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 4376 to 4400 of 4455 results

4376. Turning Up the Pressure

Job 2:1-13

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

Big Idea: Despite increased adversity, Job reasserts his complete commitment to the sovereign Lord. Understanding the Text Job 2 completes the prologue, which sets the scene for a thorough discussion of a godly response to adversity. Much of the language of 1:6–22 is repeated and intensified in 2:1–10, as the writer uses the technique of repetition with variation to build suspense and interest. When Yahweh’s words in 2:3 are compared to his earlier description of Job in 1:8, it is evident that the first ...

4377. “You Will Fill Me with Joy in Your Presence”

Psalm 16:1-11

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: The unity of our life in God involves both the journey and the destination. Understanding the Text In literary form, Psalm 16 is an individual psalm of trust.1 Nowhere in the psalm does God speak, nor do we hear other voices in the psalm—no enemies, no oppressed cries, no accusers. The psalmist is alone with God, and the intimacy of his relationship permeates the poem. Psalm 16 represents a plateau in progression from the dismissive fool of Psalm 14, who says there is no God, to the searching ...

4378. “Do Not Drag Me Away with the Wicked”

Psalm 28:1-9

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: The menaces of leadership are myriad, sometimes posed by cordial faces with malicious intentions, and we pray that God will be the real Shepherd. Understanding the Text Gunkel lists Psalm 28 among the individual complaint songs, the genre that, in his view, forms the basic material of the Psalter.[1] Gerstenberger, based on the elements of petition, thanksgiving, and intercession, agrees and considers this psalm a model representative of the individual complaint psalm,[2] commonly referred to as ...

4379. The Greatest Gift

Luke 2:1-20

Sermon

King Duncan

It was in the middle of the busy Christmas shopping season. A man was in court charged with parking in a restricted area. The judge asked him if he had anything to say in his defense. “They shouldn’t put up such misleading notices,” said the man. “There was a sign. It said ‘FINE FOR PARKING HERE.’” Well, I can see how he might be misled. I doubt that few of us would make that mistake. But misunderstandings do take place. For example, there is much about the Christian faith that people misunderstand. And ...

4380. Abraham’s Test

Genesis 22:1-24

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Sometime later God tests Abraham. It is not clear how much later, but Isaac is old enough to carry wood for a fire and carry on an intelligent conversation with his father. For the first time the verb (but not the idea) “test” occurs in the Bible. As early as chapter 12 God tested Abraham when he told him to leave Ur with his family, and Abraham went out not knowing “where he was going” (Heb. 11:8). As a matter of fact, Abraham’s life begins and ends, as far as divine speech goes, with two imperatives: “ ...

4381. Sin and Punishment

Jeremiah 8:4--9:26

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

8:4–10:25 Review · Treachery, trouble, and tears:“Oh, that . . . my eyes [were] a fountain of tears!” (9:1). It is from such expressions in this section that Jeremiah has been called the weeping prophet. The prophet aches for his people. Trouble will be everywhere, and it will be terrible. Crops will fail; fields and properties will be taken over by strangers; and the dreaded foe from the north will be on the way. Things will never be the same. And the reason is that God’s people have forsaken God’s law (8 ...

4382. Accepting Responsibility

Ezekiel 33:1-20, Ezekiel 33:21-33

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Restoration and Renewal (33:1–39:29): The first part of chapter 33 takes up verses 1–20. With its emphasis on Ezekiel as a watchman, the importance of one’s present situation rather than the past, and individual responsibility, there are reverberations of Ezekiel 3:17–19 and 18:1–32. In 33:2 God tells Ezekiel to speak to his countrymen, indicating that what follows is an object lesson about the usefulness of a sentry to the townspeople. Those who hear the sound of the trumpet but choose to ignore it do so ...

4383. Jesus Comforts the Sisters

John 11:17-37

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

It is a tribute to John’s interest in historical detail that he mentions how long Lazarus has been dead (11:17, 39) and the exact location of Bethany. Because the ancient world did not have precise methods to monitor death or coma, most rabbis held theories about the impossibility of resuscitation after three or four days of death. Our story is making one point: Lazarus was fully dead by anyone’s standards, and the miracle (11:43–44) involves resurrection, not resuscitation. When Jesus enters the hill ...

