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 4401 to 4425 of 4959 results

4401. Listening and Doing

James 1:19-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... their anger lest it lead to hasty, nasty, irretrievable words (1:19). James does not prohibit all anger but exhorts his readers to be slow and careful about allowing anger to develop. Anger, James reminds us, “does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (1:20). 1:21–27 · “Be doers of the word”:Many translations and commentaries take verse 21 with verses 19–20, but it really introduces the main topic of the next paragraph: the right response to God’s word. James commands us to ...

4402. Peaceable Relations among Christians

James 3:13-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Rom. 2:8; 2 Cor. 12:20; Gal. 5:20; Phil. 1:17; 2:3). Where these attitudes exist, “disorder” and all kinds of evil will be the result (3:16). On the other hand, there is the wisdom from above. It is characterized not by a selfish desire to have one’s own way but by “humility” (3:13). And, like genuine faith, it manifests itself in deeds, producing a godly and loving lifestyle. Most of all, James suggests, true wisdom brings peace. This is the focus of the list of virtues attributed to true wisdom ...

4403. Living for God

1 Peter 4:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... suffers in the body [literally “in the flesh”] is done with sin” (4:1). This was supremely true for Christ, who through death has conquered sin in all its manifestations; it is necessarily true for his followers, who through their suffering learn to dethrone evil desires and live for the will of God (4:2); and possibly it is even true for the persecutors of the church, who might come to life through the judgment of death and must therefore be the objects of patient testimony, in word and deed. The ...

4404. Final Exhortations and Greetings

1 Peter 5:1-11, 1 Peter 5:12-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... humility around them like a robe, so that they may enjoy God’s grace in all their relationships. For God himself does not lord it over his creatures, but by his grace reaches out to us and suffers with us, in Christ. Now Peter summarizes everything that he desires for his readers (5:6–11). Here is the framework on which he wants the house of our Christian life to be founded. For all that he has urged us to submit to our earthly circumstances, however trying, it is really to God himself that we submit (5 ...

4405. Prophecy of Scripture

2 Peter 1:12-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... new teaching of those he labels “false teachers.” 1:16–3:13 Review · Arguments in Support of His Position: Given 2 Peter’s thesis (1) that God has intervened by means of Jesus to free human beings from the power of evil that is rooted in desire and (2) that in order to live in this deliverance one needs to pursue virtue, one would then expect support for this assertion. The author does this by means of a series of arguments, which he introduces by his polite assertion that his addressees know and ...

4406. The Prologue of 1 John—from Witness to Fellowship

1 John 1:1-4

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... :32), and his apostolic followers (John 20:21–23) do the same. The goal of the elder’s sharing is koinōnia, “fellowship,” extended from one generation and sector of the Jesus movement to others. This is not, however, a mere expression of the desire for fellowship; Christian unity is rooted in the same unity that the Son has enjoyed with the Father from the beginning (John 17:20–26). This unity is both spiritual and missional. The loving fellowship between the Father and the Son and between Christ ...

4407. Concluding Remarks

1 John 5:13-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... on human assistance to accomplish his will in the world, he invites us into partnership as his followers. And, if the believer has indeed discerned the divine will and is offering it back to God as an earnest request, how can God not also grant what God has desired? This is the confidence and boldness of the believer’s prayer: not in the right words or proper forms, but in the will of the Lord, which we offer back in our petitions and which we further with our willingness to lay down our lives for his ...

4408. Let Us Love One Another

2 John 1:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... (vv. 12–13). Again, the feminine reference could be a reference to women leaders in the church, or it could be a feminine reference to the church and its leadership. Either way, the elder’s endearing relationship with these leaders is clear. He expresses his desire to come as an incarnated message—in person, so that their joy might be complete—rather than simply writing with pen and ink. In so doing he exemplifies and communicates the same quality of loving concern to which he calls his audience.

4409. Joy at Believers’ Walking in the Truth

3 John 1:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... leadership style moving toward centralized hierarchical authority—apparently what Diotrephes was doing—is not an implausible inference. 13–15 · Final Greetings among Friends: Parallel to the ending of 2 John, the conclusion of this personal letter also expresses the elder’s desire to come as an incarnational letter—hoping to see them in person and to talk together face-to-face rather than simply writing with pen and ink. From one group of “the friends” to another (John 15:14–15), the elder ...

4410. Denunciation of the Intruding Teachers

Judges 1:1-36

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... is a danger include not just the “sinners” named in the prophecy but also the others in the community, who are accused of grumbling (a term found only here, but the idea is also in James 5:9), being driven by their desires, and buttering up others. These sins were important to Jude but are sometimes forgotten about or downplayed today. Critical Issues in Interpreting Judges A variety of interpretive issues, some of which are more controversial than others, continue to attract scholarly attention. Here ...

4411. Today Can Be the First Day of Your New Life!

Matthew 2:13-23

Sermon

King Duncan

... again. We’re told that French philosopher Albert Camus was phobic about driving a car. Ironically, he died in a car accident while a friend was driving. Sigmund Freud had a fear of traveling anywhere outside of Vienna. I wonder what kind of repressed desire explains that? There is an intriguing story told about the late J. Edgar Hoover, former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The story may be apocryphal, but one source tells it as true. It seems that Hoover once made a trip to California ...

4412. Dr. Jekyll Meet Jesus

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... to do the right thing. Deep in our hearts we know that. That is why we feel guilt when we do something we know is wrong. How do you please the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? You do it by obeying His laws. God is a holy God who desires holiness, righteousness and, most importantly, love on the part of his children. Do the right thing at all times and in all places and you will live well in this world and the world to come. “But how can I always do the right thing?” you may ask, “I’m ...

