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 351 to 375 of 1838 results

351. The Tongue Is Mightier than the Sword

James 3:1-12

Sermon

Thomas Lentz

... that it is for the other person's good? When we seek to diminish the reputation of others, when we can't resist cutting someone down if others are speaking well of him, it is a reflection of our own weakened self-image. A bitter, resentful person finds it difficult to accept the achievements and successes of others. But as Solomon said, "the tongue of the wise brings healing" (Proverbs 12:18b). We can all practice the art of blessing others through our speech. We can communicate creatively and consistently ...

352. Oh, That I Knew Where I Might Find Him

Job 23:1-9, 16-17

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

... ." With those words, we go from the patience of Job to the bitterness of Job, from a docile Job to a defiant Job. Last week, Job was the model of submission. To him we owe the powerful proverbs: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away" (Job 1: ...

353. Friendless Freud

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Illustration

Charles Sell

Armand M. Nicholi, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, explains that Sigmund Freud died at the age of 83, a bitter and disillusioned man. Tragically, this Viennese physician, one of the most influential thinkers of our time, had little compassion for the common person. Freud wrote in 1918, "I have found little ... that ethical doctrine or to none at all" (Veritas Reconsidered, p. 36). Freud died friendless. It is well-known that he had broken with each of his followers. The end was bitter.

354. A Spirit of Unity

Illustration

Staff

... , half complied and half refused. Those who went along with the order had a much easier time. Those who did not, faced harsh persecution. In almost every family of those who resisted, someone died in a concentration camp. When the war was over, feelings of bitterness ran deep between the groups and there was much tension. Finally they decided that the situation had to be healed. Leaders from each group met at a quiet retreat. For several days, each person spent time in prayer, examining his own heart in the ...

355. Twisters of the Tongue

Illustration

Frederick John

... gray geese in the green grass grazing; gray were the geese, and green was the grazing." Actor Laurence Olivier often warmed up with this one before going onstage: "Betty Botter bought a bit of butter, 'But," she said, 'this butter's bitter. If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter. But a bit of better butter will make my batter better.' So Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter, and it made her batter better." Boris Karloff lisped, and the letter "s" was his problem. Among the twisters he ...

356. Aroma of Christ Church

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... community of faith which is the Church, the aroma of Christ in the world. In this week’s Ephesians’ text the author describes what a community of faith, a true Aroma of Christ Church, might look and smell like. No lies, no evilness, no bitterness, no wrath or anger or wrangling. No lies, only truth. No hate, only love. No condemnation, only forgiveness and love. An Aroma of Christ Church is a reflection of God — “imitators” of God — forgiving, loving, open to all sinners and seekers. Those who ...

357. Forgive as You Have Been Forgiven

Luke 6:27-38

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

... injury. The jogger considered Mrs. Sko an antagonist, a person who had sought to hurt, showed ill-will, and caused injury. Transferring to another church, moving to another town, and maturing did not eliminate how he felt about her. But on that day, he saw a bitter, old woman who needed God's love. Right there and then he made a conscious decision to forgive her for the past harm she had inflicted. Hopefully, she would receive it. Even if she didn't, he would be free. When we refuse to forgive, we ...

358. Prayers For the President

1 Timothy 2:1-7

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... biblical priorities will become the priorities of our leaders is some good ol' down-home conversation. They are going to have to sit down and talk to one another. Can we pray that they might do that? As we all know, our nation has been so bitterly divided along partisan lines that not a lot of conversation has been occurring. About all we are seeing is a mud bath and slime spray. That our leaders actually sit down and talk to one another, in my estimation, is an urgent prayer. Prayers for the president ...

359. James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a

James 3:13-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the all too familiar human traits of “envy” and “selfish ambition” (“eritheia”) are, by James’ definition “not wise.” The bitterness and strife (“eris”) brought into the faith community by such attitudes demonstrate their lack of wisdom. Those who “boast” ... genuine wisdom stand in opposition to the envy, selfishness, and ambition false wisdom engenders. Instead of bitter strife true wisdom is “peaceable” or “peace-loving” (“eirenike”). To reach this peaceful state the ...