4384. God’s Sovereign Choice

Romans 9:1-29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

9:1–11:36 Review · The reality of justification by faith in salvation history: In the third main section of his letter, Paul explains the reality of justification by faith in salvation history, raising the question of Israel’s rejection of the gospel. As the Jews have rejected the gospel, has God then rejected Israel (cf. Rom. 11:1)? After he emphasizes his intense concern for the salvation of the Jews (9:1–5), Paul first shows that the suggestion that the Jews’ unbelief proves that God has failed to keep ...

4385. An Appeal for Full Response to the Collection

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Having expressed renewed confidence in the Corinthian church, Paul now proceeds to a further appeal concerning “service to the Lord’s people” (8:4). The service the apostle has in mind involves the collection of an offering intended to supply the “needs of God’s people” and to be a manifest “expression of thanks to God” (9:12). There seems no doubt that this is the same gift for Jerusalem that was first mentioned in 1 Corinthians 16:3 (see also Rom. 15:26–27). Obviously, in the period between the writing ...

4386. An Appeal to the Galatians

Galatians 4:8-20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

4:8–11 · An appeal to maturity: Appealing specifically to the Galatian Gentiles, Paul reminds them of their former enslavement to polytheism. He confronts them also with the inappropriateness of turning toward any other religious expressions designed to add to the saving work of Christ. His purpose seems to be to point out that whether they embrace Gentile religious notions or the ancient and holy traditions of Judaism, all of them are “weak and miserable forces [stoicheia; NIV note: “principles”]” (4:9; ...

4387. Warning against Unbelief

Hebrews 3:7-19

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The warning of Hebrews 3:6 that membership in God’s household is suspended on a living and persevering faith introduces a long exhortatory section (3:7–4:13) in which the danger of apostasy and the necessity of an enduring faith are illustrated from the history of Israel. In 3:7–11, the author cites the warning of Psalm 95:7–11 as the living and active word of God (Heb. 4:12) demanding to be heard and obeyed now as then. It is introduced as the word of the Holy Spirit, though later it is ascribed to David ...

4388. Are You Sorry Enough to Wash Your Face?

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

For Christians around the world, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. It was the practice among early Roman Christians for penitents to begin their period of public penance on the first day of Lent. They were sprinkled with ashes, dressed in sackcloth, and obliged to remain away from fellowship with other people until they reconciled with fellow Christians on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday and three days before Easter, the day of resurrection. Ash Wednesday is ultimately about one of the ...

4389. Captains or Parties

Matthew 21:33-46

Sermon

Kristin Borsgard Wee

My father was not a particularly pessimistic person, but I remember one conversation we had that sure sounded like he was. I was a teenager and thinking out loud about what I might like to do with my life. My father was being the realist. I said maybe I would like to be a doctor. He said it took eight years of education after high school and we didn't have the money. I said, well maybe I will be a missionary to Africa. He said I would die from some awful, rare disease. Then I said I might like to be a ...

4390. Jesus and Beelzebub

Mark 3:20-30

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

3:20–30 Although this passage is separated from the following passage (3:31–35) in the NIV, the two really must be read together, for we appear to have here the first example of a narrative technique used frequently in Mark: beginning one story and then inserting another before bringing the first to a conclusion. Here, Mark begins telling us about the family of Jesus in 3:21 (see note), interrupts this story by telling us about Jesus’ conflict with certain critics over his exorcisms in 3:22–30, and returns ...

4391. Warnings and Encouragements

Luke 12:1-12

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

Luke 12 may be divided into 11 brief units, all of which provide lessons for the disciples: (1) a warning against hypocrisy (vv. 1–3); (2) a saying concerning whom to fear (vv. 4–7); (3) confessing Jesus (vv. 8–12); (4) the Parable of the Rich Fool (vv. 13–21); (5) sayings on the need to trust God (vv. 22–31); (6) a saying concerning riches (vv. 32–34); (7) an exhortation to watch and wait (vv. 35–40); (8) the Parable of the Faithful Servant (vv. 41–48); (9) a saying on family division (vv. 49–53); (10) a ...