4413. Are You Sorry Enough to Wash Your Face?

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... :20). This is the heart of Ash Wednesday and Lent. Imagine that you are on the road to a destination and you realize that the pathway you have traveled, rather than taking you toward where you want to end up is actually taking you away from your desired destination. Your GPS keeps directing you to "make a legal U-turn." This is the absolute essence of repentance; it recognizes that you are headed the wrong way and need to turn back around. Ash Wednesday is the great turn-around day on the Christian calendar ...

4414. New Year's Resolutions

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

James L. Killen

... find God doing in our lives are intended to move us toward that goal. Jesus has shown us that God is at work to set us free from fear, guilt, self-deprecation, and all of the other bondages of our lives. God is at work to equip us with the desire and enablement to move out into the real world where we are to live the life of love. God is trying to love us into the ability to love as God loves. Are you willing to let that kind of salvation happen in your life? Go home now and look ...

4415. Dead Hearts and New Beginnings

John 3:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... , not because there is no Oyarsa, but because each of them wants to be a little Oyarsa, himself or herself. Lewis as usual hit the nail right on the head. If we are not centered in God, we will be centered in ourselves--our passions, our desires, our idols. The Christian faith is about new beginnings. New beginnings are possible. Even more important, new beginnings are necessary. This brings us to the last thing to be said. When we meet Christ, new beginnings are inevitable. If we truly meet Jesus, we are ...

4416. One Heaven of a Party

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... would experience what it means to celebrate life. Honestly, I wonder if the Israelites were spiritually and emotionally ready for this kind of generosity. This is a probing question for those of us who live in a consumer culture. It seems that in our world a desire to experience the joy of giving is a rare virtue. Our culture spreads the gospel of greed, and many people are converted to it daily. Since childhood, the words, “That’s mine, not yours,” have shot from our mouths in one form or another ...

4417. A Vexing Vision

Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... in the translation?” On the Internet there are programs which will translate an English document into several different languages. All you do is type in a phrase or a word and the program translates it into French, Spanish, German, or whatever language you desire. Sound helpful? It is, especially if you are learning a foreign language. But how do you know if these programs create an accurate translation? A linguist had the same question and decided to test the accuracy of the translation. He typed in the ...

4418. When All Is Said and Done

Acts 16:9-15

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... be for me, who can be against me?” There will always be critics when you are attempting some- thing noble, taking the high road, or living out what you under- stand to be God’s purpose for you. There will always be jealous or insecure people desiring to foil your plans. There will always be backbiters who will try to intimidate you. There will always be critics affirming your failures. Yet when you do fail, and you are down in the dirt of self-pity, and your critics continue to shake their fingers at ...

4419. In the Event of Power Failure

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... power of Christ in our lives because our spiritual imaginations are closed, and we do not expect anything to happen. This is not some principle of positive thinking; it is a simple spiritual truth. The power of Christ will not move within us unless we awaken and earnestly desire to be moved by it. Christ will not force his power on us anymore than he will force his will on us. Christ loves us above all, and there is no such thing as forced love. Therefore, because Christ does not force his power on us, it ...

4420. More Beyond

Acts 16:16-34

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... into my mind is one of violets cracking rocks. Have you ever seen it? It is inspiring. You hike up a mountain or walk down a sidewalk and find a huge rock with beautiful violets growing right through it! Incredible! Tiny, yet determined, violets with so much desire for sunlight that they literally crack the rock so they can bask in the sunlight and finally bloom victoriously.[3] I believe Paul and Silas were given the same type of strength to break out of jail. The hymns of faith and praise that they sang ...

4421. Nothing Is Impossible with God!

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... in verse 34 was priceless, “How can this be?” In our vernacular, Mary asked, “Are you kidding me? How is that going to happen? Um, there is a problem here. I am a virgin. How can this be?” Many of us have the same reaction when God desires to birth something great through us. We are perplexed. We can’t bring ourselves to believe it. We are afraid. We have doubts. We have excuses. “How can this be?” Maybe for a long time God has been tugging on your heart to do an extraordinary thing and ...

4422. Less Is More

John 1:(1-9) 10-18

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... you got some of these things and you experienced pleasure for a little while, but guess what happened? When the newness wore off — when the novelty wore off — when the cool factor wore off the feelings of being unsatisfied returned. Then it was on to another goal or desire. We spend so much of our lives thinking that happiness is on the other side of some future event. We think that once we get there we will be happy. You have probably felt that way your whole life and you are still not happy. When you ...

4423. The Cost of Discipleship

Mark 9:2-9

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... fall on the ground and die, it will not bear fruit.” Jesus said, “Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” You see, real life begins when we die to ourselves — when we die to control — when we die to our selfish desires and trivial plans. Real life in Christ begins when we surrender our ego, our pride, and our stubbornness. God can get started on us when we come to the place where we are free from the bondage of trite preoccupations and recognize that our only need is ...

4424. Pop Verses: Proverbs 3:5-6

Proverbs 3:5-6

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... . If we want to move across the chasm between where we are and where God wants us to be we must trust God with our lives. If we want our dead ends to turn in to new beginnings the only option is to trust God with our life. If you desire for God to remove the obstacles before you, you must put all of your life is his hands. God In all your ways acknowledge him, submit to him, depend on him trust him and he will make straight your paths.

4425. The Temptation of Jesus

Matthew 4:1-11

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... earth your possession” (Ps. 2:8)? The way of obedience is long and difficult. Why not come to terms with the “god of this age” (2 Cor. 4:4; cf. “prince of this world,” John 12:31; 16:11)? Why not compromise just a bit and make the desired end an immediate reality? Moses had climbed to the top of Mount Nebo, and from there the Lord had shown him the entire expanse of land that would be given to his descendants. Apocalyptic literature portrays a number of similar experiences (2 Bar. 76:3; 1 Enoch 24 ...

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