360. The Problem with ‘Hail Mary’ Moments

James 3:13-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

361. Not Another Rerun!

Jeremiah 31:27-34

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

... , as evidenced by the proverb referred to in verses 29 and 30. The people knew from hard personal and communal experience that the original covenant had not worked out too well — the Babylonian exile was all the proof anyone needed. They were tasting the bitter fruit of poor choices made by earlier generations, and it just didn't seem to be fair! Something obviously needed to change. Chapters 30 and 31 in the book of Jeremiah (often given the title of "the book of consolation") address that hope for ...

362. Praying In Jesus' Name

John 14:5-14

Sermon

David O. Bales

... to laugh in prayer. An especially helpful way for me to pray is to concentrate on God’s grace and love entering my body with each breath in and my sin and bitter memories exiting from me as I breathe out. Do that right now. Breathe in and take in God’s grace and forgiveness… Breathe out your sin and bitterness… In… Out… You can pray like this anytime, anywhere. However, it offers the double dangers of passing out either because you’re holding your breath or hyperventilating. If you laugh while ...

363. How to Forgive

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

King Duncan

... , when he became a follower of Christ, Lewis realized he had to forgive this teacher if he was going to be able to move on with his relationship with God. But, he said, every time he tried to forgive this teacher he just couldn’t do it the bitterness was just too great. So he finally resolved to just say the words, “I forgive you,” every day, whether he felt it or not. He would just say those words “I forgive you.” And then something began to happen. Later he wrote, “Each time I said those words ...

364. Planting Your Feet

Psalm 32:1-11

Sermon

James Merritt

... someone else as David did, when you go to God and get forgiveness, then you go to others that you have hurt and done wrong and you ask their forgiveness. What if they refuse to forgive you? What if they want to hold on to their grudge and bitterness? At that point, their problem is no longer your problem and never let anyone keep you on the freeway of guilt when God has put you on the exit ramp of grace. Perhaps you are one of these people and even though you have confessed and confessed and confessed ...

365. Stephen’s Speech to the Sanhedrin

Acts 7:1-53

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... , “The Origin and Development of Samaritan Christianity,” NTS 19 (1972–73), pp. 391–400), and certainly there are points of contact in this speech with the Samaritans (see disc. on vv. 4, 16, 32, 37, 47–50). But in the light of that people’s bitter opposition to Judah and to the house of David, the tone of Stephen’s comment in this verse must rule out any suggestion that he was himself a Samaritan (see M. H. Scharlemann, Stephen: A Singular Saint). There were a number of other Jewish sects ...

366. Trials and Temptations

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

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

... community of the everlasting Council (1 QS 5:4–5). People who did turn back were surely condemned: As for them, they dissemble, they plan devilish schemes. They seek Thee with a double heart and are not confirmed in Thy truth. A root bearing poisoned and bitter fruit is in their designs; they walk in stubbornness of heart and seek Thee among idols, and they set before them the stumbling-block of their sin. (1 QH 4:13–14) Paul has a similar concern, although expressed in less colorful language, in Romans ...

367. Deborah

Judges 4:1-24

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman. These words must have stung Barak; to not receive the honor for the victory would have been bad enough, but for a woman to receive it in his stead would have been a bitter pill, and a shameful bitter pill at that. Naturally, we assume Deborah was speaking about herself as the honored woman, but the author is very skillfully setting the stage for a surprise ending. 4:11 The troops were called up, the battle was ready to begin, the climactic point of ...

368. Warning Against Adultery

Proverbs 5:1-23

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

... to my son (vv. 1–2), which is suddenly followed by the theme of the “strange woman” (see introduction). Her threat seems to lie in her seductive speech (v. 3). Her lips contrast with the knowledgeable lips of the youth (v. 2). Her speech turns out to be as bitter as the wormwood plant (NIV, gall). Even more serious, her steps (recall 4:14–27 and the emphasis on feet and path) lead down to death/Sheol (see 2:18; 7:27; 9:9–18). On the translation of verse 6, see Additional Notes. 5:7–14 With ...

