Dictionary: Face
Synonyms: countenance, physiognomy, profile, features, expression, facial expression, look, appearance, air, manner, bearing, guise, cast, aspect, impression, grimace, scowl, wry face, wince, frown, glower, smirk, pout, moue, side, flank, vertical, surface, plane, facet, wall, elevation, dial, display, (outward) appearance, nature, image, front, show, act, false front, facade, exterior, mask, masquerade, pretence, charade, pose, illusion, smokescreen, veneer, camouflage, respect, honour, esteem, regard, admiration, approbation, acclaim, approval, favour, appreciation, popularity, estimation, veneration, awe, reverence, deference, recognition, prestige, standing, status, dignity, glory, kudos, cachet, effrontery, audacity, nerve, gall, brazenness, brashness, shamelessness, look out on, front on to, look towards, be facing, have/afford/command a view of, look over/across, open out over, look on to, overlook, give on to, give over, be opposite (to), accept, come to accept, become reconciled to, reconcile oneself to, reach an acceptance (of), get used to, become accustomed to, adjust to, accommodate oneself to, acclimatize oneself to, be confronted by, be faced with, encounter, experience, come into contact with, run into, come across, meet, come up against, be forced to contend with, beset, worry, distress, cause trouble to, trouble, bother, confront, burden, brave, face up to, meet head-on, dare, defy, oppose, resist, withstand, cover, clad, skin, overlay, dress, pave, put a facing on, laminate, inlay, plate, coat, line
Antonyms: dodge, fear, back, give way, back down, dodge, avoid, throw in the towel, withdraw, cave in, retreat, succumb to, lay down one's arms, throw in the sponge, defer, submit, escape, bashfulness, shun, evade, elude
Showing 1076 to 1100 of 4952 results
1076. Christ’s Twin
Philippians 2:1-11
Sermon
King Duncan
... of a tiger cub who lost his mother and was adopted by a family of goats. The goats raised the tiger to speak their language, adopt their ways, and eat their food. Soon the tiger believed he was just a funny-looking goat. One day a king tiger appeared and all the goats scattered in fear. Except the young tiger who was left alone, afraid, and yet somehow unafraid. The king tiger asked him what was meant by this masquerade. But all the young tiger could do was bleat nervously and eat grass. So the king carried ...
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
... man of the law and of high pride, went to the judges as the Deuteronomic code dictated and denounced his betrothed for her betrayal of their marriage compact. Mary, being a woman and without a voice in the court, could say nothing in her defense about an angelic appearance and a divine mission. So the judges, as prescribed by the Law of Moses, dragged her to the door of her father's house, and there some of Nazareth's leading citizens stoned her until dead. A "just" person is not the same as a "law-abiding ...
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
... is forced to use a stone as a pillow. Yet as Genesis 28:10-17 tells us, that night, in that place, Jacob encounters God. At Bethel, as it came to be called, Jacob experiences his vision of the ladder upon which angels were ascending and descending. What appeared to be a deserted bit of countryside turns out to be a main artery for a heavenly highway. Here at the vital intersection between heaven and earth God descends from the heights to be with Jacob at this lowest moment. It was no small stretch for God ...
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
... infinitely greater than the tautness of a straight line. The most powerful winds ever recorded on Earth don't blow across the top of Mount Washington (where gusts of 190 mph have been recorded). They scream in the circles of the giant cyclones that appear and then disappear over "tornado alley" in the Midwest. In these swirling spirals, winds of 300 mph have been recorded. The kingdom of God, which Jesus repeatedly describes as both "now" and "not yet," continues to be present for us today in the spiraling ...
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
... the very source of its weaknesses. First, Frito-Lay, Doritos and other "ethnic" chips began to take larger shares of the market. Borden saw no reason to change or add to its standard Wise potato chips. Next, premium ice creams like Ben & Jerry's and Haagen-Dazs appeared on the scene. Borden saw no reason to change or add to its traditional, lower-priced Lady Borden ice cream. Then, easy-to-prepare meals like Rice-a-Roni became popular. Borden saw no reason to change or add to its staple Prince spaghetti and ...
1081. The Devil's Sermon
Philippians 3:17-4:1
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
... This is not an attempt to put anyone into a satanic panic. But it is an effort to open our eyes to see how the world of the spirit operates. The Devil does not appear in our midst as the Devil. The Devil, that master of cunning and guile, appears in our midst as good. The Devil proposes ideas and concepts that appear so reasonable and logical on the outside, that we can miss their diabolical toes peeking out from underneath. Just as some of the first-century Gnostics twisted the message of a spirit-filled ...
