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 1201 to 1225 of 4340 results

1201. Be Careful What You Ask For

1 Samuel 10:9-27

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... to demonstrate the limitations of the human perspective they embrace when they demand a king like other nations. However, when it comes time to replace Saul, the Lord picks David on the basis of his own standard, which gives priority to inner character rather than physical attributes (1 Sam. 16:7). When the time comes to act decisively on the Lord’s behalf, David demonstrates no hesitancy (1 Sam. 17). Historical and Cultural Background Verses 23–24 focus on Saul’s physical attributes, especially his ...

1202. David on the Run

1 Sam 21:1–22:5

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... to heighten the drama of the story. We (and David) suspect that this mercenary will inform the king of what has happened. In chapter 22 our worst fears are realized (cf. 22:8–9, 18–19, 22). Doeg’s Edomite identity marks him as an especially dangerous character to the exilic readers of the history, for by this time the Edomites are viewed as archenemies of Israel (see Isa. 34:5–17; 63:1–6; Obad. 1–21). 21:8 I haven’t brought my sword. David’s explanation is illogical. He obviously needs a ...

1203. Eliphaz

Job 4:1-5:27

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... to present them as just in their treatment of humans. Many times, injustice was regarded as being perpetuated by the inconsistent behavior of the gods, by demons, or by evil humans, or even as how the world was. In the Old Testament, Yahweh’s just character and his sovereignty over all the world mean that the answer to the problem of a righteous sufferer like Job must in some way involve Yahweh. Interpretive Insights 4:3–4 Think how you have instructed many. As the leader of the friends (cf. 42 ...

1204. Yahweh Speaks as the Master Teacher

Job 38:1--41:34

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Daniel J. Estes

... tempted to complain against God or to question his ways in our lives, we must remember that we too are limited in our knowledge. Because we cannot comprehend all that God is doing, we must trust him to act according to his righteous and wise character. Yahweh defines the central issue for Job and for the reader. Job, working within the framework of retribution theology, has linked the justice of Yahweh to his own righteousness. To Job’s thinking, if he has been righteous, and he is confident that he has ...

1205. “Their Violence Comes Down on Their Own Heads”

Psalm 7:1-17

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... is possible, but I prefer the former. 7:5 make me sleep in the dust. The ESV reading is more literal to the Hebrew: “lay my glory [kabod] in the dust.” Calvin understands “glory” as a reference to “his memory, or his good name.”6 This term also refers to character in Psalm 4:2 and Job 19:9. 7:6 Arise, Lord . . . rise up. The first imperative (“Arise”) is reminiscent of Numbers 10:35, associated with the moving of the ark (cf. Pss. 3:7; 9:19; 17:13; 44:26; 102:13; Isa. 33:10; see also ...

1206. “Lord, Who May Dwell in Your Sacred Tent?”

Psalm 15:1-5

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... and there that we are on our way to the highest ethical plateau of loving and praying for our enemies (e.g., Lev. 19:18). The fourth set of qualities (15:5), expressed negatively, consists of two, giving us the sum total of eleven character traits. They, again, belong to the category of doing (“lends money . . . without interest” and “does not accept a bribe against the innocent”). Thus the portrait is complete, and the question of 15:1 has been answered. Summarily, the result of this righteous life ...

1207. “The Heavens Declare the Glory of God”

Psalm 19:1-14

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... how all of creation reveals and declares the glory of God. Share specifically what these images reveal to you about the nature and character of God. At the end, hold up a Bible and explain that God’s glory is revealed not just in nature but in his ... Word as well. Share specifically how God has used the Bible to reveal his character and nature to you and what difference that has made in your life. Psalms and hymns grow out of life experience with God. Hymn ...

1208. “The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation—Whom Shall I Fear?”

Psalm 27:1-14

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C. Hassell Bullock

... s and his personal experience. The heartthrob of the suppliant’s life, which war and opposition could not stop, issues in an oath—so sure is he—that he will see the Lord’s goodness while he is still alive (27:13). Thus he can cast himself in the character of Joshua, drawing on Moses’s words to his successor, in order to commend to his own soul or some other fellow traveler the way forward, the way to the promised land: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (27:14 ...

