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 2801 to 2825 of 4456 results

2801. The Law and the Promise

Galatians 3:15-25, Galatians 3:1-14

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

3:1–2 The apostle begins this section of his letter by addressing his readers as foolish Galatians! This designation appears to have been a common one for the Galatian tribes who were often considered barbarians and “foolish.” The ancient Greek writer Callimachus (c. 305–c. 240 B.C.), for instance, uses the word as if it were a standard epithet, writing: “the foolish tribe of the Galatians” (Hymn 4, To Delos [Mair, LCL]). Paul uses this epithet to remind the Galatians that they need not be as they once ...

2802. Doing Good to All

Galatians 6:1-10

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

6:1 Addressing his readers as brothers, Paul turns to a fuller description of how a community living by the Spirit should behave. He first says that if someone is caught in a sin those who are spiritual should restore him gently. In contrast to 5:21, where Paul warned that those who do sinful acts would not inherit the kingdom of God, here Paul addresses the practical situation of a believer doing wrong. This circumstance does not call for the believer to be excommunicated or handed over to Satan (cf. 1 ...

2803. The Man of Lawlessness

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

We come now to the heart of the letter, where Paul attempts to put right some wrong ideas about the Parousia (see Introduction). How Paul learned about the problem we are not told. In 3:11 he speaks of having heard a report that some in the church were idle. If this report were more recent than the one brought by Timothy, it might have included the issues dealt with in this section (see Introduction on The Sequence of the Letters). This is one of the most difficult passages of the NT to interpret, largely ...

2804. Godlessness in the Last Days

2 Timothy 3:1-9

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

With this paragraph Paul shifts his focus from Timothy to the false teachers themselves and sets them against the backdrop of the eschatological urgency that runs throughout the letter. The only personal word to Timothy is the reiterated imperative in verse 5—that he should have nothing to do with such people—which functions to tie the two parts of the paragraph (vv. 1–5, 6–9) together. Timothy is again reminded (cf. 1 Tim. 4:1) that the presence of the false teachers should come as no surprise; they ...

2805. False Teachers and Their Destruction

2 Peter 2:1-22

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

Watch Out for False Teachers Peter began this letter by speaking of the divine provision for a godly life (1:1–11). He went on to stress the divine inspiration of Scripture truths (1:12–21). Now he warns against those who are threatening the church’s spiritual well being by the way they falsely treat these matters (2:1–22). 2:1 In some respects times do not change. All prophecy, whoever gives it and in whatever circumstances, needs to be interpreted. Furthermore, just as in the period of the OT there were ...

2806. Israel’s Ill-Placed Confidence

Amos 5:18-27

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

If you need help signing up or have questions call us. You'll get us, not a call center: 813-808-1681. Sermon Tools Bible Illustrations Current Events Overview and Insights · God Demands Justice, Not Mere Coldhearted Ritual (5:1–6:14) The theme of justice and righteousness runs throughout Amos, but is presented with particular focus in Amos 5. This chapter accuses Israel of numerous social injustices: trampling on the poor and extorting grain (their food) from them; paying bribes to judges in order to ...

2807. Riddles and Metaphors

Ezekiel 15:1-8, Ezekiel 16:1-63, Ezekiel 17:1-24

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

As a priest, Ezekiel was literate and well educated. His learned background is apparent in his imaginative use of a variety of literary forms and styles. The effect of this creativity on his original audience was evidently mixed; some contemporaries dismissed him as a teller of riddles (20:49; the NIV renders the Heb. meshalim “parables”) or “one who sings love songs” (33:32). Certainly, though, this variety makes Ezekiel one of the most interesting, as well as the most baffling, of the prophetic books. In ...

2808. Resurrection and Christian Living

1 Corinthians 15:12-34

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

Big Idea: The resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith; without it, faith cannot stand and Christian living has no motivation. It is the announcement that God has reversed the curse of the fall. Death no longer has any sting. Understanding the Text After solidly grounding the resurrection in the soil of history, Paul moves on to establish its theological significance. His theological argument moves through three stages. He begins by a theological restatement of his Scripture/eyewitness ...

