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 1776 to 1800 of 3082 results

1776. The Bowl Judgments

Revelation 16:1-21

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: God continues to pour out his wrath on the ungodly, leading to a climactic eschatological battle and resulting in the final judgment of the evil world system. Understanding the Text Following the introduction of the bowl judgments in 15:1–8, chapter 16 provides details about each of the seven last plagues. When viewed alongside the previous trumpet judgments, the differences are few and the similarities many. While the trumpets kill a third of humanity, the bowls bring total destruction, and the ...

1777. The Ark Heads Home

1 Samuel 6:1-7:1

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

Big Idea: The holy God must be treated with respect. Understanding the Text This chapter continues the story of the ark. In the aftermath of the Israelite defeat at Ebenezer, the Philistines captured the ark and took it to Ashdod. But it brought death and destruction wherever it went in Philistine territory. Finally the people of Ekron insisted that it be sent back to its homeland (5:11). Chapter 6 tells how the ark returns to Israelite territory, but not without incident! The ark does not make it back to ...

1778. “Show Me Your Ways, Lord”

Psalm 25:1-22

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: As students in the school of faith, we have the Lord as our Teacher, and his ways (and will) are our curriculum. Understanding the Text This psalm is another example of reflective prayer (see Ps. 16), in which the suppliant talks to God and then reflects on the subject of the prayer (see “Outline/Structure” below), either alone or in company with others. Goldingay proposes that it has an instructional purpose, to teach people to pray.[1] Generically, Psalm 25 is generally typed as an individual ...

1779. “You Have Given Me the Heritage of Those Who Fear Your Name”

Psalm 61:1-8

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: In prayer we are led to God our Rock, and to a higher plane of faith and trust. Understanding the Text Psalm 61 is an individual lament.1The reader is not informed about the problem, except that it is evidently, like the occasion for Psalms 42–43, related to the psalmist’s “foe” (61:3b). Not generally included in the royal psalms, it nevertheless contains the beautiful prayer on the king’s behalf in verses 6–7, or a prayer prayed by the king. A backward glance at Psalm 60 and a forward glance at ...

1780. “When We Were Overwhelmed by Our Sins, You Forgave Our Transgressions”

Psalm 65:1-13

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: Nature’s wonders and God’s forgiveness come together as dual witnesses of grace. Understanding the Text Psalm 65 is a community psalm of thanksgiving,1 grammatically indicated by the plural pronouns (“we” and “our”) in verses 1–5. (See the sidebar “Psalms of Thanksgiving” in the unit on Pss. 9–10.) The psalm of thanksgiving includes two essential elements: a report of the crisis that generated the thanksgiving (“we were overwhelmed by sins,” 65:3a) and the acknowledgment of deliverance (“you ...

1781. Nebuchadnezzar’s Testimony and Tree Dream

Daniel 4:1-18

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

Big Idea: In contrast to this world’s belief systems, God communicates his sovereignty to powerful leaders through his Spirit in faithful servants. Understanding the Text Daniel 4:1–37 is woven into the book’s overall literary structure in two ways. First, it advances the narrative of chapters 1–6, in which the first four focus on Nebuchadnezzar (chaps. 1–2 with historical markers and 3–4 without) and the last two show the transition from Belshazzar of Babylon to Darius the Mede (chaps. 5–6). Second, it ...

1782. Job's Third Reply to Bildad

Job 26:1--31:40

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

26:2–4 · Eliphaz, early on, was the first to praise Job for his past help and counsel (4:3–6). Bildad, having heard Job undermine traditional understanding and now indict God for cosmic negligence, shakes his head in disbelief. “How is it possible that this man ever helped the powerless and offered sound advice? How is it that he utters what he does?” 25:2–6 · Bildad now crafts his theme: the dominion, awe, and order of God. The second line of his thesis statement (25:2b) is literally “maker of peace in ...

1783. Examining Public Worship

Jeremiah 7:1-29, Jeremiah 7:30--8:3

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The basic mode of poetry in 2:1–10:25 is interrupted by a prose sermon. The sermon, a sharp attack on moral deviations and misguided doctrinal views about the temple, stirs up a vehement response, as we learn from a parallel account in Jeremiah 26:1–15. Attack on venerated tradition is risky business (cf. Acts 7). The sermon, on worship, leads to some instructions designed to correct misguided worship (7:16–26) and to halt bizarre worship (7:27–8:3). It is a prelude to further talk about siege (8–10). ...

