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 1926 to 1950 of 3285 results

1926. 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... spread like wildfire throughout the church. The apostle specifies that the riches enjoyed by the Corinthians are firmly "in him" i.e., in God and in the gifted gracefulness of the Divine. They are not due to any human acts or abilities. Paul lists two specific areas of giftedness: "in speech" and "knowledge of every kind." Addressed to a congregation being skewered from within by harsh, vindictive language and bad or misconstrued theology, these words have particular poignancy. In verse 6, Paul continues ...

1927. Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... to that of the coming Messiah. In both Luke and John, the crowds that have come to listen and receive John's baptism ask the specific question "Are you the Messiah?" This was perhaps the most crucial moment in John's ministry the test of his ability to be a voice proclaiming preparation for the One who is to come, while resisting the temptation to elevate his own message of what is to come. John had spoken with authority to those with economic clout (tax collectors) and military might (soldiers). He had ...

1928. Jeremiah 1:4-10

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... 's word. If Jeremiah's hesitancy came from his lack of confidence to articulate adequately God's word, the Lord now dismisses that excuse. Verse 9 recalls similar incidents in the calls of the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel. Both of those men doubted their abilities to speak for God, and both experienced visions of tangible remedies for their stammering tongues. Isaiah (6:1-6) recounts how a winged seraph plucked a burning coal from the altar of God and touched it to his lips, purifying them and the words ...

1929. Luke 5:1-11

Luke 5:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

This week's New Testament lesson reveals something interesting about Luke: while he could weave a wonderful story when using his own sources, Luke's ability to work chronological events into his illustrations sometimes suffered from awkwardness. Luke's gospel narrates Jesus' birth and the earliest moments of Jesus' ministry by focusing on the messianic meaning of these events. According to Luke's account, Jesus had already embarked upon a profoundly popular ministry in Galilee, one ...

1930. Philippians 2:5-11

Philippians 2:5-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... 1989]: 1-18.) The conclusion reached though some of these discussions is revealing. Abe Masao first suggests that if we take the divine relationship between Jesus and God seriously, as described in verse 6 "he was in the form of God" then Christ's self-emptying ability is likewise the self-emptying nature of God. Kenosis is not a negation of divinity then, but is rather a genuine expression of divinity. To be fully emptied of divine glory is to fully express the true nature of the divine. And why does the ...

1931. Acts 5:27-32

Acts 5:27-32

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... things" (Luke 24:48). Appropriately, Peter highlights the fact that it is not just the apostles themselves, but the "Holy Spirit" who also acts as witness. Perhaps more dramatically than anyone else, Peter stands as an example of the Holy Spirit's ability to act as a witness for Christ. The apostle who had so often spoken without thinking, acted without consideration, and even run away without hesitation, has now twice stood before the power and authority of the Sanhedrin without once misspeaking himself.

1932. Psalm 23

Psalm 23

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Psalm 23 is arguably the most memorized, the most quoted, the most cherished piece of scripture in Western culture. Even the most biblically impaired have heard somewhere, sometime, "The Lord is my shepherd." Coupled with its familiarity is its continuing ability to offer deep comfort, solace and strength to a great diversity of people in all sorts of situations. But Psalm 23 does have a particular historical and linguistic heritage in addition to its cumulative spiritual lineage. Indeed, for such a ...

1933. John 13:31-35

John 13:31-35

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... , they are left with a firm assurance of his abiding love and a hope that they may retain the sense of closeness of community that they celebrated together on that very night by continuing to "love one another." That Jesus puts great importance on this ability to love is demonstrated by the new definition of "disciple" that he offers in verse 35 "everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." But underlying this new command, yet another unnerving truth is revealed to the ...

1934. Romans 5:1-5

Romans 5:1-5

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... -translated "patience" would suggest. While "patience" seems to denote passivity, perseverance reveals the activity involved in such an experience. "Enduring" does not suggest quietly "waiting it out." Biblical endurance requires "wading right in." Endurance races test the ability of the competitor to keep on going, despite exhaustion, obstacles and genuine suffering. This endurance, Paul claims, produces what the NRSV calls "character." The Greek word used here appears only three other times in the New ...

1935. Galatians 5:1, 13-25

Galatians 5:1, 13-25

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... remains an undercurrent in Paul's words of the continuing battle between law and freedom. Paul refers to the behaviors manifested by the flesh and the "works" of the flesh (v.19) i.e., activities brought about and fully realized by human actions and abilities. Those in the spirit, however, experience the "fruits" of the spirit (v. 22). Fruit cannot be brought about by human endeavor. Farmers can plow, fertilize and tend but whether a crop succeeds in producing fruit is still the result of the divine gift of ...

1936. Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... on Abraham's faith, the author cites a third example of the patriarch's faithfulness. Besides leaving his homeland and then voluntarily living as a stranger in a foreign land for the rest of his life, Abraham is also praised for his faith in God's ability to bring forth life from his body that was "as good as dead." Verse 11 has gone through some extensive revisions in the past few translations. While the RSV adheres to a translation that praises Sarah's faithfulness as well as Abraham's in the event ...

1937. Philemon 1-21

Philemon 1-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... between Philemon and Onesimus, Paul agrees to put his money where his mouth is. Once again, Paul stresses the unity of all in Christ when he directs his final words to Philemon, his "brother" (v.20). Ultimately, what Paul desires of these two men both of whom have shown the ability to uplift and encourage Paul in his ministry is that they now join their gifts together, enabling Paul to "refresh my heart in Christ."

1938. Luke 16:19-31

Luke 16:19-31

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... are reversed in the hereafter because of their respective behaviors. For the biblical version to exorcise this component would seem unlikely. Furthermore, it is evident in verse 15 that God's judgment of the Pharisee's money-love is based on the Divine's ability to read their "hearts." It is the underlying motivations, cares and concerns - or lack of them - that brand the Pharisee's love of money as tainted in God's eyes. This is a message about divine justice and punishment based, not on economic status ...

