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 526 to 550 of 693 results

526. The Parable of the Careless Farmer

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

King Duncan

... penetrate our hard hearts? Are there rocks in the soil that keep the roots shallow so that it will not survive in the time of testing? Are there worldly thorns like love of material things which might choke the life out of our spiritual devotion? Or do we have receptive hearts prepared to go where God wants us to go? God wants to plant a seed in your life. Is the soil ready? “There’s a song in every silence, seeking word and melody; There’s a dawn in every darkness, bringing hope to you and me. From ...

527. An Invitation to a Wedding

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... : “Phil, Richard, Karen and Allison, and John, Matt and Steve request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their Mother and Father. Because they are combining two households, they already have at least two of everything. So please, no presents! Reception and garage sale immediately following the ceremony.” (1) There is no more hopeful event on earth than a wedding . . . at any age. Jesus loved weddings. His first miracle was at a wedding. On one occasion he referred to himself as a bridegroom ...

528. I'm Listening

1 Samuel 3:1--4:1

Sermon

King Duncan

... fresh takes on King's best sermons.] Original Name: I'm Listening New Name: The Power of Listening Legend has it that President Franklin D. Roosevelt got tired of smiling that big smile and saying the usual things at all those White House receptions. So, one evening he decided to find out whether anybody was paying attention to what he was saying. As each person came up to him with extended hand, he flashed that big smile and said, "I murdered my grandmother this morning." People would automatically ...

529. Get Out the Ticker Tape - Palm Sunday

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... Sunday that Jesus shows up.” Well, I’m confident that Jesus will show up today, even though we will not be able to welcome him with quite the excitement with which the crowd in Jerusalem welcomed him 2,000 years ago. Someone has compared the reception Jesus received to a ticker-tape parade in New York City honoring heroes and celebrities. Some of our young people might wonder what ticker-tape is. For those who may never have seen the stuff, ticker-tape refers to long, narrow strands of paper, with holes ...

530. When You Drop the Ball, What Next?

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to his hometown of Nazareth, this turning tide slapped him in the face. Mark’s gospel gives us another glimpse into a Sabbath synagogue service in Mark 6:1-6. Standing in the most familiar of home territory, preaching with power and authority, the reception Jesus receives in Nazareth is anything but accepting. Instead the hometown crowd kicks Jesus’ message out of bounds: “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his ...

531. Skull Hill

John 12:20-36

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... just to believe and offer your life to the master potter. For if you dry up and your clay becomes hard and brittle, no creative shaping of your life is possible. Sanctification is a life-long commitment to keeping your clay moist, staying receptive to God’s shaping and reshaping. Sanctification is an ongoing spinning on the wheel, acceptance of new pressures and possibilities. Your first commitment to God has already been made. You are justified, you have accepted your status as clay — as a life that ...

532. How God Looks at Marriage

Mark 10:2-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... to have a breakfast for the people who are coming from out of town,” her mother continued. “Two thousand,” her father countered. Her mother was just getting started. “We’ll need a photographer. Oh, and what colors do you want for the reception?” “Five thousand!” her father nearly shouted. Later, Mary, the bride-to-be, said. “We eloped to Spain.” (2) Phyllis Showers of San Diego, CA listened with interest as her two young children discussed marriage. Her son declared, “When I grow up, I ...

533. How to Get the Job Done

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... on to the next new opportunity. As the old saying has it: "If the horse is dead, get off." If people don't respond to the gospel, move on to those who do. If people, after repeated invitations, refuse to return to church, move on to those open and receptive to the gospel. "If the horse is dead, get off." Want to get the job done? Most of us do. Jesus, our Lord and master teacher, shows us how — delegate, discover, and dedicate yourself to the enormous tasks at hand. Jesus and politicians do have a lot in ...

534. Mary and Martha: Nine to Five and Five to Nine

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... Jesus. I mean the Marthas who have had the almost thankless task of cooking hundreds of church dinners, the Marthas who have taken thousands of casseroles to families in need, the Marthas who have baked ten million dozen chocolate chip cookies for one reception or another, the Marthas who are there when you need some envelopes stuffed, some rooms cleaned out, some nitty-gritty tasks done. Marthas who will do almost all the dirty work — except windows — for no one does windows these days! Yes, and after ...

