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 3776 to 3800 of 4339 results

3776. The Lord on High Preserves the Lowly in the Midst of Trouble

Psalm 138:1-8

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... the future. His recent deliverance (v. 3) gives confidence for future protection: Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. Yet the ultimate basis for this confidence lies not in this historical precedent, but in the character of Yahweh himself: your love, O LORD, endures forever. To confirm this future relationship, this thanksgiving psalm closes with a petition that Yahweh not abandon the works of his hands. Surprisingly, Yahweh’s exaltation above all does not entail his distance ...

3777. No One Is Righteous before God

Psalm 143:1-12

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... –9), and his resultant claim, I am your servant (v. 12). Corresponding to this last claim, he confesses, you are my God (v. 10), which entails that Yahweh should protect him. Hence, Yahweh is to act for your name’s sake and in your righteousness, that is, according to your character that puts things right (v. 11). The psalm also twice appeals to Yahweh’s unfailing love (vv. 8, 12).

3778. The Helper of Those Who Cannot Help Themselves

Psalm 146:1-10

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... ” (49:25). 146:10 The closing verse addresses Zion directly with a summary statement: The LORD reigns forever, your God . . . for all generations. (Unlike the acclamation familiar from the psalms of Yahweh’s kingship, “reigns” is a Hb. imperfect verb.) The character of his kingship is to care for the powerless in society, a responsibility that human authorities generally fail to deliver. The same issue of trusting in God or humans underlies 33:16–19. This psalm also acclaims Yahweh as one who is ...

3779. The Parable of the Talents

Matthew 25:14-30

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... . The second servant (who has done equally well with the two talents) receives the same commendation and reward as the first. But it is another story with the servant who failed to invest his allocation of money. He attempts to defend himself by impugning the character of the master. “You’re a ‘tight-fisted’ man” (v. 24, Norlie) who insists on a return even where you haven’t invested, so I did the only reasonable thing and kept what you gave me in a safe place. The master, however, doesn’t ...

3780. Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

Daniel 2:1-23

Understanding Series

William Nelson

... directly to the king to ask for time to come up with an interpretation (2:16). It seems that the three friends were imported to connect chapter 2 with the mention of them in chapter 1 and also to anticipate chapter 3 where they are the main characters. Both versions are somewhat in tension with chapter 1 where Daniel and his friends are considered wiser than all the others (1:20), because in chapter 2 they are apparently not even important enough to be consulted about the dream (2:2, 15–16). (For more on ...

3781. The Image of Gold and the Fiery Furnace

Daniel 3:1-30

Understanding Series

William Nelson

... would not expect them to be so disrespectful. On the one hand, with a slight change to the text it is possible to read, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar,” which makes more sense (see the Additional Note on 3:16). On the other hand, characters do not always speak in stories as they do in real life, so it is best not to emend the text here. The words of their reply follow: We do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter (3:16). This sounds a little defiant in ...

3782. The Kings of the South and the North

Daniel 11:2-35

Understanding Series

William Nelson

... to the money and loyalty they offered him (Montgomery, Daniel, p. 451) or when he made Judaism illegal (9:27). Finally, because it is not clear what event is in view, it may be best to consider this simply another general statement about Epiphanes’s character. He did not need a huge force initially. Because he had the support of Pergamum, was related to Seleucus IV, and was willing at first to accept coregency, he had a much better claim than Heliodorus, who fled. There may have been some resistance, but ...

3783. The Calling of Levi

Mark 2:13-17

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... (Acts 9:1–31; Phil. 3:4–6; Gal. 1:13–14), was probably motivated by this kind of religious conviction. It is an unfair slur to portray all Pharisees as hypocrites and to account for their opposition to Jesus on the basis of bad character, as has regrettably happened in much Christian tradition. The Gospels give us the language of heated religious conflict and show us only one side of the conflict. The true pathos of the conflict between Jesus and Pharisees is recognized only when one understands that ...

3784. Jesus' Mother and Brothers

Mark 3:31-35

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... are contrasted with “teachers of the law” and with Jesus’ family. Although the disciples fail in many ways in later episodes, here they are presented as specially favored by Jesus for their willingness to follow him. As mentioned before, the disciples are major characters in Mark and what is said about them is both positive and negative. The reader is supposed to identify with the Twelve and is supposed to learn from what is said to them and about them the high privilege and duties of discipleship ...

3785. The Healing of a Demon-possessed Man

Mark 5:1-20

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... more the magnitude of Jesus’ authority. The cry of the demons at Jesus’ approach, hailing him as Son of God, answers the frightened question of the disciples in 4:41, “Who is this?” It is an example of a point Mark makes several times—though the human characters do not know what to make of Jesus, both God’s voice and the demons tell the reader the answer (cf. 1:11, 24, 34; 3:11; 9:7). Notice also how 5:19–20 links Jesus with the Lord, giving him divine significance. The remaining feature of ...

3786. The Healing of a Deaf and Mute Man

Mark 7:31-37

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... of Tyre in the area of modern Lebanon, ancient Phoenicia (see MBA, 232; “Sidon,” IDB, vol. 4, pp. 343–45). On the Decapolis, see note on 5:20. Though Jews lived in all these areas, they were mainly gentile in population, and it is their gentile character that links these areas in Mark’s narrative, Jesus’ travels in these districts prefiguring for Mark the gentile mission of the church after Jesus. 7:32 Could hardly talk translates a word that appears in the NT only here, and in the Greek Bible of ...

3787. The Rich Young Man

Mark 10:17-31

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... in addition Matt. 20:16; Luke 13:30. It is a good example of a saying of Jesus “floating” in the body of incidents and teaching material attributed to him and being attached to various contexts, probably because it so concisely expressed the revolutionary character of his message. It is also possible, of course, that Jesus used such a pithy saying frequently as a kind of slogan. In the setting of Jesus, the saying expressed the view that those who thought themselves especially worthy of God’s favor ...

