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 551 to 575 of 4943 results

551. Hallelujah! Come On, Get Happy

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

David G. Rogne

... . I have a place in the church and the world. No, I'll never be Number One, but that's okay as long as I do the best I can with what God has given me." He found happiness in his humility. Those who are not filled with pride and concerned with who gets the credit can be very useful in extending Christ's kingdom. Their happiness comes from being useful. "Happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness," says Jesus. These are people who want to do God's will. We have been subjected to the idea that ...

552. Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

Mark 8:1-13

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... bread, the fish apparently not so important as a vehicle of symbolic meaning. This is evident in the comment in 6:52, “they had not understood about the loaves” (see note on 6:52). In the discussion of the feedings in 8:14–21 also, the questions concern the bread and its meaning. Seven: Note also that there are seven baskets of fragments gathered in 8:8 (see note). The number seven seems to have a symbolic meaning in the Bible having to do with perfection, or completeness, e g., seven days of creation ...

553. The Parable of the Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... well-known Parable of the Good Samaritan (see note below). The man who proves to be the neighbor (and who really keeps the spirit of the law, as seen in 10:27) is the Samaritan who cared for the wounded man. Ironically, those who were most concerned with keeping every requirement of the law (as seen through the grid of many oral laws and traditions), the priest and Levite, were unable to aid a fellow human being in great need for fear of becoming ceremonially “unclean.” Because of their religious duties ...

554. Warnings and Encouragements

Luke 12:1-12

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... cares for them. The extent of God’s care is expressed by the idea that God is aware of the number of hairs of one’s head. Such knowledge would seem trivial even to the person whose hairs have been numbered. Thus, God’s love and concern for his people extend to every facet and dimension of our being. 12:8–12 The preceding sayings have a more general application. The religion of the Pharisees is judged hypocritical; Jesus’ disciples are not to follow their example. Moreover, the disciples are not to ...

555. Jesus at a Pharisee's House

Luke 14:1-14

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... a friend) in anticipation of having the favors returned. Jesus advises his host that kindness shown to those who will repay with kindness does not impress God. Again, when seen in the broader context of Luke 14, it is probable that an allusion to the concern over the question of who will enter the kingdom of God (thought of as a dinner or feast) is intended. Jesus’ advice not to invite one’s friends, brothers, relatives, or rich neighbors probably implies that one cannot assume that only those whom we ...

556. The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

Luke 16:1-15

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... of the Shrewd Manager (vv. 1–8a) and various sayings of Jesus related to the parable or to the topic of money in general (vv. 8b–13). This material is for the most part unique to Luke (although Luke 16:13=Matt. 6:24) and contributes to the Lucan concern over proper use of wealth. 16:1–8a Few of the parables of Jesus have puzzled readers of the Gospel more than the Parable of the Shrewd Manager. The main question has to do with why the rich man would commend his dishonest manager. A second question has ...

557. Living Sacrifices

Romans 12:1-8

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... 10:19–22 where Christ appears both as high priest and sacrificial victim. All persons, Christians included, live within a network of relationships. Recognizing this fact, Paul continues, Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed (v. 2). His concern is with form: the form or pattern of this world versus the trans form ation of faith. Paul does not say not to conform; that would be a utopian dream. What, after all, does it mean to be human if not to choose patterns and ...

558. Submission to the Authorities

Romans 13:1-7

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... church; in this chapter, he teaches that also the secular order must be maintained. For both are of God: it is the purpose of the former to give guidance and peace to the inner man and what concerns him, and it is the purpose of the latter to give guidance to the outer man in his concerns. For, in this life, the inner man cannot be without the outer one. From this Luther derives the alarming conclusion, “Christians should not refuse, under the pretext of religion, to obey men, especially evil ones.” See ...

559. Lawsuits Among Believers

1 Corinthians 6:1-11

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... to present, from angels to the things of this life (in the context of the Christian community). Paul argues that if Christians will judge the world in a great apocalyptic future judgment, then they should be capable of exercising judgment over the lesser concern of their own internal affairs here and now. Paul’s admonition is for the Corinthians to take life in Christ’s community seriously, acting with a sense of responsibility toward one another now that befits their responsibility in the future. 6:4 ...

560. Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... about Jesus, who are they? Are they non-Christian pagan ecstatics? Are they non-Christian Jews? Are they early Christian docetists? A definitive answer is impossible, but it is also unnecessary for following the main positive lines of Paul’s observations concerning the disposition of genuinely Spirit-inspired behavior. For further discussion, compare the essays by B. A. Pearson (“Did the Gnostics Curse Jesus?” JBL 86 [1967], pp. 301–5), N. Brox (“ANATHEMA IĒSOUS [1 Kor 12:3),” BZ 12 [1968], pp ...

561. The Day of Atonement

Leviticus 16:1-34

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

... clothes and bathes. His contact with the sin-bearing animal necessitates washing; then he may return to the camp. The remains of the sacrifices are disposed of in the proper manner, that is, burned outside the camp. Those instructions are in chapter 4 and concern offerings in which blood enters the Tent of Meeting. The priests were not to eat the other parts of the sin offering because they were offered for the priests themselves. The one who disposes of the remains of the sacrifice, here not specified to ...

562. Unlawful Sexual Relations

Leviticus 18:1-30

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

... the people. The charge is to keep Yahweh’s requirements, and so the chapter concludes with a warning. The issue this text raises for modern communities of faith is how to structure holiness in our world, how to demonstrate distinctiveness of faith. This concern pervades all of life; family life and sexual conduct are certainly included. Prophetic calls for justice are also relevant to the task of forming life as a holy community. Additional Notes 18:5 The exhortation is to keep my decrees and laws. The ...

