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 326 to 350 of 399 results

326. “The Lord Looks Down . . . to See If There Are Any Who Understand”

Psalm 14:1-7

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... their daily bread is set before them. They are devoid of human compassion, the default mode of their atheistic living. The correlation between the denial of God and moral decline is written between the lines. The tragic victims of this ravenous craving for more are the poor (14:6a), in parallel with “the righteous,” suggesting they are synonymous. But the tragedy turns into triumph for the righteous, because “the Lord is their refuge” (14:6b); and, further, it is from this tragedy that “salvation ...

327. Ten Commandments and the People’s Response

Exodus 20:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , both on the level of individuals and in terms of systemic and ideological shaping of truth. Tenth Commandment · Finally, the tenth commandment, against coveting (20:17), completes the circle created by this comprehensive statement of ethics. Coveting means an insatiable craving to serve oneself at any cost, a clear violation of the first two commandments. It is the heart attitude that surfaces in acts of murder, adultery, theft, and false witness. When Jesus challenges the self-righteous rich young ruler ...

328. Psalm 33

Psalm 33:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... involved in his creation, he oversees it to accomplish his plans (33:10–15). God alone—not governments, military might, or individual power—is able to deliver safely from trouble those who trust him (33:16–19). God’s people rely on him for protection; he, whose unceasing love they crave, is their reason for rejoicing (33:20–22; cf. 33:1–3).

329. Sayings of the Wise: Admonitions for Societal Relationships

Proverbs 22:17--24:22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... professional skills (cf. 22:21 and Ps. 45:1). Lacking any imperative (i.e., command or exhortation; cf. 22:22, 24, 26, 28), 22:29 may serve to introduce the next topic. Proverbs 23:1–3 and 6–8 are linked by the repeated phrase “do not crave his delicacies” (22:3a, 6b; cf. Sirach 31:12–32:2), suggesting that the focus in verses 1–3 is not on improper conduct when your abilities bring you into the presence of a powerful person. (One can also translate “what” in verse 1b as “who” [see ...

330. Sin and Punishment

Jeremiah 8:4--9:26

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... book (Deuteronomy?) in 621 under Josiah (2 Kings 22:1–10). “The lying pen of the scribes” (8:8) does not refer to miscopying or questionable interpretations as much as to leaving a corrupt society unchallenged. (2) Greed. All strata of Hebrew society crave the accumulation of wealth. (3) Lying. Religious leaders treat Israel’s serious wounds (her crisis of wickedness) lightly. They say, “All is well.” The duty of prophets was to expose evil, not to minimize it. One can be occupied with God’s ...

331. The Prophet Laments Israel’s Condition

Micah 7:1-7

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... prophet Micah’s mournful cry. Micah paints a dark picture of contemporary society. No one is left who desires to follow God. The only thing the people do well is evil. Micah is exceedingly distressed and likens his own reaction to that of a man who craves grapes and figs but arrives too late in the field to get any. In short, he is bitterly disappointed and frustrated. Even the most promising of his contemporaries are quite bad. The sins of the people have caught up with them. Society has turned against ...

332. This Spirit Is Not Spooky

John 14:15-21

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, "Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water." Now he said this about the Spirit. (John 7:37-39) Only Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit can satisfy our craving for real life. Let me tell you how this happens: Your life feels drab and you reason, "There has to be more." You are correct! The Holy Spirit brings refreshment to our dreariness and we come alive again. We find allusions to the dove also when scripture speaks ...

333. Elephants in the Room: Addiction

Romans 7:15-22

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... in the world does addiction get such a firm grip on so many people? A colleague of mine, Chuck Roberts, explains it well: “It begins with a wonderful peak experience you seek to repeat again and again. After a while you develop an emotional craving for that experience; this euphoria lures you away from the immediate environment and people around you. The experience becomes an escape. “In the second stage, the monster takes over your life, so that having the experience is what you now live for, and your ...

