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 3876 to 3900 of 5000 results

3876. John the Baptist Beheaded

Matthew 14:1-12

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... , which had taken place earlier but is brought into the narrative at this point by Matthew. It is often pointed out that Matthew has shortened Mark’s account and that this has led to inconsistencies. The main problem seems to be that in Mark it is Herodias who wants to kill John (Mark 6:19), whereas in Matthew, Herod is the one who wishes to put him to death (Matt. 14:5). Yet Herodias’ antagonism is also seen in Matthew’s account (the dancing daughter is prompted by her mother to ask for John’s head ...

3877. The Real Thing

Matthew 23:1-12

Sermon

David G. Rogne

... had to entertain the company. One evening a famous actor was among the guests. Some say that it was Charles Laughton. When it came his turn to perform, he recited the 23rd Psalm, perhaps the most beloved Psalm in the Psalter: "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want." His rendition was magnificent and there was much applause. At the end of the evening someone noticed an older woman dozing in a corner. She was deaf as a post and had missed most of what had been going on, but she was urged to get up and ...

3878. The Weak and the Strong

Romans 14:1--15:13

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... being reduced to “niceness.” We may, for example, be nice when we should be just, or be agreeable when we should be truthful, or be flattering when honesty and integrity are demanded. The good, as any physician will tell you, is not always what the patient wants to hear, and a Christian, as well as a physician, is worthy of the name only where the good of the other prevails over any other interest. 15:3 Accepting and bearing the weak are not presented as moral ends, but as extensions of the ministry of ...

3879. Elihu

Job 32:1--37:24

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... before the gathered sages he called at the beginning of the chapter (34:2–4, 10) to render judgment. 34:35 Job speaks without knowledge: his words lack insight. This is a general rejection of all of Job’s speeches. He has been measured and found wanting. 34:36 Oh, that Job might be tested. Elihu expresses the desire that Job be examined or tried. This is, of course, exactly what Job has been seeking all along. The difference is that Elihu has already tried Job and found him guilty, while Job anticipates ...

3880. Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

Daniel 2:1-23

Understanding Series

William Nelson

... the interpretation, and subsequently the king asks for both the dream and the interpretation. Therefore, it is more likely that he is simply asking them to tell him the dream here (see the NIV footnote). It is also unclear whether the king remembered the dream but wanted to test his wise men, or whether he forgot the dream and needed them to remind him of its content, in which case he must have been confident that he would recognize the dream if they told it to him. Perhaps he remembered fragments of it ...

3881. Accusations

2 Corinthians 2:12--3:6

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... Paul choose to meet Titus in Troas and not somewhere else? In the port city of Troas there was probably already a small number of believers to whom Paul had preached the gospel on his second missionary journey (cf. Acts 16:8–10; 20:7). Now he evidently wanted to continue the work that he had started there. The metaphor of an opened door indicates that the Lord had given him a good opportunity to preach the gospel (cf. 1 Cor. 16:9; Col. 4:3; Acts 14:27). 2:13 Having mentioned the successful missionary work ...

3882. Hearts / Repentance

2 Corinthians 7:2-16

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... not only that, as expected, the letter did in fact hurt the Corinthians, but also that it caused them to repent. Therefore, Paul does not regret the ultimate effect that the letter had, but rather rejoices in it (7:9a). Yet, as Paul has already pointed out, he never wanted to grieve the ones who really should make him glad (cf. 2:2). Paul uses the noun repentance (metanoia) only in 2 Corinthians 7:9, 10 and in Romans 2:4 (cf. 2 Tim. 2:25), and the verb (metanoein) in 2 Corinthians 12:21. In each case, the ...

