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 1951 to 1975 of 3082 results

1951. “Cast Your Cares on the Lord and He Will Sustain You”

Psalm 55:1-23

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: When our trusted friends have betrayed us and the moral substructure has eroded, we can cast our cares on the Lord. Understanding the Text Psalm 55 is generally considered an individual lament. The suppliant has suffered slander and threats from his enemies and, worst of all, betrayal by his trusted friend. We have observed previously that often the Psalms do not propose ultimate solutions to human problems but prescribe ways of coping with them, and this psalm is an excellent example of that ...

1952. “They Will Proclaim the Works of God and Ponder What He Has Done”

Psalm 64:1-10

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: God outstrategizes evil and its perpetrators and exhausts their arsenal of weapons. Understanding the Text Psalm 64 is an individual lament, identifying the problem that stimulated the psalmist as the “threat of the enemy,” the “conspiracy of the wicked,” and the “plots of evildoers” (64:1–2). It sums up with the aphoristic commentary of verse 6c: “Surely the human mind and heart are cunning” (lit., “the inward person and heart are deep”). In addition to this detailed description of the problem ( ...

1953. Moses’s Death

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Moses climbs to the top of Mount Nebo, apparently alone, from which vantage point God allows him a panoramic view of the promised land, from the north in Gilead all the way south into Judah and the Arabah. There Moses dies at the age of 120, and the Lord buries him in Moab in an unmarked grave, unidentified to this day (34:6). Israel mourns for him thirty days (34:8). Because Moses has laid his hands on him, Joshua is “filled with the spirit of wisdom” (34:9). However, no prophet like Moses has ever risen ...

1954. Edom’s Judgment Pronounced and Reaffirmed

Obadiah 1:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Unlike other prophetic books, Obadiah’s oracle contains no information about the time or place of its origin, nor does it include any autobiographical data about the prophet. The brevity of the superscription matches the brevity of the book, perhaps to focus attention on the message rather than on the prophet himself. The word used to describe Obadiah’s prophecy (“vision”) is a technical term having to do with receiving a revelatory word from God. More than mere human sight, this visionary experience is ...

1955. The Zeal and Power of God

Nahum 1:1-15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

1:1–6 · The principle underlying divine judgment: The prophecy of Nahum is described as an oracle or “burden” (1:1 ASV, KJV). This word is regularly used of statements of a threatening nature. The fact that this prophecy is also designated as a vision points out that it is an official message from God, not spite on Nahum’s part. Though God has seemingly been overlooking Assyria’s sins against him and Israel, this is not due to either weakness or lack of zeal on God’s part (1:2–3a). The Hebrew word for “ ...

1956. The Siege and Destruction of Nineveh

Nahum 2:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Nahum 2:1–2 marks a transition and is the third in the series of contrasts in God’s dealings with Nineveh and Judah. Verse 1 begins the description of the fall of Nineveh that is taken up again in verse 3 and then developed in the rest of the book. Verse 2 concludes the promises of the benefits that Israel will enjoy as a result of the defeat of her enemies. The result of the attack on Nineveh will be a scattering to the winds of her inhabitants (cf. Nah. 3:18). The words “Guard the fortress” (2:1) are ...

1957. Third Vision - Exiles to Leave Babylon for Jerusalem

Zechariah 2:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

With the destruction of the world empires (four horns) described in the second vision, the stage is set for a marvelously resurgent Jerusalem. Both visions together expand on the words of the Lord in 1:14–16. God’s zeal on behalf of Jerusalem is manifested first of all in his judging the nations that have oppressed Jerusalem (vision 2). The present vision enlarges on the statement of 1:16 with regard to the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The man with the measuring line (2:1) answers to the statement in 1:16 that ...

1958. Fifth Vision - Zerubbabel Empowered

Zechariah 4:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

This vision is linked to the previous vision as the focal point of God’s work of cleansing and empowering his people. The task before Zerubbabel and his associates must have seemed insurmountable, especially in view of God’s descriptions of the coming glory of Jerusalem and the temple. This fifth vision is given to show Zerubbabel that God gives divine enablement for the work that he has ordained. The vision contains two major objects. The first is a solid gold lampstand (4:2). The lampstand no doubt is ...

