Sermon and Worship Resources

Antonyms: keep, claim, continue, stick by, self-control, power through, achieve, defend, bear, hope, acquire, quick visit, adopt, continue along, adhere, remain, pursue, support, take up, keep up, reuse, advocate, stay, persevere, cherish, keep going, carry on

Showing 401 to 425 of 517 results

401. God's Promise to David

1 Chronicles 17:1-15

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... the next oracle sheds a different light on David’s plans. The oracle lets the reader realize that David’s announcement of his intention to build a permanent abode for “the ark of the covenant of the LORD” has the same inappropriate quality as the impulsive gesture by Uzzah when the ark was carried from Kiriath Jearim. It was not the bringing of the ark to Jerusalem that was denounced when Uzzah was killed by Yahweh, but the improper, exclusively human effort exerted in doing so (see commentary on 1 ...

402. Ezra's Prayer about Intermarriage

Ezra 9:1-15

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... the community “holy seed” (NRSV; NIV holy race), a phrase that refers to the postexilic remnant in Isaiah 6:13. Different biblical traditions were combined and powerfully brought to bear on the contemporary problem of mixed marriages. The impulse behind this hermeneutical barrage was spiritual expediency, created by the sense of being a weak and threatened community. The note of opposition sounded repeatedly in Ezra-Nehemiah is a testimony to this conviction. The community was endangered, and they ...

403. The Call of Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1:1-19

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

... devices. As is typical of Jeremiah’s prophecies, these are not dated. Are we to assume that they came early in his career and interpret them in the light of that time period? We cannot be certain, since after all, we know that a chronological impulse was not operative in other parts of the book. However, they do occur first, and thus many commentators take for granted that they were early. Both oracles are introduced by the question What do you see? that engages Jeremiah in repartee with God. The first ...

404. A Message About Egypt

Jeremiah 46:1-28

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

... would bring them into desolate desert areas. The nation of Egypt is here compared to the Nile in its rising out of its natural boundaries in order to cover the earth. In other words, the surging Nile is used as a metaphor of Egypt’s imperialistic impulses that were operative in their attempt to fight Babylon in far away Carchemish. They want to cover the earth like the flooding Nile covers the ground. Verse 9 then reverts to commands directed to the Egyptian army to engage in battle. Cush, Put, and Lydia ...

405. A Message About Babylon

Jeremiah 50:1--51:64

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

... of the rumors that will arise as battle approaches. God says that Babylon’s end and the punishment of her idols is sure. And the whole earth will celebrate its fall. Why? Because the whole earth has been the object of its violence and imperialistic impulses. Again, Babylon’s end is associated with an enemy coming out of the north. That enemy will prove to be Persia under Cyrus the Great. 51:49–53 The defeat of Babylon is again connected to that nation’s treatment of Israel. The Babylonians have ...

406. How the Lord has Covered the Daughter of Zion

Lamentations 2:1-22

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

... for the wall’s destruction (see also 2 Kgs. 21:13; Isa. 34:11). As Provan (Lamentations, p. 68) points out, “demolition itself requires careful planning.” Indeed, the mention of the measuring line shows great premeditation on God’s part. It was not an impulsive act. The wall and its ramparts are personified and pictured as lamenting their own destruction. 2:9 Tet. The litany of destruction continues with the gates. The gates were the entrance and exit of the city, but they were also the place where ...

407. A Crown for Joshua

Zechariah 6:9-15

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

... a group of exiles back from Babylon and, with Joshua, he led the rebuilding of the temple. Everything was in place, yet he was not the expected one. Surely Zerubbabel should have been the Messiah! Recent interpreters have not been immune to this impulse. Many of them have proposed that Zerubbabel was crowned in an earlier version of this sign-act and oracle but, when he did not become king, the passage was revised. This commissioning passage does address the questions raised by unfulfilled Zerubbabel hopes ...

408. Sermon on the Mount: Praying, Not Judging

Matthew 7:7-12, Matthew 7:1-6

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... critical and more gracious, then the perception of Christians as those who are quite judgmental is an indictment that we have not followed this teaching of Jesus with care. We would do well to cultivate church communities that are characterized by a first impulse to extend grace and to forgive (see 18:21–35) rather than to judge. This does not mean, however, that there is no room for discernment in the Christian life and community. Christians should turn a discerning eye inward toward their own faults ...

