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 851 to 875 of 4943 results

851. The Revelation Code V: Cruisin' Toward the Dream

Revelation 21:1-27

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... of the kingdom, here and now, so busy with the work of Christ, so busy living as a foretaste of the kingdom, so busy as his disciples, that when he comes, he will take us by surprise like a thief in the night. I had an e-mail this week concerning this series from someone who had tried to follow the date-setters and end-times predictors who had taught her we should be looking for the signs of the end-times. Then she said: It's taken me a while to wrestle with it all, and I don't know ...

852. From Father Failure to Divine Father

Romans 8:12-17

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... of political ideology. Do not these people and ideas serve as illusions, as crutches, as perfectionist patterns for a world without failure? Theologian Paul Tillich has suggested that each person has an ultimate concern and that that ultimate concern can function as a god, but that ultimate concern may be illusion. Other people elevate psychologists and psychoanalysts to the position of perfect father, the one who explains all and provides the necessary and meaningful answers to reality. Freud held sway as ...

853. This Little Light of Mine

John 1:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... of John the Baptist was to point men to that light which was in Christ. John the Baptist was the voice of one calling in the desert, “Make straight the way for the Lord.” John was a very popular preacher, so popular that he, like Jesus, raised concern among the Pharisees. Who was he and by what authority did he preach and baptize? John assured the Pharisees that he was not the awaited messiah. Instead, he was the one preparing the way for the messiah. In the words of John’s Gospel, “He came as a ...

854. No Substitute

John 2:13-22

Sermon

David T. Ball

... . All that we have is thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from thee.” There are these and many more possible positive perspectives on what was going on in the temple, and it’s not clear why Jesus didn’t see it that way. Unless there’s a concern that we can discern that Jesus felt seriously enough for him to jeopardize, at this early stage in his ministry, his freedom to continue to travel and preach. Because it wouldn’t have been far-fetched at all for the Roman authorities to have reacted to this very ...

855. Matthew 23:1-12

Matthew 23:1-39

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... simple observation: “they do not practice what they teach” (v.3). Jesus already declared that the heart of the Torah was to “love your neighbor as yourself” (23:19). Now he lambasts the Pharisees and scribes for the lack of compassion and concern for the “heavy burdens” they have loaded up on the backs of the people. A growth-industry of pious minutia and puny observances was being enforced by the religious establishment, imposing incredible hardships on those struggling to live a Torah-obedient ...

856. Is Your Christmas Spirit a Controlled Substance?

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... captured by Hudson Taylor when he described the attitude of Christ this way: First it is impossible, Then it is difficult, Then it is done! (A Passion for the Impossible by Hudson Taylor, p. 5) The Thessalonian church was right to have “pneumatic concerns,” because the spirit refuses to follow the rules and bread-and-butter the blueprint. The Apostle Paul did not even give parameters to predict the “good” vs. “evil.” The apostle refused to fasten down God’s spirit to any particulars. God’s ...

857. Drawing Lines

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... and no end - that Jesus wanted to call attention to in today's gospel parable. The rich man, during his life on earth, had drawn his lines very tightly about himself and his possessions. The poor Lazarus lived in misery and hunger "at his gate." He was of no concern to the rich man because his agony lay on the other side of that man's line. Upon reaching his new territory - his own torment in hades - the rich man suddenly finds himself now on the wrong side of the line. A "chasm" which no one may cross - a ...

858. Luke 3:1-6

Luke 3:1-6

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of broader generalizations. Yet the function of 3:1-2 is not to draw a correct time line. It is rather to sketch in the background of politics and people during the opening years of Jesus' work. Luke's reason for the chronological data expresses a concern similar to that which motivates the opening of the Book of Esther - that is, setting the dramatic stage, not setting the record straight. These few verses continue to reveal much about the gospel's author and narrative style. Verse 3 moves on to the next ...

859. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5

2 Thessalonians 2:13 – 3:5

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... own and others' missionary work - shielding them from the "wicked and evil" who would thwart them. Verse 3, however, abruptly shifts from the forces that challenge human faithfulness to the unswerving character of God's faithfulness. The text is no longer concerned with Paul and his work, but once again focuses on the Thessalonian church. Paul reiterates his trust in their continued obedience and their ongoing commitment to expressing the joy of the gospel message through their actions. As a final note of ...

860. Matthew 10:40-42

Matthew 10:40-42

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... ones" in this final verse may be Matthew's designation of simple, seemingly unimportant or poor Christians. The "little ones" are those most in need those to whom a "cup of cold water" really does make a difference. Not only is the welfare of these "little ones" to be the concern of the disciples. Jesus, the Son of Man himself, seems to identify with and be especially concerned for these "least" ones. In fact, there is apparently to be no distinction between the amount of ...

861. Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of this text. Rather than endanger the wheat growing up with the weeds, the farmer chooses to let both weeds and wheat continue to grow side by side. The farmer refuses to do anything that might injure the wheat just to rid himself of the weeds. His concern is to tend the field patiently, despite the mixed crop growing in it. Not until the final harvest is it the reaper's job to separate the weeds from the good crop and burn them up. At verse 36, Matthew's text changes location and audience. Jesus moves ...

862. Matthew 14:13-21

Matthew 14:13-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... , Matthew distinguishes the power of messianic authority from the abuses of power as demonstrated by Herod's beheading of John the Baptist. Jesus' genuine compassion for the crowd's welfare stirs him to heal their sick. For the disciples to doubt that Jesus' concern would extend to meeting their other basic physical needs like hunger shows they do not yet completely trust Jesus' leadership. Ironically, in the story of the Baptist's death, Matthew notes that it was "out of regard for his oaths and for the ...

863. Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28

Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of the Decalogue in the center of the text. Furthermore, Matthew places them in the same order in which they appear on the Second Table of the Law (see Exodus 20:13-16). This arrangement emphasizes the moral concerns (not ritual) of the Ten Commandments, concerns that were uppermost in the minds of first-century Christians. Scholars also note that Jesus' list begins and ends with defiling actions that issue from the mouth. By invoking the indisputable judgment of the Ten Commandments, Jesus provides ...

864. Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... verses 1-4 and 7-9, God's (1) identity, (2) essential nature, (3) divine name (4) and holy day are given appropriate recognition and honor. These commandments offer an encapsulated vision of both God's omnipotence and grandeur as well as God's minute concern for every word uttered and every deed done. This "jealous God" declares that there is only one divine sovereign to worship and bow down to. The pagan worship of idols and images taken from familiar creatures of the earth, seas and skies is rejected (v ...

865. Philippians 3:17-4:1

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... often the result. For these "enemies," the god in the belly and the shameful behavior would refer to conscienceless excesses in food, drink and sexual behavior. These "earthly things" that consumed their energies and filled their days were far from the heavenly concerns and concepts that the right-thinking Christian was to focus upon. Whichever type of group Paul intended for his displeasure, in Paul's eyes they all share the same fate: "Their end is destruction (v.19)." This is an eschatological reference ...

866. Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... place that he was to receive as an inheritance." There is no specific reference to an "inheritance" in the story found in Genesis 12:1-3 although that theme certainly does appear later in the story (see Genesis 15:18; 22:17; 28:4). The inheritance that concerns this writer is somewhat different from the Genesis story's focus on the land of Canaan itself. The inheritance the author foresees and here foreshadows is not so much Canaan but the heavenly city of God that awaits the faithful (in vv.9-10 and 13-16 ...

867. Luke 15:1-10

Luke 15:1-10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... , socially elite men to listen to the perspective of an ordinary shepherd. Jesus reveals nothing more about the situation surrounding the "lost sheep" than its disappearance and the shepherd's decision to "leave the ninety-nine" in order to seek it out. Concerned interpreters have often volunteered that surely this shepherd must have somehow secured care and safety for those 99 while he went out searching. But Jesus' parable says nothing of the sort. What drives the shepherd out into the wilderness is a ...

868. Mark 16:1-8

Mark 16:1-8

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... God's curse" was not to remain all night on the tree where he died. This would indicate that Joseph was convinced of Jesus' criminal status and that he rushed the burial in order to keep the law, not out of respect for Jesus or any concern for the approaching Sabbath. Since Jesus was a criminal, his body would not rate any special attention or anointing. It would simply be entombed as quickly as possible. In this case, the women's determination to supply spices and offer him an anointing would serve to ...

869. Mark 4:35-41

Mark 4:35-41

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... side." Their movement is immediate. The disciples "leave" the crowd but the Greek used here, aphiemi, could also be translated as "abandoned." This is no gentle easing away or gradually closing up shop. At Jesus' word, they simply get up and go without any further concern for the crowd. As abrupt as the disciples' actions may appear, however, it seems Jesus is even further ahead of them. The aside "just as he was" in verse 36, refers to Jesus' place, not his state of mind or dress. The disciples didn't ...

870. Acts 5:27-32

Acts 5:27-32

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... have been preaching an unappreciated message in the midst of the city. Just as Jesus himself had been dragged before this Jewish court, the apostles now find themselves standing before those who held the religious reigns of power. The focus of the concern voiced by the high priest is not any grand theological issue, but rather is one of petty self-absorption. The whining complaint lodged against Peter and his companions continues to demonstrate the essentially tragic nature of the Jews' rejection of the ...

871. Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... final three chapters. The theme of chapter 11 is faith, chapter 12 is hope, and chapter 13 is love. In chapter 13, the writer testifies to the fact that Christian love is essentially a verb, not a noun, for these final remarks are clearly concerned with direct, pastoral applications of love in the world. The first admonition speaks volumes in only four words "Let mutual love continue" (v.1). This statement presupposes that such mutual love is already the possession of all those reading this text. Such love ...

872. Romans 12:9-21

Romans 12:9-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... out of love for others. This honoring or esteeming goes beyond the command to "love one's neighbor as oneself" established in Leviticus 19:18. While it demands an equal amount of love for self and the other, it always places the needs and concerns of the other first. Verse 11 has a two-fold tradition. While many texts have translated Paul's call for zeal and ardency as characteristics Christians should use to "serve the Lord," some ancient versions have defined this call to serve the "time" or "opportunity ...

873. Matthew 23:1-12

Matthew 23:1-12

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... a righteousness greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees. He also warns them against public pietistic posturing (see Matthew 5:20 and 6:1). But if the Sermon on the Mount at the beginning of Jesus' ministry was addressed to individuals and concerned with defining individual discipleship, there is a much more pronounced communal thrust to Jesus' message as delivered to those who have heard him, or heard about him, for some three years. Matthew's gospel is the most intentionally church-centered. Only he ...

874. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... use of "confessed" is for emphasis and might just as easily be translated "he spoke out openly and clearly" (TEV). The gospel writer has John himself make it abundantly clear that he is not the Messiah. The priests and Levites seem to be extremely concerned with discovering John the Baptist's true identity. Their incessant questions allow the Baptist to further clarify just who he is not and to offer the quote from Isaiah as his final form of identification. Only after this confession does John the gospel ...

875. Luke 1:26-38

Luke 1:26-38

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

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