1959. The First Coming and Rejection

Zechariah 9:1-8, Zechariah 9:9-13, Zechariah 9:14-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

9:1–11:17 Review · For Zechariah, the coming of the Messiah is central. This is clear in two oracles (chaps. 9–11 and 12–14) celebrating God’s worldwide triumph through the king’s advent. The salvation of Israel and God’s judgment against the nations is clearly in view as well. The major thrust in both cases is the last days, often referred to elsewhere in Scripture as the day of the Lord. But there are also three major differences between the two oracles: (1) In the first, the Messiah is rejected; in the ...

1960. Jesus Predicts His Death

John 12:20-36

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The celebrations of the Jews are now echoed by an entirely unexpected interest among some Greeks in Jerusalem (12:20–36). This is unexpected because Greeks are Gentiles (though these may be proselytes) and unaccepted by Jews. John’s irony cannot be missed: when Jesus’s efforts to unveil himself to Israel have been exhausted, Greeks arrive, eager to see Jesus. Jewish reluctance is exceeded by Greek zeal. Mark’s Gospel follows a similar structure. In Mark the watershed is in 8:27–30, and from then on Jesus ...

1961. Treatise: The Efficacy of Grace over Law

Galatians 3:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

3:1–5 · The argument from experience: The transition from a recitation of Paul’s past activities to present circumstances seems abrupt, but actually it punctuates the incredible final assertion of chapter 2, which was the logical conclusion of the opponents’ “gospel”: “Christ died for nothing” (2:21). Paul refers to them as “You foolish Galatians!” (3:1), since the very idea of being attracted to a viewpoint that had as its ultimate result the utter rejection of the necessity of Christ’s death must be ...

1962. Conclusion with Personal Appeal

Galatians 6:11-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Confirming the belief that most of the letter was dictated is the notification in verse 11 that Paul writes the remainder of the letter “with my own hand.” In drawing attention to the “large letters” with which he writes, Paul may give us the final clue as to why, upon his initial visit, the Galatians were willing to tear out their own eyes for him (4:15). The “thorn in my flesh” of 2 Corinthians 12:7 and the ailment that plagued him in Galatia may well be attributed to some form of eye disease. His ...

1963. Living as Children of Light

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

4:17–32 · Therefore walk in newness: Efforts to walk in unity succeed to the degree to which they reflect the indwelling influence of Christ. Confident that he communicates the very counsel of the Lord, Paul negatively urges his Gentile readers to conduct their lives no longer as their fellow unconverted Gentiles do (4:17). This does not imply that Paul recommends a “Jewish” lifestyle; by “Gentile” here he means “pagan,” “Christless.” That is, he warns against living life apart from Christ, according to ...

1964. The Son Superior to Angels

Hebrews 1:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The Superiority of the Christian Faith (1:1–10:18) 1:1–4 · Jesus Christ superior to the prophets:The dramatic exordium is less an introduction than a thunderous opening salvo. This written sermon goes forth precisely to arrest a waning of conviction regarding the divine supremacy of Christ and the decisiveness of his work as the redeemer of sinners (1:1–2). The assertion of the Son’s preeminence among the prophets and the finality of his revelation is possibly intended to correct the expectation of an ...

1965. I Wonder about Life after Death

John 14:1-3

Sermon

Charley Reeb

The assumption of this last sermon of the series is probably wrong for most people. I have entitled this sermon, “I Wonder about Life after Death,” but the truth of the matter is that most of us typically do not wonder about death. Most of us choose to ignore the subject altogether. It scares us too much. When I bring up the subject of death to people, I often get the reply, “Why would I want to think about that?” or “I don’t want to think about that until I am old. I am young now, and I will have plenty ...

1966. The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

Matthew 22:1-14

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

The Great Commandment: The parable of the wedding feast (vv. 1–14) is regularly considered to be an allegorical revision of an earlier more straightforward parable told by Jesus. Fenton lists as allegorical elements that strike the reader as strange and unnatural the killing of those who brought the invitation (v. 6), the destruction of the guests (v. 7), and the burning of a city while a meal is waiting to be served (v. 7). These are “no doubt additions, made by the Church or the Evangelist” (p. 347). ...

1967. Signs of the End of the Age

Mark 13:1-31

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

Destruction and Persecutions to Come (13:1-23) 13:1–2 Chapter 13 of Mark is one of the two large sections of teaching material uninterrupted by other things, the other block of material being the parables discourse in chapter 4. The present discourse begins with a prediction by Jesus that the temple of Jerusalem will be destroyed (13:1–2). This leads to a typical Markan scene in which the disciples ask Jesus privately for the meaning of his statement (13:3–4) and Jesus gives an extensive answer to their ...

