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 4176 to 4200 of 4959 results

4176. Table Talk

Luke 14:1-14

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R.T. France

... followed the synagogue service on the Sabbath (Josephus, Life 279), using food prepared the previous day. Jesus may have been the visiting preacher that day. he was being carefully watched. The invitation may have arisen not from simple hospitality but rather from a desire to check the orthodoxy of this new popular preacher (cf. 11:53–54; 20:20). It is possible, though Luke does not explicitly say so, that the presence of the obviously deformed man at the meal was a deliberate test case. The fact ...

4177. Two Testing Questions

Luke 20:27-40, Luke 20:20-26

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R.T. France

... in turn questions their legitimacy as leaders of Israel (20:9–19). The two encounters in these verses are with different groups within the “coalition” that makes up the Sanhedrin. Their theological and political agendas were different, but they were united in the desire to discredit Jesus in the eyes of the crowd and to find a basis for destroying his challenge. In these two incidents the Jerusalem authorities take the initiative, but from 20:41 on it will be Jesus who directs the debate. Historical ...

4178. “When Will These Things Happen?”

Luke 21:5-38

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R.T. France

... railroads are of very much less consequence to him then. His heart is free, and he looks for the blessed appearing of his Lord, who, at His coming, will take him into His blessed kingdom.”4 Quote: Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis. “I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same.”5 History ...

4179. Getting Ready for the Passover

Luke 22:7-38, Luke 22:1-6

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R.T. France

... required at the Passover meal. The traditional depiction of the Last Supper (e.g., the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci), with the diners sitting along one side of a long table, may be artistically convenient but is culturally inaccurate. 22:15 I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. It was important to Jesus that their last meal together be a Passover meal, even if held a day in advance. The explanation of his coming death in 22:17–20 will depend on the Passover ...

4180. The Roman Verdict

Luke 22:66--23:25

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R.T. France

... frog. As they both begin to drown, the frog gasps out, “Why?” The scorpion simply replies, “It is my nature.” Fallen humanity has a sin nature that so distorts our minds that we can kill the author of life, even as he willingly bears our burdens in love. Our twisted desire to receive a murderer and condemn the sinless Son of God reveals just how far we have fallen—it is in our nature. The good news is that Christ is able to bring a new nature to life in us.

4181. The Gospel of God in Christ through Paul

Romans 1:1-17

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C. Marvin Pate

... Gospel of Deliverance Big Idea: The gospel of Jesus Christ is the final stage of salvation history, the ultimate fulfillment of the twofold Old Testament promise of the restoration of Israel and the conversion of the Gentiles. Understanding the Text In 1:15 Paul expressed his deep desire to preach the gospel in Rome. Now, in 1:16–17, he spells out the nature of that gospel. In so doing, 1:16–17 forms the theme of the letter to the Romans: the gospel of Jesus Christ. As Thomas Schreiner points out, it is ...

4182. The Story of Israel and the Story of Gentiles

Romans 1:18-32

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C. Marvin Pate

... —sin and judgment. The nations sinned against God, and so he handed them over to the disastrous consequences of their idolatry. In the same way, God handed Israel over to their enemies in payment for their idolatry. 1:21–24 God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts. Three times in 1:22–32 Paul says that God gave the Gentiles over/up to judgment. In 1:21–24 there is an implied connection between idolatry and immorality. The bottom line for Paul is that God’s wrath upon those who ...

4183. The Holy Spirit and the Blessings of the New Covenant

Romans 8:1-17

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C. Marvin Pate

... side of the Christian life: by the power of the indwelling Spirit Christians are to mortify, or kill, the acts of the sinful nature. The pattern is the same here as in 8:5–8: the sinful nature leads to death, but the Spirit empowers believers to overcome their sinful desires and thereby live. No doubt the Torah is still in Paul’s mind in 8:12–13, in that the law stirs up the sinful nature, but the Spirit defeats it. 8:14–16 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God ...