409. Jesus Transfigured as a Foreshadowing of Future Glory

Matthew 17:1-13

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... , it is good for us to be here. Peter responds to Jesus’ changed appearance and the vision of Moses and Elijah by offering to set up three shelters for them, presumably to prolong the experience. Peter is portrayed elsewhere in Matthew as rash and impulsive (14:28–29; 16:22; 26:33); this characterization seems to fit here as well, with Peter getting caught up in the moment. 17:5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them. Matthew indicates that the heavenly voice interrupts Peter’s ...

410. Jesus as Lord and as Archcriminal

Mark 2:23-3:6, Mark 2:18-22

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... for use as a dental drill. • Hair coloring: Do not use as an ice cream topping. • Sleeping pills: May cause drowsiness. • Air conditioner: Avoid dropping air conditioners out of windows. Though many are humorous, product warning labels reflect the impulse of caution in the face of potential danger. In an effort to ensure that behavior pleased God and avoid potential sanction for wrongdoing, the religious leaders developed an oral tradition of sometimes overly detailed religious laws to ensure that ...

411. Discipleship and Mission

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

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... suffered greatly in her life, spells out the kind of dedication and commitment that this principle teaches. Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and my days; let them flow in endless praise. Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love. Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee. Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King. Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee. Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would ...

412. “Love Your Neighbor”

Luke 10:25-37

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... two days’ wages (cf. Matt. 20:2), enough to pay for a few days in the fairly basic accommodation at the inn. But the traveler’s care extends even to the possibility that a longer stay might be needed. His “compassion” (10:33) is not just impulsive; it is practical and thought through. 10:36 Which . . . was a neighbor to the man? In Leviticus 19:18 the “neighbor” is the one to be loved, and in that sense the “neighbor” in the story should be the wounded man. But Jesus sees the neighborly ...

413. Negative Responses to Jesus

Luke 11:33-36, Luke 11:29-32, Luke 11:14-28

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... by good. There is perhaps also (in the light of 11:19) a warning against exorcisms that do not lead to faith. For the “seven other spirits,” compare 8:2. 11:27–28 Blessed is the mother who gave you birth. This is an impulsive comment by an enthusiastic supporter rather than a thought-out theological declaration about Mary (cf. 1:42, 45, 48). Jesus’s deflating response recalls 8:21 (see comment there). Family pride is subordinated to the demands of true discipleship. 11:29 It asks for a ...

414. Divided Loyalties

Luke 12:1-12, Luke 12:13-21

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... to the charge (already recorded by Luke in 11:15) that Jesus’s exorcisms are accomplished by demonic power. To attribute the work of God to his enemy is an unforgivable perversion of truth and betrays a settled opposition to God (rather than a single impulsive utterance). But why is it less serious to slander the Son of Man? The point is probably that Jesus, in his “incognito” as the Son of Man, might not immediately be recognized for who he is. The Holy Spirit, by contrast, is the one who ...

415. Table Talk

Luke 14:1-14

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... own rejection of “legalism” as an excuse to live however they want, without discerning the harm that certain behaviors bring to themselves or their Christian witness. Consider where the right balance is here. How far should we be guided by the “instinctive” impulse to “do good” (6:9) by tackling the problem first before asking theological or legal questions? Can you think of circumstances in which this might be a bad precedent? 2. Places at table (14:7–11). Some scholars speak of an honor ...

416. Freedom from the Law through Christ, Enslavement to the Law through Adam

Romans 7:7-25, Romans 7:1-6

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... :23b) The body of death (7:25b) Historical and Cultural Background The main information in Romans 7:13–25 that finds parallels approximate to Paul’s day is the internal struggle to do good, only to capitulate to evil. Judaism had its duel of the two impulses (see, e.g., 4 Ezra). So did the Greco-Roman writers. Thus Ovid wrote, “I see and approve the better course, but I follow the worse” (Metam. 7.21). And Epictetus wrote, “Every sin involves a contradiction. For since he who sins does not wish to ...

