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 2576 to 2600 of 5000 results

2576. Church Divisions and Confusion of Allegiance

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

Big Idea: Schisms and splits have no place in God’s community. Paul says, “Forget what you know from the world around you. Christians are followers not of various patrons and human leaders but of Christ alone.” Understanding the Text Paul’s introduction continues. Verse 10 is his summarizing thesis for the rest of the letter, a thesis he will return to throughout the letter (e.g., 3:1–15). Whether Paul thinks of verse 10 in formal rhetorical terms as a propositio1or simply as a strong reminder ...

2577. Wisdom and Foolishness

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... his deeds. Believers are saved because they do. 1:22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom. To those who do not believe, the cross remains an affront. The Jews do not recognize it as a sign from God, and the Greeks do not understand its wisdom.10 Paul’s preaching, however, reveals that it is both. 1:23 we preach Christ crucified. K?ryss? (“preach,” “proclaim”) is a term more or less unused by ancient rhetoricians. Paul does not engage in a rhetorical dispute attempting to show how his ...

2578. Leadership and Servanthood

1 Corinthians 4:1-21, 1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... bragging (Eph. 2:6–10). Illustrating the Text The Christian community, the church, is God’s temple, where he dwells and reveals himself and where its members receive a new identity. Personal Testimony: The Western highlighting of individualism has obscured the understanding of community, causing it to be understood simply as a gathering of individuals. The notion that a community defines us is almost gone. I (Preben) once traveled to Europe with a group of American students, all with US passports, which ...

2579. Unity of Life and Faith

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... of, rather than a challenge to, present behavior. In such scenarios, questions that do not receive specific treatment in the text seem unrelated to the Christian faith. First Corinthians 6:12–20 helps us see how the Corinthians used their contemporary understanding (separation of body and soul) to conclude that sexual immorality does not relate to Christian faith. Paul’s response is to help them reflect on their faith and from this come to conclude that their actions must change. Two theological or ...

2580. Personal Rights and Christian Testimony

1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... Freedom to Preach the Gospel Big Idea: One must be careful to avoid situations that can force limitations upon one’s freedom to preach the gospel. One’s own personal rights that would stand in the way of preaching the gospel must be disregarded. Understanding the Text Paul’s rights extend to receiving financial help from the Corinthians. He could easily have claimed their monetary support, but he has abstained even from this benefit. For the sake of the gospel, he is more than willing to give up any ...

2581. Worship and Proper Attire

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... ’s point about spousal relationship and worship goes to the heart of the Christian faith. His teaching that the wife’s lack of a veil communicates a lack of sexual fidelity to the husband relates directly to a breakdown in the Corinthian believers’ understanding of true worship. Paul knows well how the Hebrew Scriptures use the imagery of spousal infidelity to describe Israel’s idolatry toward God. When spouses, who belong to one another (11:11), do not see how a rift in their relationship affects ...

2582. Resurrection and Christian Living

1 Corinthians 15:12-34

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... released from the body and the “good” soul would soar back to the realm of God (or the gods).[1] To them, human beings consisted of two parts, one eternal and of divine origin, the other mortal and made of matter. To Paul, such an understanding militates against the Christian message, which envisions neither the existence of a disembodied soul nor an eternal soul with no need of recreation. Rather, the promise of Christ’s resurrection is that God, in a re-creating act, will raise those who belong to ...

2583. Last Encouragement and Final Greeting

1 Corinthians 16:19-24, 1 Corinthians 16:5-18

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... ; 2 Thess. 3:17; Philem. 19). What Paul has stated throughout the letter comes to them not as a cold philosophical discourse but as an expression of his genuine concern for their spiritual welfare. let that person be cursed! Paul’s curse follows his covenantal understanding. Curses fall on those who do not love the Lord, while blessings come to those who do (Deut. 28; cf. Jude 14–15). The undercurrent of Paul’s thought is that love for the Lord creates obedience, which in turn brings blessings (2:9; 8 ...

2584. The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Revelation 1:1-3

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... in Asia Minor, we too live in the last days (cf. Rev. 12:6, 10–17). We are fighting the same battles and receiving the same comfort as the first-century believers in Asia Minor. Paul sums up the mind-set well in Romans 13:11: “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” The imminence of the final fulfillment of God’s plan calls us to live each day with a sense of urgency ...

