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 876 to 900 of 1913 results

876. Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

John 9:1-12

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

The temple discourse is over, but Jesus’ ministry in Jerusalem continues with no discernible break in the narrative. Having escaped death by stoning, Jesus “slipped away from the temple grounds” (8:59), and, as he went along (apparently just outside the sacred precincts), he noticed a man blind from birth (v. 1). Despite the smooth transition, it is clear that a new chapter, indeed a new division in the structure of the Gospel, is under way. Jesus’ disciples, out of the picture since the end of chapter 6, ...

877. The Raising of Lazarus

John 11:17-37, John 11:38-44

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

After a brief introduction setting the stage for the action (vv. 17–19), the drama of the raising of Lazarus unfolds in three scenes: one between Jesus and Martha providing a theological interpretation for the whole (vv. 20–27), one in which Jesus reacts to the sorrow of Mary and some Jews who came to mourn with her (vv. 28–37), and one at the tomb recounting the actual procedure by which Jesus raised Lazarus to life (vv. 38–44). It is not certain how long the journey took from Bethany to Bethany. The ...

878. The Word of Life

1 John 1:1-4

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

Just as the Gospel of John begins with a prologue (John 1:1–18), so do the letters. In both, the Word (logos) is the central theme. Here too the Elder introduces some of his principal concerns: the reality of the incarnation, eternal life, and fellowship with the community of believers. The tone of the prologue is authoritative: the author speaks with the first generation of Christians (“we”), emphasizing his solidarity with apostolic “orthodoxy,” and he repeatedly uses verbs of personal experience (v. 1 ...

879. Assured by the Certainties of Faith

1 John 5:13-21

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

The Elder concludes his message of exhortation to the remaining faithful members of his community by assuring them of several certainties of the Christian life, with regard to possessing eternal life (13), asking and interceding in prayer (14–17), not sinning (18), being God’s children in an evil world (19), and knowing Jesus Christ, the true God (20). In the light of these great realities comes a final warning (21). 5:13 Continuing his style of linking the beginning of a new section with the end of the ...

880. Jesus’s Identity as Messiah and Son of God Established

Mark 1:1-8

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

Big Idea: The good news centers on Jesus the Messiah, who shows himself to be the Son of God by inaugurating God’s kingdom age. He is declared as such first by Old Testament prophecy and then by the wilderness voice, his forerunner John the Baptist. Understanding the Text This passage is the “prologue” to Mark (cf. John 1:1–18), and the purpose is to inform the reader about the primary truths in the book, especially the identification of Jesus. In the rest of the book we will see the primary groups ( ...

881. Gentiles Exemplify True Discipleship

Mark 7:31-37, Mark 7:24-30

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

Big Idea: Salvation and the kingdom blessings, heretofore experienced primarily by the Jews, are now extended to the Gentiles. A Gentile woman of Tyre shows remarkable faith and humility, and a deaf mute in the Decapolis experiences messianic healing. Understanding the Text Mark now turns to examples of faith, as the Syrophoenician woman is one of the “little people” in Mark, characters who appear only once but carry the theme of what a true disciple should be. As such, she gives a lesson to the disciples ...

882. Uncleanness Due to Childbirth

Leviticus 12:1-8

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: God provides for people’s health, cleansing, and restoration regardless of social standing. Understanding the Text This chapter continues the laws of purity for all Israel that specify what can cause ceremonial uncleanness (Lev. 11–15). Uncleanness is caused by eating or touching unclean animals (Lev. 11), by childbirth (Lev. 12), by certain skin diseases and molds (Lev. 13–14), and by sexual emissions (Lev. 15). The discussion thus moves from external uncleanness (animals) to uncleanness related ...

883. War against Midian

Num 31:1-54

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: God condemns the wicked but rewards his people. Understanding the Text Numbers 31 resumes the story of Numbers 25 in which a Midianite princess, Kozbi, and an Israelite man, Zimri, commit a flagrant act of disobedience (Num. 25:6–9, 14–15). Theirs is one of many acts of immorality and idolatry (Num. 25:1) that have brought God’s wrath on Israel in the form of a plague. As a result, God tells Moses to treat the Midianites as an enemy and kill them (Num. 25:16–18). Numbers 31 fulfills God’s command ...

