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 501 to 525 of 655 results

501. “In the Lord I Take Refuge”

Psalm 11:1-7

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... said that lament is about some troublesome circumstance, which is often explicit in the poem but other times only a hint. In this psalm it is the latter. Some believe David’s problem that gave rise to his lament was conflict with his enemies, while others are inclined to think it was some type of sickness (“or I will sleep in death,” 13:3b). Psalm 12 dealt with the question of falsity’s claim to triumph over truth (12:2–4), while Psalm 13 modulates to the enemies’ claim of triumph over this man ...

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

Psalm 28:1-9

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... elements of petition, thanksgiving, and intercession, agrees and considers this psalm a model representative of the individual complaint psalm,[2] commonly referred to as the individual lament. Based on the individual nature of these psalms, Gunkel objects to the inclination of some scholars to interpret the “I” of the Psalms as corporate Israel.[3] The suppliant’s concern for his personal situation could not, however, be isolated from his concern for corporate Israel, evidenced in 28:9 by the shift ...

503. “Ascribe to the Lord the Glory Due His Name”

Psalm 29:1-11

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... The kingdom of God is thus a theocracy, and we have nothing to fear as subjects in that realm. So the psalmist declares: “The Lord is enthroned as King forever” (29:10b). On the other hand, a human-centered government brings with it the sinful inclinations of its citizens. Calvin’s experiment in Geneva sought to move this human community in the direction of a theocracy, although Calvin himself was well aware that such an earthly city could never rise to the level of the new Jerusalem. But it could be ...

504. “Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit”

Psalm 31:1-24

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... to gather. The military language of the psalm is what we have come to expect of David—that was his world. The images are similar to those of Psalm 18. Even when David was dealing with some personal crisis other than a military one, he was inclined to use military metaphors to describe it. In addition to the military language, the hunter’s language also enters the psalm in 31:4. The world of the psalmists would be incomplete if we did not recognize the widespread idolatry that was practiced in Israel and ...

505. “Blessed Is the One Whose Transgressions Are Forgiven”

Psalm 32:1-11

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... . 32:43; NIV: “Rejoice”). Theological Insights The modernity of the notion of sin and forgiveness in Psalm 32 is striking. The psychosomatic relationship between sin and suffering belongs to the timeless category of humanity, even though modern psychology has been more inclined to understand it. At the same time, it is a timeless phenomenon that the psalmists verbalized so well. Yet the Old Testament does not lack the disavowal of this connection, with Job posing the major objection. In the story of the ...

506. “May the Net They Hid Entangle Them”

Psalm 35:1-28

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... psalms, deals with the issue of divine justice in a bare-bones way. In one sense, it is an individual lament (Craigie), but in its total effect, it is more a prayer for deliverance (Wilson). The form critics, seeking the cultural context for such prayers, are inclined to view the psalm as a royal or national lament,[1] and based on verses 20 and 27, the speaker is assumed to be the king. This psalm belongs among the imprecations (“curses”) of the Psalter, and is one of the three psalms designated as the ...

507. “I Confess My Iniquity; I Am Troubled by My Sin”

Psalm 38:1-22

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... unit on Ps. 32). Teaching the Text We may begin our sermon/lesson by explaining what has brought on the psalmist’s remarks about discipline. He has become very sick and believes that his sins have caused his illness. Perhaps we are less inclined to enter this discussion enthusiastically, but it is undeniable that certain forms of behavior precipitate physical issues. Nor is this a modern discovery. Gregory the Great (sixth century AD) made this connection in his book A History of the Cure of Souls. While ...

508. “I Waited Patiently for the Lord; He Turned to Me and Heard My Cry”

Psalm 40:1-17

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... that the core of the Hebrew faith was the ethical demands of Yahweh, represented in the Torah by Deuteronomy 6:5; Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5; and Leviticus 19:18, to name only a few such texts. To reinforce their emphasis, the prophets were sometimes inclined to reduce the faith to its moral essence, in order to put another layer of argument on the ethical nature and the simplicity of Yahweh’s demands. That tendency, for example, is represented in the Saul story when he preempts the priestly function of ...