3788. Marriage at the Resurrection

Mark 12:18-27

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... victorious reply, coming as it does shortly before Jesus’ own execution and resurrection in chapters 15–16, was probably intended by Mark to show his readers that their faith in Jesus’ resurrection (and their own future hope) was based upon the Scriptures and upon the very character of God. Additional Notes 12:18 Sadducees: This group is also mentioned in the NT elsewhere (Matt. 3:7; 16:1, 6, 11–12; 22:23, 34; Luke 20:27; Acts 4:1; 5:17; 23:6–8) and in other ancient Jewish sources (Josephus and ...

3789. The Birth of Jesus Foretold

Luke 1:26-38

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... child grew and became strong …” (of John, 1:80; of Jesus, 2:40). These parallels suggest that Luke wishes the reader to recognize at least three things: First, John and Jesus are “twin agents of God’s salvation” (Fitzmyer, p. 315). Although other characters play a role in God’s plan of redemption, John and Jesus are unquestionably the major figures. Second, in every respect of his life, as well as his later ministry, John is Jesus’ forerunner, even in his conception and birth. Third, in every ...

3790. Mary Visits Elizabeth

Luke 1:39-45

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

3791. Mary's Song

Luke 1:46-56

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

3792. Additional Teachings

Luke 16:16-18

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... unclear, however, if this is the meaning that Luke has intended in his abbreviated and modified form of the saying. If the picture is negative, the Lucan form may have in mind militant messianic figures who advocate bringing the kingdom through violence; two such characters are mentioned in Acts 5:36–37. But the picture may also be positive, that is, all who enter the kingdom are being urged or pressed into entering (recall 14:23; see Fitzmyer, p. 1117; Tiede, p. 287). Leaney (p. 223) suggests the reading ...

3793. The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Luke 18:9-14

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... with graphic clarity what Luke sees as the correct attitude one should have before God. The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector is similar to the preceding parable in that its main point is seen in the individual responses of the two principal characters. In this parable the Pharisee provides an example of the wrong way to approach God, while the tax collector provides an example of the right way. The error of the Pharisee lies not in the fact the he has refrained from certain sins and has ...

3794. Doxology

Romans 11:33-36

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... of Israel. Unfathomable love governed God’s work of redemption at the end of chapter 8; unspeakable wisdom directs God’s course in history at the end of chapter 11. Where the mind cannot know God’s thoughts (v. 34), the heart may yet trust his character. If God’s love spelled salvation by surprise, his wisdom results in sovereign acts in history leading to mercy. All things, says Paul, are from him and through him and to him (v. 36). This verse finds a close parallel in 1 Corinthians 8:6, though ...

3795. Personal Requests

1 Corinthians 16:5-18

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... his life and work. 16:10–11 Timothy was working on or was about to work on some commission from Paul, as is clear from both this admonition to the Corinthians and the earlier mention (4:17) of Paul’s sending Timothy. The cautious character of the present verse is, however, striking, recognizing the possibility that Timothy might find opposition in Corinth which he should fear. This opposition apparently would have been to Paul, as one of those cited as a leader, among competitive cliques (ch. 1), and so ...

3796. To the Church in Pergamum

Revelation 2:12-17

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... on the other hand, is the transformation of faithful people for the good. The effects of God’s grace within the church may well be obscured by the effects of living within a society at odds with the notions of divine truth and the character of divine love. Conflict is therefore the necessary result of fidelity to God’s gospel. Even though such faithfulness results in affliction, it is nevertheless motivated by the reality of Christ’s resurrection and the hope of his return. This is the point implicit ...

3797. Satan's Doom

Revelation 20:8-10

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... of the well-known prophetic typology of “Gog and Magog” does not predict a particular event or place, but rather imagines another result of Christ’s parousia (cf. Ezek. 39:25–29). This is, then, Satan’s final demotion. Why he continues to act in character after his prison term of a thousand years had ended, and why the nations allow Satan to seduce them away from that which could give them shalom, speaks to the very nature of sin. Satan’s ongoing role within salvation’s history, even in defeat ...

3798. The River of Life

Revelation 22:1-6

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... tradition (cf. Matt. 5:8; Beasley-Murray, Revelation, pp. 332–33), or a prophetic tradition (Ezek. 48:35; Morris, Revelation, p. 249); in fact, the same idiom, “face” (to prosōpon), is used in both texts. The idioms of divine presence envisage the pervasive character of God’s transformation of the redeemed community as they “backtrack” their way, past the cursed Cain, and a fallen Adam and Eve, into the paradise of God where they find they now can eat and drink unhindered from the fruit of the ...

3799. Balaam's Final Oracle

Numbers 24:20-25

Understanding Series

W.H. Bellinger, Jr.

... is quite difficult, but its point appears to be that even those who are initially victorious will fall. God’s power determines victory and defeat. The chapter ends with the simple note that Balaam and Balak conclude their interaction and go their separate ways. The character of Balaam grows through the chapters. He moves from being a reader of omens to a prophet of God, who speaks as one who sees God’s future. The characterization of God seems to grow in a corresponding way. In chapter 22 and with the ...

3800. Dividing the Spoils

Numbers 31:25-54

Understanding Series

W.H. Bellinger, Jr.

... for the Israelites. This act is the last military exercise for Moses, who will soon die. So the new generation’s first military action is Moses’ last. The new generation obeys the instruction from chapter 25. Chapter 31 displays a midrashic character as it comments on other texts and uses the Midianite war to articulate instructions relevant to the upcoming battles that will be part of entering the land. The preparation for military action described elsewhere in Numbers is applied in the chapter ...

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