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 226 to 250 of 1270 results

226. Resurrection and Christian Living

1 Corinthians 15:12-34

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... thought is logical. The powers and authorities that have opposed God since the fall of Adam, of which death is the most significant, will “be destroyed” (katargeitai [15:26]); they will cease to have any power.[5] Since resurrection overcomes the principal hostile power, death, it follows that all hostile powers will suffer the same fate. When death has lost its power, life will have full meaning, and God will fill “all in all” (15:28; cf. 8:6; Rom. 11:36; Col. 1:16).[6] Paul’s strong allusions to ...

227. Collection and Travel Plans

1 Corinthians 16:5-18, 1 Corinthians 16:1-4

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... permanence to the door’s openness (God has opened a door and left it open).7An open door, however, does not mean he is outside personal danger or that the gospel can be spread without fierce opposition (cf. 15:32; 2 Cor. 1:8; Acts 19). Paul never concludes that hostility and opposition equal a closed door (e.g., Phil. 1:12–14, 28; 1 Thess. 2:2; 2 Tim. 3:12; cf. John 15:20), although danger from opponents sometimes could force him to leave a place (Acts 13:50–51; 14:5–6, 19–20; 17:5–10, 13 ...

228. John’s Introductory Vision The Risen and Glorified Christ

Revelation 1:9-20

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J. Scott Duvall

... God’s presence in the temple (Zech. 4:2–11; cf. Rev. 11, where the two witnesses are referred to as “the two lampstands”). This identification confirms the church’s role in reflecting God’s presence (i.e., God’s Spirit; cf. Zech. 4:6) in a hostile world. John also sees Jesus and portrays him as “someone like a son of man” (v. 13), using imagery from Daniel 7 and 10 to link him to the “Ancient of Days” (God).3Several of the descriptions of Jesus also appear in the letters to the seven ...

229. The Lord Is My Rock

2 Samuel 22:1-51

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... servants to accomplish the tasks he has commissioned them to do. David is very much aware of the Lord’s energizing power on the field of battle. Because he was God’s chosen king, one of his primary tasks was to fight the Lord’s battles against hostile enemies. He put his life on the line many times, but each time the Lord’s assuring word of victory proved true, and David was able to conquer the enemies of God’s covenant community. In the present era, the Lord’s followers are commissioned to ...

230. The “Nine Lives” of David

1 Samuel 19:1-24

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... ) was an English missionary to the Congo from 1953 to 1973, where she practiced medicine and taught the nationals how to do medical work. She remained in the Congo even as the political situation was becoming very threatening in the 1960s. Taken prisoner by hostile forces, she remained in their custody for a number of months, during which she was subject to cruel beatings and raped repeatedly. After being released from prison, she returned to England for a short time but then went back to the Congo to found ...

231. David Listens to the Voice of Wisdom

1 Samuel 25:1-44

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... Jesus’ love. He is standing with His arms spread out to receive you. I hope that the path which you will now take may work for your eternal salvation.8 Divine justice will be delivered to those who treat God’s people with disdain and hostility. Quote: Martin Luther. The reformer Luther (1483–1546) confidently wrote, Our God will fulfill the promise of his word. He is on our side. No matter how the wicked strangle, imprison, and persecute, I am the more certain that God is my protection. Our doctrine ...

232. Job Considers a Legal Dispute with God

Job 9:1–10:22

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Daniel J. Estes

... though Job is not conscious that he has sinned at all. In one of the most emotionally wrenching passages of the book, Job contrasts the care with which God formed his body from the time of his conception through his birth with God’s present hostile attitude, since God seems determined to destroy him. In other words, the God who has previously shown great tenderness and love now seems to be antagonistic toward Job. Job’s pain has prompted him to view God negatively rather than to remember that God does ...

233. Job Feels under Attack by God

Job 16:1-17:16

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Daniel J. Estes

... 17, Job shifts his focus from the useless words of the friends (16:3) to the hurtful attitude they have displayed toward him. Although they purport to be his friends and they came originally to comfort him (2:11), Job now hears them as scoffers who speak with hostility against him. Job feels disgraced by them, as the psalmists are by people who mock them (e.g., Pss. 22:7, 13; 119:51). 17:3 Who else will put up security for me? Because Job regards the three friends as mockers (17:2), he cannot turn to ...