2585. Message to Thyatira

Revelation 2:18-29

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... (Ps. 2:8–9; Rev. 19:15). The term “nations” often has a negative connotation in Revelation (e.g., 11:2, 18; 19:15; 20:8). The immediate context, as well as the strong parallel in 19:15 (which also alludes to Ps. 2:9), indicates that we should understand “ruling” (poimain?) not as shepherding but as a delegated power to judge as part of sharing in Jesus’s messianic kingdom (Rev. 3:21; 5:10; 20:4, 6; 22:5; 1 Cor. 6:2–3). Second, Jesus will give the overcomer “the morning star.” Of the many ...

2586. The Fifth Trumpet (First Woe)

Revelation 8:6--9:21

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... world and Satan huff and puff and try to blow our house down. But we must take care not to open the door! The Sixth Trumpet (Second Woe) Big Idea: God continues to judge an unbelieving world by allowing demonic forces to destroy their own followers. Understanding the Text The judgment that began with the fifth trumpet (first woe) now continues with the sixth trumpet (second woe). In both cases, God pours out his wrath on rebellious humanity in response to the cries of his people for justice (Rev. 8:2–6 ...

2587. Seven Angels with Seven Plagues

Revelation 15:1-8

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... mercy (Rev. 21:24–26; 22:2). Shouldn’t the church strive now to reflect God’s goal of a multicultural people? Illustrating the Text For God’s people, the reality of God’s judgment is good news. Human Experience: Anyone who has parented small children understands what it means to “play the judge”! At least five—or fifty—times each day, one of the kids comes into the room, crying for all the world as if Genghis Khan has invaded. Typically, a sibling is hard on their heels, arguing the other ...

2588. The Bowl Judgments

Revelation 16:1-21

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... about what colors they wear. Darker colors will tend to repel, lighter colors, to attract. In a similar way, our God is attracted to humble hearts. His eyes are drawn to those who see, love, and fear him! Those who experience true persecution understand the cry for justice. Quote: Comfort and Protest, by Allan Boesak. In his discussion of Revelation, biblical scholar Michael Gorman notes that “it is very important for those who have little or no direct experience with injustice not to criticize those who ...

2589. God’s Judgment of Babylon Calls for Celebration

Revelation 19:1-10, Revelation 18:1-24

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... bringing him back from the grave. Surely, he is earnest. (See also Eph. 1:13–14.) The Announcement of the Wedding of the Lamb Big Idea: God’s people praise him for establishing his universal reign, an event symbolized by the marriage of Jesus and his people. Understanding the Text Following Babylon’s destruction (17:1–19:5), we come to the full and final victory of God over the forces of evil (19:6–20:15). God’s victory begins with the announcement that it is time for the wedding of the Lamb (19 ...

2590. The Conclusion

Revelation 22:7-21

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... conference or pen a series of end-times novels. These may, on occasion, be worthwhile spin-offs of the main thing. But our focus should be on obeying this prophecy (1:3; 22:7), and obedience usually does not come quickly or easily. When we understand Revelation in its historical and literary contexts, obedience will come more naturally. With its message in mind, we will see more clearly what is at stake in all our decisions. 3. We must never forget that Jesus Christ is coming back! Revelation is certainly ...

2591. The Sin Offering

Leviticus 4:1--5:13

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... 15:1–3, “Christ died for our sin”; and this was not by chance but was “according to the Scriptures.” Among the Scriptures according to which Christ died are the ones describing the sin offering. The sin offering provides the conceptual framework for understanding the meaning of Christ’s death. Thus our passage, far from being a bit of historical trivia concerning ancient Israel’s rituals, turns out to undergird the Christian gospel itself. The gospel teaches that Christ has come to be our sin ...

2592. Uncleanness Due to Childbirth

Leviticus 12:1-8

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... learned better. Very often, couples had to make their way through tall grasses and thick jungle. The husband would walk first, wielding a machete and clearing a path, an impossible task for someone with both hands full. The missionaries came to understand that certain initially off-putting “norms” were there for very good reasons. Woven through the law is a clear concern for the poor. Nature: The expression “pecking order,” used to describe levels of social organization among humans, has its origins ...