563. The Lord Rejects Saul as King

1 Samuel 15:1-35

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... task. The news that Saul had set up a monument in his own honor is recorded without comment, but at a point when the honor of God had been forgotten, Saul was concerned about his own status. So far, Saul has been presented as seeking to serve God but being wrong through limitations in his theological understanding. Now his concern was to maintain his own reputation before the people. It may be that as the defeat of the Amalekites would mainly benefit Judah, Saul left behind a monument to remind the Judeans ...

564. David and Bathsheba

2 Samuel 11:1-27

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... at war, the army was on active service, camped in the open fields, and he would not take leave while his fellow soldiers were still at risk. His commitment to the ark of God, uppermost in his mind, would not allow it. Uriah, the foreigner, had a greater concern for covenant principles than the one who had been anointed as protector of the covenant. The “no sex while at war” rule was a basic battle principle (Deut. 23:10–15; 1 Sam. 21:4–5), and Uriah took this seriously. He refused to go home, even ...

565. Amnon and Tamar

2 Samuel 13:1-22

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... plans revenge, perhaps using this incident as an excuse for getting rid of Amnon on his own account. Absalom was an ambitious young man, and there was no love lost between the two brothers. Verse 21 tells us that David was furious, but apparently he took no action concerning Amnon’s behavior. Even if he was unwilling to put Amnon to death it would have been within his power to force him to marry Tamar. It may be that, being well aware of his own guilt, David felt unable to condemn Amnon. It may also be ...

566. Absalom’s Death

2 Samuel 18:1-18

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... gate but could also watch. He remained keenly interested to hear what was going on at the front. With a greater knowledge of the territory, Ahimaaz was able to outrun the Cushite and, just as Joab had predicted, he found that David’s first concern was for Absalom. He therefore gained what credit might be found by announcing the victory but left the Cushite to bring the news of Absalom’s death. David’s almost pathological approach to his sons prevented him from recognizing the necessity of Absalom’s ...

567. Introducing Job

Job 1:1-5

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... to atone for sin and restore right relationship (see, e.g., Num. 29:36; also Job 42:8). Job performed this sacrificial ritual early in the morning as a sign of his seriousness and diligence, not allowing anything to intrude to inhibit his purpose. He was concerned for the spiritual welfare of his children, who may have sinned and cursed God during their festivities. The sin of cursing God, of course, plays an important role in the book of Job and becomes the crux of the test proposed by the Satan later in ...

568. My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?

Psalm 22:1-31

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... and my feet, and by “the sword” in v. 20). They apparently count him as good as dead: They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. The I-lament describes extreme desiccation, without water and without life (vv. 14–15, 17). The lament concerning God is the briefest of the three (v. 15c), but it is at the very heart of this literary section (vv. 11–18) and at the very heart of the theological problem. The one who has sapped him of life and made him vulnerable to ferocious attack ...

569. Today, If You Hear His Voice

Psalm 95:1-11

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... 14, esp. vv. 33–34). In each of these three incidents, the people complain, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us . . . die?” (Exod. 17:3; Num. 14:2–3; 20:3–5). In the oracle of Psalm 95, Yahweh’s diagnosis in each judgment concerns the people’s hearts: they are “hardened” (v. 8) and they go astray (v. 10). Their fundamental error is they have not known my ways. If they had, they would not have tested and tried me (v. 9). As a result, Yahweh declared on oath (see Num. 14:21, 28 ...

570. The Parable of the Great Banquet

Luke 14:15-24

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... lowly to one’s feast leads one of the guests to pronounce a beatitude (blessed) upon those who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God. For Luke this beatitude surely strikes at the very heart of the question with which he is most concerned. Who really are those who will be included in the kingdom of God? To those surrounding Jesus at table the answer probably seemed clear enough. Those virtually guaranteed admission would be those in whose lives God’s blessing seemed most apparent: one’s friends ...

571. The Rich Ruler

Luke 18:18-30

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... loyalty to God, for his wealth occupies a central place in his life. Jesus asks him to give away his wealth, not because having it is bad (nor does Jesus require everyone to give everything away), but because in this case the individual is more concerned with his wealth than he is with following Jesus or with obtaining eternal life. Although it does not explicitly say so, the passage suggests that the wealthy ruler had failed to keep the tenth commandment, the commandment not to covet (Exod. 20:17; Deut. 5 ...

572. The Year of Jubilee

Leviticus 25:8-55

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

... in terms of fearing or obeying God. That is, taking advantage of another’s circumstance is contrary to God’s intention for the human community. The goal is that fellow Israelites will continue in the community and be productive members of it. Thus these acts of concern for others are both expressions of God’s will and the better way for the community to live. The poor are not to be exploited, and the selling of food is given as the example. Verse 38 reminds the people of Israel’s oppression in Egypt ...

573. Absalom Kills Amnon

2 Samuel 13:23-39

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

574. David Mourns

2 Sam 18:19–19:8

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

575. The Disciples' Grief Will Turn to Joy

John 16:17-33, John 16:5-16

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... , in vv. 25, 29–30; prayer, in vv. 26–27). 16:26 Ask the Father on your behalf: Here, in distinction from verses 23a and 30, the Greek verb erōtan means to make request or pray. This is because it is followed by the preposition peri (“for” or “concerning”); the same construction is used, e.g., in 17:9: “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world.” 16:31 You believe at last! These words can be taken either as a glad exclamation (as here) or as a skeptical question: “Do you now believe ...

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