234. “The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation—Whom Shall I Fear?”

Psalm 27:1-14

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C. Hassell Bullock

... enemies stumbled and fell (see “Theological Insights” regarding the personal pronoun in 27:2). It certainly is within the bounds of good homiletical theory to apply this to the hostile forces of our own lives that configure to send us into retreat. And when the “battle” seems lost, the circumstances may miraculously turn, and the hostilities may be defused by a rush of the adrenaline of grace, taking away the fear and restoring confidence. Illustrating the Text “The Lord is my light.” Bible: The ...

235. Daniel in the Den of Lions

Daniel 6:1-28

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Ronald W. Pierce

... , no matter the adversity. Undeserved accusations by associates and unjust decisions by those in authority over us should not derail a well-established spiritual discipline of personal prayer or public worship. Daniel first resolves not to defile himself in a hostile environment during his midteens (1:8) and now remains unshaken in his regular practice of prayer and thanksgiving in his early eighties. Call your listeners to look beyond the example of the elderly sage to the motives for his behavior centered ...

236. Jephthah

Jud 10:6–11:40

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... king through messengers is reported in 11:12–28. While this may appear to be some form of negotiation, Jephthah’s words are not conciliatory and may actually be more a challenge to war. In response to Jephthah’s inquiry into the reason behind the hostility, the Ammonite king accuses the Israelites of having taken his land when they first came out of Egypt (11:12–13). Specifically, the land in question concerns the area occupied by Reuben and Gad between the rivers Arnon and Jabbok east of the Jordan ...

237. David’s Song

2 Samuel 22:1-51

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... . In his own struggle with Saul, David becomes well aware of what pride can do to a king out of touch with God. David also knows that God responds in kind to the attitudes and actions of human beings. Those who are hostile toward God will eventually find that God will be hostile toward them (Lev. 26:27–28). Those who seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness will discover that he will bless them in remarkable ways (Matt. 6:33). Because of David’s faithfulness as king, God has given him military ...

238. Oracles of Judgment against the Nations

Zephaniah 2:4-7

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... apply to the ancient nations and to any foe of the kingdom of God. 2:4–7 · Philistia, situated to the west of Judah, receives first mention because of its long-standing hostility. No reason for the judgment of Philistia is given, because every Judean understood why Philistia should fall. Zephaniah shows no feeling of hostility or joy in the description of the fall of the Philistines. He moves from a description of the fall of four Philistine cities to a proclamation of woe on Philistia emphasizing how ...

239. The Shepherd and His Flock

John 10:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... have followed a pattern that is seen again here. At Passover, Tabernacles, and now at Dedication, a division erupts among the listeners (6:41, 60; 7:25, 45; 10:19–21). There is no neutral position for one who is faced with Christ’s revelation. Either hostility (10:20) or the seeds of faith (10:21) will follow. Those who believe are ready to cast off the extreme charge of demon possession lodged against Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles (7:20; 8:48). Jesus’s teachings and miracles (esp. 9:1–7 ...

240. The World Hates the Disciples

John 15:18--16:4

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the origin of the Spirit’s new title. A paraclete is a legal assistant or advocate who aids and counsels. He substantiates our witness (another legal term) as we too are placed on trial before the world. Jesus is quite specific about the extent of these hostilities (16:1–4a) in order to equip his followers for the near future (cf. 1 Pet. 4:12). In 16:1 the Greek word behind “fall away” (NIV) is skandalizō, which means to trip or stumble (a skandalon is a trap). In Johannine thought this term ...

241. Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Rom. 11:3). Paul understands the persecution of the Christian messengers within this same frame, since he and his associates were driven out of city after city, including Thessalonica. Paul sees the unbelieving Jews as in opposition to God and others: “They displease God and are hostile to everyone” (2:15b). Their rebellion against God (cf. Rom. 8:8) was evidenced by their opposition to the messengers of God (2:15a, 16a) and their sin (2:16b). Paul regards their opposition to the spread of the gospel as ...

