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 2275 results

1951. Threats from Personal Attackers, Urban Unrest, and Foreign Nations

Psalm 59:1-17

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... wider threats that typically face the people of God (note, e.g., that vv. 1–4 lament they who lie in wait “for me,” implying personal enemies, but v. 5 petitions the God of Israel to punish all the nations). It is this flexible quality that explains the psalms’ preservation and popularity. Psalm 59 appears to develop in three stages (as marked off by Selah in vv. 5, 13). Aside from the psalm’s introductory petitions, each section opens with lament, which is countered with petitions in the first ...

1952. Rest in God

Psalm 62:1-12

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

We admire the confidence and security reflected in this psalm, but we should not imagine they come easily or naturally. In fact, this psalm of trust admits that these qualities do not come without effort. This is not a personal testimony of one boasting in his confidence but a liturgy that leads worshipers to lay claim to the salvation that is in God. The exhortations of verses 8 and 10 are plural and imply a congregation or assembly (“O people”) ...

1953. Rest for the Weary

Matthew 11:25-30

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... Ben Sira’s suggestion. Gundry finds in the structure of these verses an attention to literary detail that leads him to assign the passage to Matthew rather than the spoken word of Jesus (pp. 218–19). Yet sayings often repeated develop a rhythmic quality that can become highly artistic. The yoke that Jesus offers is a way of life characterized by gentleness and humility. It stands over against the “yoke of the law,” which is strict obedience to all the precepts and commandments. Schweizer thinks the ...

1954. Jesus and Beelzebub

Matthew 12:22-37

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... before Christ the Greek dramatist Menander noted that a person’s character reveals itself in the spoken word. Jesus put the same truth in the image of a tree and its fruit. A good tree bears good fruit, but a diseased tree bears unusable fruit. The quality of the fruit tells you what kind of tree you have. Matthew applies the saying of Jesus to the Pharisees who have just claimed that Jesus has exorcized a demon by the power of Beelzebub. People show by the fruit they produce what they are really ...

1955. The Sign of Jonah

Matthew 12:38-45

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... they heard the preaching of Jonah will rise to accuse those who have been privileged to hear someone even greater. The neuter gender of pleion has led some to take the word to mean “something greater,” but Gundry is correct in saying that it emphasizes quality as distinct from personal identity (p. 246; as NIV: one greater). The reference is to Jesus. The Queen of the South (cf. 1 Kings 10:1–13) will join with the Ninevites in leaving the Jews “without excuse” (Knox), because she came all the way ...

1956. A History Lesson: From Ephraim to Judah, from the Exodus to Zion

Psalm 78:1-72

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... and the abruptness is underscored by two graphic similes (sleep and intoxication) one would normally think inappropriate for God (v. 65). He chooses Judah, Mount Zion, and David. No reasons are given for these choices. Nothing is said that they possess the qualities that Ephraim lacked, such as remembering God’s saving acts, believing God, or keeping his covenant. Focus is given to God’s free choice. God beat back his enemies probably refers to David’s defeat of the Philistines, among other opponents ...

1957. God’s Reputation and the Destruction of Jerusalem

Psalm 79:1-13

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... (e.g., Pss. 8:1, 9; 9:10; 48:10; 74:7; 75:1; 76:1; 83:16). Thus, his self-revelation to humanity is also at stake here. Psalm 79:9–10 unfolds the significance of God’s name or self-revelation by imploring him to manifest three character qualities: mercy, loyalty, and justice. First, for your name’s sake God is to help and deliver us and forgive “our sins.” Above all, God has associated his name with compassion toward sinners (cf. esp. Exod. 33:18–19; 34:5–7). Second, God is implored to act on ...

1958. Impending Judgment on the Oppressive Wicked and Interim Promises for the Righteous

Psalm 94:1-23

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... people, who must take heed. This admonition aims to show the obvious logic that the one who creates an entity to do something can certainly do that something himself (v. 9), and that the one who exercises a given action certainly possesses the quality that produces the action (v. 10). This exhortation climaxes in the claim that Yahweh knows both human actions and human thoughts (v. 11). Implicit here is that God knows about the current oppression even though no action from him is immediately evident. With ...

