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 1676 to 1700 of 2565 results

1676. Titus' Task on Crete

Titus 1:1-16

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... without necessarily intending to do so. More likely Paul is reflecting the common reputation of Epimenides, whom Plato called a “divine man” and of whom Aristotle said, “He used to divine, not the future, but only things that were past but obscure” (The Art of Rhetoric 3.17, Loeb). The truth of what he had said about Cretans now evidenced in the false teachers makes the title a permissible one. Therefore, he continues, rebuke them sharply. This is the only time in the letter that Titus himself ...

1677. The Son Superior to Angels

Hebrews 1:1-14

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... 28; 12:23) do not refer directly to the Son. See further, L. R. Helyer, “The Prōtotokos Title in Hebrews,” Studia Biblica et Theologica 6 (1976), pp. 3–28. 1:7 The apocryphal book 2 Esdras (8:21) contains this interesting parallel, “who art attended by the host of angels trembling as they turn themselves into wind and fire at thy bidding” (NEB), which is itself probably dependent upon Ps. 104:4. 1:8–9 Your kingdom in some manuscripts reads his kingdom. The weight of manuscript evidence slightly ...

1678. Taming the Tongue

James 3:1-12, James 3:13-18

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

... such as Psalm 31:21 or 103:1, 2; they had morning and evening prayers of blessing in which God was thanked for protection during the night and the good of the day (the prayers of Acts 2:42); and there were the thanksgivings over each meal: “Blessed art thou, O, Lord God of our fathers, who gives us the fruit of the ground.…” Unfortunately, the tongue is also used to curse men. Scripture abounds with curses, although it limits cursing and is at best uneasy about it: Genesis 9:25; 49:7; Judges 9:20 ...

1679. To Elders and Young Men

1 Peter 5:1-11

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... in the psalm to the overthrow of the lion is carefully omitted. In the natural world, different types of lions use different hunting methods. While one seeks to paralyze its prey by a terrifying noise, another stalks its victim silently. The devil is a master of arts. The comparison of the enemy of souls to a lion is suggested by Ps. 7:2; 10:9; 22:13. The simile refers to spiritual death, apostasy. See Horsley, New Documents, vol. 3, pp. 50–51. In Judaism, persecutors are often likened to lions: Jer. 4 ...

1680. Making One's Calling and Election Sure

2 Peter 1:1-11

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... of the divine nature is offered by Jesus Christ to enable the believer to counter the fascination of evil desires which lead on to sin. Peter boldly uses terms familiar in the Hellenistic thought of his day (he knew something about the art of communication), although he christianizes the ideas. Greek philosophers taught the desirability of escaping from the material world because of its corrupting influence. “Peter is careful to define the nature of the corruption he has in mind, i.e., corruption that is ...

1681. The Ark

Exodus 25:10-22

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... gold . . . of one piece with the cover, wings touching, facing each other. Their wings formed a canopy, overshadowing the cover. The text does not describe the features of the cherubim in further detail, but it is certain they were not the chubby winged boys of European art. Ezekiel pictures them with four faces each (man, lion, ox, eagle; Ezek. 10:14) and also with two faces (man and lion; Ezek. 41:18–19). Tradition describes them as having the face of a man and the body of a bull or lion (like a sphinx ...

1682. Rahab and the Spies

Joshua 2:1-24

Understanding Series

J. Gordon Harris

... . In any case, a scarlet cord hanging out a window in a house on the wall would mark visibly where Rahab lived (2:18, 21). A scarlet cord would get the attention of the troops and save Rahab and her family. Details about the rope strengthen the art of the narrative and should not be considered theological points. Early church fathers used typology to associate the red cord with the red blood of Jesus. They taught that as the cord saved the lives of Rahab and her family, so does the blood of Christ. However ...

1683. The Song of Deborah

Judges 5:1-31

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... for each man,” the Hb. literally says “a womb, two wombs for every man.” Rape in warfare has been and continues to be a common practice. But what is especially shocking is that here women accept it and even excitedly expect it. R. Alter (The Art of Biblical Poetry [New York: Basic Books, 1985], p. 46) comments upon the irony of this scene: “All this stands in shocking contrast to the still lingering—or perhaps even synchronous—image of the Canaanite general felled by the hand of a woman, lying ...

