Sermon and Worship Resources

Antonyms: keep, claim, continue, stick by, self-control, power through, achieve, defend, bear, hope, acquire, quick visit, adopt, continue along, adhere, remain, pursue, support, take up, keep up, reuse, advocate, stay, persevere, cherish, keep going, carry on

Showing 251 to 275 of 391 results

251. Many Disciples Desert Jesus

John 6:60-71

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... ). Here in Capernaum in chapter 6, the Gospel writer has just furnished a lengthy example of Jesus’ public synagogue teaching (cf. v. 59), and disciples seems to have become a general term for all who listened to his teaching—both the group of committed adherents whom he encountered on the lake (6:16–21) and the crowd that followed the next day (6:22–25). This would help to explain how “the Jews” (who “do not believe,” 6:36) and “the disciples” (who are at least potential believers) can ...

252. Thanksgiving and Prayer

Philippians 1:1-11

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

... thanksgivings in Paul’s letters see P. Schubert, Form and Function of the Pauline Thanksgivings, and P. T. O’Brien, Introductory Thanksgivings in the Letters of Paul. Such thanksgivings have been identified in papyrus letters of the same general period: “Paul was therefore adhering to a beautiful secular custom when he so frequently began his letters with thanks to God” (A. Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East, p. 181, n. 5). The verb here is eucharisteō (as in Rom. 1:8; 1 Cor. 1:4; Philem. 4 ...

253. Pressing on Toward the Goal

Philippians 3:12-4:1

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

... a matter of individual attainment, but one in which the whole community should move forward together. Imitation of Paul There are many itinerant teachers whose example it would be unsafe to follow. Paul recommends his own example and that of others who, like him, adhere to the way of Christ. 3:17 If Paul’s precept is not clear enough, let his example be followed. The “imitation of Paul” is a remarkable and recurring theme in his letters. He taught his converts by precept, spoken and written, how they ...

254. Children of God

1 John 2:28--3:10

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... children of the devil (3:8, 10) that is the principal theme of this section of 1 John. These two groups, which are in fact the two sides of the schism (2:19), are his own loyal followers and the secessionist false teachers and their adherents. He who does what is sinful (lit., “the one who practices sin”) describes the Elder’s opponents, just as v. 7b described the ideal Johannine Christian as one who practices righteousness. These two opposing sides are also different in origin. First John 2:29 made ...

255. God’s Covenant with Abram

Genesis 15:1-18

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... Laban and Jacob in Gen. 31), between city-states, between a city-state and an empire, and between empires. Through this agreement the parties regulated specific aspects of their relationship, such as boundaries and privileges. Each party pledged to adhere to the obligations and to promote the relationship. The most common elements of an ancient covenant included identification of the parties, a recounting of the mutual history, stipulations, gods serving as witnesses, blessings and curses, deposit in a ...

256. Jacob’s Flocks Increase

Genesis 30:25-43

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... s promise that he would experience in the promised land. From his increasing wealth Jacob was able to acquire maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys. The deceiver who had been deceived was now besting the person who had deceived him by strictly adhering to the terms of their contract; the irony of Jacob’s success is rich. Additional Notes 30:27 Laban’s concession that he had prospered because God was blessing Jacob bears witness to God’s fulfilling his promise to Abraham that those who ...

257. Solomon's Prayer of Dedication

1 Kings 8:22-61

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... confined by a building and who is certainly not dependent upon it, will survive even its destruction and hear the people’s prayers in exile. Likewise, obedience to the law is very important. In Kings, monarchs are judged good or bad in terms of their adherence to the law, particularly on matters of worship. Yet Solomon holds out hope for restoration beyond failure, for he holds out hope that grace will have the last word. It is a prayer upon which we shall have cause to reflect further before the story ...

258. The Man of God from Judah

1 Kings 13:1-34

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... chapter 13 have led him, not to repentance (like Ahab in 1 Kgs. 21:28–29), but to a hardening of heart, the destruction of his house is now assured (v. 34). This was the sin—this persistence in idolatry—that led him to disaster. His adherence to his religious reforms has put the prize of an everlasting dynasty out of reach; his attempt to make his own “house” secure, by building a “house” for his gods at Bethel and lesser shrines for them elsewhere, has failed. Additional Notes 13:28 Neither ...