334. Pop Verses: Jeremiah 29:11

Jeremiah 29:11

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... , but what about me? What about God’s plan for me? Three times in this verse is the word, “plan.” What is God’s plan for me? I want a hope. I want a future. I believe this is why we love this verse so much. Individually and collectively we crave that hope that God does have a plan for us, a future for us. We hope that is true. We want to believe that it is true. But perhaps you struggle with it? “Does God really have a plan for me? What is God’s will for me?” I remember ...

335. Pop Verses: Lamentations 3:22-23

Lamentations 3:22-23

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... the mercies of God being new every morning, he gets down to the business of how hope works. He gets down to the brass tacks of learning to trust God. He plainly says the Lord helps those who depend on him and search for him. The word “search” really means “crave.” In other words, God helps those who ask him for help. That’s sounds simple doesn’t it? But let me tell you one of the biggest things we forget. God loves us and cares for us and wants what is best for us. God wants to help us but ...

336. Pop Verses: Romans 8:28

Romans 8:28

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... powerful word. He said the victims when to “Pulse” looking for acceptance and love. Why can’t the church be a place of love and acceptance? What if people who were marginalized came to our churches and experienced the love and acceptance they crave. What a concept! This last picture is of a prayer vigil held in the city of Orlando this week. Look at all those people! Protestants, Catholics, Jews, black, white, conservative and liberal coming together to reflect that light shines in the darkness, which ...

337. Jesus and Beelzebub

Luke 11:14-28

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... ’ reply. Those who are truly blessed … are those who hear the word of God and obey it. In view of the fact that a sign from a skeptical crowd had been asked for above in v. 16 and that Jesus will make a pronouncement of judgment upon his generation for craving for signs, Luke may regard the saying on true happiness as a blessing on those who hear and obey but who do not demand dramatic proof, such as a miracle would afford.

338. Job's Second Reply to Zophar

Job 21:1-34

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... , the best “gift” (consolation) we can offer in such circumstances is often to shut up! Our silent presence and support—our acceptance of our hurting friend despite their anger and doubt—these are the encircling arms of love that the broken soul craves and needs. The Hebrew translated “bear with me,” can have a double meaning that Job shrewdly exploits. On the one hand, the verb can mean “to lift up, bear” something, even something heavy or unpleasant—like an ox “bearing” a yoke, or ...

339. A Confession of Sin from Israel’s History: Mercy for the Generations of the Exodus and the Exile

Psalm 106:1-48

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... then follows a series of seven incidents of Israelite rebellion and divine judgment (vv. 13–43), which are presented in a different sequence than that found in Exodus–Judges. (1) They soon forgot what he had done and . . . in the desert they gave in to their craving. So he . . . sent a wasting disease upon them (vv. 13–15; cf. Num. 11). (2) They grew envious of Moses and of Aaron and the earth . . . swallowed Dathan (vv. 16–18; cf. Num. 16). (3) At Horeb they . . . worshiped an idol, and God would ...

340. The Image of Gold and the Fiery Furnace

Daniel 3:1-30

Understanding Series

William Nelson

... from the Father. When we follow them we are engaging in a type of idolatry. First John tells us, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:15–16). Although Westerners are rarely threatened with martyrdom, they should be willing to lay down their lives for ...

341. Be Holy

1 Peter 1:13-2:3

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... place of the destructive attitudes that must be banished by the true believer, Peter charges his readers with positive action. Like newborn babies, for that in the spiritual sense is what they are, having newly come to faith in Christ, they are to crave pure spiritual milk to foster their spiritual growth—as eagerly as newborn infants desire physical nourishment. What Peter means by pure spiritual milk can be deduced from the context, which of course is not to be limited by our chapter and verse divisions ...

342. The Fall of Man

Genesis 3:1-24

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... 20). Whenever society defines an evil as good, a segment of that society suffers oppression. 3:6 On hearing the serpent’s argument, the woman pondered the arguments for and against eating the fruit of this tree. Three strong drives compelled her to eat: physical cravings, aesthetic attraction, and the pride of life or need for self-boasting (1 John 2:16). She perceived that the tree’s fruit was good for food, stirring within her the desire to taste something new and exotic. And she noticed that the tree ...

