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 3151 to 3175 of 4988 results

3151. Romans 8:14-17

Romans 8:14-17

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... status of God's people with his words but is careful to make the Spirit the active entity in this text. It is not through personal accomplishment or any uniquely gifted insight that believers are able to become "children of God." Only when they are "led by the Spirit" into this new relationship do they receive the great gift this status promises. There is considerable debate about the nature of the next dichotomy Paul uses in verse 15 to distinguish the nature of this guiding Spirit. His contrast between ...

3152. Colossians 1:15-28

Colossians 1:15-28

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... as a missionary to the Gentiles. Missionary Paul knows the meaning of suffering, but missionary Paul also experiences the joy of sharing the greatest "mystery" ever known. This "mystery" is not some secret system of aeons and emanations. This mystery is the miraculous gift of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (v.27). The word "mystery" is a kind of shorthand that includes several theological concepts. To the Colossians, Paul uses this term to describe God's divine plan for bringing redemption to both Jews ...

3153. Hebrews 12:18-29

Hebrews 12:18-29

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... even greater time when God would cause both the heavens and the earth to shake. This would be the sign that God is about to make a final, decisive intervention into creation. This "second shaking" will further winnow out everything that stands apart from God's gift of salvation. What is left is "a kingdom that cannot be shaken" (v.28). "Kingdom" is not a common topic for this Hebrews author. But here he is anxious to clearly show the final results of God's ultimate sovereignty. The only proper response to ...

3154. 1 Timothy 1:12-17

1 Timothy 1:12-17

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... holds up his own life as a prime example of the excellence of God's grace and the enormity of God's forgiveness. Thankfulness flows from Paul not only for what Christ's sacrifice has taken away from him (his sin), but for the positive gifts Christ has bestowed upon his life. When he claims Christ "strengthened me," these words have a different focus than they did in Philippians 4:13. The "strength" praised here is not for endurance of suffering, but for empowerment. To be "strengthened" is to be entrusted ...

3155. 2 Timothy 1:1-14

2 Timothy 1:1-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... alliance (see v. 15). Thankfully, neither Paul nor Timothy nor any other Christian need manufacture some super-human skills in order to survive and scale this turmoil and these betrayals. In verses 9-10, the apostle expounds a typically Pauline account of the miraculous gift of grace believers have received from Christ. The transformative power of God's grace is accessible to all here and now, freeing us from sin's hold, making it possible for us to embody a genuinely "holy calling." Jesus Christ's life and ...

3156. 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... first-century image to describe the current course of his life. To be "poured out as a libation" is a sacrificial image used to describe the meaning of Paul's life and imminent death. In cultic practices, both Jewish and pagan, the drink offering poured out was a gift to the divine (God or gods), a show of honor and respect. Already in Philippians 2:17, Paul uses drink as a metaphor for death. "Poured out as a libation" becomes a symbol of Paul's whole life and his dedication to God. In the Philippians text ...

3157. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of Christians in every age and generation. Scripture evidences a constant line of non-eschatological antichrists emerging to threaten Christ's followers on a regular basis. But there will be only one genuine Antichrist who personally embodies sinful opposition to God's sacrificial gift of Jesus Christ in those final days. Paul closes his cautionary words about the nature of the end times with a gentle reminder: "I told you these things when I was still with you" (v.5). Paul himself, not Silas or Timothy or ...

3158. Acts 19:1-7

Acts 19:1-22

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... that Jesus has sent back to earth the predicted and promised Holy Spirit: The baptism of repentance offered by John just isn’t enough. To be true disciples of the “One” John proclaimed all would-be disciples must receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the unique gift bestowed by the risen Christ on those who would follow him. In the one-and-only example of a complete second baptism, Paul re-baptizes these disciples “into the name of the Lord Jesus” (v.5). Others who had received ...

3159. John 1:(1-9) 10-18

John 1:(1-9) 10-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... light to accurately reveal to humanity the difference between the mere existence of created things and the authentic life being offered by the Logos. Light and life are intimately entwined in John's prologue, because only the redeeming knowledge of the Logos gift of life brings the light of a fully realized existence to humanity. The ultimate result of this light is to bring life so completely different from simply "living" that humans become in fact "children of God" (v. 12). Reducing the grand panorama ...

3160. Acts 1:6-14

Acts 1:6-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... and witnesses - with a testimony and conviction that will extend even "to the ends of the earth" (v.8). One of the remarkable things about the story of Christ's Ascension is the speed with which Luke reports the event occurred. As soon as Jesus announces the gift of Spirit - empowerment to his disciples, before they even have a chance to respond (which surely they would do given half a moment) Jesus is "lifted up." Events continue to pile on top of one another, for even "while he was going" the two "men in ...

3161. Romans 12:9-21

Romans 12:9-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... in Romans 12:3-8 is immediately followed by the apostle's litany of true agape-inspired Christian characteristics. For Paul, Christ is fullness (pleroma). Agape love is the necessary component if the fullness of spiritual gifts is to be activated and exercised within the Christian community. Romans 12:9-21 makes up a unit of Christian "sententiae," similar to ones found in Hebrew wisdom literature. Some scholars have suggested that Paul even had at his disposal a kind of Semitic source book on the topic ...

3162. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... verse 16, however, this is not the case in verse 17. The Thessalonian faithful are not being told they should continually be engaged in literal prayer. They are being directed beyond a reliance on, or contentment with, fixed prayer at established times. Just as the gift of the Holy Spirit makes joy theirs at all times, they also have God's ear at all times. A Christian may turn to God at any moment of the day, under any circumstances, and be in communication with God. The marvelous relationship that makes ...