1082. Luke 1:26-38
Luke 1:26-38
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... birth was made to his father, Zechariah, who was busy at his duties as a priest. Zechariah is within the temple itself, at the heart of Jerusalem and at the symbolic center of Jewish faithfulness, when the angel makes his appearance and pronouncement. Conversely, Gabriel now appears out in the sticks, in a podunk place so unknown that Luke provides a geography lesson for his readers so that they may locate it; “town in Galilee called Nazareth.” Instead of a respected, empowered priest, the angel now ...
1083. 1 Samuel 16:1-13
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... gospel. While today we encourage people to "write what they know," Paul apparently came under fire for his personalized preachings before some Christian communities. In 2 Corinthians we find Paul defending himself against a number of unspecified accusations, one of which appears to be the criticism that he talks too much of himself and not enough about Christ. The fourth chapter of 2 Corinthians thus begins with Paul disclaiming any gift of special knowledge or preparation for his work as a missionary for ...
1084. Mark 12:38-44
Mark 12:38-44
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... practice of wearing special Sabbath day garments. It is most likely that the simplest interpretation of this clothing is the best. By wearing "long robes," the scribes are apparently expecting to garner yearned-for honor and prestige based on their enhanced appearance alone (they seek to be "greeted with respect in the marketplaces" [38b]). These scribes, prancing about in their frippery and finery, have no real authority (see Mark 1 :22). But they continuously try to present an imposing, fake face to the ...
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... aloud. Luke's Gospel is meant to be told, announced and repeated. Its language - even in translation succeeds wonderfully at etching an oral holograph, vividly three dimensional, of the events that transpired so long ago. Having stressed the oral nature of Luke's writings, it now appears that the first two verses of chapter 3 fly in the face of this fact. Verses 1 and 2 recite a chronology, a log of who was ruling, where and when. Anyone chosen to read this week's gospel text at worship will find the names ...
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... and then to Jesus on the shore with his cozy fire. Peter does not come back into the story until he reboards the boat to bring some fish to shore, a strange and awkward action if Peter were already on the beach with Jesus. Furthermore he appears distant, on the edge of the encounter with Jesus and the other disciples. To counter these problems a minority opinion, with which we find much to agree, holds that Simon Peter's leap into the sea was motivated by fear and guilt, instead of eagerness and enthusiasm ...
1087. Philippians 4:1-9
Philippians 4:1-9
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... thought of them and their faith that the apostle now urges to "stand firm in the Lord in this way." Verses 2-3, with their personal message to particular members of the Philippian church, offer us a small glimpse inside this community of faith. In Philippi, it appears that women were some of the most visible, active leaders in the church. In Acts 16:14-15, we are told that a wealthy woman, Lydia, was Paul's first convert in Philippi. Her home became the meeting place for the first Christians in the city ...
1088. Luke 10:38-42
Luke 10:38-42
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... incumbent upon one who would be a good host. Second, the focus of the story now shifts to Mary, who "sat at the Lord's feet and listened" (v.39). Here, the defenders of Jesus' radical acceptance of women grow quite excited Mary appears as one being taught by the Lord. She assumes the traditional posture of a student who is learning from a great rabbi. Those arguing this interpretation suggest that culturally, this picture seems quite unique. It is true that most ancient Near Eastern cultures ...
1089. 1 Samuel 16:1-13
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... gospel. While today we encourage people to "write what they know," Paul apparently came under fire for his personalized preachings before some Christian communities. In 2 Corinthians we find Paul defending himself against a number of unspecified accusations, one of which appears to be the criticism that he talks too much of himself and not enough about Christ. The fourth chapter of 2 Corinthians thus begins with Paul disclaiming any gift of special knowledge or preparation for his work as a missionary for ...
1090. Mark 12:38-44
Mark 12:38-44
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
... practice of wearing special Sabbath day garments. It is most likely that the simplest interpretation of this clothing is the best. By wearing "long robes," the scribes are apparently expecting to garner yearned-for honor and prestige based on their enhanced appearance alone (they seek to be "greeted with respect in the marketplaces" [38b]). These scribes, prancing about in their frippery and finery, have no real authority (see Mark 1 :22). But they continuously try to present an imposing, fake face to the ...