369. Israel’s Sin

Hosea 11:12--12:14

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... , and his blood-guilt will fall on him, and the Lord (ʾadōnāy) will return his shame upon him.” With all of its deceitful ways, following the deceitfulness of its ancestor, Ephraim has bitterly provoked God’s wrath. God therefore will be ʾadōnāy, “master,” “Lord,” over this people, and will return their deceitful ways upon them, bringing upon them the sentence of death, which is always the sentence for blood-guilt (Exod. 21:23–24; Lev. 24:20–21; Deut.19:21). ...

370. A Lament and Call to Repentance

Amos 5:1-17

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... 7 connects it with Bethel in verse 6, as in the RSV. The lines in the Hebrew order read, “. . . Bethel, who turns to wormwood justice.” Wormwood was a bush that grew in the southern part of Judah and in Transjordan. Though not poisonous, its pulp had a bitter taste, and Amos is drawing on a medicinal metaphor. Justice, by which Amos means the legal restoration of those wronged and oppressed, was to be the medicine that healed Israel’s society (cf. Exod. 23:6–8; Lev. 19:15; Deut. 1:17; 10:17; 16:19 ...

371. Warnings and Exhortations for Jerusalem and Judah

Zephaniah 1:1-3, Zephaniah 1:4-13, Zephaniah 1:14--2:3

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... will be great, then repeats that it is near and further adds that it is coming quickly (as people in Isa. 5:19 in effect encouraged it to do). The succeeding verses simply go on to spell out the grim nature of this day. Yahweh’s day will be bitter, harsh, and bleak for people who experience it as they hear the loud shouting of the warrior there. It seems that Yahweh is the warrior who is shouting, as the TNIV makes explicit; so it is in Isaiah 42:13, the only other place where “shout” (tsarakh) occurs ...

372. Mourning for the One They Pierced

Zechariah 12:10-14

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

... for the pierced one as one grieves for a firstborn son. Naomi (Ruth 1:20) and Job (Job 27:2) are the only other OT figures who are subjects of this verb, “grieve bitterly” (the hipʿil of mrr), and every one of their children had died. Firstborn sons were raised to take over the leadership of their families and to be responsible for the family land and other assets. The death of the firstborn could endanger the family’s survival. On the occasion ...

373. Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

John 13:1-17, John 13:18-30

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... when I have dipped it in the dish: lit., “dip the morsel.” A morsel for dipping in broth or sauce was normally a piece of bread, but according to the Passover Haggadah, a small wad of bitter herbs was used for dipping in a sauce at the Passover meal. The question whether the morsel here is bread or bitter herbs is therefore tied in with the question of whether Jesus regarded this as a Passover meal (note, however, that NIV supplies the word bread even in Mark 14:20). Some have argued from v. 18 (lit ...

374. Cain and Abel

Genesis 4:1-26

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... was so close that Cain had to deal with it; its desire was for him. “Desire” or “urge” (teshuqah) means strong attraction or drive such as a woman feels for a man (3:16). Cain needed to master this sin that impelled him to express his bitter feelings by attacking another. In this warning Yahweh offered Cain the hope that he could control this impulse to commit sin, even though it was strong. Should Cain act wrongfully, it would be because he yielded to the desire of sin, not because God had rejected ...

375. God’s Covenant with Abram

Genesis 15:1-18

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... God: Abram believed Yahweh, and Yahweh credited it to him as righteousness. “Believe in” means “put trust in, rely on.” Here it means that Abram put his full trust in God. In expressing his complaint to God Abram demonstrated that trust. Instead of letting his bitter frustration at God’s apparent failure to keep his promise fester inside him, he voiced his distress when God came to him. Thus he preempted it from eroding his faith in God and in the promise of a son. As a result, God credited Abram ...

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