343. The Ten Commandments

Deuteronomy 5:1-33

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... , You Shall Not Steal; Dearman, Property Rights; C. J. H. Wright, God’s Land, pp. 131–38. 5:21 It was early Jewish interpreters who first suggested that the meaning of hāmad (covet) here was not so much coveting as an emotional craving, but the taking of steps toward actually stealing the thing coveted (i.e., the tenth commandment prohibited actual theft). The probable reason was to interpret the commandment in conformity with the others as enforceable legislation. In modern times this idea was revived ...

344. The Golden Calf

Deuteronomy 9:7-29

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... more examples of rebellion from his wilderness diaries. The three place names in verse 22 all have sinister sounding meanings, related to the events that took place there: “burning” (Taberah, Num. 11:1–3); “testing” (Massah, Exod. 17:1–7); and “graves of craving” (Kibroth Hattaavah, Num. 11:31–34). The rebellion at Kadesh Barnea had already been fully exploited for its didactic value in 1:19–46. 9:25–29 At last we reach the words that stood between God’s anger and God’s mercy: the ...

345. The Baby or the Window?

Matthew 13:44-46

Sermon

King Duncan

... under lock and key And I take it off to my closet Where nobody else can see I open that door so slowly Take a peek up north and south Then I pull out a Hostess Twinkie And I pop it in my mouth.” Some of you suddenly developed a craving for a Twinkie, didn’t you? Anyway there is a verse in the song that begins like this: My friends down at the commune They think I’m pretty neat Oh, I don’t know nothing about arts and crafts But I give ’em all something to eat I’m ...

346. Gratitude: A Matter of Perspective

Deuteronomy 8:7-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... grateful. Moses knew that and many wise people have observed it since. Some of the unhappiest people in this world live in the most magnificent mansions. Often times having great wealth doesn’t make you happy. Rather it causes you to feel entitled and causes you to crave more. That’s a point that author Bob Russell makes in his book, Jesus, Lord of Your Personality. He writes, “Have you had a taste of the best this world has to offer? You went to Hawaii once on vacation, so now it’s harder for you ...

347. Would You Take the Crown Without the Cross?

Mark 1:9-15

Sermon

Brett Blair

... we come because we belong with him not because he has something for us. We come because our soul needs to be in his presence not because our belly needs to be filled. Satan asks, wouldn’t you rather have your desires met first, your cravings satisfied in full? Wouldn’t you rather take the crown without the cross? II The second temptation we shall call: Fall on the Rocks: The Temptation to gain popularity by performance. And if the first temptation deals with the physical needs of Jesus, then the second ...

348. Crisis Management

Luke 21:25-36

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

... , sober, waiting and the brutally honest acknowledgment that the world is dark, our lives are dark, and the shadows we have created obscure God’s light. Just when we’re ready for a bit of good news, the scripture forces us to hear bad news. Just when we crave the comfort of a cradle in Bethlehem, our gospel text captures the gloomy predictions of an adult Jesus, spoken on his way to Jerusalem, on his way to the cross. You might well ask, “Why is the church so out of sync with the world? Why is the ...

349. Light Living

John 1:(1-9) 10-18

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

... . And the other kind of darkness — the dull, desperate, dangerous kind of darkness — so different from God’s dazzling darkness the dull, desperate, dangerous kind of darkness has never been able to overcome the dazzling light of incarnation. I have become afflicted in middle age with a craving for the darkness. No matter when I go to bed, no matter how tired I am, no matter if I am on vacation or enjoying a day off, no matter, I wake up each day in the darkness. I crawl out of bed in the darkness. I ...

350. The Nine Tests of Confucius

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

... but appear to be stupid. There are those who are compliant and yielding but always get their objective. Some are hard outside but soft inside, and some are slow without but impatient within. Therefore those who rush forward to do the righteous thing as if they were craving for it, drop it like something hot. "Therefore (in the judgment of men) a gentleman sends a man to a distant mission in order to test his loyalty. He employs him nearby in order to observe his manners. He gives him a lot to do in order ...

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