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 4801 to 4825 of 5000 results

4801. The Christian and the World

James 4:1-12

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

... : Matt. 7:1–5; Luke 6:37–42; Rom. 2:1; 14:4; 1 Cor. 4:5; 5:12. The judging that is condemned does not include the proper use of the community disciplinary process (Matt. 18:15–20; 1 Cor. 5:1–5) or the proper use of loving criticism in private by elders and other Christians (e.g., Gal. 6:1ff.). See further M. Jeschke, Disciplining the Brother (Scottdale, Penn.: Herald Press, 1979), which is an excellent discussion of this issue. 4:12 In the Greek Old Testament God is spoken of as the Lawgiver (Ps. 9 ...

4802. To Elders and Young Men

1 Peter 5:1-11

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... . It must be voluntary service (not because you must) and willingly and eagerly given, for such is the true nature of Christian love. Neither must there be any idea of doing for getting, no notion of serving only for what they can squeeze out of ... (1:7; 2:12, 15, 19; 3:9, 14, 16; 4:13–16). God is using every experience, especially perhaps the more unpleasant ones, to further his loving purpose in the lives of his people and to enable them to grow in grace and in their knowledge of him (2 Pet. 3:18). God is ...

4803. Wisdom's Call

Proverbs 8:1-36

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

... of silver and gold. The recurring motif of the way is echoed in verses 20–21. Those who follow her and love her will become wealthy themselves. One can detect a certain enlargement in the portrayal of Woman Wisdom; she approaches divine dimensions ... 3:13 on “finding” wisdom). In contrast to this vision, those who miss the mark and do not choose (hate) wisdom are in love with death. Gerhard von Rad once wrote that only the Lord can speak in the manner in which Woman Wisdom expresses herself, especially ...

4804. Israel Unrepentant

Hosea 6:1--7:16

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... still had enough faith to know that God was behind their military defeat and that Assyria was the rod of God’s anger (cf. Isa. 10:5). But they did not have enough knowledge of God’s character to know that they could not presume on God’s love for them. In 5:15, God announces, “I will return (NIV: “go back”) to my place.” But the Israelites believe that if they return to God (6:1) by offering sacrifices at a public fast, God will automatically appear (6:3) and come forth with aid and protection ...

4805. A Lament and Call to Repentance

Amos 5:1-17

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... some left after the battle, verse 3, does not indicate the existence of a remnant. An army so diminished was totally defeated. Israel was as good as dead. The fact that in the prophecies of Amos Yahweh is the one who mourns over his fallen people is evidence of his love for them. As is so often the case in the holy history, God’s reaction to the people’s sin is not wrath but grief (cf. Gen. 6:6), and judgment on them is carried out in the sorrow of a disappointed lover (cf. Matt. 23:37–38 and parallel ...

4806. Robbing God

Malachi 3:6-18

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

... (3:6-12): The fifth speech returns to the present with an appeal for repentance demonstrated in a concrete act of obedience, tithing. This obligation contributes to proper worship at the temple and to feeding even the poorest of the people. The Lord, who loves Israel, offers them reconciliation and promises blessing. 3:6–7a The opening statement of this address is a stunning non sequitur, “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” The Lord has remained the same God ...

4807. Not Having Seen Him

1 Peter 1:8

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

... signals travel through the air. But we can't see them, can we? We can't feel them. How can we know they are there? We can see the TV change when we touch a button, so we know they are there. A verse in our Bible praises people who love God even though they have never seen Him. I've never seen God, have you? Nobody has seen God and yet we know He is there. We see His beautiful work everywhere--in the flowers and the trees, in the ...

4808. A Mystifying Question

Luke 6:39-49

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

... once asked his followers: "Why do you call me Lord and not do what I tell you?" That is a hard question. Why do people say they love Jesus and then tell things that aren't true? Why do people say they love Jesus and try to hurt other people? If we love Jesus, we always try to do the right thing, don't we? Sometimes we goof. None of us is perfect, but if we love Jesus we try to be the kind of person he would want us to be, don't we? I hope we all do. I hope that we ...

4809. Imitating Christ's Humility

Philippians 2:1-11

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

... to give Paul cause for joy. He has already said that his prayers for the Philippian Christians are joyful prayers (1:4). Now, he says, fill my cup of joy to the brim; make my joy complete. Let me hear that you are like-minded, having the same love, that you are united in spirit and purpose. He is pleading, indeed, for unanimity of heart. This is not the formal unanimity that can be maintained only by the exercise of the veto; it is that sincere unanimity of purpose in which no one would wish to impose ...

