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 4001 to 4025 of 4950 results

4001. Ezra Reads the Law

Neh 7:73b–8:18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... This spiritual renewal provides an excellent example of how such renewals revitalize a community. The same characteristics and ingredients of all genuine revivals are present here: (1) emphasis on God’s Word (8:1–5), (2) praise to God and celebration (8:6, 10), (3) the Holy Spirit’s humbling work in the hearts of the people (8:9), (4) confession of sin and repentance (9:2, 6–18), (5) reestablishing a meaningful prayer life (9:4–37) and (6) a new commitment to obey God (9:38–10:39). 7:73b–13:31 ...

4002. Proverbs of Solomon

Proberbs 10:1--22:16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... an aim to save their audience, not to condemn and destroy it” (Waltke 2004, 614). Verse 3 reminds us that this cause-effect nexus is not mechanistic but rather is upheld by an ever-observant God. Verse 4 corresponds to verse 1, contrasting the soothing and spirit-crushing power of the tongue, using the favored analogy of the life-giving tree (cf. Prov. 3:18; 11:30; 13:12). Mention of individuals who reject correction (i.e., fools and mockers) brackets the next section (15:5–12), giving it a focus on the ...

4003. Time and Eternity

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... draw out further similarities. From an under-the-sun perspective, humans and animals share a common destiny, and their deaths are indistinguishable. Both are marked by transience, utterly dependent on their life-sustaining “breath” (Hebrew ruah, 3:19, but translated as “spirit” in 3:21). Genesis also describes both animals and humans as “living beings” (Gen. 1:24 [NIV “living creatures”; 2:7; cf. ESV). Both are on their return trip to the dust (3:20), paraphrasing Genesis 3:19. The author ...

4004. Be Joyful & Reverent

Ecclesiastes 11:7--12:8

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 1a and offers a final rationale for “remembering” him. One should avoid reading too much into “returning to God” (despite Eccles. 5:2: “God is in heaven”), since Psalm 104:29 and Job 34:14–15 speak similarly of God gathering the spirits of both animals and humans. 12:8 · Theme verse: Everything is ephemeral:The concluding remarks are preceded by the repetition of the theme verse, which affirms that everything is utterly ephemeral. The preceding verses (12:1–7) offer the book’s final and ...

4005. The Branch from Jesse

Isaiah 11:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... s promise to David will be kept. The messianic shoot does not conform to the old way. He introduces God’s rule on earth, symbolized by the presence of the “Spirit of the Lord” (11:2). The new stage in God’s kingdom will combine the old (the Davidic covenant) and the new (the era of the Spirit). The presence of God’s Spirit on the Messiah will be evident in his rule of wisdom, justice, righteousness, faithfulness, and peace, complete with the absence of evil and the universal knowledge of God. The ...

4006. The Justice and Patience of God

Malachi 2:17--3:5

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... from certain. The word for “messenger” in Hebrew is malak, and the Hebrew for “my messenger” is the same as the name Malachi. Is he, Malachi, the angel of the covenant or Elijah (4:5–6)? Jesus connects him with John the Baptist as having the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17; cf. Matt. 11:14). The purpose of the messenger is clear: he is to prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. In response to the first question, Malachi has introduced the “messenger” as God’s means of announcing ...

4007. Jesus and Beelzebub

Matthew 12:22-37

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... s response to Jesus that is all-important (12:30). The following saying (12:31–32) is difficult to decipher but likely indicates that, although God’s forgiveness is wide (even sins against the Son of Man may be forgiven), the Pharisees’ misattribution of the Spirit’s power to Satan (12:24, 28) cannot be forgiven, since it signals a fundamental rejection of the work of God in Jesus. In Matthew 12:33–37, Jesus intimately connects a person with their deeds (“fruit”; cf. 3:10; 7:16–20) and then ...

4008. Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

Luke 4:14-30

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 2 also includes a phrase from Isaiah 58:6. Jesus draws attention to several things by using this passage from Isaiah. (1) The prophecy of Isaiah has now (“today”) been fulfilled (4:21). (2) The fulfillment is Jesus himself; he is the one whom the Spirit has anointed. The reference to Isaiah 61 and the use of the word “anointed” suggest that Jesus is referring to himself as the Messiah and servant of Yahweh. (3) Jesus’s ministry is directed to those in need—the poor, the prisoners, the blind, and ...

