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 673 results

551. Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem's Walls

Nehemiah 2:11-20

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... the eastern side of the Dead Sea and to the south of Judah, who were linked to Persia by alliance. The opponents ridiculed the spiritual nature of the meeting and suggested that their sinister political purpose was to rebel against the empire—the old trick of Ezra 4:12–16. In response to their challenge, Nehemiah disputed their right to interfere. First, however, he redefined the issue in spiritual terms, claiming divine support. This reinforced the theme of verse 18 and was meant for the ears of his ...

552. The Woman in a Basket

Zechariah 5:5-11

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

... tribute being collected and sent to the imperial capital, this vision would remind them to think of it as something good—wickedness was being removed from the community. The talent of lead, rather than silver, was a way to visualize the payment of taxes as a trick played on the Persian powers. Lead is the base metal from which silver is extracted. Imagine sending the king a plug talent! 5:9 The scene changes and Zechariah reports, I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their ...

553. Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

Genesis 28:10-22

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... sought God’s guidance for dealing with the threat of Esau’s anger. When he lay down to sleep in that unknown spot, many conflicting emotions must have flooded his mind: triumph at securing the family blessing from his virile brother, remorse at having tricked his aging father, relief at being out of range of Esau’s anger, apprehension about the long journey ahead to Haran, and a deep sense of loneliness for his mother. God, being aware of Jacob’s troubled thoughts and his feelings of vulnerability ...

554. Jacob’s Flocks Increase

Genesis 30:25-43

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... consisted primarily of white sheep and dark brown or black goats, Laban knew that he had made Jacob’s task of building a multicolored flock from sheep and goats of a single color almost impossible—or so he thought. It appears that Laban had again tricked Jacob after the wages had been agreed upon (see 31:7). That is, Jacob had expected to use those animals in breeding his own flocks. Furthermore, Laban anticipated that Jacob’s share would be further reduced when at the annual accounting he had to make ...

555. Jacob Apprehension in Meeting Esau

Genesis 32:1-32

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... from Esau’s face, Jacob hoped that he might see his brother’s face and that Esau would look on his face with respect. Intent on meeting Esau face to face as he owned up to his past vile behavior, Jacob resolved not to flee, hide, or trick his brother. To prepare himself for the meeting Jacob stayed behind, spending the night in the camp. 32:22–23 Deeply troubled and unable to sleep, Jacob got up and forded his family and remaining possessions across the Jabbok. There are two possible reasons for his ...

556. Do Not Forget the Lord

Deuteronomy 8:1-20

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... Satan’s repeated insinuation, “If you are the Son of God . . . , ” was intended to induce in Jesus the same spirit of “testing God” that had so characterized Israel. Had God really meant what God had said, even in the scriptures? It was the same trick Satan had played on Adam and Eve with such tragic success. If God could feed the Israelites, why be hungry now when a miracle would solve the problem? But Jesus sees through Satan’s temptations to the reality of God’s testing, in its Deuteronomy ...

557. Government and Marriage

Mark 12:18-27, Mark 12:13-17

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... him to be another insurgent. If he answers yes, the crowds will be upset at him. Either way, the leaders win. 12:15 Bring me a denarius. Jesus is completely aware of (“knew,” Gk. oida) their “hypocrisy” (see on 7:6): their purpose is to trick him on a politically sensitive issue with no desire to ascertain truth. A Roman denarius coin was required to pay the poll tax, and the emperor Tiberius’s image was on it, containing the inscription “Son of the divine Augustus.” The image on the coin ...

558. The Necessity of Vigilance in Light of the Parousia

Mark 13:32-37

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... and alert, for Christ’s return could come at any time. Being held accountable Human Experience: Many of us, when we know we are going to the dentist in a few days, suddenly start brushing and flossing our neglected teeth and gums, hoping that we will somehow trick the dentist into thinking that we have been faithfully taking care of them. But the dentist can always spot the mouth that has been neglected. As one dentist said, “Be true to your teeth, and they’ll never be false to you.” There are many ...

