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 1026 to 1050 of 1270 results

1026. Jesus and Women

Luke 7:36--8:3

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... going to sit at the Welcome table Shout my troubles over Walk and talk with Jesus Tell God how you treat me One of these days! How full this anointer’s heart must have been to be accepted by Jesus so beautifully in the house of a hostile Pharisee. Literature: “The Welcome Table,” by Alice Walker. Walker (b. 1944) tells the tale of an old black woman “nearly blind with age” who has “staggered” her way to a white church on a cold day. Focused on being in church, the woman “brushes” past the ...

1027. Hearing and Responding

Luke 8:19-21, Luke 8:16-18, Luke 8:1-15

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... has continued to proclaim the good news all over Galilee (8:1). So it is time now to think about how that proclamation has been received. In particular, we have already seen that while some embrace the message with enthusiasm, others are skeptical or downright hostile. How can it be that the same good news meets with such varying results? That is the issue explained here in the parable of the sower and associated sayings. Before long Jesus will be sending his disciples out with the same message (9:1–6 ...

1028. “Who Is This?”

Luke 9:10-17, Luke 9:1-9

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R.T. France

... and blessings of the kingdom of God. Illustrating the Text Be discerning about when to shake the dust off your feet. Personal Stories: Many individuals have had experiences of persevering in relational and spiritual encounters in which the other person has either been hostile to or had no real interest in the counsel offered. It might be good to elicit stories of some of these situations that may still be present in the persevering person’s mind. Literature: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C ...

1029. Divided Loyalties

Luke 12:1-12, Luke 12:13-21

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... by the theme of opposition to Jesus. That theme is now continued, but also it is developed to speak of the opposition that Jesus’s disciples too must expect to meet, and that will challenge them to stand up for God in a hostile environment. A collection of sayings of warning and encouragement spells out the uncomfortable choices that disciples must make. This then raises the issue of the priority of spiritual over material concerns, and the parable of the shortsighted plutocrat then leads into the theme ...

1030. Ready for the Kingdom of God?

Luke 13:31-35, Luke 13:22-30, Luke 13:18-21

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R.T. France

... most Galilean pilgrims, traveled down the east side of the Jordan to avoid going through Samaritan territory (see on 17:11). Most of his route would then have been through Galilee and Perea, the two areas under the political control of Herod Antipas, whose hostility toward Jesus, as a second John the Baptist, has already been noted (9:7–9, with 3:19–20). But Jesus is bound for Jerusalem, which is not under Antipas’s jurisdiction. Interpretive Insights 13:18–19 the kingdom of God . . . is like a ...

1031. Lost and Found

Luke 15:1-7, Luke 15:8-10, Luke 15:11-32

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... on the lookout (Helmut Thielicke famously dubbed this parable “the waiting father”). Like the shepherd and the woman, he is searching. His undignified run down the road risks social humiliation, and his public embrace of the disgraced son declares to a potentially hostile village that the son is restored to the family. The son’s rehearsed speech is interrupted before he can make his proposition of employment; he is “this son of mine” (15:24) again. Grace has ruled out the need for earning his way ...

1032. “When Will These Things Happen?”

Luke 21:5-38

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... relates to response under persecution (it is not an excuse for lazy preachers!). Note that a similar promise is made in 12:11–12, but with the Holy Spirit as subject. 21:16–17 Everyone will hate you because of me. The family hostility and the threat even of martyrdom fit the Jewish context, in which Jesus (and therefore his followers) was quickly branded a deceiver who “led Israel astray.” For an example of the traditional Jewish response to such people, see Deuteronomy 13. Acts will record ...

1033. Adam, the Law, and the Curse of the Covenant

Romans 5:12-21

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C. Marvin Pate

... : verses 12–14 and verses 15–21. Verses 12–14 relate how it is that the world became the enemy of God: Adam’s sin (and Eve’s sin, though Paul does not mention her here; but see 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:13–14) turned the world hostile to God. Verses 15–21 proclaim how it is that humanity is being reconciled to God: Christ’s obedience to God is turning many to faith in him. Verses 12–14 unfold in two points: 1. Adam as the originator of sin and death (5:12) 2. The law of ...