4009. Warnings and Encouragements

Luke 12:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Christ publicly, however, will be rewarded. (5) Verse 10 is a qualification of verses 8–9. What really constitutes a denial of the Son? Apparently, forgiveness is possible if one “speaks a word against the Son of Man,” but blasphemy “against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” What is the sin that will not bring forgiveness? Probably a persistent and stubborn refusal to submit to the gospel. It is not an occasional denial of Christ (as Peter did) but the hardness of heart that refuses to ...

4010. John the Baptist’s Testimony about Jesus

John 3:22-36

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... above (3:31). The Son has come from the Father, but the Baptist belongs to the earth. John the Baptist speaks “as one from the earth” (3:31), but the Son utters the words of God (3:34). Therefore, there is an inestimable difference. Once more, the Spirit provides the major difference: out of his love for his Son, God has given to him “the Spirit without limit” (3:34). Jesus’s possession of the Spirit supplies him with superior authority and enables him to offer new birth to men like Nicodemus.

4011. Jesus the Way to the Father

John 14:5-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... through these verses is a theological parallel between the Father’s relation to the Son and the Spirit’s relation to the disciple. As the Father abides in (Greek menō, 14:10) Jesus, so too the Spirit abides in (menō, 14:17) the believer. Thus the confidence of Christ can be ours: as the ... Father was committed to his Son, so Jesus through his Spirit will stand with us in every need (14:13–14). The point in these verses is not that every prayerful ...

4012. The Vine and the Branches

John 15:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... �I am the way”). Attachment to Jesus is the only means of access to God’s household. In other words, Jesus marks the beginning of the new Israel. Two themes dominate the section. First, the believer must have an inner apprehension of Christ (in Spirit; 14:23). Abiding or remaining (Greek menō) in Christ is a prerequisite Christian experience. Initially, Christ dwells in us (15:4–5), but this is no tribute to our merit; for our acceptability as vessels—our cleanliness—is his accomplishment (15:3 ...

4013. Peter Addresses the Crowd

Acts 2:14-41

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... man of God rejected by the Jews (“you,” 2:23) has been raised by God. This not only fulfills the promise of David (2:25–28; see Ps. 16:8–11); Jesus’s resurrection also ushers in the era that witnesses the work of the eschatological Spirit. With his resurrection, Jesus also proves to be “Lord and Messiah” (2:36), one who surpasses David himself (2:34–35; see Ps. 110:1). The lordship of Jesus has a number of implications. First, through his name, one’s sins may be forgiven (2:38a). Second ...

4014. Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia

Acts 16:6-10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... where Paul has a vision in which a man of Macedonia begs them to come to Macedonia (16:9). In this account, which introduces a new direction of the Pauline mission, Luke emphasizes the role of God through the appearance of the “Holy Spirit” (16:6), the “Spirit of Jesus” (16:7), and a “vision” (16:10). The redirection through divine intervention recalls a similar description in the exodus event when God redirects his people according to his own plan (Exod. 13:17–18). In light of the emphasis on ...

4015. Introduction

Romans 1:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the people of God in fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham (4:11–12); it establishes peace with God and access to his grace (5:1–2); it leads to the reality of the personal experience of God’s love (5:5); it secures the gift of the Holy Spirit (5:5; 7:6; 8:1–11); and it causes the believer’s adoption into God’s family (8:15–17). (3) The power of the gospel is effectively experienced by people who believe—that is, by people who come to faith in God’s revelation in and through Jesus ...

4016. The Jews and the Law

Romans 2:17-29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 16; Jer. 4:4; 9:25–26; Ezek. 44:9); its reality was expected for the future (Deut. 30:6), in the time of the new covenant (Jer. 31:31–34), when God would place his Spirit in the hearts of his people (Ezek. 36:26–27), resulting in the removal of all uncleanness, in a new heart and a new spirit, and in full obedience to God’s statutes. Paul asserts that this reality has arrived: Gentiles have received this true, inward circumcision of the heart, not because they have followed the written letter of the ...

4017. Righteousness Through Faith

Romans 3:21-31

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of Abraham, and of Gentiles, the families of the earth whom God wanted to bless through Abraham (4:1–25). Jews and Gentiles who believe in Jesus Christ have peace with God, the hope of sharing the glory of God, the love of God, and the Holy Spirit (5:1–11). God’s triumph over sin in and through Jesus Christ solves once and for all the fundamental problem of the power of sin, which, since the fall of Adam, brings condemnation and death on humankind (5:12–21). 3:21–26 · Paul explains the ...

