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 476 to 500 of 635 results

476. Not Because of Israel's Righteousness

Deuteronomy 9:1-6

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... moral self-congratulation as the rewards of economic labor is likely to produce imagined self-sufficiency (8:17). There is a regular concern in these chapters for what people say to themselves (cf. 7:17; 8:17; 15:9). So Moses, with characteristically sharp instincts, envisages what will be said when the campaign dust settles. At a primary theological level, these verses reinforce the point made already in many ways that Israel owed all they were and all they possessed to the grace and gift of God, and not ...

477. Going to War

Deuteronomy 20:1-20

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... and failenness of human life that love for neighbor has to operate. And Deuteronomy is well aware that sometimes the priority is to work for the humane within the inhumane, to mitigate the worst effects of human sin, to control the worst human instincts, to protect the interests of those most vulnerable in contexts of brokenness (cf. its laws on polygamy, slavery, and divorce). Seen from this perspective on the one hand, and in the light of the horrors and extremes of cruelty in ancient warfare on ...

478. Solomon's Throne Established

1 Kings 2:13-46

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... beside the altar, Solomon himself is guilty of breaking the law. Exodus 21:12–14 quite clearly states that a murderer is to be taken away from the altar and put to death, and Benaiah certainly seems to be aware of this (cf. his instinctive interpretation of Solomon’s first command in v. 29 as implying execution outside the sanctuary, v. 30). Solomon’s willingness to ignore the letter of the law when it suits him only throws into sharper relief his vindictive treatment of Shimei in 2:36ff., where ...

479. Elijah Fed by Ravens

1 Kings 17:1-6

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... ? Yet the word of the LORD has come to pass once already (vv. 2–4), against all natural odds, and Elijah is certainly prepared to trust it a second time (vv. 8–9). He persuades the woman to take a mighty step of faith to join him. Against all parental instinct, she is to feed him first (v. 13), before her son. She does so (v. 15), and she and her son are blessed (cf. Matt. 10:41) as she discovers that Elijah’s God is alive and gives life. There was food every day for Elijah and for the woman ...

480. The Song of the Vineyard

Isaiah 5:1-7

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... . Is the woman not free to resist this man’s pressing advances? What is the wife’s side of the story? And is there more to this song than meets the ear? Or does the average man who has been disappointed in love identify closely with the instinct for violent vengeance expressed in the declarations of excessive intent in verses 5–6? Who can issue commands to the rain clouds? What is going on? All becomes clear in verse 7. The song was one about the relationship between Yahweh and Israel/Judah. To the ...

481. Isaiah’s Commission

Isaiah 6:1-13

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... lips (e.g., 1:15, 23; 2:6; 3:8; 5:19, 20, 24). In the context of worship, the first of these (1:15) would have been especially relevant. Whichever it is, Isaiah finds that a vision of the holy God shuts the mouth. 6:6–7 Isaiah’s instinct to infer that holiness will be the end of him turns out to be mistaken. He also learns that holiness can mean forgiveness. In keeping with his stress on fire as a means of judging/purging (1:25; 4:4), a coal from the incense altar touches the part of ...

482. A Prophecy Against Babylon

Isaiah 13:1--14:23

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... ; Yahweh’s agent is neither Assyria nor Babylon. The description of the Medes is not designed to commend them. Indeed, lack of compassion is one of the reasons for Babylon’s own downfall (47:6). As with the Assyrians, their relentlessly aggressive instincts will be harnessed to Yahweh’s purpose. They are not merely interested in booty (v. 17). They enjoy fighting and killing itself. Verse 19 at last names the Medes’ victim. The city of Babylon is a particular embodiment of that human achievement ...

483. Judgment Against the Nations

Isaiah 34:1-17

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... this judgment as their deliverance. That becomes explicit in verse 8. Vengeance (judicial recompense; see on 1:24) and retribution indicate the conviction that there is some justice to be sorted out with Edom. And to uphold Zion’s cause implies not the instinct to support my country, right or wrong, but rather the conviction that Zion is in the right. Inside this bracket, however, the “total destruction” of Edom again indicates that through this event Edom is being totally handed over to God (see on v ...