1959. The Divine King Comes to Judge the Earth

Psalm 96:1-13

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... were also regarded by the ancients as those of the divine, royal “palace.” And the offering (Hb. minḥâ) was not only a religious sacrifice but also a political tribute to the king (e.g., 72:10; 2 Sam. 8:2, 6; 2 Kgs. 17:3–4). The qualities that the nations are to ascribe to the LORD are simply those that are inherently his, especially glory (Hb. kābôd, cf. v. 3; the Hb. word translated “glory” in v. 6 is tipʾeret, which is usually rendered “splendor”) and strength (cf. 6). The repetition ...

1960. Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

Matthew 14:13-21

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... springtime (Mark 6:39). Jesus took the loaves and fish and looked up to heaven from whence all good gifts come. He gave thanks (eulogēsen in v. 19 does not mean that he “blessed” the bread in the sense of infusing into it some spiritual quality), broke the bread, and had the disciples distribute the pieces. Everyone had enough to eat, and when they picked up what was left over, there were twelve basketfuls of broken pieces. Matthew adds that there were about five thousand men (Gk. andres) who ate, not ...

1961. The Lord Compassionate and Slow to Anger

Psalm 103:1-22

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... of the eagle’s renewal (v. 5) is echoed in Isaiah 40:31. 103:6–18 The next section offers a prime example of what the terms righteousness (vv. 6, 17) and justice (v. 6) mean in the Psalms, especially when they are qualities of Yahweh. In Christian theology, they tend to have negative connotations, related to condemnation. But here we see these attributes spelled out as liberation—as exhibited in the exodus from Egyptian oppression—and compassion—as exhibited in the rebellion centered on the golden ...

1962. Blessings of Those Who Fear the Lord

Psalm 112:1-10

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... a “household” (cf. the wordplay on “house” in 2 Sam. 7:1–16). Similarly, while wealth and riches are usually understood in a material sense, the equivalent term in the parallel line, namely his righteousness, qualifies these “riches” as a quality, not as something to be quantified like material possessions. This same word pair appears twice in Proverbs, where each time “wealth” and “riches” are qualified in a non-material sense (8:18–19; 13:7). We should also note that righteousness ...

1963. The Incomparable God of Condescension and Exaltation

Psalm 113:1-9

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... vv. 4, 6). In other psalms Yahweh looks down from heaven to examine humanity (11:4; 14:2), but here he does so to care for the helpless in society. 113:7–9 By using terms that echo those in verses 4–6, verses 7–9 show that the qualities inherent in Yahweh’s kingship are the ones that he exercises towards humanity. As Yahweh is exalted (v. 4), so he “exalts” (lit., NIV lifts) the needy from the ash heap (v. 7b). As Yahweh “makes high his sitting enthroned” (lit., infinitive of Hb. yšb, v. 5b ...

1964. Oppressed But Not Crushed

Psalm 129:1-8

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... plowing the speaker’s back with the harnessed oxen (on “cords,” Hb. ʿabôt, as a harness for plowing, see Job 39:10; cf. Isa. 5:18). This act exhibits Yahweh’s righteous character, thus exemplifying for us that “righteousness” is not a limiting quality (as popularly conceived) but is a liberating one. In verses 6–8, all who hate Zion are likened to grass on the roof, which withers before it can grow. This reversal is key to the psalm’s development: the plowmen who control the land become ...

1965. God of Creation and Restorer of Jerusalem

Psalm 147:1-20

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... (the young ravens), but, perhaps, not self-evident from creation are the objects of Yahweh’s particular delight. It lies not in the natural strength of his creatures, whether it be of the horse or of the legs of a man—it lies in a particular human quality. Here the Bible differs sharply from social Darwinism: contrary to what one may infer from nature, survival does not belong to the fittest or strongest but to those who fear him, who put their hope in (or wait for) his unfailing love (cf. 33:16–17 ...

1966. Jesus at the Temple

Matthew 21:12-17

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... and to exchange foreign currency for coins acceptable for paying the half-shekel temple tax (cf. 17:24). Because most local coins were stamped with pagan symbols, they were not acceptable. Rabbinic tradition held that the temple tax should be paid with a high-quality silver Tyrian coin called the tetradrachma. Jesus entered the temple area (Court of the Gentiles) and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He tipped over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. It is ...