4810. Timothy and Epaphroditus

Philippians 2:19-30

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

... interests than about those of Jesus Christ. There were some indeed in Rome at the time who were preaching the gospel “in love” (1:16), but of all those who were available to Paul as messengers none was so free from self-centeredness as Timothy. For ... uncertainties and dangers of Paul’s way of life. Paul greatly valued the devotion of one whom he describes as “my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord” (1 Cor. 4:17). All the service a son could render to a father Timothy performed for Paul; ...

4811. Jacob Gets Isaac's Blessing

Genesis 27:1-40

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... this person was Esau, Isaac spoke his patriarchal blessing. 27:27–29 In his blessing Isaac began by referring to his son’s love for the field, the open space. He then asked God to give him of heaven’s dew. In Canaan, dew is essential for ... his birthright and his blessing. He then asked if there was not any blessing for him. He wanted the formal expression of his father’s love. Isaac pointed out that he had made Jacob lord over him and that all his relatives were to be his servants. He had sustained ...

4812. Jacob’s Children

Genesis 29:31--30:24

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... are born to Leah (29:31–35), the two handmaids each bear two sons (30:1–13), Leah bears two sons and a daughter (30:14–21), and Rachel finally gives birth to a son (30:22–24). 29:31–35 When Yahweh saw that Leah was not loved as much as Rachel, he allows her to conceive. The phrase “God saw” means that, having observed Leah’s deplorable position in the family, God acted to comfort her. In those days fertility and infertility were thought to be caused by God. God blessed Leah, and she gave ...

4813. Worshipping Other Gods

Deuteronomy 13:1-18

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... poison. Two further aspects of the offense are specified here. First, the phony prophet preached rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. This, of course, was the basis on which Israel was commanded to love Yahweh and to have no other gods (5:6f.; 6:20–25). So deliberately going after other gods (and worse, leading others to do so) was, to say the least, gross ingratitude. In the light of all Israel owed to Yahweh, “no other god is owed ...

4814. The Authority of Jesus over Nature and the Cosmic Powers

Mark 5:1-20, Mark 4:35-41

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... , proclaims God’s mercy throughout the Decapolis (the “Ten Cities” of Syria), and the “amazement” of “all” (universal mission language) is the result. Teaching the Text 1. Faith rather than fear is required in serious situations. God tempts no one (James 1:13), but a loving Father must send discipline/trials into the lives of his children (Heb. 12:5–11). Trials provide the soil in which faith grows (James 1:2–4; 1 Pet. 1:6–7). If God gave us everything we wanted, we would very soon be ...

4815. Family in the New Kingdom Community

Mark 10:13-16, Mark 10:1-12

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... between a husband and a wife. Many of them include the symbol of the “heart.” In our culture today the heart often represents the “feeling” side of love. For many people, love is equated with feelings and emotions rather than decisions: “I know that I’m in love because I feel in love.” The danger is that emotions can be fickle. Christians need to look to the Lord and his word when it comes to how we view and live marriage. From the perspective of Scripture, marriage is a decision marked by ...

4816. The Faithfulness of God and the Covenantal Curses on Israel

Romans 3:1-8

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... powers), who whisks them both away and puts each one through a rigorous regime of discipline, tailor-made so that the child might be redeemed from a deformity of soul. Caring more for their moral development than their comfort, the wise woman loves the children but allows them much suffering. In their discipline, the wise woman knows, is their potential purification. Both must be saved from self-absorption, the one from her demanding behavior, the other from her conceit. Film: The Miracle Worker. In this ...

4817. God’s Saving Righteousness and the Restoration of Israel

Romans 3:21-31

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... as being from Paul. But most important, already in Romans 1:17–18 (which no one thinks is pre-Pauline) we see Paul juxtaposing God’s saving and judging righteousness. Actually, for Paul, both are needed to present the character of God, who is both holy and loving (so 3:26b). There is no need, therefore, to resort to the theory of Romans 3:25–26a being pre-Pauline. Teaching the Text A couple of sermons/lessons come to mind in contemplating Romans 3:21–26. One is a sermon entitled “Is Christianity a ...

