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 2926 to 2950 of 4947 results

2926. The King and the Maiden Banter

Song of Songs 1:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... kissing him (1:2–4a). The pleasure of the lover’s kiss is likened to wine, a connection well attested in ancient literature (4:10; 5:1; 7:9; Prov. 9:2, 5). More than the physical sensations of lovemaking, the maiden recalls and longs for the sense of belonging and security she enjoyed in the presence of the shepherd lover. A pun occurs in verse 3 in that the words for “perfume” and “name” sound alike in Hebrew. The name of a person and his or her character and personality were inseparable in the ...

2927. The Remnant of Israel

Isaiah 10:20-34

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... historical. The poetic imagery permits Isaiah to project the advance on Jerusalem from the direction of Samaria, as if it has just been conquered. The period between Samaria’s fall (722 BC) and Jerusalem’s siege (701 BC) is not his concern. He brings out a sense of panic. What will happen now? Will the Lord be faithful to his promise to remain with Judah? The answer is yes. God will first “lop off the boughs” by stopping Assyria’s advance, and later he will cut down the might of Assyria. In less ...

2928. A Further Description of Judgment

Ezekiel 6:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the sword (6:8). This is the remnant. (See the language of 5:3.) God judges his people, but he does not obliterate them. In captivity this remnant will remember the Lord they have grieved. God is quite certain that exile will bring the exiled to their senses. Thus we see that deportation is not a means by which God vents his rage. It has both a condemnatory aspect (sin has its consequences) and a salvific aspect (now they will return to me). These two thrusts must be seen in history’s first deportation ...

2929. Don’t Be Deceived By Size, Affluence, or Power

Amos 6:1-7, Amos 6:8-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... and carefree in their present situation. He challenges them to go visit the cities of Kalneh, Gath, and Hamath to see if those kingdoms are bigger than Israel. Are they living with a false sense of security like the people in Samaria? Since these cities are smaller, they have no false sense of security; they are vigilant and try to put off the day of their calamity, but the Israelites’ smug attitude of indestructibility actually brings their end nearer. Next Amos describes the affluence displayed at ...

2930. Jesus Prays for His Disciples

John 17:6-19

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... (17:6), and they alone draw the correct inference: the Son who bears this name has come from God and must be believed. Jesus now prays exclusively for his followers (17:9–19) even though they have been on his mind all along (17:6–7). In one sense this prayer is a continuation of that prayer for glory in 17:1–5. Christ’s glory is continually manifested through the lives of his people (17:10). But this will happen only if they, like him, are holy (17:19). Three petitions of Jesus for his people will ...

2931. Conversion and Call of Paul

Acts 9:1-19a

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... this eschatological salvation can be found only in the gospel that these apostles are preaching. It is precisely in situations where Jesus’s disciples are persecuted by the Jewish leadership that one finds the use of this label for the church. In a sense then, this becomes an identity claim, and the polemic against competing claims to be God’s faithful sons cannot be missed. Saul’s Damascus Road experience (9:3–9) contains a number of significant details. First, this is an encounter with the risen ...

2932. Death through Adam, Life through Christ

Romans 5:12-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... argue that the groups affected by the action of Adam and of Christ are coextensive. The character of Jesus’s obedience is universal in the sense that it affects all people who belong to him—that is, everybody who receives the gift of God’s grace (5:17), who acknowledges ... (5:11), who is “in Christ” (3:24; 6:11; 8:1), just as Adam’s disobedience is universal in the sense that it affects all people who belong to him, in other words, all his biological descendants. Verse 19 restates and explains ...

2933. Sexual Immorality

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Everything is permissible for me” (6:12). Reasoning from the same axiomatic truths that Paul reiterates in verse 11, some at Corinth have concluded that their Christian faith gives them complete freedom to set their own standards according to their individual sense of propriety. Paul does not disagree in principle, but warns them of two dangers: that they may fall into conduct that is “beneficial” neither to themselves nor to others, and that they may become “mastered” again, this time by the very ...

2934. Paul’s Reflection on His Ministry

2 Corinthians 2:12--3:6

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... equal to such a task” seems overwhelming (2:16b). But, at the same time, it is important to Paul to note that, unlike many who “peddle the word of God for profit,” he has made a conscientious attempt to bring himself to the task with sincerity and a sense that the proclamation of the gospel is always made before God as well as a human audience (2:17). His words, however, in the context of the competition for ecclesiastical leadership that had been going on at Corinth (1 Cor. 1:12; 2 Cor. 10:1–13:13 ...

2935. Sowing Generously

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... abundantly for their needs (Matt. 6:25–34). Thus at “all times” they may confidently step forward and contribute to every good work (9:8). For, in accordance with the Scripture (Ps. 112:9), the person who does so will acquire an enduring sense of having done what is right. Such a person may also rest assured that God will continually and generously resupply the resources that have been expended “so that [he or she] can be generous on every occasion,” enabling both righteousness and thanksgiving to ...

2936. Living as Children of Light

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... —the threat evaporates (cf. John 13:3–5). The loving lifestyle that fosters unity within the family can take any number of forms; for the moment, Paul focuses on what might be called “appropriate conversation,” both in the sense of interpersonal relations and in the usual sense of speech (5:3–6). Sexually immoral behavior and any sort of impurity of life are absolutely prohibited. The same is true of greed, classified here with “impurity.” Whereas in most modern congregations greed may be far ...

2937. Paul’s Apostolic Salutation and Prayer

Philippians 1:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... · Address and salutation: Paul begins the letter with a standard epistolary greeting: he introduces himself as the writer, names the recipients of the letter, and then adds a short personal note. But even in this standard introduction Paul manages to introduce a strong sense of Christian purpose and a warm and joyous tone with his blessing: “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:2). In this introduction, Paul lists Timothy along with himself, not as a coauthor but as ...