4018. The Remnant of Israel

Romans 11:1-10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of Jews is explained as conforming to the pattern of God’s dealings with Israel in the past. Paul cites from all three parts of the Hebrew canon: from the Torah in verse 8 (Deut. 29:3), from the Prophets in verse 8 (Isa. 29:10, the phrase “spirit of slumber” [KJV; NIV: “spirit of stupor”]), and from the Writings in verses 9–10 (Ps. 69:23–24). Moses asserts that the people of Israel do not see and hear the word of God; they do not keep the law and thus face God’s judgment of exile. There is ...

4019. The Weak and the Strong

Romans 14:1--15:13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 14:15; cf. 5:5, 8); evaluating the importance of differences of personal behavior in the light of the righteousness God has given to sinners, in the light of the peace that Jesus Christ has obtained for believers, and in the light of the joy of the Holy Spirit (14:17); safeguarding the continued growth of the church (14:19; cf. 1 Cor. 14:1–5); and respecting the “work of God” (14:20), which is the faith of all believers, and the existence and the unity of the church. 15:1–6 · Before Paul concludes ...

4020. Orderly Worship

1 Corinthians 14:26-40

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... a time,” and someone should be able to interpret to all present (14:27). If such interpretation is not made available by the Spirit, those who speak in tongues “should keep quiet” enough in the church to enable their speech to function as a private prayer (14:28 ... chosen, however, then it will also be safe to ignore the claims of such an individual to be led by the Spirit. The exhortation epitomizes Paul’s advice. The ability to prophesy should be sought eagerly, and speaking in tongues should not be ...

4021. Digression: Paul, Outsiders, and God’s Glory

Ephesians 3:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... with a message for the readers, the mystery of what God has done for them in Jesus Christ (3:2). Reviewing what Paul already mentioned (3:3; also Eph. 1:9–10?) will convince the readers of Paul’s grasp of this long-hidden plan, now made known by the Spirit to (and through) God’s chosen instruments, the apostles and prophets (3:4–5; see Eph. 2:20). From the viewpoint of the mission to the Gentile world, the essence of the mystery is this: by virtue of Jesus Christ, non-Jews have a place among God’s ...

4022. Therefore Walk in Unity

Ephesians 4:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... to each other. The foundation of the unity of the new family of God lies in eternal realities (4:4–6). There is one body; the church is one church regardless of local manifestations (including traditions or, today, denominations). There is one Spirit of God and not a separate Spirit for every competing group. There is only one world future, now already here in part. There is only one Lord, Jesus Christ—no other lord or Caesar takes precedence over him (1:20–22)—one common message to be believed, and ...

4023. Living to Please God

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... as the gospel is a divine message (1 Thess. 1:5; 2:13), so too is the moral teaching that the apostles delivered. Paul therefore concludes, “anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God” (4:8a). He adds that God “gives you his Holy Spirit” (4:8b), the one who enables them to live according to the will of God in sanctification (Rom. 8:4; Gal. 5:16; 1 John 3:24; 1 Thess. 5:23). 4:9–5:11 Review · Responses to questions:Paul next appears to answer a series of questions ...

4024. The Man of Lawlessness

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... had become shaken and terrified due to the false teaching that entered by some means unknown to Paul. It could have been by “prophecy” (literally “spirit”; 1 Cor. 12:10; 1 John 4:1–3) or by a “word,” that is, by a message preached or taught by someone (2: ... , 26, 28; 11:8; 2 Tim. 4:4). In a way similar to this verse, some Old Testament texts note how God may use malignant spirits in his judgment (2 Sam. 24:1; 1 Kings 22:19–23; 1 Chron. 21:1; Ezek. 14:9). The end result is “that all ...

4025. The Antichrists Are Coming! They Deny Jesus Came in the Flesh

1 John 4:1-6

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... be distinguished from suitable traveling ministers, however, by testing their beliefs and asking whether they believed Jesus Christ actually came in the flesh. If so, they could be warmly received; if not, they should be kept away from the community and rejected as perpetuating the spirit of the antichrist (4:3), which destroys Christian fellowship. 4:4–6 · Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world:At the entrance to the temple of Domitian in Ephesus is a large carving of the goddess Nike ...

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