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 1326 to 1350 of 4947 results

1326. The Second Appearance and Its Sequel

John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... up”), whereas the imperative here is an actual command. This is the only recorded fulfillment of Jesus’ promises of the Spirit in his farewell discourses (cf. also 7:39), and it is clear that the Gospel writer intends it as the fulfillment. In that sense it is the Johannine equivalent of Pentecost, not a mere foretaste of Pentecost. Historically, there are hints in Luke and Acts that even before Pentecost the Spirit indeed played a role in the ministry of the risen Jesus to his disciples. The preface to ...

1327. Final Greeting

Philippians 4:21-23

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

... s co-workers. 4:22 Among the “saints” in the place where Paul is, all of whom send their greetings, special mention is made of those who belong to Caesar’s household. Caesar’s household included not only members of the imperial family in the narrower sense but also a great number of slaves and freedmen. From the ranks of the freedmen the imperial civil service was staffed. These were to be found far and wide throughout the provinces, but nowhere was there such a concentration of them as in Rome—a ...

1328. The Tower of Babel

Genesis 11:1-9

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... picture of the dispersion of peoples in the Table of Nations before recounting a major cause, but not the only cause, for this dispersion. Moreover, this order permits the description of the dispersion of the nations as God’s plan without the added sense that the dispersion was caused by a divine judgment, which would be the primary reading if the narrative of Babel stood before the Table of Nations. 11:3 These construction methods are typical of Mesopotamia. The lack of stones prodded people to make ...

1329. Do Not Forget the Lord

Deuteronomy 8:1-20

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... the monarchy, and ultimately, of course, the cross itself), the wilderness wandering is presented to us both as arising out of human sin and rebellion and as having a divine purpose. To humble (vv. 2, 3, 16) is a verb, ʾānāh (in Piel), that is often used in the sense of “to afflict” by abuse or humiliation (e.g., Gen. 16:6; Exod. 22:21). When God is the subject, it can mean to punish in discipline (1 Kgs. 11:39; Isa. 64:12) or for educational purposes, as here (cf. Ps. 119:71, 75). As a response to ...

1330. Miscellaneous Laws

Deut 23:15–25:19

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... when “the books will be opened” (Rev. 20:11–15) and the judge of all the earth will do right. Additional Notes 23:17 The Hb. for shrine prostitute is q e dēšâ [MT v. 18], lit. “a holy one.” The person was “holy,” not in the moral sense but in being “set apart,” i.e., dedicated to the god of the shrine for the purposes of ritual sex, often as part of fertility cults. The practice is still found in some parts of the world. In India, though it is officially outlawed, many young girls are ...

1331. Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King

1 Kings 1:1-27

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... of what he has sworn and so ensures that Adonijah is dependent for his life upon Solomon’s own oath. The story is constructed quite deliberately so as to make these connections between the mothers and their sons clear and to invest the characters with a sense of predestination. See further M. Garsiel, “Puns upon Names as a Literary Device in 1 Kings 1–2,” Bib 72 (1991), pp. 379–86. 1:42 A worthy man: The Hb. is ʾîš ḥayil, which can be taken as referring to moral worth. The similar phrase ben ...

1332. A Rebellious Nation

Isaiah 1:1-31

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... Yahweh (lit., “Yahweh armies”) controls mighty resources and is thus able to implement a purpose in the world, while “Mighty One” applies to Yahweh an expression that suggests power like that of a bull (see Additional Notes). Each of these titles adds to the sense that what we are about to hear comes from a mightily powerful God—a comfort no doubt to friends, but a threat to enemies. These names would have been familiar to Isaiah’s hearers. Here they are being turned against them. Get relief and ...

1333. Woe to the Obstinate Nation

Isaiah 30:1-33

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... as frighteningly destructive as the threat of Gehenna in the NT. Additional Notes 30:1 My Spirit: better “my spirit” (see Additional Notes on 11:1–2) or even “my will” (NRSV). 30:4 Following on v. 3 these look like Egyptian envoys, but that makes poor sense. It is more likely that “they” refers back generally to Judah (see v. 2): these are Judean envoys traipsing from one end of Lower Egypt to the other. 30:5 On shame, see the comment on 29:22–23. 30:6 The words ’erets tsarah wetsuqah are ...