1784. The Prophet’s Prayer and God’s Exaltation

Habakkuk 3:1-19

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

3:1–2 · The prophet’s prayer:Habakkuk’s prayer in this chapter is actually a prayer psalm. The Hebrew word for prayer used here designates five psalms (Psalms 17; 86; 90; 102; 142) and is also used of the collected psalms of David (Ps. 72:20). Habakkuk’s prayer psalm is genuinely personal and yet designed for the sacred liturgy, as further indicated by the final footnote at the end of the chapter and the recurring use of the musical term selah, probably designating a musical interlude. The phrase “On ...

1785. An Appeal for Complete Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 6:3-13, 2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Paul’s Appeal to the Corinthians (6:1–13:10) As one of “God’s co-workers,” chosen to bear the message of reconciliation, Paul now presents the Corinthians with the first in a series of appeals, urging them “not to receive God’s grace” in vain (6:1). In context these words seem meant to spur the Corinthians to respond to Paul’s attempt at reconciliation with the church. The citation (from Isa. 49:8) and its interpretation may then be seen as reinforcement to the appeal, entreating the church to respond ...

1786. An Appeal for Complete Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 6:14--7:1, 2 Corinthians 6:3-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

1787. Paul Called by God

Galatians 1:11-24

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

1:11–2:21 Review · Paul and the Nature of His Apostleship:Apparently part of the process used to sway the Galatians from Paul’s influence was to cast doubt on his credentials as an apostle (or at least as one “above” the authority of the agitators or the leaders they claimed to represent). The opponents of Paul seemed to claim for themselves a direct line of authority to someone, or some group, associated with the church in Jerusalem. While we have no way of evaluating the possibility that a countermission ...

1788. An Allegorical Appeal

Galatians 4:21-31

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

His final appeal has perplexed many commentators. The use of the historical narrative concerning Hagar and Sarah coupled with the prophetic utterance of Isaiah (Isa. 54:1) appears to make Paul guilty of some specious scriptural interpretation. This may be an instance when our lack of specific acquaintance with all the dynamics of the Galatian situation hinders our ability to understand. (Possibly Paul’s approach discredits interpretations offered by the opponents?) The “allegory” (4:24; NIV “figuratively”) ...

1789. Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

Matthew 10:1-42

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

10:1–4 Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. The distinction between exorcism and healing suggests that they are two different functions. This is the first mention of the twelve disciples in Matthew. He assumes they are known to the reader. That there are twelve disciples follows from the fact that they represent the new Israel: the twelve tribes of Israel find their counterpart in the twelve disciples. ...

1790. The Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13:1-23

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

Parables of Jesus: In chapter 13 we come for the first time to Jesus’ favorite method of teaching, the parable. The seven parables recorded in this chapter form Jesus’ third discourse as arranged by Matthew, There are in the first three Gospels about sixty separate parables. In the LXX the Greek parabolē almost always translates the Hebrew māšāl, which denotes a wide variety of picturesque forms of expression, including the proverb, metaphor, allegory, illustrative story, fable, riddle, simile, and parable ...

1791. Giving and Receiving

Matthew 14:22-33

Sermon

Tom Garrison

A wise person, according to Sam Keen, the author of Fire in the Belly, is one who knows what time it is in his or her life; that is, they have a sense of the appropriate which enables them to know what to do amid a baffling array of options. Keen tells of going one summer to visit relatives who lived in the tidewater area of Virginia, where there are many little bays adjoining the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the old-timers there warned him about the peculiar dangers of swimming in that area, particularly at ...

1792. Jesus Morality

Matthew 10:40-42

Sermon

Tom Garrison

There is one question that every one of us has to deal with at least a hundred times a day and that is "What ought I to do in this given moment?" Sometimes the issues at stake are far-reaching, such as with the questions "Should I ask her to marry me?" or "Should I go into law or medicine or the ministry?" At other times the issues are less momentous, such as "Do I want toast or cereal for breakfast?" or "Do I wear khakis or jeans today?" However, in each case a process of evaluating and choosing between ...