1967. The Writing on the Wall

Daniel 5:1-31

Understanding Series

William Nelson

... ’s wife, because the writer understood Belshazzar to be Nebuchadnezzar’s son. Nitocris, Nebuchadnezzar’s second wife, was praised for her wisdom (Herodotus, Hist. 1.185; Collins, Daniel, p. 248 n. 66). The queen at length tells of a man of remarkable qualities. He has the spirit of the holy gods and possesses their insight and intelligence and wisdom (5:11; see 2:48; 4:9). Most important is his ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems (5:12). She entreats the ...

1968. Daniel in the Den of Lions

Daniel 6:1-28

Understanding Series

William Nelson

... given key positions (2:49). At the close of chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (3:30). Belshazzar gave Daniel third place in his kingdom at the conclusion of chapter 5 (5:29). What distinguishes Daniel are his exceptional qualities (6:3). A translation closer to the Aramaic would be “an excellent spirit was in him.” This reminds us of earlier statements. Daniel “was found to have a keen mind [Aram. “excellent spirit”] and knowledge and understanding, and also the ...

1969. Jesus Walks On the Water

Mark 6:45-56

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... that Jesus has a relationship with God far more direct than is indicated by the previous use of the term for human beings in the OT or Jewish tradition. This sea miracle Mark enlists as further evidence that Jesus is not just human but has a supernatural quality and divine significance. Even the way Jesus addresses the disciples, It is I, implies this. The phrase appears in the OT as almost a title or formula of divine self-disclosure (e.g., Isa. 43:25; 48:12; 51:12, and see note), and it is likely ...

1970. The Little Children and Jesus

Mark 10:13-16

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... social status of small children that is the background for Jesus’ statement in verse 15 that one must receive the kingdom of God like a little child. This statement does not refer to any supposed innocence or humility or any other imagined qualities of children (romantic notions after all), but instead refers to Jesus’ cultural situation, where children were totally dependent upon the will of others and had no legal or social weight to make claims for particular treatment. It is this objectively humble ...

1971. Quail from the Lord

Numbers 11:4-35

Understanding Series

W.H. Bellinger, Jr.

... amounts of this substance would be available, and so the provision of enough for the huge camp of ancient Israel is a matter of divine intervention. The small balls, apparently about the size of grayish-white peppercorns, were sweet. Like resin, they had a transparent quality. Israel had come to be dependent on this daily sustenance. The problem now is that the rabble has stirred up dissatisfaction with this gift from God. 11:10–17 The wailing of the people comes to the attention of both Moses and God at ...

1972. David and Ziba

2 Samuel 16:1-4

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... up unit. Trusting in God and organizing resistance are not presented as mutually exclusive options. Absalom, secure in his own confidence, had already seen Ahithophel defecting to his side. There was no reason for him to doubt that Hushai had also recognized his superior qualities and done the same. But Hushai remained David’s friend. 16:1–4 Ziba, the steward of Mephibosheth, comes back into the picture. Whether or not his support for David is genuine is unclear. As a Saulide, he, like Shimei (vv. 5–8 ...

1973. Shimei Curses David

2 Samuel 16:5-14

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

1974. Listening and Doing

James 1:19-27, James 1:1-18

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

... . In the Old Testament the first fruits may designate either the temporal order of the event (Christ is the first raised, 1 Cor. 15:20; Stephanus the first saved, 1 Cor. 16:15; the Christians are the first redeemed, 2 Thess. 2:13) or the quality of the group (Rev. 14:4). Here the reference to creation emphasizes temporal priority: The rebirth of Christians begins the redemption of all creation. See further G. Delling, “Haparchē,” TDNT, vol. 1, pp. 484–86. 1:19 The proverb comes from a Jewish context ...

1975. Be Holy

1 Peter 1:13-2:3

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... 1:23–25). Peter and his readers would be familiar with the biblical notion that the spiritual food provided by the Scriptures (Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:4) is pure (Ps. 12:6; 119:140; Prov. 30:5), and they appropriately likened it to milk for its life-promoting quality (Ps. 119:50, 93; Acts 20:32), especially at an early stage (1 Cor. 3:1–3; Heb. 5:12–14). In any event, the milk could well be taken as an allusion (yet again) to the exodus scenario and the believer’s entry into the promised land, “flowing ...

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