484. The Glory of Zion

Isaiah 60:1-22

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... implications). The parallelism with glory also indicates that here “light” implies supernaturally dazzling brightness. The prophet pictures such a brightness dawning over Jerusalem that contrasts with the night gloom that characterizes the rest of the world. Peoples are thus instinctively drawn to this light that contrasts with the darkness around. The prophet does not tell us what will constitute this bright light except by saying it is Yahweh’s presence. As in chapter 53, we are left with the ...

485. Jesus Is Tested in Gethsemane

Mark 14:32-42

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... Lord and trust that it will indeed “work for good” (Rom. 8:28). (4) We must determine never to fall asleep spiritually but instead to remain vigilant in every area of our lives. (5) All of us have a “weak flesh” and easily give in to our baser instincts; it is essential that we depend on the strength of Christ at all times. Teaching the Text 1. To pray is to surrender to God’s will. In Jesus’s Gethsemane prayer we discover the true meaning of all intercession. As Paul says in Romans 8:26–28 ...

486. The First Disciples

Luke 5:1-11

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... record when it was given (cf. Matt. 16:18; John 1:42), and so he is free to add the better-known name “Peter” at this early stage. Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man! Like the demon in the synagogue (4:34), Simon instinctively recognizes Jesus as holy. The demon felt threatened, and so did Simon. But whereas for the demon Jesus represented a dangerous enemy, what Simon displays is the natural discomfort of an ordinary laborer in the presence of supernatural power. 5:10 James and John, the sons ...

487. Lord of the Sabbath and Appointing the Twelve

Luke 6:12-16, Luke 6:1-11

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... position in society, and more particularly from their formal training and the respected tradition to which they belonged. Jesus’s authority was personal, because of who he was. It was the authority of a charismatic teacher to whom people responded instinctively and also the unique authority of the Son of Man. Consider the extraordinary authority implicit in Jesus’s words. God alone established the Sabbath command. Yet Jesus identifies himself as “Lord of the Sabbath” (6:5). This same remarkable ...

488. Jesus’s Fallible Followers

Luke 9:51-56, Luke 9:46-50, Luke 9:37-45

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... follows in 9:49–50. 9:49 someone driving out demons in your name . . . not one of us. Compare Acts 19:13. Jesus’s reputation as an exorcist tempted other Jewish exorcists (see 11:19) to try to “get in on the act.”1John’s instinct was to protect the distinctiveness of the Jesus “brand,” but this too was a worldly motivation, defending the group’s own interests. Is John’s attitude also perhaps motivated by jealousy over this man’s success as compared with the disciples’ failure (9:40 ...

489. Table Talk

Luke 14:1-14

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... use their 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 ...

490. God and Mammon

Luke 16:16-18, Luke 16:1-15

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... literally “sons”; the Qumran community described themselves as the “sons of light” as opposed to the “sons of darkness.” True disciples may have something to learn from worldly common sense, in this case the manager’s canny instinct for self-preservation, however much they must distance themselves from the world’s basic values. 16:9 use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves. “Worldly wealth” is literally “the mammon [Aramaic for ‘possessions’] of unrighteousness” (cf ...

491. Getting Ready for the Passover

Luke 22:7-38, Luke 22:1-6

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... ) about a family that escapes the Nazi takeover of Austria before WWII, there is a scene in which a young Austrian, Rolf, who has been courting the oldest von Trapp daughter, Liesl, surrenders to the seduction of the Nazi message and, against his better instincts, betrays the family. They have taken refuge on the roof of a convent when the soldiers, including Rolf, come after them. All goes well until Liesl gasps upon seeing him, and Rolf hears her and decides to show his power. Captain von Trapp appeals ...

492. Turning Up the Pressure

Job 2:1-13

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... are Job’s intellectual peers as wisdom teachers. However, their primary intent in meeting with Job is not scholarly but pastoral, for they come to sympathize with him so that they can bring comfort to him. 2:13 No one said a word to him. The initial instincts of the friends are on the mark. Realizing that words cannot explain Job’s tragic situation, they choose to identify with Job in his pain as they sit with him for seven days, their silence likely a part of their mourning for Job. Only after Job ...