1793. The Greatest Commandment

Mark 12:28-34

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

12:28–34 As the final words of verse 34 indicate, this is the last of a series of questions directed to Jesus by representatives of various major groups in ancient Judaism. This question comes from a member of the “scribes,” a class of people trained to interpret the OT law for the life of the people. The question asked is discussed in ancient Jewish sources. Since it was commonly understood that the OT law included 613 commandments, it is understandable that there was a desire to try to organize this body ...

1794. The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

Luke 1:5-25

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

The Births of John the Baptist and Jesus Foretold: One of the problems in comparing the Synoptic Gospels is accounting for the distinctive features of the birth narratives in Matthew and Luke. On the one hand, Matthew mentions an angelic announcement to Joseph (1:20), the Magi (2:1), a star (2:2), the flight to Egypt (2:13–14), and the slaughter of the infants (2:16). Luke’s account contains none of these items. Moreover, only Matthew cites Isa. 7:14 (see 1:23), Mic. 5:2 (see 2:6), Hos. 11:1 (see 2:15), ...

1795. The Temptation of Jesus

Luke 4:1-13

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

Although Mark 1:12–13 records that Jesus was tempted, only Matthew (4:1–11) and Luke (4:1–13) provide us with accounts of the three specific temptations (which would suggest that the three temptations were part of the sayings source used by Matthew and Luke). A comparison of these two Gospels reveals that the second and third temptations found in one are in reverse order in the other (i.e., bread, pinnacle, kingdoms in Matthew; bread, kingdoms, pinnacle in Luke). Fitzmyer (pp. 507–8) believes that Matthew ...

1796. Paul's Longing to Visit Rome

Romans 1:1-17

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

The Salutation The first seventeen verses of Romans serve as an introduction to the epistle and fall into three parts. The first part, verses 1–7, is Paul’s salutation. In the second part, verses 8–15, Paul introduces himself and speaks of his desire to visit Rome. The third and final part is verses 16–17, in which Paul broaches the seminal theme of his gospel, justification by faith for both Jew and Gentile. First, the salutation. Letters in Hellenistic times followed a standard literary pattern. Unlike ...

1797. The Death of Nadab and Abihu

Leviticus 10:1-20

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

The Unfortunate Incident of Nadab and Abihu: The historical narrative continues through chapter 10, a narrative of joy interrupted by trouble. Such a pattern is not unusual in the Hebrew Scriptures and in this case raises important issues about obedience in the life of the people. In a sense this incident mars the climax to the inauguration of tabernacle worship in Leviticus 9:22–24, but it also punctuates the story with a startling reassertion of Yahweh’s holiness. The unfortunate incident of Nadab and ...

1798. Arad Destroyed

Numbers 21:1-3

Understanding Series

W.H. Bellinger, Jr.

Of Snakes and Victories: Chapter 21 begins a new movement in the book of Numbers. The deaths of Miriam and Aaron and the sin of Moses in chapter 20 mark milestones, and the camp is again on the move. In the final chapters of the book, the action moves to the Transjordan plateau and the journey to the land of Canaan. Chapters 11–20 have been dominated by rebellion, death, and defeat. In chapter 21 are the first signs of military success. Although another rebellion story follows the first victory (vv. 1–3), ...

1799. Samuel Anoints Saul

1 Sam 9:1–10:8

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

The Anointing of Saul: With chapter 9 the focus moves from Samuel, although he still has a significant role to play, to Saul. In verse 3 Saul, in spite of his imposing physical presence and his good family background, enters the picture as a rather insignificant young man looking for lost donkeys. God’s concern for and use of the powerless can be seen again here. It may be, therefore, that the grandiose introduction in verse 2 is inserted into an earlier account to serve as an introduction to Saul the king ...

1800. The Lord Rejects Saul as King

1 Samuel 15:1-35

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

Saul Is Rejected: 15:1–3 Verse 1 recalls Samuel’s previous influence in Saul’s life. Whether there is discord between them or in spite of any criticism he may have made since, Samuel reminds Saul that he had been appointed to anoint Saul as king. Now Samuel has a further task from God for Saul to carry out. He is to be entrusted with the punitive destruction of the Amalekites in a holy war. The reason given for this severe treatment is the Amalekites’ attacks on the vulnerable Israelites coming out of ...

Showing results