Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: thirstiness, dryness, parched, craving, strong desire, longing, yearning, avidity, hunger, voracity, keenness, eagerness, lust, appetite, passion, love, crave, want, covet, desire, hunger for/after, lust for/after, hanker for/after, have one's heart set on

Antonyms: aversion, distaste, apathy, dislike, hatred, antipathy, disgust, disregard, abhorrence, acrimony, wet, animosity, animus, antagonism, bad feeling, bitterness, be averse to, detestation

Showing 276 to 300 of 4959 results

276. I Wonder if God Exists

Genesis 1:1-5

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... as people discover that I am “a man of the cloth,” they express their inability to wrap their minds around the existence of God. I take them seriously because many want to believe in God, but they can’t seem to get over their intellectual hurdles. They desire to be convinced that God exists, but their rationale for not believing in God will not relent. Their god is what can be observed and studied. Of course, not all of the people I speak with about the existence of God are so convinced in one way or ...

277. While You Wait

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... . If we find that our prayers are not, God will make us wait until they are. It is only when our lives are structured around God and his desires that our prayers will be what he desires. The question is — this prayer you want God to answer so bad and you have been waiting for an answer to — is it really what God desires? Has it been rooted in an active relationship with him? Will it serve not only your interests but his as well? Here is something to think about: If you think you are waiting on God ...

278. True North

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... . We can look religious, keep our noses clean, and follow all ten of the commandments and still miss who God is and what his desire is for us. In the second chapter of the gospel of Mark we see an ex-ample of how the most religious people can be ... purpose of the law is to bring us closer to God and our neighbor. If we love God and our neighbor we are fulfilling what God desires. That’s it! That was the heart to all of it. One time the Pharisees chastised Jesus and his disciples for breaking a dietary law. ...

279. Pop Verses: Jeremiah 29:11

Jeremiah 29:11

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... kind of existential game of hide and seek where God hides it and is amused by watching us try to find it. God deeply desires for us to know and do his will. Unfortunately, many have the notion that discovering God’s will is reserved only for the spiritually ... the purpose of the law is to bring us closer to God and our neighbor. If we love God and our neighbor we are fulfilling what God desires. That’s it! That is the heart to all of it. This is God’s will. God’s will for us is to seek his heart and ...

280. Abraham Justified by Faith

Romans 4:1-25

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... , but also with the fame and honor which attended it. People are flattered to think that the achievements and renown of their ancestors convey like qualities to themselves—and deny them to others. There is a point, however, at which self-esteem overripens into pride, desiring to prove itself better than others. It is this pride which Paul addresses in verse 2. He does not say that Abraham had nothing to boast of. If Abraham chose to present his credentials as a pretext for God’s favor, then he was, as ...

281. Israel's Unbelief

Romans 9:30--10:21

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... wrong to see in the expression the symbol of a danger inherent in all religious peoples, including Christians. The existence of Israel is a reminder to the church of what can happen when a chosen people grows deaf to the Spirit, when it is more desirous of accommodating itself and the gospel to the world than of proclaiming the victory of Christ over the world, and when it thinks more of fulfilling its own will than of honoring God’s will. Israel, complacent and disobedient, is in varying degrees present ...

282. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

Romans 15:14-22

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... in Jesus Christ and the gospel. It is this impulse, i.e., Christ and his gospel, which is the source and power of Paul’s commitment to proclaim the gospel to the least likely and farthest removed—the Gentiles. 15:22 For years Paul had desired to visit Rome, but had been hindered from coming because of his labors in the eastern Mediterranean. Additional Notes 15:19–21 On references to Illyricum in Christian literature, see BAGD, p. 376. The suggestion of a mission outreach to Illyricum after Paul’s ...

283. Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues

1 Corinthians 14:1-25

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... literally calls for them to “become perfect” or “complete ones,” although the plain sense of the admonition is “Grow up!” Moreover, in an aside that may be an indirect comment concerning his opinion of what all the problems in Corinth amount to, Paul expresses his desire that they be naive in terms of evil. 14:21 Paul refers to “the law” (Gk. nomos), a designation most often applied to the books of Moses, and then quotes Isaiah 28:11–12 LXX as a text on the topic of tongues. The citation ...

284. Job's Reply to Eliphaz

Job 6:1–7:21

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... from his suffering. This incessant attack, restriction that prevents escape, and the invasion even of the solace of sleep, all lead Job to consider the tempting final solution of death. This does not appear to be a real desire for death by suicide, but it is an extreme expression of Job’s desire to escape the pain of his deteriorating body that almost makes death by strangling a preferable alternative. Job’s real hope is not to escape in death, but to live without his continuing pain and suffering. 7:16 ...

285. Zophar's Second Speech to Job

Job 20:1-29

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... the wicked’s toil and trading. Because of his churning belly, the wicked will give back uneaten what he toiled long and hard to possess. He will be unable to enjoy the profit of his treacherous dealings. What tastes sweet and appears so desirable is, in reality, poison and lethal in its consequences (Prov. 9:17; 20:17). The reason for this judgment is clear: the wicked amasses wealth by oppressing the poor. The terms here are extreme—“crush” and “abandon”—as if the poor have been mercilessly ...

286. Job's Second Reply to Zophar

Job 21:1-34

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... his complaint is directed not to man, but to God. Were human agency the cause of Job’s suffering he would have no complaint. Humans are weak and unable to control their own circumstances, let alone those of another. Their actions are controlled by their desires, and their good intentions are constantly undermined by their lack of power and control. But the fact is, Job claims rhetorically, God is in control in this world, just as the friends have claimed. God is powerful and in control, and yet the wicked ...

287. Adultery

Matthew 5:27-30

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... to place themselves under the reign of God are to live out their lives. The ethical requirements of the sermon are intended not to drive people to despair so they will then cast themselves upon the mercy of God, but to guide and direct those who desire to please him. It is true that the demands are stated in absolute terms (“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” 5:48), but that is the nature of all great ethical teaching. Although we may not reach the stars, they still serve us ...

288. Faith or Observance of the Law

Galatians 3:1-14, Galatians 3:15-25

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

... T. Wright, who understands Paul to be affirming the divine origin of the law while at the same time considering that “the law cannot be God’s final word.” For Wright the key to Paul’s argument is his conviction that the unity of God means that God desires also a single family. The problem with the law is that it was given to one race only. The law, therefore, had temporary status in God’s plan. (“The Seed and the Mediator: Galatians 3.15–20” in The Climax of the Covenant: Christ and the Law ...

289. Jacob Wrestles with God

Genesis 32:1-32

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... to deceit as the means to get his own way. Rather, he places his relationship with God above all personal gain. Jacob, the one who had deceived and used others, thus became the one who struggled with God until God molded him into the vessel he desired. The reference to his prevailing with men points to his prevailing over Laban and Esau. His new name, however, does not shield Jacob from the obstacles and tragedies of life. He will continue to have dealings with people who deceive him, causing him great pain ...

290. The Time Is Near

Luke 21:5-19

Sermon

Molly F. James

... . Well, don’t worry, I am not implying that we should spend our earthly lives suffering so we can seek a reward in heaven. I firmly believe there are rewards for our faith lives right here and now. Being a follower of Jesus satisfies a hunger and a desire in my soul — a desire for meaning and acceptance. Being a follower of Jesus means that I am not alone in this. Even on the bad days when I feel unworthy or as though I am carrying the weight of the world, I am not alone. God is with me and even when ...

291. A Taxing Encounter

Matthew 9:9-13, Mark 2:13-17, Luke 5:27-32

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... coming from the right lineage. But the Hebrew lineage is full of those who have erred and those who are not from a pure bloodline. Those who bear the covenant of the Lord are those who are faithful and devoted to God in all things. “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings,” says the prophet Hosea (6:6). Jesus often quotes from the prophets as well as the Torah when addressing the Pharisees and Scribes, as this is the language of debate among rabbis and ...