1684. Samson and Delilah

Judges 16:1-22

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... It is a gripping, poignant drama brought to life by a gifted artist who has skillfully combined plot and characterization to present a classic story whose elements, if not the whole, have been told and retold in many cultures through all varieties of media, whether story, song, art, or film. But as we turn to this famous story, we must remember that it is part of a whole and thus be careful to place it in its literary context. It stands as the climactic point of both the Samson cycle and Judges 3–16, that ...

1685. Danites Settle in Laish

Judges 18:1-31

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... . Micah pitifully complained, “The gods I made you took, and my priest, and you went away, and what do I have left, and what is this that you say to me, ‘What’s the matter with you?’ ” (v. 24, my translation). The author ridicules idolatry so artfully that there is no need to comment directly; the scene of Micah standing before the Danite mob, whining that they had taken his gods that he had made (cf. Isa. 44:9–20) and his priest speaks for itself. The author also subtly makes the point that ...

1686. Ruth Meets Boaz

Ruth 2:1-23

Understanding Series

Michael S. Moore

... Debate,” Perspectives in Religious Studies 14 [1987], pp. 197–216) examines whether patriarchalism is structured into or challenged by Scripture. 2:7 She said, “Please let me glean”: On the various functions of dialogue in Hb. narrative, see S. Bar-Efrat, Narrative Art in the Bible (Sheffield: Almond, 1989), pp. 64–77. On gleaning among the sheaves Joüon’s opinion is followed by Rudolph, Das Buch Ruth, p. 46. Into the field: On the textual problems in 2:7 see Campbell, Ruth; D. Lys, “R ...

1687. The Genealogy of David

Ruth 4:13-22

Understanding Series

Michael S. Moore

... “circles supporting the traditions of Samuel”—want to see him defamed as a “foreigner.” The author of Ruth, a staunch supporter of David, writes in “conscious reaction to the smear campaign” against David, dashing out this piece of art somewhat like Mozart’s famous composition Eine kleine Nachtmusik—never imagining, with Mozart, that such an off-the-cuff composition might someday overshadow the “more important” person for whom it was composed. As interesting as this hypothesis is, it ...

1688. Historical Records from Adam to Abraham

1 Chronicles 1:1-35

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... use a structure that differs somewhat from the one suggested above (to correlate with the NIV pericope divisions), but the above description shows that the genealogies were certainly not a haphazard collection of family lists. Rather, they were an artful construction of genealogical material to help their first readers negotiate an identity within the social, cultic, and theological landscape of the postexilic community. From Adam to Abraham The Chronicler’s family lists start with Adam (1:1) and swiftly ...

1689. Mordecai Honored

Esther 6:1-14

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

... pp. 76–77) note that whereas Joseph receives a linen garment and gold necklace, Haman seeks a garment the king has worn. Ancient historians comment on the great social (and near magical) significance of the king’s robe. (Herodotus, Hist. 3.84; 9.110, 111; Plutarch, Art. 5, describes the gift of a royal robe, but with the condition that it must not be worn.) Joseph rides in the chariot of the second in command; Haman wants to ride on the king’s own steed, with the horse itself dressed in royal splendor ...

1690. More Proverbs of Solomon

Proverbs 25:1-28

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

... 17:14), or as the context of the preceding verse suggests, a legal trial. In any case, the sages emphasize the keeping of a secret (cf. 11:13). 25:11 Juxtapositional. The NIV agrees with most translations in praising wise speech but the precise work of art (apples of gold) is obscure, and the translation, aptly spoken, is a paraphrase (see Additional Notes). It is usually taken to refer to a well-turned phrase or a word at the right moment (cf. 15:23). 25:12 Juxtapositional. This verse is often joined with ...

1691. A Lament and Call to Repentance

Amos 5:1-17

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... courts by the powerful and corrupt, Amos mentions the exacting of fines of grain from poor farmers, verse 11a, b (cf. Prov. 17:26; Exod. 21:22). The rich then sold such grain commercially and used the proceeds to build houses for themselves out of stone—an art learned from the Phoenicians in the time of Solomon (cf. l Kgs. 5:17; 6:36; Isa. 9:10)—rather than out of the clay bricks that crumbled so easily. And they could afford vineyards with the best layouts in the choicest locations (cf. Isa. 5:1). The ...

1692. Jonah Flees from the Lord

Jonah 1:1-17

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... of fish. The author repeatedly describes objects as “great”—Nineveh is the “great city,” 1:2; the wind is a “great wind,” the storm is a “great storm,” 1:4; and the sailors fear of Yahweh is “great fear,” 1:16. The adjective enhances the storyteller’s art. So it is a great fish that gulps down Jonah, and the hearer or reader is left to imagine the kind of fish. Certainly it is futile to argue over whether such a thing would be possible. The author is telling us a story in order to ...