4184. Applying God’s Wisdom to Life’s Issues

1 Corinthians 2:6-16, 1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

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Preben Vang

... his entry onto the Corinthian scene as an illustration of how God uses the ordinary. Like the Corinthians when they were called, Paul was nothing in the eyes of the world.2 Contrary to the Corinthians, however, Paul had no desire to display his own accomplishments. He had come solely to proclaim Christ. After these reminders of the church’s beginning, Paul expands his discussion to include favorite catchwords from the Corinthian cliques. The Corinthian Christians are misusing terms like “maturity ...

4185. Unity of Life and Faith

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

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Preben Vang

... I will not be mastered by anything. Paul turns the freedom argument on its head. Playing on two Greek words (exestin, exousiaz?), he declares that true freedom comes not from permission to do everything but from not being enslaved by anything. Giving in to the desires of the flesh (gluttony) proves to restrain freedom rather than enhance it.2 As Paul further argues in Romans 8:13, only the power of Christ’s Spirit can overcome the enslaving power of the human flesh. Rather than claiming their rights as ...

4186. Trust versus Self-Reliance

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

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Preben Vang

... to participation in the banquets for the emperor’s birthday out of civic duty but is quick to underscore how Christian participation should differ markedly from non-Christian participation.13The parallel to our modern situation seems direct. Human desire for personal prominence and the excitement of hobnobbing in socially important circles presents a variety of temptations to downplay the importance of one’s relationship with God. 3. Paul’s unapologetic typological use of key Old Testament texts ...

4187. The Focus of Christian Worship

1 Corinthians 14:26-40, 1 Corinthians 14:1-25

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Preben Vang

Big Idea: Christian worship gatherings must be conducted in an orderly fashion to avoid confusion and to ensure that the character of Christ is clearly portrayed throughout the service. Individuals desiring to share their gifts must submit to the greater purpose of portraying Christ. Understanding the Text Having dealt generally with the matter of tongue speaking (the exercise of private devotion) in a public gathering, Paul now turns to the more specific subject of how several of the questions he ...

4188. Message to Thyatira

Revelation 2:18-29

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J. Scott Duvall

... in Thyatira came primarily from the business environment. There are many parallels with our contemporary culture, where Christians are tempted to compromise in order to fit in with a materialistic culture. At the heart of this temptation often lies the desire to be socially accepted by pleasing the right people. This presents a choice about which audience matters most: powerful people who claim to guarantee our financial security or Jesus Christ? Little wonder that this message also stresses the uniqueness ...

4189. Message to Laodicea

Revelation 3:14-22

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J. Scott Duvall

... , the progression is significant: Jesus waits outside offering restoration, waiting for believers to deny themselves and open their hearts to renewed fellowship with him. Table fellowship was reserved for intimate friends in the ancient world, and the image conveys the depth of Jesus’s desire to forgive and reconcile. A fellowship meal means real forgiveness. 3:21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his ...

4190. God on His Throne as the Sovereign Creator

Revelation 4:1-11

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J. Scott Duvall

... is worthy of worship. Revelation 4 calls us to reexamine the object of our worship. 2. True worship is God-centered. It’s easy for individual Christians and churches to drift into a horizontal pattern of worship that centers on satisfying human needs and desires. This text reorients our worship in a Godward direction. True worship should first be vertical and then, by application, horizontal. Our deepest needs are met when we adjust our life to God, not the other way around (cf. the pattern in the Lord ...

4191. The Four Horsemen

Revelation 6:1-17

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J. Scott Duvall

... he asserts, “Everyone of us is, from his mother’s womb, expert in inventing idols.”7God has given us hearts and minds so that we can see, know, and love him. But if we are not careful, we will constantly seek to manufacture a god to bless our desires. Our view of God must include both the cross and the throne. Bible: Two great Old Testament prophecies point to the surprising work of the Messiah. On one hand, he is the ruling King, one who will strike the nations down and sit in judgment. On the other ...

4192. The First Four Trumpet Judgments

Revelation 8:6--9:21, Revelation 8:1-5

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J. Scott Duvall

... . As we love our enemies, we may also cry out to God to bring justice in the face of unjust suffering. How God answers such prayers is up to him. Our prayers never force God to condemn people. As with the judgments in Revelation, God desires that judgment should lead to repentance and restoration. But such is not always the case, and along with love, truth remains a biblical virtue. Our role is to love our enemies and pray for justice. God is the loving and righteous Judge, who alone is capable ...