417. Saul on the Rampage

1 Samuel 22:6-23

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... cliques, some behave peacefully and work together to create the order needed for effective survival, while others become greedy and power hungry, lawless and dangerous, eventually savage, engaging in the murder of the gentlest among them. What becomes evident is the impulse to suspicion and brute power of some of the boys, the working out of which becomes so devastating, a power full of paranoia. History: One could pick any of a number of world leaders who have decimated countries, committed genocide, or ...

418. “God Looks Down from Heaven . . . to See If There Are Any Who Understand”

Psalm 53:1-6

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... means to be human and humane and the responsibilities that we have to fulfill if we want to be considered as such. The theologians and moralists believed, rightly, that in the long run those who are moral and ethical are also happier. Conversely, by succumbing to immediate gratification of our impulses, usually injuring others in the process, we may experience pleasure. But in due time the pleasure will give way to unhappiness because it alone cannot sustain us spiritually.7

419. Thank You, Siri...Oops!

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

King Duncan

... she searched diligently to locate him through the Department of Defense, but with no success. But she never gave up hope. She said she still longed to be able to see him and say face to face, “Thank you, for saving my life.” (3) John Newton felt that same impulse when God rescued him from the guilt of his life as a slave trader. That’s why he wrote “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me . . .” It’s a hymn of gratitude as well as praise. You and I are nice, decent people ...

420. A Lesson Learned from a Snake

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... now it was totally captive. * That poor snake reminds me of many people I have known. Somewhere along the way they have made a serious mistake. Then, rather than calmly analyzing their situation and correcting their course, they have reacted impulsively. Soon their lives are like that snake’s. The more they struggle, the more entangled they have become until eventually they are totally immobilized psychologically, emotionally and spiritually. Perhaps Zacchaeus was in such a state when he sought out Jesus ...

421. Jerusalem's Deliverance Foretold

2 Kings 19:1-37

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

To this point in the confrontation Hezekiah has been represented by proxy, through leading representatives within his circle of advisors. Now his personal response is detailed (19:1–4), and his impulse is to send a message to the prophet Isaiah—who makes his first appearance in the text at this point. Earlier we are told that Hezekiah “trusted” the Lord (18:5); the practical ramification is that he is willing to call on the prophet here rather than make an arrest ( ...

422. An Angry God and an Awful Tragedy

Lamentations 2:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... NIV “fierce anger,” 2:3). Of the five different words for “anger” here, several have to do with heat and fire; they denote an intense emotional disturbance. God’s anger may be viewed as the expression of his justice, for here is not an impulsive emotional outburst, but a follow-through on a threat. By his anger God protects what he loves: justice. God’s anger is against evil. The effects of God’s wrathful action are pictured in different ways. Overall, Israel has toppled from the splendor of ...

423. Jesus the Bread of Life

John 6:25-59

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... and unveil the sign, for the signs are revelatory. Like the woman needing water (4:7), these people need imperishable food supplying eternal life (6:27; 4:14). For this food alone they must labor. What then is labor? Faith in Christ (6:29). But the human impulse is to demand evidence so compelling that we must believe. If Jesus is making personal claims on the order of Moses, then his sign must exceed that of Moses (6:30). In John 6:31 Jesus’s response is an intricate Jewish commentary (midrash) based on ...

424. Life through the Spirit

Romans 8:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... existence in which death was the inevitable result (8:13a). Since they have been transferred to the gracious dominion of Jesus Christ, who has given them the Spirit of God, who is holy, they will and they can and they must resist and extirpate the sinful impulses of the body, with the result that they will obtain eternal life (8:13b). The battle against temptation and sin is the responsibility of the believer, while the reason for the victorious outcome is the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul explains in 8:14 ...

425. Trials and Temptation

James 1:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the door of each individual. And, as J. A. Bengel remarks, “Even the suggestions of the devil do not occasion danger, before they are made ‘our own’ ” (Bengel, 5:7). Shifting his imagery, James traces the terrible process by which temptation becomes spiritual death: the impulse to sin, alive in all of us, conceives sin when we succumb to temptation; if we do nothing to cut off the growth and maturation of sin, death is the inevitable result (1:15). After issuing a warning not to be deceived (1:16 ...

Showing results