1334. Miscellaneous Oracles of Judgment

Ezekiel 21:1-32, Ezekiel 22:1-31

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... the priestly worldview. The holy is that which belongs or pertains to God, while the common is the realm of ordinary life, or what we might call the secular. While the Holiness Code calls all Israel to holiness (see, e.g., Lev. 19:2), in its most particular sense the holy is that area which is God’s alone. God commands that Israel take strict care that the holy and the common do not mix (in Ezek. 42:20, the wall around the temple complex is meant “to separate the holy from the common”). The story of ...

1335. Epilogue to the Law of the Temple: River, Land, City

Ezekiel 47:1-12, Ezekiel 47:13-23, Ezekiel 48:1-29, Ezekiel 48:30-35

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... the entire temple vision. Therefore, verses 30–35 were part of Ezekiel’s original vision report. The message of the great river of Ezekiel’s core vision is that life and order and healing come from the temple. The perfect, foursquare structure of the city communicates that sense of calm and order as well. It is no surprise that Ezekiel’s vision of the river of life inspired John’s vision of the new heaven and new earth (Rev. 22:1–2) and of the city with its twelve gates (Rev. 21:9–21). Of ...

1336. Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness

Matthew 4:1-11

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... of some great province, under the real rule of wise counsellors, should come to fancy he really owns the cities, the forest, and the corn, in the same way as he owns the bricks on the nursery floor. . . . We have taught [people] to say “my God” in a sense not really very different from “my boots,” meaning “The God on whom I have a claim for my distinguished services and whom I exploit from the pulpit—the God I have done a corner in.” And all the time the joke is that the word “Mine” in its ...

1337. Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

Matthew 9:35-38, Matthew 10:1-42

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... and others like them who participate in Jesus’ mission. God will reward anyone who welcomes and receives these missionaries and their message. 10:42 little ones. The final group from the saying about extending welcome is “little ones” (mikroi). In one sense, this group does not seem to fit well with the prophets and righteous ones of this saying. Unlike the first two groups, “little ones” does not signal a group naturally esteemed in the believing community, as prophets and the righteous are ...

1338. Jesus Warns of Presuming Reward and Status

Matthew 20:1-16

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Jeannine K. Brown

... factory owner Willy Wonka announces thathe is opening up his factory to five lucky children, people begin snatching up Wonka chocolate bars in hopes of winning one of the five golden tickets. Each of the winning children, except for Charlie, comes with some particular sense of entitlement that ends up disqualifying him or her from Willy Wonka’s true purpose, which is to give his factory away to a deserving child. He is looking for a child without any such entitlement because he wants to give his factory ...

1339. Eschatological Discourse: Being Faithful and Merciful

Matthew 25:14-30, Matthew 25:31-46

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... they are always ready for the Lord’s return. Popular Culture: We live in a culture that prizes ownership. We work our whole lives to own our own house, our own car(s), and all that goes with and in them. Even when it would make sense to share material possessions communally, our tendencies toward buying and owning are strong (e.g., would it not be better for several households in a neighborhood to share a lawnmower rather than each one owning its own?). The parable of the bags of gold encourages believers ...

1340. Possessions and Choice in the New Kingdom Community

Mark 10:17-31

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... Properly stated, it is “the love of money” that is the source of evil, because when people “want to get rich,” they fall into “temptation and a trap” (1 Tim. 6:9–10). An idol is anything that we worship more than God, and in that sense the idolatry of wealth (= materialism) is the preeminent sin in our culture today. When such idolatry occurs (as it does with the rich man), it must be completely discarded (as in 9:43–47). Jesus intended this principle for his disciples too, as verses 23–31 ...

1341. Jesus Claims God-Given Authority to Condemn the Leaders

Mark 12:1-12, Mark 11:27-33

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... that the owner would finally give up in light of the persistent trouble the farmers have been to him. However, Jesus never tells us the mind-set behind these evil tenants, and it is best simply to recognize their murderous intentions. Evil seldom makes rational sense. 12:9 kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. “Owner” (kyrios) is actually “the lord of the vineyard” and connotes “Lord Almighty” in Isaiah 5:7, who says in 5:5, “Now I will tell you what I am going to do.” The ...

1342. The Birth of God’s Son Announced

Luke 1:26-38

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... at the beginning of the Gospel matches the equally “impossible” event of the resurrection of a brutally executed man at the end. A theology that cannot accommodate God’s supernatural reordering of the “laws of nature” is never going to find it easy to make sense of a Jesus whose life begins and ends in such a way. Teaching the Text The two main themes of this section are (1) Jesus as the promised Messiah from the line of David, the fulfillment of the messianic prophecies, and (2) his supernatural ...