559. Jesus Is Tested in Gethsemane

Mark 14:32-42

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... . A well-trained dog keeps its focus on its master and takes its cues from his or her commands. For example, a well-trained dog will leave a treat alone, on command, by keeping its eyes focused on the master and not on the treat. Try that same trick with a puppy, and the puppy will immediately focus its attention on the treat and then disobediently eat it. It would be very powerful to demonstrate this fact through a video of a well-trained dog and a little puppy that cannot yet control itself. One key to ...

560. Interpreting the Times

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

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... that she could break her vows to her absent husband and choose a new husband who would be king and who would kill Odysseus. However, she remains faithful to Odysseus during his twenty-year absence, inventing reasons why she cannot choose a suitor, working hard to trick those who seek her hand. The device that works the longest for her is when she informs her suitors that she is weaving a burial covering for Odysseus’s father, Laertes, and only when it is completed will she choose one of them to be her ...

561. Paul, Phoebe, Patronage, and Spain

Romans 16:1-27

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... on strong doctrine as the remedy for false teaching) placed these verses in their present location.1 Yet those of us who accept the Pauline authorship of the Pastoral Epistles have no problem with the emphasis in 16:17–20 on sound doctrine as the preventative to being tricked by false teaching. Moreover, Paul issues similar abrupt warnings toward the end of some of his other letters (1 Cor. 16:22; Gal. 6:12–17; Phil. 3:2–4:1).2 Furthermore, as we will see, 16:17–20 once again taps into the theme of ...

562. A Lifestyle of Holiness and Love

Leviticus 19:1-37

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... the general heading “Messin’ with Sasquatch.” Each commercial involves someone maliciously teasing this mythical creature. In one commercial, a person offers to shake hands but is holding a practical-joke hand buzzer that shocks the creature. In another, Sasquatch is tricked into opening a can of soda that has been shaken. In each case Sasquatch gets mad and in poetic justice takes revenge on his taunters. These childish and mean-spirited pranks done to Sasquatch can remind us of what Leviticus 19 ...

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

Psalm 32:1-11

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... of Jesus on the cross! Forgiven! Bible: In John 8 we read an amazing encounter between Jesus and a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. A crowd has dragged her before Jesus. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees are using this moment to try to trick Jesus. It is in this encounter that Jesus speaks the words, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (8:7). But the most remarkable part of the encounter is what occurs next. At this, those who heard began to ...

564. What To Do While Waiting for the Judgment?

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... theme is “What to do while waiting for the Judgment.” The parable lays open the blatant excuses we human beings make for our actions and for our failure to act. We even make excuses in our relationship to God. But we can, in truth, play no such tricks. God knows us better than we know ourselves. There’s no way to evade the consequences of our own acts and attributes, and that’s what this parable of Jesus is about. I. Someone Is Coming When Jesus described the kingdom of God or taught about judgment ...

565. Save the Tokens for Uncle Sam

Matthew 22:15-22

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: A dollar bill Boys and girls: Quick now, I have a dollar bill. (Swish it in front of them.) Who's picture is on the front of it? (If they don't know, let them get a glimpse.) That's right, George Washington's. Once some people wanted to trick Jesus. They ask him whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus asked for a coin and asked whose picture was on the coin. They answered Caesar's. Jesus said, "Then render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God' ...

566. The God of Hope

Isaiah 11:1-10, Matthew 3:1-12, Romans 15:4-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... he did finally ask her to marry him and she accepted, he nearly went crazy planning the honeymoon. He told everyone that they would be going to Florence and Venice. Instead he took his bride to Naples--in the opposite direction. This way he felt he could trick the misery he knew would be awaiting him in Florence and Venice. That was the only way he could enjoy the honeymoon in Naples. (2) There are some people who live with such a feeling of dread and doom about their lives that they dismiss the possibility ...

