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 3476 to 3500 of 4340 results

3476. The Resurrected Jesus Is Vindicated by God and Given All Authority

Matthew 28:1-10, Matthew 28:11-15, Matthew 28:16-20

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Jeannine K. Brown

... 7 go quickly and tell his disciples. It would have been noteworthy to Matthew’s original audience that women were the first witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection, given that male testimony was considered preferable to female witness, since women were considered weaker in character and less rational than men and so less reliable (e.g., Josephus, Ant. 4.219; cf. Origen,Cels.2.55). 28:9 They . . . clasped his feet and worshiped him. Matthew highlights worship of Jesus by the women and the eleven disciples ...

3477. God’s Miraculous Provision: Caring for the Needy

Mark 6:30-44

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Grant R. Osborne

... –37); and then back to failure, with a chiastic reversal from the failure of the leaders (8:11–13) connected to the failure of the disciples (8:14–21). The two in the middle section (7:24–37) introduce us to the “little people”1in Mark, those characters we meet only once in the book yet who show the true path to discipleship (also 5:18–19, 32–34; 9:14–29; 10:45–52) in contrast to the failures and misunderstandings of the disciples. This will dominate discipleship in the rest of the book ...

3478. Spiritual Hypocrisy—Living by the Rules, Not by the Heart

Mark 7:1-23

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Grant R. Osborne

... to God’s true “commands,” a major emphasis here (vv. 9, 13). When we live by external, legalistic decrees rather than the “spiritual sacrifices” (1 Pet. 2:5) of the heart that God demands, we fail. There is only one path to godly character: obeying God’s dictates in his word. The basic thesis is in verse 8, while verse 9 tells how they are practicing that very thing. The thing they do “best” is “abandoning” (“letting go” [v. 8]) and then “negating” (“setting aside” [v. 9 ...

3479. Gentiles Exemplify True Discipleship

Mark 7:31-37, Mark 7:24-30

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Grant R. Osborne

... . A Gentile woman of Tyre shows remarkable faith and humility, and a deaf mute in the Decapolis experiences messianic healing. Understanding the Text Mark now turns to examples of faith, as the Syrophoenician woman is one of the “little people” in Mark, characters who appear only once but carry the theme of what a true disciple should be. As such, she gives a lesson to the disciples of the humility and Christ-centeredness that must characterize a true follower of Jesus and provides the centerpiece ...

3480. Jesus Is Tested in Gethsemane

Mark 14:32-42

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Grant R. Osborne

... (14:42b) fulfills the divine giving over (9:31; 10:33).”8God, not Judas and the officials, is in charge, and all unfolds according to his will. The “sinners” are the elders, chief priests, scribes (8:31; 10:33; 14:1, 10) seen in their true sinful character and rebellion against God. Those who wanted nothing to do with “sinners” (2:16) are themselves the true sinners. 14:42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer! The time for sleep is over, and it is time to go meet Jesus’s destiny, to enter ...

3481. Luke the Historian

Luke 1:1-4

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R.T. France

... recipient, (3) the likely occasion and situation to which Luke wrote, and (4) his purpose in writing. The passage also illustrates Luke’s role as a storyteller, historian, and theologian. He is writing a “narrative” (= story), with features like characters, setting, and plot, so that it is important to read and follow the story through introduction, conflict, climax, and resolution. But it is also history. Luke has carefully researched and sought out eyewitnesses in order to produce an accurate and ...

3482. A Special Child Promised

Luke 1:5-25

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R.T. France

... John the Baptist in this introductory section (as indeed in the rest of the Gospel [3:1–20; 7:18–35; 9:7–9, 19; 16:16; 20:1–8]) warns us against the common tendency to treat him merely as a “warm-up act” before the main character comes on the stage. John himself is the fulfillment of prophecy, and his ministry begins the work of deliverance that Jesus will continue. Historical and Cultural Background Herod the Great (1:5) died probably in 4 BC; the births of John and Jesus are thus dated several ...

3483. The Birth of God’s Son Announced

Luke 1:26-38

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R.T. France

... with Gabriel’s visit to Zechariah in the Jerusalem temple, therefore, he is now visiting a person of no social significance, even though her fiancé was of Davidic descent. The names “Mary” and “Joseph,” like most of the names of characters in the Gospels, were both extremely common in first-century Palestine; nearly half of all Jewish women whose names are recorded at this period were called either “Mary” or “Salome.”1 Interpretive Insights 1:26 Nazareth, a town in Galilee. Matthew ...