4392. Sin, Faith, Duty

Luke 17:1-10

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

This section consists of five units tied loosely together by the theme of faith: (1) a warning against causing someone to stumble (vv. 1–3a); (2) a saying on forgiveness (vv. 3b–4); (3) a saying on faith (vv. 5–6); (4) a saying on duty (vv. 7–10); and (5) the cleansing of ten lepers (vv. 11–19). The idea of faith is seen most clearly in the third and fifth units (vv. 5, 6, 19). However, when the concept is broadened in terms of faithfulness it becomes more apparent that the idea of faith runs throughout ...

4393. Warnings from Israel's History

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

Having raised the serious, frightening prospect of disqualification at the end of chapter 9, Paul moves immediately to deliver a midrash on the exodus that is laced with scriptural allusions. The introduction of the story of the exodus wanderings of the Israelites in the wilderness may seem peculiar, but the development is logical; for as Paul used himself and the apostles as a personal lesson on Christian rights and responsibilities in chapter 9, and as he drew images from the athletic games to illustrate ...

4394. The New Jerusalem

Revelation 21:1-27

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

John’s final, most detailed and most important vision of Christ’s parousia is of a new heaven and a new earth, the Holy City, and the new Jerusalem where the dwelling of God is with men and the old order of things has passed away. Following the return of the Lamb, after his last battle and millennial reign, after the destruction of Satan, of his evil kingdom, and finally of death itself, the vision of the eschatological city of God “may be viewed as the climax not only of the book of Revelation, but of the ...

4395. The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

2 Samuel 6:1-23

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

The Ark Comes to Jerusalem: 6:1–5 The story begins at Baalah of Judah, where the ark had been kept since its recovery from the Philistines twenty years before. To take a party of thirty thousand men for a ceremonial duty sounds excessive, and the accuracy of the text has been seriously questioned. It is possible that the “thousand” refers to a military grouping (cf. additional note on 1 Sam. 4:10). However, Baalah, although Judean territory, was still within the range of Philistine influence. Thus, by ...

4396. The Lord Speaks

Job 38:1--41:34

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

God’s Appearance and Examination of Job Excursus: It should be clear from the outset that the fact God that appears in response to Job’s plea for a meeting immediately puts the lie to any claims to the contrary that Elihu and the other friends have made. God does appear in response to Job. His very appearance, therefore, proves Elihu’s earlier claim false—that God will not respond to Job because he has already spoken his final word of judgment in Job’s suffering. Deciding how to characterize this divine ...

4397. A Mother's Request

Matthew 20:20-28

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

The Last Who Are First: It is important to note the close tie between chapter 20 and the verse that precedes it. The saying about the first who will be last and the last who will be first (19:30) is repeated at the end of the first section of chapter 20 (v. 16). This Semitic device is called inclusio, and because the order is inverted it is also an example of chiasmus (for other examples compare 7:16 with 7:20, and 24:42 with 25:13). Chapter 20 also begins with the Greek conjunction gar, which emphasizes ...

4398. Jesus Sentenced to be Crucified

John 19:1-16, John 18:28-40

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

The sentencing of Jesus to death takes place within the framework of a series of exchanges between the Roman governor Pilate and the Jewish religious authorities. The time is from early morning (18:28) to noon (19:14) of the day after Jesus’ arrest. The structure of the narrative is determined by the fact that the Jewish authorities, for reasons of ritual purity, would not go inside the palace that served as Pilate’s headquarters (v. 28). Contact with the dwelling of a Gentile—even a temporary dwelling, ...

4399. Jehoiakim King of Judah

2 Kings 23:36--24:7

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

The End of Judah: Josiah, like Ahab, humbled himself before the LORD, and judgment, as in Ahab’s case, did not fall during Josiah’s reign. The implication of the analogy is that we may expect it to fall during the reign of Josiah’s son (cf. 1 Kgs. 21:28–29). This is exactly what we find now, as the story of Kings comes to its end. It is not, however, the first of Josiah’s sons to sit on his throne (Jehoahaz) who experiences the full force of God’s wrath (cf. 1 Kgs. 22:51–2 Kgs. 1:18), or even the second, ...

4400. Jehoiachin King of Judah

2 Kings 24:8-17

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

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