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 1826 to 1850 of 2275 results

1826. Resurrection and Transformation (Part 1)

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

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Preben Vang

... with which the resurrection will cause a complete change. flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Everyone (pantes) shall be changed—dead or alive (15:51). Such total transformation is necessary because “flesh and blood” (sarx kai haima [15:50]), the quality of the body in its fallen nature, cannot inherit the kingdom of God, where decay and death do not exist. Paul uses “flesh and blood” in the traditional Hebraic sense as a figure of speech that refers to human beings in their present ...

1827. Collection and Travel Plans

1 Corinthians 16:5-18, 1 Corinthians 16:1-4

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Preben Vang

... ). Heavy hostility and opposition can indeed result in open doors that would otherwise have been closed (Phil. 1:12–13; 1 Thess. 2:2). Moreover, a Christian life without any kind of persecution may actually be suspect and lacking the very quality of Christlikeness (2 Tim. 3:12; cf. John 15:20). Christian hope generates boldness (2 Cor. 3:12). Illustrating the Text Giving and providing for others are integral to Christlikeness. Hymn: “Good King Wenceslas.” This old Christmas carol describes the virtue ...

1828. Greeting, Doxology, and Confession

Revelation 1:4-8

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J. Scott Duvall

... favor and the well-being that it brings. from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ. The Triune God—Father, Son, and Spirit—is the source of grace and peace, the very qualities needed to remain faithful. God the Father is the “I am who I am” of Exodus 3:14 (cf. Rev. 1:8, 17; 2:23; 21:6; 22:16). John violates standard grammatical usage (a solecism) here by placing the nominative after a preposition, which normally takes the ...

1829. God on His Throne as the Sovereign Creator

Revelation 4:1-11

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J. Scott Duvall

... a clear vision of the realities of heaven. This passage reminds us of the power of vision to motivate perseverance (cf. Rev. 3:21). Without vision, endurance fades. When worldly powers seem to be in control, people need faith and hope to endure. These qualities grow stronger when they rest on the truth that God reigns from his throne and holds ultimate power over any and all hostile human authorities. Our faith and hope grow weaker when we neglect the truth of the heavenly vision. We also should remember ...

1830. Worthy Is the Lamb Who Was Slain

Revelation 5:1-14

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J. Scott Duvall

... (5:13). Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! The sevenfold angelic praise is very similar to the hymn to God in 7:12. The first four items are qualities the Lamb possesses, and the last three describe the response of the worshipers.1The Lamb demonstrates his power and strength by conquering evil through his sacrificial death. The Lamb’s wealth points to him as the giver of life (vs. the fading and deceptive “wealth ...

1831. The Four Horsemen

Revelation 6:1-17

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J. Scott Duvall

... cry out to God, addressing him as “Sovereign Lord” (despot?s), an uncommon term in the New Testament, which stresses his absolute authority and power (cf. Luke 2:29; Acts 4:24; 2 Pet. 2:1; Jude 4). While they affirm God’s holiness and truth, perfect character qualities for executing justice (cf. Rev. 3:7; 16:7; 19:2), they question his timetable. God’s people have often asked him, “How long?” as a matter of pleading for justice (e.g., Pss. 79:5–10; 89:46; 119:84; Isa. 6:11; Hab. 1:2; Zech ...

1832. The New Heaven and New Earth

Revelation 21:1-27

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J. Scott Duvall

... 20:27; Acts 1:4) and the promised resurrection body for the believer (e.g., Rom. 8:11; Phil. 3:21) serve as the primary pattern for the “resurrection” of creation (Rom. 8:18–23). It is a new (kainos) creation in the sense of a new kind or quality, not that it must bear no resemblance whatever to the present creation. Our best guess as to what the new creation will be like is to imagine the present creation in all its beauty, glory, and power without evil of any sort. That image will fall short, but it ...

1833. Grain Offerings

Leviticus 2:1-16

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... both animal and vegetable offerings to God (Gen. 4:3–5; 1 Sam. 2:17). However, here it refers to a gift of grain to God. Fine flour is made from wheat rather than the inferior barley cereal. This is because an offering to God should be of the finest quality. It is combined with olive oil, something that can be done to make a simple cake (1 Kings 17:12–13). Oil probably is a symbol of gladness, pleasure, and joy (cf. Ps. 45:7; Prov. 21:17; Isa. 61:3). Incense or frankincense is an expensive, fragrant gum ...