259. Amaziah King of Judah

2 Kings 14:1-22

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... ” explicitly, 1 Kgs. 3:3; 15:11, or implicitly, 1 Kgs. 22:43), and Joash and Amaziah (“not like David” implicitly, 2 Kgs. 12:2, or explicitly, 2 Kgs. 14:3), on the other. The piety of Amaziah is, indeed, emphasized by verse 6, which tells us of adherence to the Law of Moses (rather than to custom) in dealing with the families of those who had murdered his father (cf. Deut. 24:16). Yet we shall not read of another Judean king who is “like David” until we read of Hezekiah (2 Kgs. 18:3; contrast 15 ...

260. Jotham King of Judah

2 Kings 15:32-38

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... did not do what was right), as the king walks in the ways of the kings of Israel and the high places become centers, not of the worship of the LORD, but of the fertility cult. The language is largely that of 1 Kings 14:23–24, where Judah’s adherence to the fertility cult was first described (cf. v. 3b with 14:24b and v. 4b with 14:23b). The new element is the child sacrifice in the fire (v. 3a)—an unmistakable allusion to participation in the cult of Molech, which is mentioned in 1 Kings 11:7 (cf ...

261. Hoshea Last King of Israel

2 Kings 17:1-6

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... point of view. Only thus can we understand the sharp contradiction between verses 25–33 and verses 34–39, summed up in the adjacent verses 33–34: they worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods . . . they neither worship the LORD nor adhere to the decrees. . . . The first passage makes certain claims about northern worship in this period. It is true, it tells us, that when these peoples first settled in Israel, they did not worship the LORD (v. 25). When the lions struck, however, they ...

262. Jerusalem to Be Inhabited

Isaiah 44:24--45:25

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... 5), but archaeological discoveries from Babylon include an inscription by Cyrus on a clay barrel called “the Cyrus Cylinder” in which he enthusiastically attributes his victories to the Babylonian god Marduk. Admittedly the Cyrus Cylinder was likely ghost-written by Marduk’s adherents, but Cyrus was prepared to be all things to all gods. If Yahweh’s aim in verse 3 was to receive more than Cyrus’s formal recognition, then Yahweh was apparently disappointed in this respect (although not in the aim ...

263. Signs, Sayings, and Oracles of Judgment

Ezekiel 12:1-28, Ezekiel 13:1-23, Ezekiel 14:1-11, Ezekiel 14:12-23

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... from the prophet. 14:15 Wild beasts. Outside of Ezek. (5:17; 14:15, 21; 34:25), the Heb. phrase khayah raʿah (“wild beast”) appears only in the story of Joseph (Gen. 37:20, 33) and in Lev. 26:6, where among the blessings adherence to the covenant brings is God’s promise, “I will remove the savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country.” Later in that same chapter, among the consequences for covenant violation, God says, “I will send wild animals [here, khayat ...

264. Sermon on the Mount: Jesus Teaches on the Torah

Matthew 5:17-48

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... of his followers as he announces the kingdom. The “righteousness” of Jesus’ followers must surpass the righteousness of those most known for their Torah obedience, the Pharisees and teachers of the law. The Pharisees often were admired for their careful adherence to the Torah. They worked to keep in their everyday life the purity laws required for participation at the temple. In this way, their practices were often more strict than practices of other Jewish sects. In Matthew, however, the Pharisees ...

265. Jesus, Isaiah’s Servant of the Lord, Heals Many

Matthew 8:14-17, Matthew 8:5-13, Matthew 8:1-4

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... , which certainly is familiar with the Levitical regulations regarding the impurity contracted by a person who touches someone who is ceremonially impure (e.g., Lev. 5:3). Jesus’ command to follow the Mosaic regulations for ceremonial cleansing from such a disease signals his adherence to the Jewish Torah (8:4; cf. Lev. 14:1–32). 8:3 I am willing . . . Be clean! With these words, Matthew highlights Jesus’ compassion, a theme that will be evident in the various healings of chapters 8–9 and will be ...

266. Jesus, Not Jewish Leaders, Interprets the Torah Rightly

Matthew 15:1-20

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: Jesus and his followers are shown to be true adherents of the Torah, contrasting with the Jewish leaders who disobey the law and so are defiled even as they follow their traditions. Understanding the Text In this passage Matthew narrates another conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees and teachers of the law (15:1). This controversy, like the earlier one ( ...

267. Jesus, Messiah and Lord, Is True Interpreter of the Torah

Matthew 22:15-22, Matthew 22:23-33, Matthew 22:34-40, Matthew 22:41-46

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... to God and love of neighbor, and showing himself to be Messiah and Lord. Understanding the Text In response to Jesus’ three provocative parables, various groups of Jewish leaders initiate confrontations with Jesus (see 22:15, 23, 34). These revolve around Torah adherence and how to live out faithful allegiance to Yahweh, similar to earlier disputes with Jewish leaders in Matthew (e.g., 12:1–14; 15:1–20). As in Jesus’ earlier teachings, love is shown to be central to proper interpretation of the ...