1939. Isaiah 35:1-10

Isaiah 35:1-10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... God's blessing. Thus, for "the haunt of tannim" to be transformed is a miraculous, creative event, illustrative of Yahweh's power over nature. The whole theme of the "highway" described in verse 8 is probably a demonstration of Second Isaiah's unique ability to combine the traditions of the foreign cultures he had been forced to endure with the traditional themes of Israelite religion. There was a well-known Babylonian ceremony that involved the creation of a via sacra, a sacred way along which the statues ...

1940. Acts 10:44-48

Acts 10:44-48

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... truth still dependent wholly upon God. Our faith is really a commentary on God's faithfulness, not any comment of our own. John's final conclusion proclaims this human limitation as our greatest strength. Our faith in God's faithfulness and love for us is our victory, giving us the ability to "conquer the world." Through faith we may confidently expect to win the victories of love over hate, righteousness over sinfulness, trust over fear, inclusiveness over segregation, and magnanimity over pettiness.

1941. Acts 2:1-21

Acts 2:1-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... . With characteristic brevity, Luke here in 2:1-13 reports the arrival of this long-awaited gift. He cleverly likens the Spirit's physical presence among the disciples (like tongues of fire) to its first manifestation in their lives - the ability to speak in a host of foreign languages. This initial experience of "tongues" differs somewhat from the later gift of "glossolalia" described in 1 Corinthians 14. There the focus is on ecstatic speaking, idealects which require the additional gift of interpretative ...

1942. Ephesians 6:10-20

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of God is also compared to a sword in Hebrews 4:12 - "For the word of God is alive and active. It cuts more keenly than any two-edged sword." God's presence is always vitally present in Christian life through access to God's word. The ability to discern the Spirit is closely tied to Paul's final directive, to "pray in the Spirit at all times." Prayer, too, is more an offensive than a defensive tactic. Prayer keeps the faithful in constant communication with their source of strength and creates a community ...

1943. James 3:13-18

James 3:13-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... about all the valuable commodities that are available from the earth. Precious jewels and gold and silver exist for the taking. The raw materials for a rich civilization are also provided by the earth itself - iron and brass for tools and the fertile abilities of the very land. Through human ingenuity and "imagineering" we can mine the wealth of the planet, put the waters to controlled and fruitful use, and gather the abundance of God's riches. But that commodity of greatest value, wisdom, is beyond the ...

1944. Genesis 2:18-24

Genesis 2:18-24

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... 4, Jesus instead concerns himself with what has been "commanded." Jesus' pronouncement to the Pharisees focuses on God's intention for marriage, not human manipulation of marriage for the sake of divorce. Rather than spend time arguing about the ability to dissolve a relationship, Jesus chooses to discuss how the whole institution of marriage is positive and divinely sanctioned when rightly understood. Only when Jesus is back among his disciples does he acknowledge the sad reality of human brokenness - a ...

1945. Hebrews 4:1-3; 9-13

Hebrews 4:1-3; 9-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... current - for it is only while the promise of "rest" is still "open" that we are able to act. God's promised rest yet remains a viable pledge. It did not conclude when the Hebrew people entered into Canaan. It has never been rescinded. But attaining the ability to spiritually rest in God is not some easy, passive spectator's reward. Throughout Hebrews one of the author's repeated concerns is that we might miss or avoid God's purpose for our lives and in so doing fall into apostasy - either by things done or ...

1946. Mark 10:46-52

Mark 10:46-52

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... details given - no hands laid on, or prayers spoken, or salves applied - there is only Jesus' observation that what Bartimaeus has been longing for has already occurred as a result of his faith. But in this sight-restoring story, as in others, the ability to "see" indicates far more than a regaining of a physical sense. Bartimaeus' response to his new-found vision is unhesitating - he applies his previous faithfulness to his new situation and eagerly follows Jesus "on his way." Mark thus closes his section ...

1947. Philippians 4:49

Philippians 4:49

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... enemy, the prophet focuses on what every lost heart desires. God, it is promised, is the one who still "brings you home, at the time when I gather you" (vs. 20). Zephaniah's song is bursting with confidence in the mercy, love, and compassion of God and God's complete ability to turn a disastrous situation around into a day of triumph.

1948. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... they were "influenced" and "led astray." The speechlessness of idols Paul alludes to was a typical Jewish slur against pagan deities. These dumb idols are powerless, hopeless illusions of divinity, and are therefore "dumb," voiceless in their ability to save the people. Still, while under sway of some demonic forces of cult peer pressure or enthusiasms, these Corinthians may have experienced ecstatic speech and practiced prophesying. Since false gods can always elicit ecstatic outbursts from impressionistic ...

1949. 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... to the Hebrews. When God continues, and Moses realizes that he is to be God's instrument in making this deliverance real, he is filled with dismay. As with all those whom Scripture records God calling, the immediate response of this chosen one is to deny his ability and worthiness to perform such a mission. In Moses' case, he objects no less than five times between Exodus 3:11 and 4:17 to Yahweh calling him. But while Moses keeps doing his best to convince God he is a disastrous choice, God keeps reassuring ...

1950. John 17:20-26

John 17:20-26

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... and the Son - in other words it will be a unity made possible by the common indwelling of the Spirit. This theme continues in verses 22-23 in even stronger language. The "glory" of Jesus was shown most fully in his death (In John 11:52 Jesus' ability to "gather the dispersed" is directly tied to his death.) If Jesus now gives his followers a share in that glory, he is also calling them to participate in the same spirit of self-sacrificing love and singleness of purpose which he himself will act out in ...

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