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 4451 to 4475 of 4952 results

4451. Abraham Tested

Genesis 22:1-19

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... his donkey. Then he instructed two servants and Isaac to get ready for a trip. The author intentionally inverted the order of these persons by mentioning the servants before Isaac, the beloved son, to signal further the stress Abraham felt. His troubled thoughts at offering up his beloved son chafed against his inclination to obey God. Next Abraham cut . . . wood for the burnt offering. This detail indicates Abraham’s anticipation that the region to which he was going had little wood. By not delegating ...

4452. Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

Genesis 28:10-22

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... to Jacob as Yahweh, the God of his father Abraham and the God of Isaac. God grounded this self-identification in relationship to those who had followed him, not in terms of this place’s being holy. In the view of the ancients, places where God was thought to have appeared provided direct access to the heavenly realm. Rebekah most likely went to such a place in order to receive a word from God as to why the children in her womb were struggling so fiercely (25:22). People came and lingered at these places ...

4453. Jacob’s Children

Genesis 29:31--30:24

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... :31–35 When Yahweh saw that Leah was not loved as much as Rachel, he allows her to conceive. The phrase “God saw” means that, having observed Leah’s deplorable position in the family, God acted to comfort her. In those days fertility and infertility were thought to be caused by God. God blessed Leah, and she gave birth to Jacob’s first four sons (20:17–18). God was fulfilling the promise to Abraham of numerous offspring (12:2–3). Leah named her first son Reuben, meaning “see, a son.” With ...

4454. Do Not Forget the Lord

Deuteronomy 8:1-20

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... :12) or for educational purposes, as here (cf. Ps. 119:71, 75). As a response to their rebellion at Kadesh Barnea, the wilderness was indeed punishment. But as a place of learning, it was an ideal classroom. The irony is that in that very classroom the Israelites thought they were testing God (cf. 6:16 and commentary), whereas in fact it was the other way around; it was God who was testing them. The meaning of test is the same in both cases. It does not mean to tempt someone into doing something they would ...

4455. Offerings for Priests and Levites

Deuteronomy 18:1-8

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... ; 6:6), and that it was this priestly income from sacrifices that the priests refused to donate for the temple repairs (2 Kgs. 12:16; L. S. Wright, “MKR”). It is no longer thought probable that vv. 6–8 are connected with Josiah’s program of destroying the rural sanctuaries and centralizing worship. It used to be thought that this law permits the redundant priests of those sanctuaries to come to Jerusalem, but they did not do so (2 Kgs. 23:9). However, the Deuteronomic text speaks of Levites in their ...

4456. Renewal of the Covenant

Deuteronomy 29:1-29

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... properly to God. There is furthermore the clear word of 5:28f. in which God welcomes Israel’s declaration of intent and fervently wishes it could always be true. Nor can the verse mean that somehow Israel was incapable of trust and obedience. Such a thought is faced and decisively rejected in this very speech (30:11–14). The urgent appeal of 30:15–20 would be a cynical charade if God had somehow decreed in advance that Israel could not respond to it. It seems, therefore, that this phrase reflects ...

4457. Solomon's Adversaries

1 Kings 11:14-25

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... that leads to the dispersion of the early church from Jerusalem and from the temple (with its Solomonic “Colonnade,” Acts 3:11; 5:12) where they had continued to worship. “The Most High does not live in houses made by men,” he affirms, and other NT writers develop the thought, describing the church (or the individual believer as part of the church) as the temple of God (e.g., 1 Cor. 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:19–22), a temple that is “not made by man” (cf. Mark 14:58; John 2:18–22) but is ...

4458. Elijah and Obadiah

1 Kings 18:1-15

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... in 1 Kgs. 18 is: which of these claims about control over “fire” is true? The false god in this story will be unable to deliver; although it is interesting that this is not the case in Rev. 13:13, which echoes this verse. 18:27 Deep in thought, or busy, or travelling . . . sleeping: A real god, of course, would be able to respond to shouts, no matter what he was doing. But he would be most unlikely in any event to be travelling or busy (i.e., attending to bodily functions, relieving himself), much less ...