509. “God Is Our Refuge and Strength, an Ever-Present Help in Trouble”

Psalm 46:1-11

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... of God’s presence there and his association with Jerusalem (48; 76; 84; 87; 122). In fact, Psalm 46 belongs to a minicollection of psalms (46–49) that have their general focus on the sanctuary in Jerusalem or its worship. The psalmists are not inclined to quote from other portions of Scripture. In fact, this is a general observation that can be said of most genres of the Hebrew Bible. Yet, judging from their many allusions to the Torah, Prophets, and Writings, we conclude that the psalmists were steeped ...

510. “Create in Me a Pure Heart, O God, and Renew a Steadfast Spirit within Me”

Psalm 51:1-19

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... may not be in mind here—nor is it a doctrine in Judaism—David may be thinking of the sinful nature and sinful tendencies of humanity, from the very beginning of the biblical story. In truth, this affects human beings “at birth,” inclining them in the direction of sin.9 51:6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. “Faithfulness” (“truth,” ’emet) is parallel to “wisdom” (hokmah), and “womb” (lit., “the inner parts”) is parallel ...

511. “Cast Your Cares on the Lord and He Will Sustain You”

Psalm 55:1-23

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C. Hassell Bullock

... the NIV’s “from the battle waged against me” in the second colon is the proper sense. The Hebrew of the third colon is obscure. The NIV translates it: “even though many oppose me” (ESV: “for many are arrayed against me”). The Septuagint seems inclined toward the same sense, “for they were with me in many cases,” referencing the psalmist’s enemies. However, it could have the opposite meaning, and then it becomes a comment on God’s great rescue, as reflected in the NJPS: “He redeems me ...

512. “May All the Peoples Praise You”

Psalm 67:1-7

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... of people who are “religious” (an interesting term in itself) dropped from 73 percent in 2005 to 60 percent in 2012. The poll also found that 5 percent of Americans say they are atheists, which is up from 1 percent in 2005.12What is happening is a human inclination that is as old as Adam and Eve. It seeks to replace God with the human spirit. In one sense, we shouldn’t be surprised to see people trying to invent their own religion—that’s what humans have been doing since the beginning of time. Nor ...

513. “Even When I Am Old and Gray, Do Not Forsake Me, My God”

Psalm 71:1-24

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: When our strength ebbs with age, our spiritual inclination is to pray that God will not forsake us. Understanding the Text Psalm 71 has no title, evoking the idea that Psalms 70 and 71 might be viewed as a single unit. In view of their verbal affinities (see “Additional Insights: Corresponding Verbal and Thematic Connections in Psalms 69–72,” ...

514. Saul Kills the Priest of Nob

1 Samuel 22:6-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of supporters, Saul is worried about a conspiracy against his life (22:6–10). He knows that Jonathan is a close friend of David’s, and he is afraid that other high officials might have been tempted to defect to David’s side. If any are so inclined, Saul warns them that David is from the tribe of Judah and most of them are from Benjamin: will David give them high positions and valuable property if he becomes king? To prove his loyalty to Saul, Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s head shepherd, reports what he ...

515. Ministers of Baal Killed

2 Kings 10:18-36

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

If Jehu seemed deceptive in his letters, such inclinations are exponentially increased in the next scene (10:18–27). To be sure, there is no lack of drama in the episode: Jehu’s devious claim to worship Baal with great fervor, his threat that anyone who misses the event will be killed, everyone jammed into the temple literally “mouth ...

516. Epilogue

Job 42:7-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... remained the constant one: an innocent intercessor in the beginning, an innocent intercessor at the end (Guillaume and Schunck, 457), though, as we will see, one who has not understood the bigger picture. One can understand some translators’ and commentators’ inclinations to see the friends as having acted with nebalah, but one must embrace an unprecedented understanding of the idiom—not impossible, but probably not the most prudent given the data. When Job prays on behalf of the friends, God restores ...