3484. Power over Illness and Death

Luke 7:11-17, Luke 7:1-10

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R.T. France

... in a way that recalls Elijah’s miracle of restoring a widow’s only son. 7:16 They were all filled with awe and praised God. Such comments follow many Gospel accounts of miracles, but here the two reported exclamations underline the astonishing character of what has just happened. “A great prophet” puts Jesus in the company of the two special prophets Elijah and Elisha, who also raised the dead. “God has come to help his people” at least recognizes a supernatural power working through Jesus ...

3485. Jesus and Women

Luke 7:36--8:3

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R.T. France

... and relatively early in the story), and the theme of the woman’s sinfulness, forgiveness, and love is quite distinctive, as is also the dialogue with Jesus’s host. The problem here is not the waste of valuable ointment, but the moral character of the anointer. The two stories are better treated separately. The traditional chapter division obscures the significant link between this story and the following account of other women associated with Jesus’s ministry. On the other hand, however, too much was ...

3486. Hearing and Responding

Luke 8:19-21, Luke 8:16-18, Luke 8:1-15

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R.T. France

... s (1821–81) last. The attitudes of the brothers and father in this novel parallel not only the negative responses of the hearers of the word in this parable but also the positive. The catalyst of this family is Alyosha, the believing youngest son, a winsome character who has communicated and lived the truth to his family. The father is a buffoon who pays little attention to his sons. The oldest son, Dimitri, is a sensualist much like his father but also is very close to his brother Alyosha. The second son ...

3487. A Sick Woman and a Dead Girl

Luke 8:40-56

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R.T. France

... is never divided like ours is by a world full of simultaneous needs—he is enough to satisfy all of us with personal care. Death is never the final word when Jesus gets involved. Film: Take a moment to retell or show a movie scene where a character seems to be defeated and then repeatedly comes out of trouble or even apparent death to fight again. (Think about epic movies and adventures, like the Indiana Jones films, The Princess Bride, etc. You may even want to show a scene from the Princess Bride where ...

3488. Discipleship and Mission

Luke 10:1-24, Luke 9:57-62

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R.T. France

... loyalty and family responsibilities took precedence over almost any other obligation. And one of the most significant roles of an eldest son was to arrange a suitable burial for his father. To fail to do so not only reflected badly on the character of the son but also brought shame on the whole family. Jesus’s apparent overriding of this sacred responsibility would have been profoundly shocking. On itinerant preachers in the Jewish world, see “Historical and Cultural Background” on 9:1–17. In modern ...

3489. “Love Your Neighbor”

Luke 10:25-37

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R.T. France

... perhaps concerned with ritual purity. Both priest and Levite represent the pious elite from whom exemplary behavior might be expected. 10:33 But a Samaritan. A Jewish audience, having heard Jesus poke fun at the religious professionals, would expect the next character to be a Jewish layman or local rabbi, whose more humane response would put the priest and the Levite to shame. That might have provoked an irreverent chuckle. The introduction instead of a Samaritan, far outside his own territory, was as ...

3490. “Unless You Repent . . .”

Luke 13:10-17, Luke 13:1-9

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R.T. France

... in 3:1) led to brutal reprisals against his subjects’ resistance (Josephus, Ant. 18.55–59, 60–62, 85–87; see also Philo, Embassy 299–305). The incident mentioned in 13:1 is not otherwise recorded, but clearly it is in character. Galileans were not under Pilate’s jurisdiction, but the mention of “their sacrifices” indicates that this incident occurred in the temple in Jerusalem, which presumably the Galileans were visiting for a festival. The disaster at Siloam is also otherwise unattested ...

3491. Lost and Found

Luke 15:1-7, Luke 15:8-10, Luke 15:11-32

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R.T. France

... Jesus’s ministry to the lost. Only when this original context is understood can the parable be appropriately contextualized today. In terms of application, it is helpful to point out in your teaching that each of us at times plays the role of each character: (1) wandering away from God or rejecting his authority, (2) joyfully seeking out and welcoming sinners, (3) arrogantly looking down on others as “too lost” to be reconciled to God. There are other issues that could be taken up in a lesson or ...