1209. “I Confess My Iniquity; I Am Troubled by My Sin”

Psalm 38:1-22

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... , not with a period, but with a dash— Illustrating the Text The power of God’s discipline Children’s Book: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C. S. Lewis. In this book, which is part of the Chronicles of Narnia series, Lewis has a character named Eustace who becomes a dragon (reflecting his selfish heart). Eustace does not want to be a dragon, so he keeps trying to peel off his scales, only to find another layer beneath. Then the great lion, Aslan (representing Jesus), comes to Eustace. He recounts ...

1210. “As the Deer Pants for Streams of Water, So My Soul Pants for You, My God”

Psalm 42:1-11, Psalm 43:1-5

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... . There the suppliant prays that God might send forth his light and truth (NIV: “your faithful care”) and lead him to the house of God. Both are valid ways of talking about our longing for God, and both have their source in God, whose loving character creates the spiritual thirst. my God.The occurrence of the divine name Elohim twelve times, in comparison to only one appearance of the covenant name Yahweh, alerts the reader to the change in presentation but not theology that occurs in Books 2 and 3 (see ...

1211. “I Will Praise Your Name, Lord, for It Is Good”

Psalm 54:1-7

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... we tend to be blind to our blessings. The Psalms often reveal that thanksgiving and praise were close to the heart and lips of the psalmists, even while they were going through difficult times (e.g., Ps. 54:6–7). While at camp the main character, Emily, reflects on her own propensity to complain: Instead of thanking God for my two strong legs that are able to run and jump and climb, I whined about my “thunder thighs” and “thick” ankles. . . . I have been totally and unbelievably ungrateful for ...

1212. “You Laugh at Them, Lord; You Scoff at All Those Nations”

Psalm 59:1-17

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... world—sickness, slander, uncertainty, and so on—may roam as scavengers of the night, in faithful trust we will sing God’s morning song of love. Understanding the Text In terms of traditional categories, this psalm is an individual lament, for the suppliant’s character has been maligned by his enemies, to which he attests his innocence and confesses his faith in the loving God. Judging from the titles of Psalms 56–60, we see literary threads that connect these psalms as a group (see table 1 in the ...

1213. “Truly My Soul Finds Rest in God”

Psalm 62:1-12

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... root with the noun “rest/silence” (dumiyyah) in 62:1. A few manuscripts have the noun of 62:1 here rather than this verbal form. 62:7 my honor.“Honor” (kabod) in Hebrew carries the basic sense of “heavy.” Contrast the “honor” of David’s character with the metaphor of “breath” as a disqualifier of the value of humanity without God (62:9). 62:8 Trust in him at all times, you people . . . for God is our refuge.Now the psalmist turns to the “people” (‘am). The verbs are plural ...

1214. “When You Ascended on High, You Took Many Captives”

Psalm 68:1-35

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C. Hassell Bullock

... of God in your own life journey? If not, maybe you have not opened your heart to God. Or possibly you are not opening your eyes to see what he is doing. God of the fatherless Statistics: In Psalm 68:5, David makes a powerful statement about the heart and character of God: “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” The Lord has compassion and is the defender of those in need. And he often uses us in the process of caring for the orphan and the widow. There are orphan ...

1215. Nabuchadnezzar’s Dream and Daniel's Interpretation

Daniel 2:1-23, Daniel 2:24-49

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... such worship (cf. 2:30).7 2:47 your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings. Nebuchadnezzar turns his praise to Daniel’s God, who is above all gods and kings, and the “revealer of mysteries.”8 This summarizes the description of Yahweh’s character in 2:19–23 and 27–30 but does not mean that Nebuchadnezzar has converted to monotheism or will honor Yahweh long term—the following narrative in Daniel 3 suggests the opposite. 2:48 the king placed Daniel in a high position. Daniel ...

1216. Gabriel Brings an Answer to Daniel’s Prayer

Daniel 9:20-27

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... . Yet God’s answer includes both grace and justice. On the one hand, a partial restoration comes in a relatively short time. On the other hand, persistent sin results in extended punishment. Help your listeners to keep these two aspects of God’s character in balance, knowing that sometimes his response will reflect one of these more than the other. Call them to be people of righteousness who are, at the same time, thankful for his mercy. 3. Times of trouble. Persecution by ungodly people may cause ...