1091. Exodus 34:29-35
Exodus 34:29-35
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... so caught up in the wonder of his encounter with the divine and so transported by his duty to deliver God's words to the people, does not realize that he himself has undergone any kind of transformation. The Israelites' reaction to Moses' physical appearance is immediate - "they were afraid to come near him" (v. 30). Notice that the text singles out Aaron as one particularly afraid. Perhaps this is because Aaron was the failed leader who enticed the people into building and worshiping the golden calf. Moses ...
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... and then to Jesus on the shore with his cozy fire. Peter does not come back into the story until he reboards the boat to bring some fish to shore, a strange and awkward action if Peter were already on the beach with Jesus. Furthermore he appears distant, on the edge of the encounter with Jesus and the other disciples. To counter these problems a minority opinion, with which we find much to agree, holds that Simon Peter's leap into the sea was motivated by fear and guilt, instead of eagerness and enthusiasm ...
1093. 1 Timothy 1:12-17
1 Timothy 1:12-17
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... salutation, the epistle moves immediately into a discussion about combating false teachers (vv. 3-7) and then into an exploration of the proper function of the law (vv. 8-11). It is in today's epistle reading, verses 12-16, that we finally get what appears to be a delayed thanksgiving section. The thanks given here, however, are not for God's work through the churches or for Christ's redemptive work in the world. The gratitude voiced here is a much more personal expression of thanksgiving. Here, Paul gives ...
1094. Matthew 1:18-25
Matthew 1:18-25
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... heritage and history. As "Son of David," Jesus is the culmination of Israel's hope in a Messiah. When "Son of Abraham" and "Son of David" come together, what happens is the "Son of God." Jesus as "Son of God" is a phrase which doesn't appear here, leaving some scholars to argue against its assumption at this point. But "Son of God" underlies and underlines everything that is said here by Matthew. Its applicability is not dependent on the exact words being present. In verse 20, there is specific reference to ...
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... How ironic that the very one who sought the anonymity of a nighttime visit to Jesus is the one whose name we still know and whose social status is still recorded - "Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews" (v. 1). Nicodemus at first appears to be a good candidate for discipleship, even perhaps a "plant" for the gospel inside the religious establishment. After Nicodemus' initial confession, Jesus opens to this Pharisee the possibility of a radically redrawn relationship with the divine that is imminent and immanent ...
1096. Philippians 1:21-30
Philippians 1:21-30
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... of his glory, Christians must still in some way remain in vital, intimate contact with the Lord (see Romans 14:8). Having stated the "benefits" of both life and death, Paul reveals in verse 23 what at first seems to be a preference for death. Death appears to be his personal desire. But Paul immediately follows this personal wish with a call for life (v.24) based on his pastoral duty. Indeed Paul's actual debate between life and death is very short-lived. By verse 25, he has already resolved the dilemma ...
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... seems almost bizarre. We expect to hear words of wonder and awe and praise not an offer for a construction project! But surely Mark would not record such an odd statement unless it contained some connection to the situation. Although no conclusion is certain, there does appear to be merit in linking Peter's offer to one of the traditional images associated with the Messiah's return. In Amos 9:11-12, the prophet's vision of the Messianic age includes the divine promise to "raise up the booth of David ... and ...
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... (which no angel could bear to witness) may then be contrasted with his calm, assured presence in the tomb. This angel's presence transforms the Markan resurrection narrative from simply an "empty tomb" encounter to a positive pronouncement story. Without an appearance by the risen Jesus himself, Mark relies on the message delivered by this angelic being as proof of Jesus' resurrection. In verse 6, the angel delivers the ultimate gospel message, the Easter exultation: "He is risen!" (Or as the pedantic NRSV ...
Sermon
Mike Ripski
... see, it’s possible to gain the whole world but lose your soul, your life, in the process.” V. The Good Life Jesus’ parable of the two houses reveals two different ways of understanding what it means to live “The Good Life.” One way is the way of appearances. The prosperity gospel assumes that the more you possess the better your life will be. Jesus says that is a lie. And the storms of life will prove that it is. A pastor tells the story about a woman in his church. She called him crying so hard ...
1100. Proper 17
James 1:19-27, Song of Songs 2:1-17, Mark 7:1-23
Sermon Aid
John R. Brokhoff
... the 10th century B.C. The book consists of love lyrics depicting the beauty and power of love between male and female. Some consider it an allegory of love between Christ and the church. This passage claims that springtime is the time for love with the appearance of flowers, birds and fruit. The lover calls his beloved to come with him to experience love. Epistle: James 1:17-27 In James' emphasis upon practical religion of good works, the grace of God is emphasized: "Of his own will he brought us forth by ...
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