567. The Rape of Dinah

Genesis 34:1-31

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Life has not treated Jacob well. As a young man he was forced to flee from home. In the wilderness he met God and was afraid. Then he was tricked and embarrassed by Laban. He fled Laban. At Peniel he wrestled with God and limped away. Before and after that he agonized over meeting Esau. And now his one beloved daughter, Dinah, is violated. The tragic event is comparable to one in David’s life. He too has many sons, ...

568. The Gibeonites’ Revenge

2 Samuel 21:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... in 2 Samuel 16:7–8, it is likely that the Gibeonite problem was resolved prior to the revolt of Absalom. There is no clue in 1 Samuel as to when Saul became involved with the Gibeonites. When Joshua was conquering the promised land, he was tricked into making a treaty with the Gibeonites, guaranteeing that they would not be put to death (Josh. 9:15, 20). Since the city of Gibeon was located in the tribal territory of Benjamin, not far from Saul’s capital, at some point during his reign Saul violated ...

569. The Authority of Jesus Questioned

Luke 20:1-8

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the bold action of cleansing the temple. Jesus does not answer the question directly; instead, he poses a question about the legitimacy of the Baptist’s ministry (20:3–4). This is not an attempt to escape from the controversy, nor is it a debating trick. It was the Baptist who proclaimed the coming of Jesus and baptized him. Before Jesus discusses his own status, he needs to know what their estimation is of the message of his forerunner. After all, the answer to their question is in John’s preaching ...

570. Struggling With Sin

Romans 7:7-25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the death of the “I” was not the commandment but Sin, which used the commandment for its own purposes (7:11). Sin’s mode of operation is described with the word “deceive,” which takes up Genesis 3:13, where Eve laments that the serpent has tricked her. When we interpret Genesis 3 not only as the story of the fall of Adam and Eve but also as the fundamental narrative of human existence, we see that sin deceives in three ways. (1) Sin distorts the divine commandment by emphasizing seemingly negative ...

571. Paul's Vision and His Thorn

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... apostolic authority they might claim as su-perior to Paul’s. All the manifestations of divine power—“signs, wonders and miracles”—have been demonstrated at necessary points in the mission to Corinth, along with a kind of “perseverance” that convinced the Corinthians these were more than the tricks of a charlatan seeking some temporary converts (12:12). Indeed, they have received from Paul all that the other churches have except for the request that they share in the burden of his support.

572. Wives and Husbands

1 Peter 3:1-7

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... in 2:12, implying extended observation. The incident in mind in verse 6 is probably that of Genesis 12:11–20, where Sarah submits to some very unkind treatment from her husband, and in that context her beauty is emphasized. Abraham tried the same trick again later (Genesis 20), insisting that Sarah must show her love for him in this improper way, and she again submits. (She calls him “lord” in Gen. 18:12.) The Christian calling is patient submission to suffering within the structures of this world ...

573. Giving and Receiving

Matthew 14:22-33

Sermon

Tom Garrison

... to float (this may also let us think about how to receive a floating device), the ability to swim, and most important of all, the wisdom to know when to do the one and then the other. I wonder if Peter thought about any of the survival tricks he had learned as a fisherman that would lend themselves to accepting the invitation of Jesus as we approach this well-known story of Jesus walking on the water and Peter's desire to walk to him? This story certainly gets our imagination going, when Jesus decided ...

574. An Uppity Woman

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

Kristin Borsgard Wee

When I was a kid, we played a game in which we would stare into each others eyes until one gave in and blinked. We used tricks to win sometimes, but above all we would refuse to back down no matter how much our eyes were hurting. Something like that is going on between Jesus and the Canaanite woman. There is a stand-off happening here. I think it is helpful to know that Jesus has just ...

575. The Man with Leprosy

Luke 5:12-16

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... debate about what exactly is meant here. The leper’s healing is not a testimony to the priest, but the priest’s approval of the leper’s recovery is testimony or “proof” to society that the man is truly whole. In other words, Jesus has performed no trick, one that might be easily swallowed by gullible and excited crowds. What Jesus has done is to be examined by the authorities and so be confirmed. Despite (or because of) all the popularity and the crowds of people that came to hear him and to be ...

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