242. Timothy’s Encouraging Report

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... they express that love toward other congregations in Macedonia (4:9–10). Timothy had reported this love, and in this the Thessalonians became a model for other congregations (1:7; 2 Thess. 1:3–4). This mutual love was the counterpoint to the hostility and social ostracism that the church experienced from without. This “love” has to do with group attachment and solidarity. Love places the interests of the other first and is not the same as feelings of affection and emotional warmth. Even though the ...

243. Afraid of Hope

John 20:19-31

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... live again. Thomas was afflicted with that ultimate, indescribable despair that sees no benefits in tomorrow. It was not the first time that Thomas stood alone from the other disciples. In John 11:1-54, when Jesus, despite imminent danger at the hands of hostile Jews, declared his intention of going to Bethany to heal Lazarus, Thomas alone opposed the other disciples who sought to dissuade him. "Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, 'Let us also go, that we may die with him' " (John ...

244. The Calling of Levi

Luke 5:27-32

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... of ministry because to them it did not seem to square with Scripture’s call to holiness (Lev. 10:10; 19:2) and separation (Neh. 10:28). his disciples: The hostile questioning addressed to Jesus’ disciples (instead of being addressed to Jesus himself) mirrors the situation of the early church when Christians had to face hostile questions and accusations concerning their practices and beliefs. 5:30, 32 sinners: This epithet refers to those who could not or would not observe the law of Moses, particularly ...

245. Samaritan Opposition

Luke 9:51-56

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... “determination to do something.” This idea lies behind the NIV’s translation. 9:53 Because of Jewish-Samaritan hostilities, Jewish pilgrims from Galilee would often cross over to the East Bank of the Jordan River in order to skirt around Samaria. Josephus ... provides a graphic description of these hostilities: “Hatred also arose between the Samaritans and the Jews for the following reason. It was the custom of the Galileans ...

246. The Triumphal Entry

Luke 19:28-44

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... Solomon in 1 Kings 1:33 (Schweizer, p. 298). Jesus’ royal procession also echoes that of Jehu (2 Kings 9:13; Tiede, p. 329). 19:37 Unlike Mark (11:8), Luke states that Jesus was hailed by the whole crowd of disciples. This distinction anticipates the hostile reception of the Pharisees in v. 39 below and, perhaps, also clarifies why a crowd that so joyfully welcomes Jesus would in a few days’ time cry out for his blood (23:18, 23). Thus, Luke solves this problem by showing that it was Jesus’ disciples ...

247. Life Through the Spirit

Romans 8:1-17

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... that unreconciled humanity is “God’s enemy.” It is not unusual to find people who do not believe in God, but it is unusual to find people who claim to hate God. Paul resumes this offensive idea in verse 7 by saying that the sinful mind is hostile to God. It is a commonplace in the modern West to regard human nature as basically good, or at least as neutral. Blatantly wicked persons or events are regarded as aberrations of an innate moral norm and are thus the less explainable because of it. One could ...

248. Job's First Test

Job 1:6-22

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... 1:8 According to this understanding of Satan, the testing of Job cannot be seen as the result of a battle between the hostile will of Satan and God in which the innocent human Job is trapped and battered. Rather, it is clear that Yahweh is ... describes God’s power unleashed against his enemies and the enemies of his people. What the Satan suggests is that God take up a hostile position against the one who is his “servant” and treat Job instead as an enemy. (For a discussion of curse here see Additional ...

249. Job's Second Reply to Zophar

Job 21:1-34

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... will and purpose. The Hebrew verb for “praying” here (pgʿ) has a more desperate edge to it. This is not the usual verb for “pray” (Heb. pll, “intercede; pray”), but a much less common form with hostile overtones. In some contexts the verb means to “meet/encounter with hostility,” in others it takes on the sense to “entreat” or “plead.” The wicked, by their refusal to “plead,” resist demeaning their own power and control by admitting their need for anything other than themselves ...

250. Elihu

Job 32:1--37:24

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... an accounting of the wrongs for which he is being punished (13:23). The section concludes with Job lamenting the failure of God to appear and his treatment of Job as an enemy (13:24), then he describes the suffering he experiences at the hand of a hostile God (13:25–28). Elihu seems to catch the heart of Job’s complaint: Job is in shackles, unable to escape from his torment while God scrutinizes every step he takes. 33:12 Having stated his version of Job’s complaint, Elihu opens his critique. What ...

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