1693. Buried Treasure

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

... carries around within your skull a buried treasure worth enormous sums of money. In one head might be a cure for cancer, in another might be a way to help people get along with one another and prevent war, in another might be the makings of a great work of art that will thrill generations of people. You can take a treasure map and a shovel and go all over the world digging up buried treasure, but you will never find a treasure as valuable as the good mind that God has given you. That is why we must take ...

1694. How Shall We Pray?

Luke 11:1-13

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: A picture of a baby robin or perhaps a bird's feather Good morning, boys and girls. Our lesson from the Bible this morning has the Lord's Prayer in it. How many of you know the Lord's Prayer? It begins, "Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread..." I thought about the idea of daily bread as I was reading about baby robins. Did you know that a baby robin eats ...

1695. Cain and Abel

Genesis 4:1-26

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... 33; 26:25). From the early days of humans’ living outside the garden of Eden there was a line who worshiped the one true God. Their devotion was an antidote to the increasing sin in Cain’s line. Whereas Cain’s line contributed to the arts and crafts, Seth’s line developed true worship. Additional Notes 4:1 The etymology of “Cain” is uncertain. It has often been taken to mean “smith,” but Tubal-Cain is credited with being the head of that profession (v. 22). While qayin means “lance” (NIV ...

1696. Jacob Arrives at Paddan Aram

Genesis 29:1-14

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... The girl’s father invites the traveler to stay; eventually the young man marries the local girl (other variations of this type-scene are Abraham’s servant and Rebekah in 24:10–61 and Moses and the daughters of Reuel in Exod. 2:15b–21; R. Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, [New York: Basic Books, 1981], pp. 51–53, 54–56). This account consists of two scenes: Jacob arrives at the well (vv. 1–8) and meets Rachel (vv. 9–14). 29:1–3 Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the ...

1697. The Temple’s Furnishings

1 Kings 7:13-51

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... pillars, Jakin and Boaz (vv. 15–22), positioned at the temple entrance, which along with their capitals, stood almost as high as the temple itself (23 cubits). The capitals were in the shape of lilies (v. 22) and decorated with chains (plaited, interwoven art work, v. 17) and pomegranates (possibly a symbol of fertility, vv. 18, 20). The names of the pillars are intriguing. The precise derivation of Boaz (Hb. bōʿaz) is uncertain. It has sometimes been explained with reference to Psalm 21, which begins ...

1698. The Lord's Devastation of the Earth

Isaiah 24:1-23

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... the end the chapters are again narrowing the focus to more of a concern with Israel, and this prepares the way for the return to direct address to Judah in chapter 28. 24:1–13 The vision of the land laid waste is an artful poetic composition, making effective use of assonance and repetition to bring its point home. The assonance and repetition suggest the repetitiveness and completeness of the devastation the vision describes. At the same time it is again presented as unfolding before the prophet’s eyes ...

1699. The Glory Departs

Ezekiel 8:1-18, Ezekiel 9:1-11, Ezekiel 10:1-22, Ezekiel 11:1-15, Ezekiel 11:16-25

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... so to be a sign of multiple layers of expansion and revision (e.g., Zimmerli, Ezekiel 1, pp. 254–56, and M. Dijkstra, “The Glosses in Ezekiel Reconsidered: Aspects of Textual Transmission in Ezekiel 10,” in Lust, Ezekiel, pp. 75–77). 10:5 Cherubim. Ancient Near Eastern art portrays examples of cherub thrones (e.g., on an ivory plaque from Megiddo from the 13th to 12th c. B.C.; see the illustration in HBC, p. A4). 11:1 Leaders of the people. The Heb. term sar “is a very general term for an officer ...

1700. Riddles and Metaphors

Ezekiel 15:1-8, Ezekiel 16:1-63, Ezekiel 17:1-24

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... songs” (33:32). Certainly, though, this variety makes Ezekiel one of the most interesting, as well as the most baffling, of the prophetic books. In Ezekiel 15–17, a formally distinctive collection of parables, riddles, and extended metaphors, the prophet’s literary art and creativity are on full display. In 17:2, the Lord commands, “Son of man, set forth an allegory [Heb. khidah] and tell the house of Israel a parable” [Heb. mashal]. In context, these two terms, both designating a riddle or wise ...

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