2938. Follow the Example of Paul As He Follows the Example of Christ

Philippians 3:12-4:1

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do” (3:17). Here Paul holds up his life to the Philippians as a pattern to be imitated. But why does Paul do this and in what sense is his life to be imitated? This question really cannot be answered until the negative example of the “enemies of the cross of Christ” in 3:18–19 is considered. Those who pass by the cross have completely missed the heart of the gospel and its true meaning. Paul ...

2939. Appreciation of the Philippians’ Gift

Philippians 4:10-20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... offering” to remind the Philippians of the offerings made by priests in the Old Testament to cover sins and show devotion to God. Because of their generosity, Paul claims that his God will provide for their needs. This is not Paul’s God in the sense that Paul worshiped a different God from the Philippians. The use of the personal pronoun shows Paul’s closeness to God and his dependence on God for the provision of both his physical and spiritual needs. Paul claims that this same God will fulfill all ...

2940. The Hymn to Christ

Colossians 1:15-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the image of God, Christ reflects the Godhead in its divine nature. Christ being the source of all things, Paul concludes that all things are held together and function for Christ. He is the firstborn—not only in terms of rank but also in a temporal sense, as indicated in 1:18 (“the firstborn from among the dead”). Paul does not mean that Christ is the first created being—in response to Arius, Athanasius writes, “But if all the creatures were created in him, he is other than the creatures, and is ...

2941. Timothy’s Encouraging Report

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... had “pleasant memories” of the apostles, and Timothy noted that they truly did “long to see us, just as we long to see you.” There were no hostile feelings or bad memories, but rather their memories of the apostles were “pleasant” in the sense of “good,” “friendly,” or “tender.” The longing for reunion was mutual. Friendly letters often included a comment that the separation was only physical and not emotional, and also expressed the desire to be reunited (1 Thess. 2:17; cf. 2 Cor. 1 ...

2942. Widows, Elders, and Slaves

1 Timothy 5:1-6:2

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 3:15, “God’s household”), the church is not a substitute for families. If there are “children or grandchildren” of a widow, these family members show their godliness (“put their religion into practice” [5:4a]; this is also the sense of 5:8) and their sense of justice (“repaying their parents and grandparents” [5:4b]) by providing for their own widowed grandmothers and mothers. However, if there is no family or if a family has insufficient resources to keep widows from sliding into poverty ...

2943. The Day of the Lord

2 Peter 3:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... is indissoluble forgets biblical history. 3:8–13 · Delay of the still certain final judgment:But what about that “coming”? Jesus manifestly had not returned, and it had been decades since his resurrection. The author argues that (1) God’s sense of time is not the human sense (which, although not his point, is the understanding of the psalmist in Ps. 90:4 and was a common Jewish understanding), (2) God is not slow, but patient, and (3) God will in fact bring judgment at an unexpected time. (The ...

2944. You Are a Child of God…Uh-Oh

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... , too. When difficulties seem more than we can bear, going back to our baptismal experience puts it all into perspective.” (5) We remember how Martin Luther faced difficulties in his ministry, he would remind himself that he had been baptized. That gave him that sense of peace Gulledge is describing. There may be someone in our fellowship who has never taken this essential step of being baptized. If you have not, I hope you will consider taking this step of faith and love today. Christ wants you as part ...

2945. Here's Mud In Your Eye

John 9:1-41

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... life. There are few things that will stunt our Christian growth more than an unwillingness to consider the possibility that God can and will do things that break through the boundaries of our imaginations or expectations. Do you live with a critical spirit toward those whose sense of God is different from yours? If you are, there is a real possibility that you will miss some of the good things that God does in our world every day. For the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said ...

2946. No Greater Love

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, beloved, to do so more and more. (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10) We have a sense of the depth of God's love earlier in John's gospel when we read, "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son" (John 3:16). Now, reflect on that phrase for a moment... for what would you be willing to sacrifice a child? God sacrificed his ...

2947. When Heartbreak Turns to Heartburn

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... companions gathered together." So, we must assume that Luke's use of the term "apostle" is to be understood in a broader sense than merely assuming that it is a pure synonym for the eleven remaining after Judas takes his own life. Three words fit ... the dayspring from on high. In Psalms I am the Lord your shepherd. In Proverbs I am God's word fitly spoken. In Ecclesiastes I make sense out of nonsense. In Solomon's song I am the lover and the bridegroom. In Isaiah I am the holy one of Israel. In Jeremiah I ...

2948. The Time Is Now!

Luke 24:50-53

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... past tense) into heaven and sits (present tense) at the right hand of God the Father almighty." Through this one sentence, we know we are different from our non-Christian friends. We have an answer they do not have. "Where is your Jesus when life makes no sense?" the skeptic asks. Our answer is that he is at the right hand of God where, "He is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25). History and modernity come together ...

2949. The Invitation

Isaiah 55:1-9

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... room under you complained that their chandelier fell on them.”[4] We think we know, but we have no idea. We think we understand, but we don’t. When we fail to understand the truth, it can have a damaging effect upon us. And, more importantly, when we fail to sense our true need and understand the real truth about God, it can be a detriment to our very lives. This is why God says to us: “My ways are not your ways. My thoughts are not your thoughts. My ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts are ...

2950. I Wonder Why My Prayers Go Unanswered?

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... with God if we don’t communicate with God? The Prayer Life of Jesus Jesus taught us what prayer is by his own example. Just read through the gospel of Luke, and you will find Jesus praying consistently at every turn in his life. He prays as he senses God’s call on his life; He prays before choosing his disciples; He prays as he serves and heals other people; He prays as he feels the demands and pressures of his ministry; He prays as he faces the cross; He prays as he finishes his work on the ...

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