4193. The Woman, the Son, and the Dragon

Revelation 12:1--13:1a

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J. Scott Duvall

... , commit to rising each morning and spiritually “putting on” that armor in prayer. • Belt of truth: A belt was used as the anchor point for ones clothing, armor, and sword, keeping things together. Pray for the Lord to keep your heart, mind, desires, and thoughts bound to the truth. • Breastplate of righteousness: Pray for the Lord to guard your heart, making it holy and righteous before the Lord, protecting it from attitudes or feelings that would lead you into compromise. With that protection in ...

4194. The Beast from the Sea (Antichrist)

Revelation 13:1b-10

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J. Scott Duvall

... a soporific meadow, and even satisfied a wizard’s demands by retrieving a witch’s broom. Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and Toto stood before the Great and Powerful Oz. Their hopes were high. Only he could give them the deepest desires of their heart. But when the time came for Oz to deliver, he again refused. When they begged, he blustered. When they demanded, he declaimed. With bolts of fire and rumbles of thunder, Oz attempted to overwhelm the travelers, wowing them into submission ...

4195. The Lamb and the 144,000

Revelation 14:1-5

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J. Scott Duvall

... will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Evil remains subtle and can rob us of what God desires if we give ourselves to things that are worthless and wasteful. What sorts of books or magazines do we read or movies do we watch? Does the humor we enjoy honor Christ? Do our words tear down or build up? How do we spend our money? What about our time ...

4196. The Warrior Messiah Conquers the Two Beasts and Their Followers

Revelation 19:1-21

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J. Scott Duvall

... . A journey through The Messiah is like floating on sound and taste-testing beauty. There is something powerful about subjecting the self to the vision of a composer’s masterpiece together with other singers. As we walk in Jesus’s footsteps with our brothers and sisters, as we submit our desires to his will, we get to experience something incredible: the victory he died to give us. Consider playing a brief portion of The Messiah, and then ask, “Could this ever sound this beautiful as a solo?”

4197. The Garden City as Paradise Transformed

Revelation 22:1-5

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J. Scott Duvall

... we not look to him now to provide life? How often do we seek life apart from God—in God’s blessings such as friends or possessions or, moving in the opposite direction, in sinful habits? Ironically, our unrighteous adventures are often attempts to satisfy a desire that God has legitimately provided. May we stop being deceived and seek the Lord, who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). 2. We will not be bored or unemployed in the new creation. The notion that heaven will be an eternally ...

4198. The Ordination of Aaron and His Sons

Leviticus 8:1-36

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... big toe remind us of how we as God’s royal priesthood ought to consecrate our whole being to God. The classic hymn “Take My Life and Let It Be,” especially in its second and third verses, expresses that kind of sentiment. Our desire should be, like these priests, totally dedicated and consecrated to God, even down to the level of our body parts. God calls ministers to set an example. Education: In an article describing how young children learn, educational researcher Jeanne W. Lepper comments, In a ...

4199. Korah’s Rebellion

Numbers 16:1-50

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... somehow better than God’s. Like Korah, we may be motivated by envy or selfish ambition. We may twist God’s word to justify our actions, as Korah does with Exodus 19:6 (see comments at Num. 16:3). We may out of ignorance or a desire to conform to the world follow people teaching rebellion against God. Christians, in contrast, must submit to the lordship of Christ and obey God’s word. They must resist the temptation to rebel against God. 2. Intercession and atonement mitigate God’s anger. The Korah ...

4200. Balaam’s First Three Oracles

Num 23:1–24:14

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... . Take, for example, the Greek god Eurus, the “East Wind.” He can be described as a “surly, treacherous fellow, striking suddenly out of the fair skies” and “a menace to shipping when his mood was foul.”14More famously capricious was Eros, the god of amorous desire, who on a whim would strike a victim with his mischievous love arrows. The faithful God of the Bible is different. He is not capricious. He does not lie (Num. 23:19). He does not change his mind on a whim. He always remains true to ...

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