517. Toil

Ecclesiastes 2:17-26

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , but note 2:11) until he explains his response. First, upon death, a potentially foolish heir will take control of all that Qoheleth has accrued through his efforts, wisdom, and skill. This heir has not contributed to its acquisition and, unfortunately, may have no inclination to steward it well (2:18b–21). Second, one’s work life is marked by pain and vexation (NIV “grief”), and even by sleepless nights (2:22–23). On the positive side (2:24–26), Qoheleth affirms that life, along with its daily ...

518. Correcting Cephas

Galatians 2:11-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 7–25), establishes the validity of the Mosaic law as a fundamental expression of the righteousness of God. Yet, too, the law displays itself as the accuser of persons (see Gal. 3:10–13) and the vehicle through which they recognize their own sin and sinful inclinations (Rom. 7:13–14). It is the works of law that are condemned by Paul (see Gal. 3:10) as insufficient. When opposing faith and law, Paul is indicating the difference between one’s acceptance of Christ’s death on his or her behalf and one ...

519. Leadership

1 Timothy 3:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... longer attractive to those who are genuinely qualified. Since those qualifications include being “not quarrelsome” and managing one’s own affairs rather than meddling in others’ for the sake of gain, the very people who are competent to serve have little inclination to be involved in the church’s leadership. Paul writes to encourage service to the Christian community at a time when prominent people in provincial cities are abandoning civic service for the sake of a quiet and undisturbed life. It ...

520. Warning against Unbelief

Hebrews 3:7-19

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... such as these. Further, many who claim to believe in fact do not. Some manifest the falseness of their faith by apostasy (1 John 2:19), while others remain undetected until the day of Christ (Matt. 7:21–23; 13:36–43). For a readership that was inclined to consider the life of Israel in the wilderness as a paradigm for their own (3:15–19), it was particularly necessary to emphasize that it was precisely that generation, the generation lifted out of Egypt on eagles’ wings, that was rejected by God for ...

521. Jesus Like Melchizedek

Hebrews 7:11-28

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... with two other such statements that figure prominently as the argument unfolds (8:7; 10:2). These clearly indicate that the readers of the letter, tempted to return to the comfortable paths of their former faith and associations, were inclined to precisely the opposite conclusions, namely, that perfection could come through the Levitical priesthood and that the sacrifices could make perfect those who offered them. The grammatical form of these statements favors the conclusion that the time reference is ...

522. The High Priest of a New Covenant

Hebrews 8:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... as the true principle of salvation. Now the author presents Jesus Christ as the guarantor of a better covenant (8:7–13). The argument now introduced in verse 7 parallels that of 7:11 and 10:2. Hebrews was written to a community inclined to regard the covenant life and experience of Israel, especially the wilderness period, as a paradigm for her own. These Jewish Christians were disposed to feel that they required nothing more than to duplicate the pattern of life with its outward forms established ...

523. The Hidden Spiritual House

1 Peter 2:4-12, 1 Peter 2:13-25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... though it is to pass away under the judgment of God. We know that God’s world is fallen, but we submit to his ordering of it, keen to testify by our lives to what is to come. Simply by doing good we might silence (literally “muzzle”) people inclined to revile us (2:15). Peter emphasizes this by the verbs he uses in verse 17. The proper attitudes are timely respect for all people (i.e., we are to take every opportunity to show honor to fellow men and women), love for fellow believers, fear of God (full ...

524. The Question of Sin and the Commandment to Love

1 John 1:5--2:14, 1 John 2:15-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , turns the use of “we” to others. “If we say . . .” (NASB, RSV) is a way of confronting the claims of others, either in his immediate audience or among those his audience are having to engage. In listing the claims of some, the inclinations of all are addressed. While some of these claims are challenged as false in and of themselves, other admirable claims are confronted if they are not also accompanied by congruent behaviors. The first citation of what some might be claiming fits within this ...

525. You Shall Be My Witness

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... a Christian; I, who had always regarded Christians with pitying disdain, must now confess to be one. I did so with shrinking pride and a curious mixture of emotions. Part of it was my not wanting my sophisticated friends and fellow academicians to know. I was half inclined to conceal my faith, to tell no one, and yet it seemed that if I were to take a stand for Christ as my Lord, I had to tell others.” [3] We must overcome our hesitancy to talk about hallowed things. The second reservation that we have ...

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