4459. Famine in Besieged Samaria

2 Kings 6:24-7:2

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... Supernaturally deceived into thinking that they are faced with a mercenary army, the Arameans flee from the field, abandoning their possessions where they lie (v. 7). The lepers simply walk into their camp as unwitting victors. Their first thought is for themselves (v. 8), but their second thought is more noble—or is, at least, self-centered in a less damaging way. Mindful of the likelihood of punishment, whether human or divine, if they keep the good news to themselves until morning, they report to the ...

4460. Hezekiah’s Illness

Isaiah 38:1-22, Isaiah 39:1-8

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... response to a request from Hezekiah, but the request was a request to pray. Hezekiah knows how to respond to a threatening word from God as well as how to respond to a threatening political crisis (vv. 2–3). Like Abraham or Moses, he asks God to have second thoughts. Prayer assumes that knowing God’s will makes it possible to seek to get it changed. It also assumes that there ought to be a link between the lives we live and the destiny that unfolds for us. In the light of what we know of Hezekiah we may ...

4461. Comfort for God's People

Isaiah 40:1-31

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... . People who use icons and other images need to consider the significance of this point. And the great divine images of Babylon would reinforce the temptation to Judeans to want to use images—whether of Yahweh or of Babylonian gods, in worship. A moment’s thought, the Poet suggests, makes clear that they are a nonsense. 40:21–24 The Poet returns to the questions about Yahweh’s power as creator and applies them, in a more specific direction, to the rulers. In the last decade of Judah’s independent ...

4462. Jesus’ Baptism by John

Matthew 3:1-12, Matthew 3:13-17

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... 27), the Scriptures portray repentance as a returning to the God who already initiates relationship and restoration. As Søren Kierkegaard expressed God’s initiating work, When we awake in the morning and turn our thoughts to you—you are the first, you have loved us first. Even if I arise at daybreak and instantly turn my thoughts to you in prayer, you are too quick for me; you have loved me first.13 Preachers and teachers cannot emphasize enough the initiating work of God, with all of life to be lived ...

4463. Jesus’ Compassion and Authority to Feed and Heal

Matthew 15:21-28, Matthew 15:29-39

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... to a Gentile (15:24, 26), as in 8:5–7 (see comments there). The problem with importing such motives is that the text gives no particular clues for doing so. This fits the practices of ancient characterization, which tended to avoid providing the thoughts and motives of its characters. 15:24 I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. The scope of Jesus’ ministry has been indicated from the start as focusing on Israel: “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues” (4:23). Jesus ...

4464. The Rejection of Jesus in His Own Hometown

Mark 6:1-6

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... the hills not too far from Mount Tabor. In 3:21 his family had made the same trip in reverse, but to take him home because they thought he had lost his mind. Now he does make that trip, but to minister rather than rest. Since it is the Sabbath, Rabbi Jesus begins to teach ... local men and remained in Nazareth while the rest of his family moved to Capernaum to live with him.1Some have thought that these brothers and sisters were sons of Joseph from an earlier marriage or perhaps cousins (often in support of a ...

4465. Realizing the True Nature of Jesus the Christ

Mark 8:27-30

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... he can be the royal Messiah. Peter had become a tool of Satan, trying to distract Jesus from his true purpose. Teaching the Text 1. The world is ignorant regarding Jesus. The leaders considered Jesus to be a false prophet, although the common people thought that he might indeed be God’s prophet. While people later tried to make Jesus their version of a conquering messiah (Mark 11:9–10), they remained ignorant and in unbelief (John 12:37–41). Worldly minded people will always fail to recognize Jesus ...

4466. The Path of Discipleship

Mark 8:31--9:1

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... the gospel. 8:36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Jesus says what is at stake in the choice stated in verse 35. We are dealing with temporary benefits versus eternal loss. This same truth is stated frequently in Jewish thought (Ps. 49:7–9; Eccles. 1:3; 2 Bar. 51:15). To live only for earthly benefits is to waste your life. One can be a billionaire, have all the world’s goods at one’s fingertips, and in the end have nothing. Death is the great equalizer ...

