (1) I would say Bob probably didn’t make a very good impression on that manager. I won’t ...

5. What the Storms Blow Away

Matthew 7:21-29

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... , shiny windows leaked. Right after a good rain, a dark semicircle of water marked the hallways by the windows. Those water stains were tattletales. The building was brand new. The building leaked, not because of age, but because of shoddy workmanship. The stains on the carpets pointed their fingers at the contractor. Any insistent storm peeled back the curtain and exposed a sin that no one could see in the sunshine. Matthew closes out the Sermon on the Mount with a parable from Jesus about what happens ...

6. Decisive Battles With Temptation

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

Robert Allen

... force any person to obey him nor will he shield anyone from temptation. And temptations always begin as an inner struggle in our hearts and minds. The inner struggle with temptation is not imaginary. It is very real. To this day, you can see the ink stain on the wall of Martin Luther’s study. Almost 550 years ago, Luther caused that ink stain by throwing his ink jar at the devil as he tempted him in his own innermost thoughts and desires. Bishop Fulton Sheen was one of the most respected religious figures ...

7. You're A Good Kid!

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... opportunity to assist his parish priest in the service of Communion. Ironically, each boy, while handling the communion cup, accidentally spilled some of the wine on the carpet. There the similarities end. The priest in the Eastern European church, seeing the purple stain on the carpet, slapped the little altar boy hard across the face and shouted, "Clumsy oaf! Leave the altar!" That little boy grew up to become an atheist and a Communist. He was the strongman dictator of Yugoslavia from 1943 to 1980. His ...

8. My Precious, My Precious

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... your ministry? Is it only church trash (bulletins, tracts, etc.)? Or is it world trash like cigarette butts, beer bottles, fast-food containers, etc? Does your church lawn and yard exist for itself? Or does it exist for serving others? 2) Are there coffee stains on the carpet? At a church conference in Winnipeg, Canada, the pastor was trying to get us back into the sanctuary after mid-morning break. He yelled to all of us waiting to finish our coffee before coming into the sanctuary, "Come on in and bring ...

9. Down by the Riverside

Mark 1:4-11 · Genesis 1:1-5

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... . Each boy was given the opportunity to assist his parish priest in the service of Holy Communion. Ironically, while handling the communion cup, each boy accidentally spilled some of the wine on the carpet. It's there that the similarities end. Seeing the purple stain on the carpet, the priest in the Eastern European church slapped the little altar boy across the face and shouted, "You clumsy oaf! Leave the altar!" That little boy left and grew up to become an atheist and a Communist. He grew up to be ...

10. The Healing Power of Faith

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

King Duncan

... of silence. Then, from behind the curtain came these words, “Fwank fell down!” I don’t know how you feel about faith healing. I suspect that as a business, a very profitable business, God despises it. Showy crusades and shallow evangelists have brought a deep stain on the authentic work of Christ in the world. Yet healing is very much a part of the story of the church. Long before there were MRIs and the miracles of modern medicine, there were humble pastors as well as devoted lay people bowing their ...

11. Be Near, Ye Faithful

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Sermon

Ronald Love

... him from completing his translation of the Bible. It is here that we have the famous story that Luther finally became so angry at Satan that he threw his inkwell at him. If you would visit the castle, even today you can see the ink stain on the castle wall. Paul offered his ideas on how to remain spiritually alive so Christians don’t succumb to these evil spirits. We accomplish this by engaging in spiritual disciplines. We attend Sunday school, and then we go to the sanctuary to worship. We are involved ...

12. Like Buoys In The River

Exodus 19:1-25

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... spots. Watch out so you won't snag your plow. Follow my commandments and you will discover the good life." How can we be sure that God would command only what is best for us? The signature of his caring is in the nailprints in his hands and the blood stains on a cross. His commandments are valentines, straight from the heart of God. Let's live by them!

13. The Perfect Prayer

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... it and make it the core of your very life, will move heaven and earth. There is an old Calvin and Hobbes cartoon in which Calvin is getting undressed for bed, and he says to Hobbes, “Any time when you don’t finish the day with grass stains on your knees, you ought to seriously re‑examine your priorities.” So it is with the follower of Christ. Anytime you don’t finish a day without some time spent on your knees acknowledging who God is and what God wants, making your petitions known and asking his ...

14. A Guide for Growth

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... him to see a strange offering which had been placed at the very center of the altar. Upon examination they discovered it to be a pair of brown corduroy trousers, a belt, a white T-shirt, a pair of tan suede boots, and a note. There were blood stains on the shirt and on the note. The note had been written on one of the pledge cards which they had placed in the pews for that year’s Loyalty Sunday. A name was written large and under lined three times. Then the plea, also underlined, “Please listen to ...