2809. David Brings a Plague upon Israel

2 Samuel 24:1-25

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

Big Idea: When angered by sin, God may severely punish the sinners, but he is willing to relent from his judgment when sinners repent. Understanding the Text As noted above, this final episode in the book corresponds to 2 Samuel 21:1–14 in the concentric structure of the epilogue. In both episodes David successfully appeases God’s anger. In the first instance Saul’s sin against the Gibeonites prompts God’s judgment; in the second instance God’s anger at Israel, presumably due to some unidentified sin, is ...

2810. Judgment and Restoration

Isaiah 66:1-24

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The last chapter of Isaiah provides a complementary answer to that of chapter 65. The Lord affirms the certainty of his judgment on idolatry and religious hypocrisy among his people and the blessings of the new age on faithful Jews and Gentiles. The extension of the new age to the Gentiles is a further development beyond chapter 65 and is in full harmony with the prophet’s teaching on the universal nature of God’s kingdom. It was tempting for Old Testament believers to localize God’s kingship. They knew ...

2811. Stand Firm

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

2:13–14 · The second thanksgiving:The second thanksgiving begins almost identically to 1:3: “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord” (2:13a). In this verse, Paul draws a sharp contrast between them and the ones who reject the truth and perish (2:10–12). The readers are “loved by the Lord,” the love of God being the foundation of their election (Deut. 4:37; 7:7–8; 10:15; Ps. 47:4; 78:68; Isa. 42:1; Matt. 12:18; Rom. 11:28; Eph. 1:4–5; Col. 3:12; 1 Thess. 1:4). The ...

2812. The Victory That Overcomes the World

1 John 5:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

In contrast to the violent victories of Zeus and Nike, and in opposition to the myth of redemptive violence propounded by Domitian and the Romans, the victory of Christ Jesus overcomes the world once and for all. Unlike sacrifices that need to be repeated at every festival, the sacrifice of Christ has put an end to all human attempts to attain divine favor. As an affront to the garnering of favor within systems of social honor and patronage whereby accolades granted are motivated by the hope of procuring ...

2813. You Are a Child of God…Uh-Oh

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

King Duncan

Retired Presbyterian pastor John Buchanan tells of baptizing a two-year-old boy in a Sunday worship service. After the child had been baptized, Pastor Buchanan, following the directions of the Presbyterian prayer book, put his hand on the little boy’s head and addressed him like this. He said, “You are a child of God, sealed by the Spirit in your baptism, and you belong to Jesus Christ forever.” Unexpectedly, the little boy looked up and responded, “Uh-oh.” The people in the congregation smiled, of course ...

2814. What Was That All About?

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

James L. Killen

"I wonder what that was all about?" That must have been the thought in the minds of most of the people who stood in a crowd on the riverbank that day of Jesus' baptism. They came some distance expecting to see something unique, but they had just seen something they had not expected to see and they didn't know what to make of it. They came to a place that was far out of the way for most of them. But the place was in some ways a crossroads. They were standing on the banks of the River Jordan, not far from ...

2815. Faith or Observance of the Law

Galatians 3:1-14, Galatians 3:15-25

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

Paul’s Appeal to the Gospel the Galatians Have Known and Experienced 3:1–2 The apostle begins this section of his letter by addressing his readers as foolish Galatians! This designation appears to have been a common one for the Galatian tribes who were often considered barbarians and “foolish.” The ancient Greek writer Callimachus (c. 305–c. 240 B.C.), for instance, uses the word as if it were a standard epithet, writing: “the foolish tribe of the Galatians” (Hymn 4, To Delos [Mair, LCL]). Paul uses this ...

2816. Why?

Isaiah 55:1-9, Luke 13:1-9

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: tube of Neosporin and cartoon Band-Aids (might want to get a few adult volunteers to help pass out Band-Aids at end of children's time) Boys and girls, have you ever hurt yourself? Maybe you've scraped your knee while playing basketball. Or you fell off your bicycle. Or your cat scratched you while you were playing with it. What's the first thing you do when you get hurt? You run to mommy and daddy and show them where it hurts, don't you? And then mommy or daddy puts some medicine on your hurt ...