3163. Luke 1:26-38

Luke 1:26-38

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

3164. Ephesians 1:3-14

Ephesians 1:3-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... rest of this epistle. While far richer and more extensive, Ephesians 1:3-14 is similar in style to the opening texts in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 and 1 Peter 1:3-12. All of these follow the formal salutation praising God for all God's gifts. Because these texts focus on the "blessings" of God they are referred to as berakah texts. Often because of its intended content, the berakah used excerpts from known hymns of praise. In this section of Ephesians some scholars have identified hymnic material in the form of ...

3165. Mark 9:38-50

Mark 9:38-50

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... team that must carry out this work. His companionable reference to "us" reminds the disciples that they are to see themselves as part of an ever-growing network of followers. Membership into this network is not determined by special privilege or unique gifts it is based on acknowledging the name and authority of Jesus. The qualifications for acceptance into this network drop even more dramatically in verse 41. Now all that Jesus requires is only the tiniest hint of respect and interest in those who ...

3166. Mark 10:17-31

Mark 10:17-31

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... life he desires. "Inherit" is a good translation choice here, for the term klerononea literally means "to receive by lot." Jewish tradition understood Israel's chosenness as entirely a condition of receiving God's lot. Thus eternal life was truly a divinely bestowed gift, a free inheritance, determined by that lot. The "eternal life" this man desires is part of an eschatological, not just a salvational, question. Essentially this man is asking Jesus, "What must I do in the resurrection from the dead so that ...

3167. Mark 12:38-44

Mark 12:38-44

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... puts into the treasury is hard to calculate, but estimates range from 1/4 to 1/96 of a denarius. Obviously, the point is that this is an extremely small sum. But it is not the woman's poverty that makes her gift significant. Jesus feels compelled to comment on this woman's gift because she, alone among all the contributors lined up to give their offering, gave her all. The very rich, who had put in much; the moderately well-off, who had put in a decent amount; the struggling, who sneaked in their pennies ...

3168. John 1:43-51

John 1:43-51

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... about Jesus and brings new disciples to his side. Organizationally some commentators have linked these four days with the traditional four days of preparation pious Jews observed as they annually celebrated the gift of the Law (see Exodus 19). In John’s gospel, the three days of prayerful preparation and the fourth day marking the gift of that divine law become three days whose events prepare the gospel reader for the first self-revelation of Jesus (the New Law) on that “fourth day” (v.51). On the ...

3169. Blessed Assurance

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... . What I treated as common place was for them a joyful surprise. What I trivialized as ordinary, they celebrated with reverence and said, “Gracias!” And slowly I realized what I had all but forgotten and dismissed. All is grace. All is God’s gift! Are those who can’t take for granted that they can provide for themselves more likely to trust God to provide? And are they more likely to say, “Gracias!” Thank You? Gratitude is what comes from our soul when we are freed from worry. If we are worried ...

3170. God Be With You All

2 Corinthians 13:11-13

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... you and alone can show you the design by which you were made and for which you were made. We pray that you have come to know the God called “Trinity.” If you have, then this same God will have used us to bless you with two gifts: Mystery and Relationship. Some refer to the gifts as Wings and Roots. I. Mystery How can Three be One? How can we explain the God called “Trinity”? We can’t. And that’s the point. If we can explain our God, then our god is an idol. We pray that we have helped you ...

3171. Memories of Home: The Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... kin to all the Father loves. During the winter we host the homeless, not because we’re better than they are, but because we’re brothers and sisters. They have their needs and we have ours, so we say to them, “Me too.” We bring our White Christmas gifts for the young and old, not because we’re better than they are, but because we’re brothers and sisters. They have their needs and we have ours, so we say to them, “Me too.” When we come to Jesus’ Table, his Light enables us to look at each ...

3172. The Call to Downward Mobility

Isaiah 49:1-7

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... spending time with Jesus. When we find what we’re looking for, we’ll feel “called” into God’s service to share it. It’s the kind of call that comes from within us, because it has come from beyond us. It comes as a gift that we receive. And, when received, it becomes as a gift we share. Spend time with Jesus and he’ll give you what you are looking for. He may first show you that you’ve been looking for the wrong things. III. Stay with Jesus and you will be “called” You may be among those ...

3173. Thin Spaces

Matthew 17:1-13

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... was enough. As the day passed, his shadow became less and less intimidating, and his new freedom more and more familiar. Finally, one morning, the Voice came again. As with other times, he could not fully describe what happened – only that the Voice brought him another gift. The gift this time was a sense of direction. Slowly, he put one foot in front of the other, fixed his gaze on some distant mountains, and set out. He wasn’t exactly sure where he was going, but he knew hew was no longer going around ...

3174. Healing Is a Mystery

Mark 1:40-45

Illustration

Mark Trotter

Healing is a mystery. We don't understand it. All we can do is to prepare our bodies to receive it. That's what doctors do. They do it with surgery, with medicine, and therapy. They prepare our bodies to receive the gift of healing. And that's all you can do too. You can prepare to receive the gift through faith, through prayer, and through openness to the power in creation that heals.

3175. John 3:14-21

John 3:1-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the Son of Man being “lifted up,” Jesus’ words seemed to emphasize the intentional activity of the individual. Now God’s actions are revealed to be taken on account of Divine love for all “the world.” God’s love is extended to all creation, and the gift of the Son is for all the world. God’s saving activity of love is not just for the Israelites, or the disciples, or the specially chosen. God’s love is all-inclusive. God’s love covers the whole world. Again, the gospel’s language has ...

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