268. Jesus’s Identity as Messiah and Son of God Established

Mark 1:1-8

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... of divine succor and comfort (1 Kings 19:4–18; Rev. 12:6, 14). Both ideas are part of the wilderness motif in Mark. 1:4 a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John’s baptizing was a startling event. At Qumran adherents went through daily lustrations in a ritual pool (1QS 5:12–14), and Jewish people experienced many ceremonial washings (e.g., Num. 19). Neither provides close parallels. Gentile proselytes experienced a one-time baptism as an initiation rite, and that would provide an ...

269. Jesus Calling and Accepting the Outcasts

Mark 2:13-17

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... in Mark. They developed from the Hasidim (“pious ones”) of the Maccabean period and were strongly orthodox Jews who developed the oral tradition and became the official interpreters of the Torah in their day, interested especially in scrupulous adherence to the purity laws, Sabbath observance, and ritual regulations in general. They tried to “build a fence around the law” (to help the common people follow its stipulations) and were highly influential in the first century. They shunned contact ...

270. Jesus as Lord and as Archcriminal

Mark 2:23-3:6, Mark 2:18-22

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... , 26). In Christ the church is bathed in newness. 3. The true purpose of the Sabbath laws is worship and rest. The scribes and Pharisees developed a complex set of rules for keeping the Sabbath,6and this tendency to define the seventh day by strict adherence to regulations has dogged the church ever since. The problem with a legalistic approach to God and worship is the tendency to feel that rule keeping is sufficient in our relationship to God. We too easily forget compassion and good works. We forget the ...

271. A Special Child Promised

Luke 1:5-25

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... voluntary and temporary adult commitment, for John it was to be from birth and for life. In this he conforms to the image of Samson, another special child born to a supposedly barren mother (Judg. 13:2–7); compare also Samuel (1 Sam. 1:11). John’s adherence to this ascetic model was to mark him out in distinction from Jesus, who, as Luke will later note, was known to enjoy eating and drinking wine (7:33–34). 1:17 in the spirit and power of Elijah. The return of Elijah was widely expected in Jewish ...

272. Paul Reinterprets the Story of Israel

Romans 2:17-29

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... covenant with Yahweh by faith but stayed in the covenant by doing the Torah) was still legalistic. More specifically, Paul seems to have felt that covenantal nomism was synergistic—humans cooperate with God in their salvation—and therefore legalistic. Thus, staying in the covenant by adhering to the Torah is attempting to be accepted by God on the basis of one’s merit.3 Interpretive Insights 2:17–20 if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God. These verses make the first ...

273. The Story of Abraham versus the Story of Israel

Romans 4:1-25

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... way of salvation. Surely it is wrong to interpret these verses as no more than Paul’s criticism of Jewish nationalism.8True, Paul is against the Jewish exclusion of Gentiles from the Abrahamic covenant, but Jews exclude Gentiles precisely because they demand adherence to the entire Torah. Thus, Paul is decrying both exclusivism and legalism (cf. 3:27–31). 4:16–17a Therefore, the promise comes by faith. Paul here presents the positive aspect of his logical argument. Since the promise to Abraham is ...

274. The Reversal of the Deuteronomic Curses and Blessings: Replacing Law with Faith

Romans 9:30--10:21

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... expectations: according to Paul, those who do not attempt to be justified by the works of the law but rather place their faith in Christ alone (Gentile believers) are currently experiencing the Deuteronomic blessings, while those who attempt to be saved through adherence to the Torah (non-Christian Jews) remain under the Deuteronomic curses. This ironic contrast surfaces when one observes the parallels in 9:30–10:4: A The acquisition of righteousness (9:30) B Israel’s failure to obey the law (9:31 ...

275. Applying God’s Wisdom to Life’s Issues

1 Corinthians 2:6-16, 1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... to reinterpret the very message of the gospel in ways that made it look more like human wisdom than God’s wisdom. Even their understanding of spirituality and Christian maturity had become warped. 1. Christians should be more concerned with adherence to the message of the cross than the attractiveness of the preacher. It is nothing new that charismatic personalities attract large crowds with greater ease than those less inspiring. Our present infatuation with speakers able to excite their audiences beyond ...

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