1834. Sabbath Year and Year of Jubilee

Leviticus 25:8-55, Leviticus 25:1-7

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... See Exodus 23:10–11. 25:6 Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you. While sowing and pruning are prohibited, some grain will germinate from seed dropped during the harvest previous to the Sabbath Year, and low-quality grapes will grow from unpruned vines. Some people eat grain previously stockpiled (vv. 21–22 below). Others “glean” the fields, like the poor. 25:8–55 These verses describe the Year of Jubilee. The word yobel (“jubilee”) may relate to its homonym ...

1835. Vows, Redemption, and Tithes

Leviticus 27:1-34

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... ago, when I was an elder on a church board, a generous, well-to-do couple decided to donate some land to the church and build a small retreat center on it for church use to promote discipleship. Everything was built to exacting standards of quality. Nothing was spared. The result was a simply beautiful facility. When it was completed, and after ownership was transferred to the church, a problem arose with zoning that did not allow the facility to be used right away. At that point, the couple had second ...

1836. Fighting Wars and Keeping a Promise: David Establishes an Ideal of Kingship

2 Sam 8:1–10:19

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... he establishes an ideal that will be fully realized in the messianic king (Isa. 9:7; 32:1, 16–17; Jer. 23:5; 33:15). Living in a just and righteous manner is the Lord’s ultimate goal for his covenant community (Gen. 18:19). The qualities of justice and righteousness are the essence of genuine religion (Prov. 21:3) and are the foundation of Israelite law (Deut. 16:18–20). Illustrating the Text God blesses those who forsake the world’s strength and rely on his power instead. Missions: Share an example ...

1837. Blood Vengeance in Gibeah

2 Samuel 21:1-14

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... :17–20). 2. The consequences of sin can pursue an individual beyond death and bring horrific suffering to those who are innocent. One of the great tragedies that attended Saul’s failure and demise was the death of his son Jonathan, who exhibited so many admirable qualities and swore his allegiance to David. Jonathan would have made an ideal king or a superb second-in-command for David. But this was not to be: he ended up dying with his father at Mount Gilboa. Yet the consequences of Saul’s sins follow ...

1838. Saul’s Finest Hour

1 Sam 11:1-15

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... his people. Like ancient Israel, we are prone to focus on the human instrument and choose leaders according to our superficial, human standards. As Saul’s example illustrates, the key to effective leadership is not one’s outward appearance or some other quality that impresses or attracts us. Rather, it is God’s supernatural enablement. Saul has been acclaimed king (10:24), but he hardly seems up to the task. He has failed to initiate military action against the Philistines, and he tries to avoid ...

1839. Saul Forfeits a Dynasty

1 Samuel 13:1-15

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... cf. Acts 13:22). Long shows that the statement “You have acted foolishly” is balanced by and contrasted with “sought out a man after his own heart” in the structure of verses 13–14.6 This suggests that the latter refers to a character quality of the new king. Furthermore, the phrase “according to your heart” is used in 14:7 by Jonathan’s armor-bearer to emphasize that he is “with” Jonathan in “heart and soul,” that is, loyal to Jonathan and committed to whatever Jonathan decides to ...

1840. Saul Dilutes a Victory

1 Sam 14:24-52

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... Lord has given the Philistines into Israel’s hand (vv. 10, 12), Saul seems unaware of that fact (v. 37). In the end he tries to execute the hero of the day, prompting his entire army to oppose him (vv. 44–45). He hardly appears to be a quality leader. In fact, he resembles several of the judges. A preoccupation with one’s own interests and with pursuing vengeance also plagues Gideon (Judg. 8:4–21), Jephthah (12:1–6), and Samson (see Judg. 15:7; 16:28), as well as the rogue antijudge Abimelek (9:31 ...

1841. David’s Faith Ignites a Victory

1 Samuel 17:1-58

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... and defeated the gigantic Anakites, who had paralyzed Israel with fear (Num. 13:26–33; Josh. 11:21–22; 14:12–15; 15:13–14; Judg. 1:10, 20). Following the paradigmatic judges Othniel and Ehud, there was a visible decline in the quality of Israelite leadership. Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson were plagued by weak faith and deficient wisdom. The situation took a turn for the better as Samuel assumed leadership. When David steps forward to face the Philistine giant (who may have been related to ...

1842. Turning Up the Pressure

Job 2:1-13

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Daniel J. Estes

... what Job possesses to afflicting his person, confident that if Job feels personally the heat of affliction, then he surely will abandon his commitment to Yahweh and will curse him. It is when adversity zeroes in on us personally that we demonstrate the quality of our commitment to God. The pain Job endures as a result of his affliction by the adversary has physical, social, and emotional dimensions. The physical aspects are the most obvious, as his skin is disfigured by sores that cover him from head ...