3492. Affluence and the Afterlife

Luke 16:19-31

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R.T. France

... pronounced to be set aside as merely “scenery” incidental to a supposedly main point that there can be a reversal of fortunes after death, and that selfishness does not pay in the end. 16:20 a beggar named Lazarus. He is the only character in any of Jesus’s parables to be given a personal name, a Greek abbreviated version of the Hebrew name “Eleazar,” meaning “God has helped.” (The medieval use of “lazar” for “leper” derives from this parable; it did not mean “leper” in ancient ...

3493. Use It or Lose It

Luke 19:11-27

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R.T. France

... third slave’s failure was due to fear rather than laziness. He knew that he would not be forgiven for losing what had been entrusted to him, and so he played it safe. 19:22 I am a hard man. As we have seen in 18:1–8, a parable character who represents God need not be like God in every respect. God is not “hard” and exploitative, but he does expect his people to make an effort on his behalf and to take risks rather than give up in fear. 19:23 put my money on deposit. Lending at interest ...

3494. The Coming of the King

Luke 19:45-48, Luke 19:28-44

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R.T. France

... ) often find themselves in situations beset by oppression and injustice, often at the hands of powerful ranchers or a group of villains. These heroes are bent on righteousness above all and often show tremendous courage, defying the forces arrayed against them. Shane, the main character in a movie and a popular novel by that name, is often seen as a Christ-type. Westerns could provide useful parallels to Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem in the face of opposition. Bible: 1 Kings 1:33. This verse refers to the ...

3495. On the Mount of Olives

Luke 22:47-53, Luke 22:39-46, Luke 22:7-38

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R.T. France

... incredibly useful device. In the same way, if prayer is only about getting somewhere—like into a blessing, or out of a crisis—it can seem like a wasted or even torturous exercise. If, on the other hand, prayer can also be about fellowship with God and other believers, building character, learning about God’s voice, learning patience, grieving loss, and expressing hope, it is an incredibly blessed and useful activity.

3496. At the Tomb

Luke 24:1-12, Luke 23:50-56

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R.T. France

... : The Silver Chair, by C. S. Lewis. Lewis has an interesting way of reminding his readers to remember what is true regardless of where they find themselves. In an early scene in this story, one of the Chronicles of Narnia, Aslan tells Jill, one of the main characters, that she must remember, remember, remember the Signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning, and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night. . . . And the Signs . . . will not look at all as you expect ...

3497. The Gospel of God in Christ through Paul

Romans 1:1-17

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C. Marvin Pate

... social in orientation. Quote: “I Have a Dream,” by Martin Luther King Jr. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” That dream above all should be fulfilled in the church, where there is neither slave or free, male or female, Jew or Gentile (Gal. 3:28). Both Old and New Testament believers were saved by faith. Quote: “Preface to the Complete Edition of Luther’s Latin ...

3498. New Dominion as a Blessing of the New Covenant: Dead to Sin

Romans 6:1-14

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C. Marvin Pate

... that may be. Illustrating the Text Christians are called to union with Christ. Film: Avatar. James Cameron’s Oscar-winning movie (2009) provides a nice illustration for grasping the spiritual parallel life of the Christian in union with Christ. The lead character in the movie undergoes moral struggle in deciding between being faithful to his military commander’s orders to forcibly relocate the “Na’vi” people and defending these creatures he has now come to love. That struggle is intensified by the ...

3499. Israel and the Present Curses and the Past Blessings of the Covenant

Romans 9:1-29

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C. Marvin Pate

... comparison to the sections on curses and blessings written to Israel in Scripture (Lev. 26–27; Deut. 28–29). The Harry Potter series, for instance, uses a number of spells and curses. The spells consist of a gesture made with the character’s wand, combined with a spoken or mental incantation. For example, Avada Kedavra (the killing curse) causes instant, painless death to whomever the curse hits. The only two people in the series to survive this curse are Harry Potter and Voldemort. Questions ...

3500. God and Government

Romans 13:1-7

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C. Marvin Pate

... was found in him” (ESV). What is clear here is that Daniel was respectful in his attitude toward and compliance with the established expectations and leaders of the kingdom he found himself in. Literature: The Green Mile, by Stephen King. The main character in this novel (1996), John Coffey, an inmate on death row who possesses extraordinary powers of healing, always shows respect to the officials in jail even though he endures great hardship and suffering and goes to his death falsely charged. A film ...

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