1343. Testing in the Wilderness

Luke 4:1-13

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... devil and Jesus in relation to his Father. Teaching the Text Three quite different approaches may be suggested for teaching the temptation of Jesus. First, a sermon or lesson could focus on the nature of temptation/testing. Point out to your audience the dual sense of the verb peiraz?; discuss what temptation involves and whether/how it may be used for good as well as for evil. Important issues that could be discussed here include the relation between good and evil, the relation between God and Satan, and ...

1344. Lord of the Sabbath and Appointing the Twelve

Luke 6:12-16, Luke 6:1-11

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... and open-ended. Mark 2:27 sums up his approach: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Jesus’s claim to be “Lord of the Sabbath,” following after his claim to forgive sins (both under the title “the Son of Man”), adds to the sense that he claims to be on a level above merely human authorities. He will not openly claim to be divine, but the reader who remembers the angel’s message in 1:30–35 will have no difficulty in reading between the lines. But alongside this exalted ...

1345. Power over Illness and Death

Luke 7:11-17, Luke 7:1-10

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... recognizes a supernatural power working through Jesus. We need not suppose that in the narrative context people now encountering Jesus for the first time saw him as God incarnate, but Luke would expect his readers to read this acclamation in a more literal sense than the crowds perhaps realized. Theological Insights Healing by a word from a distance and bringing a dead man back to life both extend the reader’s growing awareness of Jesus’s special powers, which go far beyond a gift for psychosomatic ...

1346. “Love Your Neighbor”

Luke 10:25-37

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R.T. France

... the scribe in Mark 12:32–33). It is not in his basic understanding of the law that Jesus was out on a limb, but in the radical comprehensiveness of the way he applied it. This parable subverts not the ethical demand of the law, but the Jewish sense of ethnic superiority. The two chosen texts (Deut. 6:5 and Lev. 19:18) suitably sum up the two main aspects of religious duty, as expressed in the two “tables” of the Decalogue, one’s duty to God and one’s duty to other people. For other New Testament ...

1347. The Failure of Israel’s Leadership

Luke 11:37-54

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R.T. France

... ”). 11:43 you love the most important seats. The “outward” focus of many Pharisees meant that they were more interested in their own reputation for godliness than in actually living the way God wanted. The repetition of the word “love” in very different senses in 11:42 and 11:43 shows how they are out of kilter with God’s scale of values. 11:44 unmarked graves. Graves were covered with lime plaster to make them visible, so that people would not inadvertently become defiled by touching them ...

1348. Interpreting the Times

Luke 12:54-59, Luke 12:49-53, Luke 12:35-48

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R.T. France

... 12:35–48 is a coherent unit of teaching, which has been broken up here simply to accommodate the commentary divisions. The collection of sayings that follows in 12:49–59 does not relate specifically to that theme, but it does add further to the sense of crisis: Jesus’s arrival has confronted people with serious and difficult choices that will have eternal consequences. This theme will continue in the call to repentance in 13:1–9. All this is to be understood against the background of 12:1: Jesus has ...

1349. Two Parables about Prayer

Luke 18:9-14, Luke 18:1-8

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R.T. France

... tithing go well beyond the demands of the Old Testament law, but to be a Pharisee was to be committed to a much more rigorous ritual code. 18:13 God, have mercy on me, a sinner. The description of the tax collector’s attitude conveys a sense of personal unworthiness, which, in view of Jesus’s comment in 18:14, we should probably take to include not merely low self-esteem but active repentance (as with the real-life tax collector in 19:1–10). “Have mercy on” is more literally “be propitiated ...

1350. The Revolutionary Values of the Kingdom of God

Luke 18:31-34, Luke 18:18-30, Luke 18:15-17

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R.T. France

... In this documentary film (2003),3Jamie Johnson, heir to the Johnson and Johnson wealth, looks at the children who are born to the very wealthy, among them the Vanderbilts, the Trumps, and the Bloombergs. He talks about the difficulty that these children have in coming to personal identity, as their sense of their selves can be compromised or lost by their wealth. Unfortunately, this creates a chasm between their lives and those of others, only deepening the problem and making it less likely to be resolved.

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