4467. Prophetic Actions—The Temple Condemned and the Fig Tree Cursed

Mark 11:12-19

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... . The largest part (twenty-five acres) was the court of the Gentiles, and it contained a covered portico built around marble columns thirty-five feet high. This is where the action takes place. began driving out those who were buying and selling there. Some have thought that Jesus wanted to reform the temple, to purify it and return it to a proper worship of God. There is no hint of this here. This is not the cleansing of the temple but rather its condemnation. It is the third consecutive prophetic acted ...

4468. Jesus Claims God-Given Authority to Condemn the Leaders

Mark 12:1-12, Mark 11:27-33

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... killed. 12:7 let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours. The desire to take over the property on the death of the heir could recall Ahab gaining possession of Naboth’s vineyard after Jezebel had him killed (1 Kings 21). Some reason that the farmers thought that the owner had died and left it to the son (so killing him would give the deed to them), others that if both son and father were dead, the property would go to the residents on the land, still others that the owner would finally give up ...

4469. Testing in the Wilderness

Luke 4:1-13

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... experiences while Jesus was still in the wilderness (cf. Ezekiel’s “visit” to Jerusalem while still in Babylon [Ezek. 8–11]), from which he will return to Galilee in 4:14. We have noted at 1:80 how significant the wilderness was in Jewish thought as a place of meeting with God and of new beginnings. This ideology derived from Israel’s forty years in the wilderness, where they were formed into a nation under God. In Deuteronomy 6–8 Moses reminded Israel of the lessons that they had learned ...

4470. Jesus and Women

Luke 7:36--8:3

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... of privilege and respectability. In particular, this story (7:36–50) together with the following verses (8:1–3) shows that Jesus valued women as much as men, and that women were coming to play a more significant role in his movement than the reader might have thought from the choice of twelve male disciples in 6:13–16. Outline/Structure The other three Gospels (Matt. 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9; John 12:1–8) tell of a woman who anointed Jesus at Bethany on his final visit to Jerusalem; John identifies ...

4471. Rejecting or Responding to Jesus

Luke 10:1-24

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... realization of the immense field and of the inadequacy of Christian effort, which vision will culminate in prayer for more toilers to be ‘sent forth.’” Further, he says that the seventy-two returned with “a childish, surprised joy, and almost seem to have thought that Jesus would be as much astonished and excited as they were with the proof of the power of His name.” Maclaren notes that “the contest between the personal Source of evil and Jesus was fought out by the principals, not by their ...

4472. Negative Responses to Jesus

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

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... “Beelzebul” as an appellation for Satan appears in the Synoptic Gospels as well as in the pseudepigraphic Testament of Solomon (first to third century AD?), where he is referred to as the “ruler of demons” (3:1–6; 4:2; 6:1–8). In biblical thought Satan is a malevolent power, but never on a level of authority equal to God. Interpretive Insights 11:14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. The focus of attention in this passage is not on the actual exorcism but rather on the controversy ...

4473. Divided Loyalties

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

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... of the Spirit promised in 3:16 (and cf. 11:13). 12:14 who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you? The man (presumably the younger of two brothers) apparently was looking for a legal ruling or sanction relating to his father’s will, and he thought that this “teacher” (rabbi) would be the ideal person to give it. We are not told whether he had a good case, but in any event, Jesus has a very different understanding of his own role. 12:15 Be on your guard against all kinds of greed. This ...

4474. Interpreting the Times

Luke 12:54-59, Luke 12:49-53, Luke 12:35-48

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... to the values and goals of the world. If taught separately, the following themes may be pursued: 1. 12:35–48 (including the last section of the previous passage). Consider the relationship between master and slave in a wealthy household, and reflect on why Jesus thought it suitable as a model for teaching about his return. Pick up the issues suggested in regard to 12:35–40 in the previous section, particularly the issue of what it means to “be ready.” It might be helpful to think about how such ...

4475. The Coming of the Kingdom of God

Luke 17:20-37

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... day of the Son of Man. Theological Insights This is a remarkable section, found only in Luke. If, as the comments above have assumed, there is a deliberate link between the address to the Pharisees in 17:20–21 and that to the disciples in 17:22–37 the thought moves from the kingdom of God (already a present reality) to the future “day(s) of the Son of Man.” The implication seems to be that there is a continuity between the two, and that therefore the future authority of the Son of Man (Jesus) is the ...

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