15. Tales of the Spiritually Stupid

Jeremiah 4:11-12, 18-22

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

... fill a page or even two. To give a few examples: • Those acrimonious theological arguments at ecclesiastical conferences when some people quote the Bible without having actually read it. • Those "hissy-fits" made in the pew regarding noisy children or stains on the carpet of the youth room by people who then ask the pastor why the church has so few children. Duh! • Church members who oppose making their building accessible to persons with handicapping conditions because, "We don't have anybody like ...

16. When Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Matthew 21:23-27

Sermon

King Duncan

... early one morning. The custodian wanted him to see a strange offering that had been left on the altar. Hanging on the altar were a pair of brown corduroy pants, a belt, a white T-shirt, a pair of tan suede boots, and a note. He noticed blood stains on both the shirt and on the note. The note consisted of only three words, "Please listen God." It was signed and included a phone number. The pastor dialed the number. A nineteen-year-old man answered and told his story. He had run away from home and had ...

17. Go, Climb A Mountain!

Luke 9:28-36 (37-43)

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

... didn't come in one day or even two. I bet your journey had its ups and downs. There might have been humiliating moments like falling off the bike in front of friends. Or leaping from the toppling bike onto the grass. Mom wouldn't appreciate the grass stain on your jeans. What about those skinned knees? Out came that stinging orange stuff and Band-Aids. Ouch! That part really hurt! But you kept at it. You could hear your partner's words along side of you, "I'm right here. We'll keep trying. It'll happen ...

18. A Life-changing Question

John 9:1-41

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... should have explained the internet a little better. Maybe the internet can’t answer every question. It reminds me of a story that comedian David Brenner told. He had just boarded a crowded subway car, and the only seat he could find had a stain on it. Brenner spread his newspaper on the seat and sat down. A man sitting nearby asked, “Are you reading that newspaper?” Brenner answered, “Yes,” then stood up, turned the page, and sat down on the newspaper again. (2) Not every question leads to greater ...

19. Sons of God

Galatians 3:26--4:7

Sermon

King Duncan

... according to the color of a person’s skin. Of course, there was a time not so long ago when the words, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, SLAVE NOR FREE . . .” would have been important to our discussion. The practice of slavery was a dark stain on our young democracy. Ron Hutchcraft tells of being in Cincinnati sometime back. He was working on the message he was going to give that night at a meeting. Out his hotel window he had a wonderful view of the Ohio River, which separates Ohio and Kentucky ...

20. Learning to Live Like Jesus

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... many churches have been unwilling to take controversial stands because they might lose influential members. So many churches have been unwilling to serve the least and the lowest because they might not mix well with their church family. They might soil our carpet and get stains on our lovely furniture. Some churches get to a crossroads in their church’s life when a bold move of faith is called for, but they shrink back. Out of fear they think they must protect the church at all costs. What if Christ had ...

21. All in the Family

1 John 3:1-3

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... identical experiences.1 One boy was serving in Illinois and the other was serving in eastern Europe. While assisting the priest with holy communion, each boy accidentally spilled some wine from the chalice onto the floor. In eastern Europe, the priest saw the purple stain on the floor and he saw red. He slapped the boy in the face, and said, "You clumsy oaf. Leave the altar right now. Your services are no longer needed here." In Illinois, the priest responded differently. "That's okay, son. We all have an ...

22. The Shadow

Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... darkness." That which Jung called our shadow is what theologians would be more likely to name our sin--the dark elements that rest deep within the essence of the human self or the human soul. Like Jung, theologians admit we cannot deny or unmake this shadow-stain on ourselves or psyches. But we must be cautious about to whom we reveal it. In today's Old Testament text we have the classic tale of darkness exposed to the wrong party. The serpent lives up to his world-class reputation as the shrewdest, most ...

23. Everything You Do Bears Witness

John 10:22-30

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... water therapy at no extra charge! Then I tripped getting out of the shower and broke the table in the bathroom. Once I was out of the shower and shivering, I reached for clothing, only to discover that the shirt I pulled from the closet had a stain on it. I know. These are what my children would call “first world problems.“ Suffice it to say, I was pretty grumpy. Downstairs the coffee was cold and I was sitting at the kitchen table muttering some string of unacceptable epithets. My wife came in from her ...

24. Son-burned, Wind-blown, Earth-Stained

Luke 12:35-48

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Do you remember as a child how you dressed to take trips? (You can either begin your sermon with an interactive time at this point, inviting the congregation to remember how they were dressed for trips, or you can make it personal and tell your own recollections of what kind of clothes your parents made you wear when it was time to travel.) As a child I remember having to get dressed up whenever we'd go on a family trip. If we were going in our own car, we could be more casual, but still had to look good ...

25. A Stone’s Throw From: New Life

John 8:3-12

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Have you ever really messed up? Has there ever been a moment in your life when you needed a mulligan or do-over or second chance? Unless your name is Jesus and you were born in Bethlehem, of course you have. We all have, that's one of the things we have in common. We've all made our messes and we are looking for a chance to start over. We're looking for the kind of place described by Louise Fletcher Tarkington: "I wish that there were some wonderful place In the Land of Beginning Again; Where all our ...

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