2593. Blood: Right and Wrong Uses

Leviticus 17:1-16

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... songs also refer to the blood of Christ.9 Theological hemophobia is also a pathological condition that must be overcome. Blood was central in the theological system of atonement in the Old Testament (Lev. 17:11); it is equally essential for understanding the cross in the New Testament. Do the Altar Laws Contradict One Another?: Critical scholars often say that Leviticus 17 contradicts other passages of Scripture. For example, Leviticus 17:3–7 limits animal slaughter to the tabernacle’s altar, but Exodus ...

2594. Failure to Enter the Land

Num 13:1–14:9

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... flowing with milk and honey. See comments at Numbers 13:27 above. Theological Insights Only by faith could God’s people actually be guided by God. God directs Moses to send the scouts into the land (Num. 13:1–3), and Joshua and Caleb correctly understand that God would bring them victory over mighty enemies (Num. 14:8–9). But God’s actions can seem mysterious or even malevolent. To the people, God seems intent on killing them (Num. 14:3). The difference in perspective is faith: Joshua and Caleb view ...

2595. Balaam’s Final Prophecies: The Star and the Scepter

Num 24:15-25

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... the scepter in Numbers 24:17 is King David, both Jews and Christians have seen messianic implications here. The Dead Sea Scrolls are the writings of a small Jewish sect, perhaps Essenes, around the beginning of the Christian era. The Damascus Document (CD) of that sect understands Numbers 24:17 this way: The star is the Interpreter of the Law who shall come to Damascus, as it is written, A star shall come forth out of Jacob and a scepter shall rise out of Israel [Num. xxiv, 17]. The scepter is the Prince ...

2596. The Daughters of Zelophehad (Part 2)

Numbers 36:1-13

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... rates of that era. Many were facing foreclosure and the possibility of actually losing their farms. Ikerd, himself raised on a dairy farm, was surprised by the sentimental attachment that famers had for their farms. In talking with these farmers, these real people, I began to understand that a family farm is much more than a business. The true family farm is part of the family and the family is part of the farm; the two are inseparable. Losing a family farm is like losing a member of the family or losing ...

2597. Disrespect Can Be Deadly

1 Sam 2:12-36

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... 15–16). those who despise me will be disdained. To despise the Lord means to blatantly disobey him (2 Sam. 12:10; Prov. 14:2; Mal. 1:6–7). By honoring the enemies of the Lord (v. 29), Eli has despised the Lord. This is a key statement for understanding the primary theme of this chapter. 2:33 to destroy your sight and sap your strength. The language gives the impression that Eli will be around to see God’s judgment on his descendants, but he is nearing one hundred years of age (1 Sam. 4:15) and will ...

2598. The Lord Chooses a Prophet

1 Sam 3:1--4:1

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes. Eli’s resignation to God’s judgment bears out the truth of what he has told his sons: one cannot appeal to a higher authority when the Lord pronounces sentence (2:25). His resignation also shows that he understands the Lord’s message to be irrevocable, as one suspects from the oath formula used to introduce it (v. 14). 3:19 The Lord was with Samuel. The narrator goes out of his way to establish Samuel’s credentials as the Lord’s prophet. He makes four ...

2599. Meet Israel’s New King

1 Sam 9:1–10:8

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... context it appears to have a positive connotation, perhaps alluding to the role of the king as described in Deuteronomy 17:14–20.8 9:21 Why do you say such a thing to me? Apparently aware of Israel’s demand for a king, Saul understands the implications of Samuel’s statement that the “desire of Israel” is directed toward him (v. 20). Sounding like Gideon, another reluctant individual called by God to be a deliverer (Judg. 6:15), Saul protests that he is unqualified to lead Israel, because he is ...

2600. Turning Up the Pressure

Job 2:1-13

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... construe her question, “Are you still maintaining your integrity?” as a statement (“You are still maintaining your integrity”), but that does not explain Job’s sharp reply to her in 2:10. It may be best to view her words as proceeding from her understandable sympathy for her husband, and as expressing her desire that he not have to suffer longer. Nevertheless, even if this is what has prompted what she says, she is then willing to have Job surrender his commitment to do what is right, so that his ...

Showing results