535. An Extraordinary Wedding Gift

John 2:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... for the wedding. Some of the people who didn’t get invited got their feelings hurt, and the same number of those who were invited [sent in their] RSVP, but failed to show up. And in another case, people on the guest list didn’t bother to RSVP for the reception, but showed up anyway, assuming there would be enough food and drink for them. And there wasn’t. (1) We don’t know if that is what happened in the wedding that took place in our lesson for the day from John’s Gospel or not. A wedding was ...

536. Simon the Sorcerer

Acts 8:9-25

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... remains, Why were the apostles sent? There is no indication that the laying on of hands, much less of apostolic hands, was a necessary or even normal part of Christian initiation. Nor was it unusual for a period of time to elapse between baptism and the reception (experience) of the Spirit (cf. 9:17f.; 10:44; 1 Cor. 12:13). Nor have we any reason to think that the gift of the Spirit was administered exclusively by the apostles—or anyone else, for that matter. In fact, a careful examination of Acts shows ...

537. Peter at Cornelius’ House

Acts 10:23b-48

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... 9:17; 19:1ff.; see also note on 18:25). His coming was not dependent on public confession or on the lapse of time. It was not prayed for; nor did it follow baptism with water or the laying on of hands. The Spirit simply came as they listened with receptive hearts to what Peter was saying. When he spoke of the forgiveness of sins for everyone who believes in Jesus (v. 43), they must have believed. This agrees with Peter’s own account of the matter (11:17) and with the implied answer to Paul’s question in ...

538. Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos

Acts 18:18-28

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... the province of Asia. During this brief visit Paul went into the synagogue where he reasoned with the Jews (v. 19; see disc. on 9:20 and 17:2). The prohibition on his preaching in Asia was now apparently lifted (16:6), as indicated by his warm reception (v. 20). The Ephesian Jews must have already heard much about “the Way” and no doubt would like to have heard more. But Paul would not stay, promising instead that if God willed he would return (cf. 21:14; James 4:15). Considering their eagerness, there ...

539. Ashore on Malta

Acts 28:1-10

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... Sicilian Greeks to the Carthaginians and from them to the Romans. It was now ruled by a procurator, who may have been the Publius whom Luke mentions in verse 7. 28:2 Strangers landing among rustic folk such as these often met with a hostile reception. On this occasion, however, the survivors found themselves treated with unusual kindness. Rain and cold had added to their miseries, and the fire that the locals had lit for them was a most welcome sight. It is difficult to imagine all two hundred seventy-six ...

540. Accusations

2 Corinthians 1:12--2:4, 2 Corinthians 2:5-11

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... to prepare the way for his coming; for by changing his travel plans and writing a corrective letter instead (cf. 2:9; 7:8), Paul was merely delaying his trip to Corinth, not abandoning it altogether. He wanted to wait until the Corinthians were more receptive to him, so that his reunion with them would be an occasion for joy rather than sorrow. Remarkably, Paul expresses his confidence in all of the Corinthians, even the ones who are currently defecting from him and siding with the opponents. Such is his ...

541. Identification and a Wish for Grace and Peace

Galatians 1:1-10

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

... opens the main body of his letter by pronouncing judgment on the Galatian believers’ willingness to believe a gospel other than the one he preached to them. Paul chooses the strong word deserting (metatithesthe) to signal to the Galatian believers that their reception of the rival evangelists’ message is equivalent to becoming apostates. The same Greek word occurs in 2 Maccabees 7:24, where it refers to “turning from the ways of one’s fathers.” The word here is in the present tense, indicating ...

542. Sons of God

Galatians 3:26--4:7

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

... e.g., Exod. 4:22–23; Deut. 14:1–2; Hos. 11:1). Again Paul emphasizes that the Galatians, without observing the Torah, already have what the rival evangelists are promising. 3:27 For an overview and analysis of Paul’s view of baptism as it relates to the reception of the Spirit, see J. D. G. Dunn, Baptism in the Holy Spirit (SBT, 2d series 15; London: SCM, 1970), pp. 103–72. 3:28 We know from both Greek and Jewish writing of the period that the categories to which Paul refers were seen to be the most ...