493. Zophar Rejects Job’s Complaints

Job 11:1-20

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... –6). He praises God’s unlimited wisdom, implying Job’s foolishness by comparison (11:7–12). If Job would just repent, then God would restore him to blessing (11:13–20). Like Bildad, Zophar is an abstract theologian who has little pastoral instinct. He misconstrues Job’s problem, so he makes an erroneous prescription to him. Historical and Cultural Background In 11:13 Zophar encourages Job to stretch out his hands to God. In ancient Near Eastern art, praying worshipers are often portrayed raising ...

494. Elihu Makes His Appearance

Job 32:1--37:24

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... hopeful for Job than the friends are, because he holds out the prospect of restoration for Job. He realizes that one of the most important functions of a comforter is to restore hope to one who is tempted to give up. Elihu’s instinct in this is right, even though he does not fully understand Job’s problem. Illustrating the Text Those who counsel others need to understand the situation before they speak. Psychology: Escape from Loneliness, by Paul Tournier. Tournier (1898–1986) was a Swiss physician ...

495. Claiming Hope

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

James L. Killen

... ." Again, Bill felt himself being drawn toward the depths of anger, despair, and hopelessness. Bill was human. He spent some time dealing with those bitter experiences. Eventually, he again chose to take hold of hope. He did a lot of talking to himself. Bill instinctively hoped that something would happen to change things, but he knew better than to count on that. He began to intentionally make the most of each day. He began to make the practical preparations for the end of his life. Drawing on his faith ...

496. Focusing on the Core of God’s Guidance

Deut 4:44–5:33

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... is an act of despising God, whose very being and nature is truth. Lying is always wrong, for God commands truth-telling (Ps. 27:12; 35:11; Prov. 6:19; 14:15). Commandment 10 (5:21). The sanctity of motive includes all thoughts, desires, and inner instincts that lead to the above nine actions. This command seeks a state of contentment for God’s men and women, for “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6). God announced these commandments, Moses says, in a “loud voice” (5:22) as the ...

497. Warning against the Adulteress

Proverbs 7:1-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... tryst without any fear of getting caught (7:19–20). Her mission is successful: “All at once he followed her” (7:22a). Instead of describing the anticipated sensual ecstasy, the description concludes with three animal similes (7:22b–23). Having yielded to his animal instincts, the youth is reduced to a doomed beast. He is as oblivious as an ox headed for slaughter, a stag stepping into a noose (following the Septuagint; NASB follows the Masoretic Text: “as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool ...

498. Sin and Punishment

Jeremiah 8:4--9:26

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... up. Those who find themselves on a wrong road turn around. Not so Israel (8:4–13). The word “turn” occurs five times in verses 4–5. Like horses with blinders, Israel stubbornly charges ahead. Israel has less sense than birds or animals, whose instinct at least returns them to their original place or owner. There are four other problems: (1) Pseudowisdom. Judah prides herself in the possession of the law, possibly a reference to the newly found law book (Deuteronomy?) in 621 under Josiah (2 Kings ...

499. Adoption: Removing the Barriers

Ephesians 2:11-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ” does not occur in 2:1–10, although redemption is its theme, so now the words “adoption” and “inheritance” do not appear in this text, but those themes predominate. One of the deepest yearnings of the human soul is to belong. We instinctively draw circles that include ourselves and exclude others, giving us coveted membership in a group others wish they belonged to. There can be no “inner ring,” in C. S. Lewis’s terms, unless there are despised outsiders. The Jewish nation, God’s ...

500. Denunciation of the Intruding Teachers

Judges 1:1-36

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... been a murderer in Egypt) and who left judgment to God (“The Lord rebuke you!”), these others, lacking the propriety of Michael, are like animals in that they do not understand what they slander. They are also like animals in that they follow their instincts, not realizing that these impulses will in the end destroy them. The reference to the Testament of Moses, then, gives way to the second group of three: Cain, Balaam, and Korah (v. 11). This woe oracle sounds like it was pulled out of Old Testament ...

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