1217. God Has No Grandchildren

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... of his day. I need the new birth. You need the new birth. Anyone of us who has not yet come back from our “East of Eden” sojourn away from God, we need the new birth, and we can be “East of Eden” in a lot of different ways. A character in one of Flannery O’Connor’s short stories asked the question, “Have you ever looked inside yourself and seen what you are not?” Well, have you? Have you ever looked inside yourself and seen what you are not? That’s sin—denying or neglecting who God is ...

1218. The Flood

Genesis 6:1-8:22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... now repeats his earlier word to Noah (6:18–20) to enter the ark (7:1–10). What the narrator earlier observed about Noah’s character (6:9), God confirms (7:1). This time Noah is told to take aboard, in addition to his family, seven of every kind of clean ... second of these. Although Noah’s wife, sons, and daughters-in-law are also saved, there is no reference to their character. Their salvation is due to their husband/father/father-in-law. Interestingly it is “God” who commands the group to enter ...

1219. The Covenant of Circumcision

Genesis 17:1-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... and be blameless” (17:1). We observed in chapter 15 that all of the obligations of the covenant fell on God. Chapter 17 lends a bit of balance to that. Abram does not have license to live as he pleases. His behavior is to reflect the character of the one who called him. In the course of conversation God tells Abram that his name will be changed from “Abram” (“father is exalted”) to “Abraham.” The only difference between the two is the syllable ha in the new name. The explanation “father of ...

1220. Restating the Covenant

Exodus 34:1-28

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Moses to ask once more that Israel be forgiven and accepted as God’s inheritance (34:8–9). God’s justice means he will most certainly punish those who are guilty. Only there could rest the true goodness and integrity of his name and character. Repetition of “the Lord” (34:6) may echo the repetition in Exodus 3:14. These elements of the Lord’s name echo throughout the history of Israel as they persist in demonstrating their human failings and as God lavishes on them mercy and forgiveness ...

1221. The People Rebel

Numbers 14:1-45

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... deaths and their children grow up to replace them. He refuses to reward rebellion by giving a home in the Promised Land to disloyal people connected with him. To do that would be to send the world a wrong message about his glorious and holy character (see 14:21) and damage his purpose of blessing all nations through the descendants of Abraham (Gen. 12:3; 22:18). To make sure the connection between the Israelites’ punishment and the scout fiasco will be remembered, the extra time in the wilderness will be ...

1222. Seeking God with All Our Hearts

Deut 4:1-43

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , 15), they still hear God speak directly from heaven (4:10). Since God has no form, Israel must not make any image or assumed likeness to him, for this would defame God’s majesty (4:16–19). The Living God will brook no rivals, for zeal for his own character would consume all pretenders (4:24). Heaven and earth are called as witnesses (4:26; cf. 30:19; 32:1; Isa. 1:2; Jer. 2:12; Mic. 6:1–2) against all who worship foreign gods and who have become corrupt (4:25). The threat of scattering the Israelites ...

1223. Othniel

Judges 3:7-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 11–19. 3:7–11 · Unlike the other narratives to follow, the narrative of the Judahite judge Othniel is very brief and consists primarily of stereotypical phrases already found in 2:11–19. Othniel is the only major judge presented without any discernible character flaw. It is likely that the author has intentionally set him as an ideal paradigmatic model against which subsequent judges are to be compared. Following the expected pattern, the cycle begins with Israel doing evil in the eyes of the Lord by ...

1224. Prologue

Job 1:1-5

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... “word-plays through secondary etymology are a common device in biblical narrative” (Janzen, 34). Historical evidence supports Albright’s analysis more strongly, but it is not impossible that, secondarily, the very name iyyob/Job teases out the main character’s predicament. Evidence places Uz, Job’s homeland, in two different spots. (1) A locale near Edom is supported by several texts. Jeremiah mentions the kings of Uz immediately after mentioning Egypt and just before mentioning Philistine cities ...

1225. Psalm 140

Psalm 140:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... David (140:1–5). David calls for their destruction (139:19; 140:9–11). Using “Selah,” David divides Psalm 140 into four parts (see NIV note). In the first two sections, he presents parallel cries to God for protection against those who falsely assail his character (140:1–3) or set traps to ruin him (140:4–5). In section three (140:6–8), he appeals to God for help—making the basis of his appeal their personal relationship. David concludes (140:9–13) with an imprecation against his attackers ...

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