4818. Paul, Phoebe, Patronage, and Spain

Romans 16:1-27

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... :1; 4:2; 5:12; 10:12; 12:11; 3 John 9–10; 1 Macc. 12:43; 2 Macc. 9:25).2 From the Greco-Roman literature, Robert Jewett supplies the following example: So-and-so, who is conveying this letter to you, has been tested by us and is loved on account of his trustworthiness. You will do well if you deem him worthy of approval both for my sake and his, and indeed for your own. For you will not be sorry if you entrust to him, in any manner you wish, either confidential words or matters. Indeed, you ...

4819. Marriage, Sexual Intimacy, and Spiritual Devotion

1 Corinthians 7:1-40

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... on this metaphor, see Proverbs 6:27–29 (cf. 1 Cor. 7:9). The vibrancy of the Christian’s marriage bed is intertwined with the marriage’s health and each spouse’s intimacy with Christ. Human Metaphor: Ask what listeners would think of a Christian who says, “I love Jesus with all my heart—I just never spend time with him in worship or prayer, nor do I allow him to change me. We have an understanding.” The reason this seems false and offensive is that the person would be claiming to live within a ...

4820. Trust versus Self-Reliance

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... a result, the one who continues to think[11] that he/she is able to stand must remain watchful lest he/she may fall.” Paul’s point is not to sow a seed of uncertainty about faith but to warn against taking God’s love for granted without considering his wrath. It is a warning against confusing self-reliance with trust in God. 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you. The Greek word peirasmos can mean “trial,” “test,” or “temptation.” When the expected result is negative, translators prefer ...

4821. The Warrior Messiah Conquers the Two Beasts and Their Followers

Revelation 19:1-21

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... Matt. 5:44–45; Rom. 12:14, 17–20; 1 Pet. 3:9). This text recalls the horrible fate for those who rebel against God. While rejoicing that God will bring justice and conquer evil, we can simultaneously pray for the conversion of unbelievers and seek to love them into the kingdom of God. Illustrating the Text Christ’s return is the center of our hope. Quote: The Long Journey Home, by Os Guinness. If we are not careful, our hope for the Lord’s return can be dulled by diversion. Guinness comments: Modern ...

4822. The Lord Chooses a New King

1 Samuel 16:14-23, 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... humans, the verb translated “mourn” (’abal) refers to mourning for the dead (Gen. 37:34; 1 Sam. 6:19; 2 Sam. 14:2; 19:1 [2 MT]; 1 Chron. 7:22; 2 Chron. 35:24) or, in one instance, to grieving over a lengthy separation from a loved one (2 Sam. 13:37). Samuel’s remorse is deep and painful. It is clear that Samuel is not part of some conspiracy against Saul, who eventually loses his throne because of divine disapproval, not human betrayal. 16:4 the elders of the town trembled. The elders’ fear ...

4823. “You Have Given Me the Heritage of Those Who Fear Your Name”

Psalm 61:1-8

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... So having received God’s answer regarding his own situation (61:5), the psalmist prays also for the king, asking that love and faithfulness, attendants at God’s throne (89:14), would protect the king. In verse 8 the suppliant promises to fulfill ... its demands. A subtle literary feature occurs at the end of the psalm: the psalmist prays for the king, that God’s “love and faithfulness” will protect him (61:6–7). This is a particularly beautiful picture of the power of prayer, suggesting the spiritual ...

4824. Daniel in the Den of Lions

Daniel 6:1-28

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... him, because he was trustworthy. The Aramaic ’aman, “to trust in,” appears strategically in the parallel statement of Daniel’s deliverance, because he “trusted in his God” (6:23). The corresponding Hebrew term is used elsewhere in the Old Testament to express God’s trustworthy love for David (Isa. 55:3). In this way, the reader of Daniel is encouraged to look beyond the person to his God, who is always faithful. 6:5 unless it has something to do with the law of his God. The Mosaic law is set ...

4825. Daniel's Prayer

Daniel 9:1-19

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... listeners to Jeremiah 29:11–14 to show this aspect of God’s character. There, Jeremiah’s promise of restoration is inseparably linked with the people seeking God with all their heart. Daniel reminds his readers of the original stipulation in the torah to love and obey God if they wish to know his blessing (Deut. 7:9). By way of application, avoid the temptation to emphasize God’s promise in a way that marginalizes our human responsibility—or vice versa. While assuring your listeners of God’s ...

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