2817. Simple Faith?

Mark 1:9-15

Sermon

John Jamison

It all sounds so simple. It’s just so nice, so easy, and so straightforward; almost comfortable. And we’ve heard the story told so many times that many of us know it by heart. “This John the Baptist guy was standing in the middle of the Jordan River, yelling at people and baptizing them. He was yelling at some of the priests who didn’t like him, when suddenly Jesus stepped out of the crowd, walked into the water, and stood next to John. At first, John wanted Jesus to baptize him, but finally, he went ahead ...

2818. The Devastating Influence of Faultfinding, Nay-Saying, and Nitpicking

John 12:1-8

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

This is the fifth and final Sunday in Lent. In today’s gospel reading, it is the Saturday night before a crowd lined the streets of Jerusalem to give Jesus a parade, throw palm branches in his path, and sing, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord” (v. 13). In spite of that enthusiastic welcome, by the following Friday night, Jesus was in a grave. In the previous few weeks, it was increasingly evident that things were headed in that direction. There had been serious run-ins with the ...

2819. On Welcoming the Imperfect

John 10:22-30

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

Our gospel lesson for the day opens with John telling us it is time for the Festival of Dedication. Over the centuries, this festival has evolved into what we know as Hanukah. It commemorates events that occurred about a century and a half before the birth of Christ. Since Hanukah is usually in November or December some Christians mistakenly think of it as Jewish Christmas. It is not. If anything, the meaning of Hanukah comes closer to the Fourth of July than to Christmas. Both celebrate revolutions that ...

2820. In Need of a "Rally Monkey"

Luke 17:5-10

Sermon

King Duncan

What do you do when you need a little extra motivation? When your strength or your spirits are depleted, and you’re facing a big challenge—how do you kick up your energy a notch? In June of 2000, a couple of video board operators for the Los Angeles Angels baseball team decided that their team needed some extra motivation. They were playing the San Francisco Giants and they were behind. So the guys on the video board threw up a video clip on the stadium’s giant video screen—a video clip from the movie “Ace ...

2821. Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

Matthew 24:36-44

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

“Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!” Many of us can still remember television’s Jim Nabors as Private Gomer Pyle, USMC, his eyes closed, a broad smile creasing his face, weaving his head and shoulders back and forth as he said that phrase. Surprises always pleased Gomer. He accepted them as gifts. Maybe that’s because Gomer was easy to surprise. He was naïve and rather simple. His heart was pure and he always assumed the best in, and expected the best from, people. Even when people, or the world, for that ...

2822. Seeing with Eyes Closed

Exodus 34:1-28, Exodus 34:29-35, John 1:1-18, Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

Lori Wagner

When Joe Campos left for work on Long Island during heavy rains Monday a week ago, he never imagined he would return home entirely changed. Joe worked for Ramon Stone Construction Company. He had just lifted a heavy metal chain when he saw lightning hit the ground about 20 feet in front of him. It took less than a second to travel from there to him, knocking him to the ground. Joe described the experience as numbing his entire body at first, so that he couldn’t move. Eventually, he got up, went inside, and ...

2823. The Kiss of Life

John 20:19-23

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

The first kiss is a very powerful and meaningful thing, right? Recently I read a report in a magazine stating that the average American claims to have had 26 first kisses. Wow! What that says to me is that I missed out on a lot of first kisses! My wife’s take on that is not surprisingly, significantly different. Don’t spend the next fifteen minutes trying to remember, and then adding up, the number of your first kisses; let’s try to stay focused folks. Again, a kiss is a powerful thing. All the fairy tales ...

2824. Seeing Through the Eyes of Jesus

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

There is something exciting about someone finding a previously undiscovered treasure. Last week we told about a U.S. Air Force veteran who bought a Rolex watch that turned out to be an astounding investment. Works of art can do the same thing. In September of last year, a French woman took an old painting to an auction house to determine its worth. Previously, the woman had the painting hanging in her kitchen over a hotplate. However, an art evaluator visiting her home recognized the old painting and urged ...

2825. Seeking Joy

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

King Duncan

Some technical writers who provide product descriptions and instructions on labels for us to follow, obviously get bored with their jobs. Why else would they add catchy little instructions on the labels that have no practicality except to add a little pizzazz to their work? For example, there is an anonymous manufacturer of cotton T-shirts who added these wash instructions to the inside tag: “For Best Results: Machine wash cold. Tumble dry low. Never iron [the design on the shirt].” He could have stopped ...

Showing results