884. The Ark Heads Home

1 Samuel 6:1-7:1

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

Big Idea: The holy God must be treated with respect. Understanding the Text This chapter continues the story of the ark. In the aftermath of the Israelite defeat at Ebenezer, the Philistines captured the ark and took it to Ashdod. But it brought death and destruction wherever it went in Philistine territory. Finally the people of Ekron insisted that it be sent back to its homeland (5:11). Chapter 6 tells how the ark returns to Israelite territory, but not without incident! The ark does not make it back to ...

885. The Fall

Genesis 3:1-24

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

There are only four chapters in the Bible where Satan is not implicitly present in the world, the first two and the last two. The Bible begins and ends with him out of existence. But between Genesis 3 and Revelation 20 he is a factor to be reckoned with. The Hebrew word for “serpent” may be connected either with an adjective/noun meaning “bronze” (suggesting something that is shiny), or with a verb meaning “to practice divination.” Two things are said about the serpent (3:1–7). First, a word about his ...

886. Isaiah’s Call

Isaiah 6:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The prophet dates his vision of God’s glory (6:1–4) to the year in which King Uzziah died. Scholars have tried to understand the significance of this dating, but it is enough to recognize that this is one way of connecting chapter 6 to the context of the Syro-Ephraimite War (see Isa. 7:1). A vision of the Lord appears to the prophet. He sees Yahweh sitting on the throne, exalted in the temple. The prophet concentrates not on the throne or on the Lord seated on it but on “the train of his robe” as it fills ...

887. Addressing Prophets and their Audiences

Jeremiah 23:9-32, Jeremiah 23:33-40

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The challenge to leaders continues. The address to the kings, the civil leaders (21:1–23:6), is followed by an address to the religious leaders, the prophets and priests (23:9–40). They are faulted for giving leadership in Baal worship, for personal immorality, and for being out of touch with God’s message for their time. Their message either is self-originated or comes by dreams or is borrowed from others. Jeremiah’s denunciation of his peers is sad before it is harsh (23:9–10; cf. 9:1–6). Confronting ...

888. A Dead Girl and A Sick Woman

Mark 5:21-43

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

This healing story is another example of Mark’s sandwich technique, in which the story of the healing of Jairus’s daughter (5:21–24, 35–43) is interrupted by that of the woman with a hemorrhage (5:25–34). Having crossed the lake, Jesus and the disciples disembark on the western (Jewish) shore. A synagogue ruler named Jairus emerges from the crowd and begs Jesus to heal his daughter, who is deathly ill. A synagogue ruler was the president or head of a local Jewish worshiping community. His duties included ...

889. Pop Verses: John 3:16

John 3:16

Sermon

Charley Reeb

Today I continue our series “Pop Verses.” We are taking a closer look at some of the most popular Bible verses. We are going to find out why they are so popular and how they apply to our lives. What you might discover is that some of these verses don’t mean what you think they mean or they mean a lot more than you think they mean. You see, quite often our favorites verses are just that – they’re verses. They’re not read in light of the passage in which they appear. This can lead to a misunderstanding about ...

890. A Warning Against Hypocrisy

Matthew 23:1-39

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

Hypocrisy Denounced: The last of Matthew’s five major discourses begins with chapter 23 and runs through chapter 25 (see the standard closing formula at 26:1). It differs from the others somewhat in that there is a break and change of scene between chapters 23 and 24. The first section (chap. 23) is directed to a wider audience (cf. vv. 1, 13, 37); in the second (chaps. 24–25) Jesus speaks to his disciples in private. The material in chapter 23 has been compiled by Matthew on the basis of topical relevance ...

891. Mary: The Handmaiden of the Lord

Luke 1:38-45

Sermon

Charley Reeb

This morning I want to tell you how to get blessed by God. We all want God to bless us. This morning I am going to tell how to get that done. How many of you want to be blessed by God? Me too! Now when I say blessed I am not talking about the prosperity, name and claim it gospel that’s popular. I am not talking about saying a prayer and having a million dollars in cash show up in a briefcase at your doorstep. When I say bless I am talking about God showing up in your life in a way that transforms you. I am ...