3883. Titus Sent to Corinth

2 Corinthians 8:16--9:5

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... taken when he comes for the third time to Corinth would include not just the capital of Achaia but the province as a whole. 9:1–5 The apostle now turns to Achaia as a whole and recommends the brothers mentioned in 8:18, 22–23. 9:1 Paul wants to give a warrant and explanation for his exhortation to accept the three delegates who are coming to Corinth and to be ready to make the contribution to the saints. The NIV unfortunately leaves untranslated the word “for” (gar), which links 9:1 to 8:24. As in 1 ...

3884. Faith or Observance of the Law

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

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

... , and we are in Christ because we are believers.” 3:15 This is the first time since 1:11 that Paul addresses his readers as brothers. (This designation undoubtedly was meant to refer to both the male and female members of the Galatian churches.) He says that he wants to get at the issue at hand from the perspective of everyday life. Paul takes his example from the legal world and uses the case of a human covenant. His example turns out to be very brief, for he returns almost immediately to a discussion of ...

3885. Jacob Wrestles with God

Genesis 32:1-32

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... behind, spending the night in the camp. 32:22–23 Deeply troubled and unable to sleep, Jacob got up and forded his family and remaining possessions across the Jabbok. There are two possible reasons for his doing this after dark. The next morning he did not want to be involved with getting his family across the Jabbok when Esau arrived. Or perhaps he had a strong inner need to spend the night alone in meditation and prayer. 32:24–28 Jacob was left alone, feeling safe from attack during the night. But ...

3886. Descendants of Hagar

1 Chronicles 1:29-31

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... the line runs from Abraham to Isaac, and not through Ishmael and Keturah. The Chronicler uses “Israel” for “Jacob” throughout. Since the Chronicler’s great concern is to help negotiate the social identity of All-Israel in the late Persian era, this is understandable. He wanted to emphasize that the origin of this people goes back to the covenant bearer, whose name was changed from Jacob to Israel. 1:35–54 The genealogy of Esau starts in 1:35. It is clear that this list is an abridged version of ...

3887. Descendants of Keturah

1 Chronicles 1:32-33

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

3888. Something is About to Happen!

John 1:1-14

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... , waited for the first customer to leave, then paid for the stuff herself. When the first lady returned, she found everything paid for and a nice note. The lady who was the recipient of this gift, sought out the person who paid for her stuff. She really did not want to be recognized. But the lady was determined. The encounter revealed why she did it. Why did she pay? She says she had been given a far greater gift in Jesus. You see, once you open your heart to Jesus, you have a joy in you that cannot be ...

3889. The Baby or the Window?

Matthew 13:44-46

Sermon

King Duncan

... basis and they enjoy none of the vices that shorten the lives of less careful folk. And they are to be celebrated. I believe God wants us to take as good a care for our bodies as we can. They are one of His most wonderful gifts to us. Nevertheless, life ... When you seek after His kingdom above all things, the other things that are important to us have a tendency to fall in place. Want a great family? Seek first God’s kingdom. Then you will be conscious of setting a good example. The more committed you are to ...

3890. A Cat In a Tree

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... their sick was not something he did with a wave of his hand. Healing was almost always a one-on-one transaction. Ten thousand people. No doctors in the house. One reason many of them had come was in hopes of a healing miracle. So there he is, wanting to grieve, but instead all day long seeking to heal and make whole the great multitude that had come to him. Then Matthew writes, “As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the ...

3891. This Woman Was a Fighter

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... difficult obstacles that I can imagine she may have been one of them. Perhaps her husband had been killed in an accident or simply died young as many people did back then. Maybe when he saw the extent of his daughter’s disability, he decided he didn’t want that kind of responsibility, and simply walked out. That happened back then as it does today. We don’t know all the background to the story, but we know this was a woman who needed help. The story takes place in the region of Tyre and Sidon which ...

3892. Broken Promises

Matthew 21:28-32

Sermon

King Duncan

... , which of the babysitters will you hire the next time? (1) Jesus was in a conversation with the chief priests and the elders of the people and he told a parable about a man who had two sons. The man went to the first one and said, “Son, I want you to work in the vineyard today.” The older son was in a somewhat rebellious mood and answered, “No way!” But afterwards he felt bad about his response and went and did what he was expected to do. The father went to the second son, the younger boy, and ...