1034. The Holy Spirit and the Blessings of the New Covenant

Romans 8:1-17

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C. Marvin Pate

... a running contrast in these verses between the two dominions of flesh and Spirit. 8:5 Flesh/Law: Sinful nature – mindset of flesh Spirit: Spiritual nature – mindset of Spirit 8:6 Flesh/Law: Result – death Spirit: Result – life 8:7-8 Flesh/Law: Hostile, unpleasing to God Spirit: (Implied) Obedient, pleasing to God (cf. 8:1-4) First, in these verses Paul speaks in the indicative mood, not the imperative. Thus, he is describing the spiritual reality: those following the flesh displease God and die, but ...

1035. The Spirit and the Glory of the Age to Come and the New Covenant

Romans 8:28-39, Romans 8:18-27

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C. Marvin Pate

... Arthur gathered around him the Knights of the Round Table, who were devoted to a stringent code of honor. His most trusted knight, Lancelot, betrayed code and king by having an affair with Arthur’s wife, Guinevere. Caught in adultery by the hostile Mordred, Arthur’s illegitimate son, Lancelot escapes. Guinevere, however, is sentenced to be burned at the stake. Everyone wonders if the king will let her die. Mordred sings, “Arthur! What a magnificent dilemma. . . . Which will it be, Arthur? Do you kill ...

1036. Message to Smyrna

Revelation 2:8-11

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J. Scott Duvall

... were viewed as people who distorted the Jewish law. By confessing Jesus as the divine Messiah, they were committing blasphemy. This would have been especially offensive if they had borne witness to Jesus in the synagogue as Paul had done earlier. Jesus says that those Jews hostile to his disciples are not true Jews at all. They are, in reality, a “synagogue of Satan” rather than a congregation of God’s true people. 2:10–11 the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer ...

1037. God on His Throne as the Sovereign Creator

Revelation 4:1-11

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J. Scott Duvall

... . 3:21). Without vision, endurance fades. When worldly powers seem to be in control, people need faith and hope to endure. These qualities grow stronger when they rest on the truth that God reigns from his throne and holds ultimate power over any and all hostile human authorities. Our faith and hope grow weaker when we neglect the truth of the heavenly vision. We also should remember that Revelation 4:1 refers to a personal prophetic vision given to John and not to the rapture of the church. John receives a ...

1038. The Seventh Trumpet (Third Woe)

Revelation 11:15-19

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J. Scott Duvall

... the ark of the covenant can be seen by all, represents God’s invitation for his people to experience and enjoy his faithful presence forever. Anyone who attempts to live in obedience to Jesus Christ in this world will face opposition and sometimes direct hostility. God’s people were suffering in the first century, and they have continued to suffer. We live as aliens and strangers in a broken world where things are not the way they are supposed to be. While remaining grateful for life as a beautiful ...

1039. The Woman, the Son, and the Dragon

Revelation 12:1--13:1a

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J. Scott Duvall

... Idea: God protects Jesus Christ and the messianic community against satanic attack. Understanding the Text As well as being the start of a new major section, Revelation 12 stands as the theological heart of the book because it shows why the church faces spiritual hostility in this world and how God provides the victory. Revelation 12:1–14:20 forms a grand interlude detailing the cosmic conflict between God and the forces of evil, as well as God’s vindication of his people and judgment of the unrighteous ...

1040. The Aaronic Blessing

Numbers 6:22-27

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... to experience all these sorts of peace. Eventually the messianic Prince of Peace will establish ever-increasing peace (Isa. 9:6–7) and a world without war (Isa. 2:4). For Christians, Christ himself is our peace, the one who has broken down the hostility between people (Eph. 2:14) and, more significantly, brought us peace with God (Rom. 5:1). All these blessings are possible because God’s name is associated with his people (Num. 6:27). God’s blessing, protection, favor, grace, and peace are poured out ...

1041. Balaam’s Final Prophecies: The Star and the Scepter

Num 24:15-25

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... escaped and taken refuge in Mount Seir is defeated by the tribe of Simeon (1 Chron. 4:41–43). Thereafter they disappear from history. 24:21–22 Kenites. The Kenites (lit., “Kain” [ESV, KJV, NASB, NRSV]) are a Midianite tribe. Israel is not initially hostile to Kenites. Moses’s in-law Hobab is a Midianite (Num. 10:29) and a Kenite (Judg. 1:16; 4:11). After a Midianite woman, in alliance with Moabite women, entices Israelite men to disobey God (Num. 25), Israel treats Midianites as enemies (Num ...