892. The Fall of Man

Genesis 3:1-24

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

The Fall: The interchange among the man, the woman, and the serpent provides dramatic movement, and captures how motivation to disobey God rises from an inversion of the order of responsibility that God had established. 3:1–5 Act 2 of the drama begins with the introduction of a new actor, the serpent, one of the wild animals the LORD God had made (2:19). The serpent is described as more crafty (’arum) than the other animals. ’Arum makes a wordplay on “naked” (’arummim), which occurs in 2:25, and thus ...

893. The Ultimate Mountaintop Experience

Mark 9:2-9

Sermon

King Duncan

It was a rough year for the small coal mining community. Coal mining is difficult, dirty work under the best of conditions, but with the country moving to cleaner and cheaper sources of energy like natural gas and solar energy, the coal miners were beginning to see the handwriting on the wall. One miner expressed his frustration like this: “My life is filled with mountaintop experiences. One day, I’m on top of the mountain. The next day the mountain is on top of me.” We understand his pain. The Bible ...

894. Faces of Failure: Jesus’s Family

Mark 3:20-21, 31-35

Sermon

Don Tuttle

Have you ever noticed how some of those who should know Jesus best don’t? Take, for example, the people in his hometown of Nazareth. In Luke’s Gospel, the people who saw him play in their streets and work in his father’s shop are at first impressed with him. But when he returns to speak in the synagogue and suggests there is more faith among the pagans than among them they became furious and try to kill him. Or consider the disciples. They spend three years working with Jesus. They are there for all the ...

895. Uncertain Certainties

John 20:19-31

Sermon

John Jamison

It was Sunday evening. Easter morning had come and gone, and the disciples had spent the entire day talking about the fact that Jesus had actually been raised from the dead. They were all fired up and making plans for how they were going to go out and spread the word of God and continue the ministry that Jesus had taught them to perform. Right? Not quite. As the sun went down Sunday evening, some of the disciples had gathered together. They were still hiding in a small room somewhere with the doors and ...

896. When Your Life Is Put On Hold

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

King Duncan

An intriguing story appeared sometime back in USA Today. It seems that a Miss Candy Postlethwaite received a sizeable check from the Veteran’s Administration. That’s not the strange part. The strange part is that the check was not made out to her, nor did she know the person to whom the check was made out, nor had she ever been in the military. She put an envelope containing the check back outside for the postman to pick up on his next round. Five days later she got it back in a different envelope. She ...

897. The Light Still Shines

Luke 2:8-20, Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan

Is there any night more beautiful than Christmas Eve? Our boys and girls are waiting expectantly on a visit from St. Nick. Each of us as adults love the joy we see in their eyes. We have our own kind of joy. Those who are parents love giving their children nice things. That is when we truly learn that it is more blessed to give than to receive. And most of us remember the joy we felt as children at Christmas. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Even more important is the knowledge that as the ...

898. The Ascension Day Experience

Luke 24:50-53

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

The official ecclesiastical designation for this day is “The Feast of the Ascension.” In keeping with its name, it commemorates the day the risen Christ ascended into heaven. Saint Augustine contended this holy day was first observed in the apostolic era. That would make it one of the earliest Christian holidays. By tradition, the date was established as the 39 days after Easter. That means it should always fall on a Thursday. In many European nations, Ascension Thursday is widely celebrated as both a ...

899. Hug and Kiss Blessing

Illustration

Bill Glass

A hug, a kiss, and a blessing is the Jewish concept in the Old Testament, and it has carried over into modern Judaism. Recently I visited a prison in Florida, and I asked one of the prison officials there how many Jews were in prison in Florida. He said thirteen. Only thirteen Jews in all the prisons in Florida! Florida has a high Jewish population, and there are forty thousand inmates in Florida prisons. I began to ask the same question all over the country. I’ve discovered that in relation to the overall ...

900. Sitting Shiva Behind Closed Doors

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Story Lectionary for Post Resurrection Week One: Hebrew Testament Connections: Genesis: The Story of Noah and the Mourning of Methuselah Genesis: The Sealing of the Garden Psalm of Jonah and/or Psalm 98 Psalm 30 Prayers: The Kaddish and the Tziduk Hadin Song of Moses (Exodus 15) Song of Judah (Isaiah 26) Gospel of John: Jesus’ First Appearances to His Disciples in a Locked Room The Scripture in Story: “Disciples in Hiding” --the Good News Witness as told by John Early in the morning, on the first day of ...

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