543. Thanksgiving and Prayer

Ephesians 1:15-23

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” In 2 Timothy 1:10, the gospel is the means of bringing “life and immortality to light” (phōtisantos). Illumination, in other words, comes through the reception of the gospel. On the basis of what has been said previously about the baptismal nature of Ephesians, is it possible that the author is thinking of baptism as the time when the believer was “enlightened”? It certainly is an appropriate term for baptism ...

544. A Prayer for the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:14-21

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... their understanding of Christ’s love. 3:18 After making these three specific requests, the apostle concludes by mentioning the effect that his prayer will have upon their understanding of God. He is still addressing the Gentiles and indicates that their reception of God’s gifts is not something that they experience in isolation but together with all the saints. These words are especially appropriate to people of a Greek background, with their tendency toward rationalism and love for knowledge (cf. 1 Cor ...

545. Request for Prayer

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... the missionaries first preached the message in Thessalonica, as NIV implies—or to the present. The absence of the verb may be deliberate to allow for both (but cf. 2:5 and 1 Thess. 1:5ff.; 2:1, 13 where he does look back to the Thessalonians’ reception of the gospel when they were there). Paul’s second prayer request is for himself and his colleagues that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For the verb rhyomai, see the discussion on 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and for a similar reference to the ...

546. Overseers and Deacons

1 Timothy 3:1-16

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... (a b b a a b—a form of rhetoric in which the words or ideas in the second or subsequent units in otherwise parallel structures are in reverse order); the sets sing respectively his incarnation and resurrection, his ascension and proclamation on earth, his reception on earth and in heaven. As common—and in some ways attractive—as this interpretation is (RSV, Kelly, Bernard, D-C, et al.), some of the alleged parallels seem forced and probably would never have been seen as such if it were not for the ...

547. Advice About Widows, Elders and Slaves

1 Timothy 5:1-6:2

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... to be a broader idea reflecting her duties, thus suggesting that it be translated “looking after children” and refer to caring for orphans. Likewise showing hospitality is argued to refer to a duty, “alongside the overseers (cf. 3:2), in the reception and entertainment of itinerant evangelists, preachers,” etc. (Kelly, p. 117). But that is to let the idea of “duties” determine the meaning of the text, and it fails to take seriously enough that this list reflects a reputation already gained ...

548. What Must Be Taught to Various Groups

Titus 2:1-15

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... would demand that the content of verse 14 appear next, since that verse expresses the historical revelation of God’s grace. Instead, however, the issue is first of all Christian behavior. Hence Paul appeals to the Cretans through Titus to recall their own reception of that grace, which occurred at their conversion, when they first heard the gospel. As he will spell out in more theological detail in verse 14, God’s grace teaches us ethically in two directions. First, negatively, God’s people must say ...

549. The Son Superior to Angels

Hebrews 1:1-14

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... NIV’s to serve (lit., “for service”) is the common NT noun diakonia, which occurs only here in Hebrews. The word inherit (klēronomeō) is important to the author (cf. 6:12, and cognate nouns in 6:17; 9:15; 11:7f.). This language reflects the reception of the fulfillment of the OT promises and is therefore particularly suitable for the author’s purpose when he writes of the salvation received by Christians. See W. Foerster, TDNT, vol. 3, pp. 776–85. On salvation (sōtēria), see note to 2:3. On ...

550. The Blood of Christ

Hebrews 9:11-28

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... gospel in 3:1. It is significant that he uses particularly Jewish concepts of “promise” and “inheritance” here (cf. 6:17). This strengthens the motif of the fulfillment of the OT promises in the church (cf. 13:20). The basis of this new covenant and its reception by the called is now set forth. (In the original text, the basis is explicated before the result, whereas NIV places the basis last, introducing it with the words now that.) The basis of the new situation is that he has died, which has as ...

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