3893. Giving Back to Caesar

Matthew 22:15-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... of fear. But giving back to God--that’s a different matter. Why do we give to God? One reason, of course, is out of gratitude for all God has done for us. We’re not rich people, but most of us have been blessed in wonderful ways. And we want to say thank you and to tell God we love Him. Pastor Adam Hamilton tells a story about a camping trip he took with his family in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming several years ago. The trip coincided with his birthday. When they were done setting up the ...

3894. Faces of Failure: Judas Iscariot

Matthew 26-27 (selections)

Sermon

Don Tuttle

... he thought his betrayal would launch the revolution and lead to Israel’s freedom, then he would naturally be distressed when the chief priests and elders turn Jesus over to be executed. But then again, if Judas expected Jesus to lead an armed insurrection against Rome, he probably wanted to be a part of it, a general in the Lord’s army, so to speak. If that was his motive, why did he run to the chief priests and elders with his regret? It would have made more sense to pick up the fallen flag and rally ...

3895. Family Ties and Good-byes

Mark 3:31-35

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... settle down to a normal life as the head of Joseph's family and business." The initial thoughts of the family members who came to take charge of Jesus were multiplied many times over when Jesus refused to see them, saying, "... My mother, my brothers and my sisters want to see me? My family members are really those who do God's will" (my paraphrase of Mark 3:34-35). In other words, "My new family is called 'kingdom of God people,' " those who do God's will. The gospel of Matthew (10:36) reports Jesus saying ...

3896. Some Things I've Learned Since I Knew It All

Mark 4:26-34

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... and daily I pray that I will not fall back into a life of self-centered behavior, but I now believe in small beginnings. Finally, I am following my father's advice. Dad always said, "Son, if you just remember that Jesus is your Lord and Savior and that he wants you to serve others, you'll do well in life." That's the most important thing I've learned since I thought I knew it all. Adam's mother and sister were sitting in the first pew in front of the podium, smiling through their tears. The ads often tell ...

3897. Things a Child Can Teach Us

Mark 9:30-37

Sermon

King Duncan

... that they are happy and healthy. Rodger Nishioka, a professor at Columbia Seminary, had something to say on this subject when he returned from a trip to Africa one year. He was speaking to his students who would one day be pastors. He said that he never wanted to hear of any pastor complaining about a crying baby in worship. One Sunday on his trip, he had been in a rural, remote village assisting with a baptism. Hundreds of people had come to the open air ceremony. In the middle of the baptism, Rodger was ...

3898. Four Magic Words

Psalm 126:1-6, Psalm 145:2-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... asked his advice on the matter. The wise man suggested that possibly the four magic words were: I WISH I HAD. “I wish I had this. I wish I had that.” The servant tried using the words suggested by the wise man. He tried thinking of all the things he wanted. “I wish I had this. I wish I had that. I wish I had something else.” But the bag was not replenished. Now he became quite concerned. He approached a person who happened to be passing him on the street. He told him the story. He asked his advice ...

3899. In Awe of Christ

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

King Duncan

... ’s huge, astronomers now estimate that there may be 100 billion galaxies in our universe! That’s 100,000,000,000 x 100,000,000,000 stars!” (1) That is an amazing number. We stand in awe of the wonders of creation. There is a story of a man who wanted to build a scale model of the universe. He began with a ball one inch in diameter, which he designated as earth. To his amazement he discovered that in order to be true to scale to the size of the universe, he would have to place a ball representing the ...

3900. What to Do With Human Failing

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... issue is important for every one of us. After all, we are all included in the category of sinful people. As Paul put it, “For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22b-23). The inquiring mind should want to know how God deals with our having sinned and have fallen short of God’s glory. Jesus anticipated that turn in the conversation so he told the parable of the barren fig tree: A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for ...

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