1968. Jesus Before Pilate

Mark 15:1-15

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

15:1–5 In this passage the Jewish leaders meet to make a formal decision about Jesus (v. 1) and they hand him over to Pilate, the Roman governor, whose interrogation of Jesus is then briefly described (vv. 2–5). All three Synoptic Gospels record a morning meeting of the Jewish Council to deal with Jesus (cf. Matt. 27:1; Luke 22:66), which is further evidence that any hearing held during the night must have been either an interrogation or some sort of pretrial hearing, not a formal trial. Otherwise no ...

1969. The Healing of a Demon-possessed Man

Luke 8:26-39

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

Before moving into chap. 9, where Jesus begins his preparations for his journey to Jerusalem (which begins in 9:51), Luke furnishes three more examples of Jesus’ healing ministry in Galilee, all of which have been taken from Mark. They are the exorcism (and healing) of the demon-possessed man from Gerasa (vv. 26–39); the raising of Jairus’ daughter (vv. 40–42, 49–56); and the healing of the woman with the hemorrhage (vv. 43–48). In the Lucan context these miracles, together with the preceding episode (the ...

1970. The Sin Offering

Leviticus 4:1--5:13

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

The Purification Offering: We come now to a different kind of sacrifice. We are still in the Manual of Sacrifice, but the concluding verse of chapter 3 prepares the reader for a section on the breaking of prohibitions. Those sacrifices portrayed in chapters 1–3 are voluntary. Chapters 4 and 5 consider sin, or purification, offerings and guilt, or compensation, offerings. While chapters 1–3 place the sacrificial animal at the fore, chapters 4–5 focus on the type of sin that necessitates the sacrifice and on ...

1971. Eating Blood Forbidden

Leviticus 17:1-16

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

Slaughter and Sacrifice: The Holiness Code · We arrive now at the final major section of the book of Leviticus, the Holiness Code. Chapters 17–26 constitute a document placed here by the Priestly redactors, and Leviticus 27 is a kind of appendix. The title of the Holiness Code comes from the expression found several times in these chapters: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy. The Holiness Code contains cultic and ethical instruction to help the Israelites maintain their holiness as people of ...

1972. Unlawful Sexual Relations

Leviticus 18:1-30

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

Sexual Relations: This second section of the Holiness Code concerns sexual relations and matters of kinship. The narrative setting in Leviticus is still the Israelite community at Sinai. They have been delivered from slavery in Egypt and look forward to entering the promised land of Canaan. Past and future illuminate this context. In its exhortation to keep Yahweh’s laws and in its first-person address from Yahweh, this chapter is characteristic of the concerns of the Holiness Code editors. The chapter ...

1973. Water from the Rock

Numbers 20:1-13

Understanding Series

W.H. Bellinger, Jr.

Water and Death: This concluding chapter of the middle section of the book suggests that the camp is ready to move again, but the events in chapter 20 delay any progress, and the loss of the exodus generation becomes more pressing with the deaths of two of its leaders. This chapter accounts for the exclusion of Moses and Aaron from the land. The movement of the wilderness generation is slow and painful, and frequently interrupted by trouble. 20:1 The chapter begins with a chronological and geographical ...

1974. Daily Offerings

Numbers 28:1-8

Understanding Series

W.H. Bellinger, Jr.

Offerings and Festivals: The structure of daily and special worship becomes the subject for chapters 28–29. The book of Numbers began with the organization of life as God’s people, emphasizing the spatial dimension as they journeyed (the divine presence at the center, then priests and Levites, and then the people). Soon, when the people enter the land, this spatial organization will be less relevant. So in these chapters, the Priestly tradents are instructing the people to order life liturgically around ...

1975. David, Nabal, Abigail

1 Samuel 25:1-44

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

David and Abigail: Sandwiched between the two parallel incidents in which David has the opportunity to destroy Saul but chooses to spare his life is this very different account of David’s activities during this period. At first sight it appears out of place in the overall schema of the books of Samuel, where the focus is on the question of power, primarily in national leadership. But here too power is a key motif, and there are several reasons the writers might consider this incident to be relevant. 25:1a ...

Showing results