1843. Bildad Has the Answer (He Thinks!)

Job 8:1-22

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Daniel J. Estes

... need to value the truth he teaches, but at the same time recognize where he slips from truth into error. His theological truth does not mean that he is accurate in what he counsels Job to do, but neither does his faulty advice negate the quality of his teaching about God’s commitment to justice. Illustrating the Text Even a logical analysis of a situation may fall short of the whole picture of God’s truth. Literature: Hard Times, by Charles Dickens. In British author Dickens’s (1812–70) novel Hard ...

1844. Zophar Rejects Job’s Complaints

Job 11:1-20

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Daniel J. Estes

... the challenge. In fact, he regards it as his moral duty to uphold God’s justice by silencing Job’s arguments. Zophar impatiently dismisses Job’s lengthy speeches as “all these words,” implying that the quantity of one’s words does not measure the quality of one’s insight. In wisdom literature, speaking many words is often connected with folly rather than with wisdom (Prov. 10:19; 17:27; Eccles. 5:2). Thus, by his rhetorical question in verse 2 Zophar implies that he regards Job as a fool who ...

1845. Job Presents Evidence against the Retribution Principle

Job 12:1--14:22

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... not thwarted in his plan and that he does not make mistakes in his rule. In his sovereign control, however, God does not always work according to the retribution formula, punishing those who are evil and blessing those who are righteous. Three of the four qualities attributed to God in this verse (wisdom, counsel, understanding) are also applied to the Messiah in Isaiah 11:2, who is empowered by the Spirit of Yahweh. 12:17–21 He leads rulers away stripped. There is no sphere of life outside the range ...

1846. “The Lord Watches over the Way of the Righteous”

Psalm 1:1-6

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C. Hassell Bullock

... in Israel and the ancient Near East. Most likely, it is a later poem composed for its introductory function. Psalm 1 has no historical memory, making no mention of specific persons or events of Israel’s history. Rather, it has a timeless quality, which is quite appropriate for an introduction to the book. Metaphorically the terms “tree,” “streams of water,” and “chaff” open a window into Israel’s world. The “chaff that the wind blows away” (1:4) is a picture of winnowing, which involves ...

1847. “The Heavens Declare the Glory of God”

Psalm 19:1-14

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C. Hassell Bullock

... the same taste sensation (Ezek. 3:3). In that vein, John reminds us that God’s “commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). On the contrary, it is our sins that are burdensome (19:12–13), from which the divine word releases us. The catalogue of qualities in verses 7–9 reminds us that God, through the instrument of his word, remakes, reconstitutes, and re-creates us into the persons he intends us to be. Illustrating the Text All creation declares the glory of God. Props: In Psalm 19:1–2 we read ...

1848. “The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation—Whom Shall I Fear?”

Psalm 27:1-14

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C. Hassell Bullock

... : Our lives, guided by a single purpose, find their security in our relationship to God. Understanding the Text This psalm has two distinct parts, which leads some interpreters to suggest that it was originally two separate poems.[1] Part 1 (27:1–6) has the qualities of an individual psalm of trust (see the sidebar “Psalms of Trust” in the unit on Ps. 16),[2] while part 2 (27:7–13) takes the form of a complaint[3] or lament. The difference in genre cannot, of course, be the definitive word, since ...

1849. “The Span of My Years Is as Nothing before You”

Psalm 39:1-13

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C. Hassell Bullock

... at times felt the “provisional” nature of our life with God. It partly stems from the provisional nature of life itself (39:4–6), an existence the psalmist describes as a “phantom” (39:6), that is, not quite substantive but with a shadowy quality. But perhaps even more significant than that is the “painful barriers sin has erected” between the psalmist and God.11Both the temporary nature of life and the sin that weighs us down combine to give us a sense of our status as “foreigner” and ...

1850. “Ride Forth Victoriously in the Cause of Truth, Humility and Justice”

Psalm 45:1-17

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C. Hassell Bullock

... that is not true to our real character. We try to deceive people by making them believe we are something we really are not. The king of Psalm 45 is challenged to “ride forth victoriously in the cause of truth, humility and justice” (v. 4). These qualities represent God’s character, and the king is his representative. Our challenge is to remember, though we are not monarchs, that we are God’s representatives in this world, and others will know who he is by our character portrait. Renew your vows of ...

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