292. The Death of John the Baptist

Matthew 14:1-12, Mark 6:14-29, Luke 9:1-9

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... the Oath and Promise, the loyalty to the secular kingdom and all it represents, as opposed to the chalice of the communion bowl or the tablets of the law. The king’s banquet is a lavish affair, and the attention is all on carnal and sensual desires –food, drink, women, bravado. It is a world of appearances and “image,” a mirror for narcissism. The women demand that all eyes be upon them. The head on the platter demands that all eyes see the reduction of Jewish law and John’s prophetic voice to ...

293. Seat of Power

Mark 10:35-45, Matthew 20:20-28

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Image Exegesis: Seat of Power After the Lord Jesus had ...

294. Secret Savior

Matthew 6:5-15, Matthew 6:16-18

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... into the power of temptation and protect us from all evil: For all who follow Jesus, all who worship God, fear and temptation, evil forces and impulses can be shoved away by God. No matter how unloving we can tend to be sometimes. No matter what mistakes we desire to make, what judgments we are tempted to dole out, in this very personal prayer, we ask God to prevent that from happening. We admit that we are not strong enough to last it alone. Our eyes need help. Our hearts need help. The last focus of this ...

295. Turmoil Brewing, Herod Stewing, Prophecy, and Porridge

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... , so to speak, eat his own stew, taste his own sin, partake of his own fault, break his own body through his struggle with God in order to redeem his position. For with God the first shall be last. And the last first. Humility of spirit is the sacrifice God desires. But like Jacob, many of us do things the hard way. Instead of a little bit of faith, we opt for a lot of stubbornness, a good deal of gumption, and a whole lot of broken relationships, before we finally let God in to clean up our mess and help ...

296. Here Be Dragons

Isaiah 6:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... and food. We saw people choke themselves on smoke and dust to save, as all the while, they too are changed by the fire of their sacrifice. We saw sizzle in the hearts of the benign and resigned. We saw eyes burning with the desire to save, the desire to help, the desire to serve. If you want to see sacrifice, look to those whose fiery commitment rescues those in the midst of death and drowning. In the midst of it all, God stood above in the heavens casting down anointings as the seraphs swirled and danced ...

297. Knitted Together from the Womb

Exodus 2:1-10

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... us in the other lane. One wrong move and…..! But it doesn’t seem to keep us from driving our car! Somehow, the desire to be on the road going somewhere and getting somewhere overrides the “risk” we take driving next to people whom we maybe can or ... to sign off on a kind of agreement about taking the risks involved in order to be allowed to be part of the game. But the desire to play overrides the fear of those risks. And the more we engage in the game, the more we minimize the risks in our minds. We ...

298. Why Can’t I Have It All?

Genesis 3:1-24, Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... While the usual replies have much to do with food like chocolate or carbs or sugar or other manners of gluttony, the real root of that challenge might simply be “entitlement.” Can we give up feeling “entitled” to have or consume whatever our heart desires no matter what the cost to ourselves and others. This question of course goes way beyond food. So does the scripture for today, that age-old scripture story that tells about, what we call, our grand “fall” from grace in Genesis 2 and 3, which ...

For the rational, psychologically healthy man, the desire for pleasure is the desire to celebrate his control over reality. For the neurotic, the desire for pleasure is the desire to escape from reality.

Nathaniel Branden

300. One Feisty Woman

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

Roy Howard

... you and me? Is there anything in your life that you want to be certain you bring fully before God in prayer? Will you risk being tenacious, fierce, and feisty before God in the confidence that God is worthy of all your prayer and desire? It would be so much easier to let go of our desires, our needs, and our hopes for the other in the face of what appears to be silence from God. Our prayers seemingly go unanswered, and we walk away in silence. Perhaps that is to give up all too easily. It is also much too ...

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