1042. Immorality and Apostasy

Numbers 25:1-18

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... curse. Second, Balaam in fact has orchestrated this whole affair in a partially successful attempt to get Yahweh to curse Israel (see Num. 31:15–18). The Moabites (Num. 25:1–2) and their Midianite allies (Num. 25:6, 14–15) have intentionally and with hostile intent “deceived” Israel (Num. 25:18). The rebellion of this chapter forms the climatic conclusion to the story of the old generation.1 It ends with a plague that kills twenty-four thousand (Num. 25:9), and then is followed by the census of ...

1043. War against Midian

Num 31:1-54

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... ’s command all the males are killed, including all the boy children. Their villages are all burned to the ground. All the women except for the virgins are also killed. But these things must be put in context. God condemns these Midianites because they have initiated hostilities at Peor (Num. 25:16–18). Normally, women are to be spared in war outside Canaan (Deut. 20:13–15), but these women have been part of a plot that causes the death of twenty-four thousand Israelites (Num. 25:9) (see comments at vv ...

1044. A Prodigal Son Comes Home in Body, but Not in Spirit

2 Sam 14:1–15:12

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... can have serious personal repercussions. Understanding the Text After the murder of Amnon, Absalom found asylum with his maternal grandfather, the king of Geshur (13:37–38; cf. 3:3). After three years, David calmed down and no longer desired to take hostile action against Absalom (13:39). Sensing an opening, Joab now works hard to persuade David to let Absalom come home. David agrees, but he does not reinstate Absalom to the royal court right away. Eventually, however, he accepts Absalom fully, again at ...

1045. The Return of the King Brings Turmoil in the Kingdom

2 Sam 19:9–20:26

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... such a person (2 Sam. 16:7). Similar phrases are used of Eli’s sons (1 Sam. 2:12), Saul’s critics (10:27), and Nabal (25:17). 20:2 all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba. Sheba, a Benjamite, exploits the hostility between Israel and Judah (cf. 19:41–43). This incident foreshadows the eventual division of the kingdom after Solomon’s death. In fact, Sheba’s words are repeated by the Israelites on that later occasion when they declare their independence from the Davidic dynasty (see ...

1046. David’s Mighty Men

2 Samuel 21:15-22

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... emerges from the accounts of David’s mighty men: When the Lord gives his chosen servants a task to do, he provides support to aid them in their endeavors. As the Lord’s chosen king, David was responsible for national security. In the hostile environment in which ancient Israel existed, this meant that David must fight the wars of the Lord. Beginning with his victory over Goliath, he did so quite effectively. After becoming king of united Israel, he experienced great success in his campaigns against the ...

1047. Barren No More

1 Sam 1:1-20–2:11

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... her deliverance from her oppressed condition foreshadows what God will do for the nation in the years that immediately follow (2:10). Through Hannah’s son, Samuel, God will once again reveal his word to his people, give them military victory over hostile enemies, and establish a king who will lead the nation to previously unrealized heights. The final canonical context of the Former Prophets is the exile (2 Kings 25). The exiles are enduring the consequences of their ancestors’ and their own rebellious ...

1048. The Lord Chooses a New King

1 Samuel 16:14-23, 1 Samuel 16:1-13

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... try to murder David, who is, ironically, his only source of comfort and relief from the spirit’s torment. Any objective observer can see that Saul has been abandoned by God and is unfit to rule. Eventually David himself comes to suspect that Saul’s hostility toward him is engineered by God as a form of divine judgment upon the king (see the comments on 26:19 below). For the exiles reading the history, this account serves as a reminder of what genuine leadership entails and a challenge to them to choose ...

1049. David on the Run

1 Sam 21:1–22:5

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... the Lord views David’s departure as contrary to his divinely ordained destiny. Theological Insights The exilic readers of the history can undoubtedly relate to David’s circumstances and fears. They too are living outside the land of promise and feel vulnerable in a hostile world. They are tempted to focus on what they can see, but they need to focus on God and his promise. They have a divinely appointed destiny and need to look both backward and forward. In Isaiah 40 God reminds them of his sovereignty ...

1050. David Spares Saul’s Life—Again

1 Samuel 26:1-25

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... David’s best friend, his own son Jonathan, for supporting David (20:33). In 22:6 it is mentioned again just before Saul launches his campaign against David and murders the priests at Nob for allegedly siding with David. Saul’s spear symbolizes the king’s hostility toward David and the mortal danger that Saul represents for him. But now David could rid himself of this threat to his life by grabbing his enemy’s spear and transferring its location from the ground to Saul’s head. 26:9 the Lord’s ...

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