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 526 to 550 of 4959 results

526. Christian Maturity

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... with the disciples of Corinthian sophists. It is Paul’s shorthand for “you have become like the surrounding culture” (cf. Rom. 13:13; 2 Cor. 12:20; Gal. 5:20). They are following not God’s will but their own desires. acting like mere humans. The Greek verb translated as “acting” (peripateite) literally means “walking.” If Paul pours Hebrew meaning into Greek words (common for bilinguals), the Hebrew halakah (lit., “walking”) undergirds his word choice here (see the sidebar “Walking in ...

527. The Coming Judgment Calls for the Saints to Leave Babylon

Revelation 18:1-24

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... with estimates ranging from 10–30 percent of the empire’s population. Such “slave wealth” was generated and sustained at the expense of human beings created in the image of God. But now that God has destroyed the great city, people observe that Babylon’s desires and cravings will never be satisfied again; they are gone forever (cf. 18:11, 21–23). 18:15–17a The merchants . . . will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn and cry out. Following the list of goods and ...

528. Vows, Redemption, and Tithes

Leviticus 27:1-34

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... Did God reveal this material on vows and redemption subsequent to revealing the literary unit of Leviticus 25–26? Did the desire to follow the Sabbath Year regulations immediately with the warnings of an involuntary Sabbath rest for the land if Israel ... minimum expected. So today, a person may give to God gifts beyond a simple tithe. A person out of gratitude to God and a desire to further his kingdom might give money to build a chapel or church, land for a Christian camp, or something else to further the ...

529. Ingratitude and Judgment

Num 11:1-35

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... are exaggerating how bad their current deprivation is. Moreover, they are forgetting that without the miraculous gift of manna they would have starved long ago. We must not forget God’s blessings. Second, ingratitude is an expression of unbelief (vv. 18–23). Desiring good food is not a sin. But Israel’s complaints are not innocent. Their cravings lead them to reject God’s plan for their lives. They complain, God tells them, “because you have rejected the Lord, who is among you” (v. 20). Many ...

530. “Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave”: Power Poisons the Conscience

2 Samuel 11:1-27

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... echoes the description of David when he first appeared in the story (cf. 1 Sam. 16:12). David’s gaze falls on one who is every bit his physical equal; he apparently has met his match. Will he succumb to the temptation of using his power to take what he desires? 11:3 the wife of Uriah. The servant’s identification of the woman as “the wife of Uriah” should stop David in his tracks, for she belongs not only to another man, but to a man who is one of David’s very best soldiers (2 Sam. 23:39). 11 ...

531. The Lord Chooses a New King

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

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... to evaluate a person’s inner character (Gen. 18:12–15; Ps. 44:21; Prov. 17:3; Acts 1:24; 15:8; Heb. 4:12). The Lord desires his people to have pure hearts and rewards those who possess godly inner character (Ps. 147:10–11; Prov. 21:2–3; Jer. 17:9–10; Matt ... and no longer his chosen king. God’s opposition to rebels can take various forms. Sometimes God gives sinners over to evil desires that in turn prompt divine anger (Rom. 1:18–32). At other times he may harden or even deceive the objects of ...

532. Job’s Reply to Eliphaz

Job 6:1–7:21

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Daniel J. Estes

... crush me! Job wants clear resolution to his situation, whatever that might be, so he calls on God either to bless him or to crush him, but not to leave him in the miserable condition he is in. Like Moses (Num. 11:15) and Elijah (1 Kings 19:4), he desires God to take his life, because that will provide great relief from his pain. However, he does not express the option of suicide but leaves his life in God’s hands. All that matters to Job is his integrity before God (6:10), and he does not want to get ...

533. Job Presents Evidence against the Retribution Principle

Job 12:1--14:22

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Daniel J. Estes

... time in history. Because of his limited knowledge, his only hope is for God to intervene for him before he dies (cf. Ps. 27:13). After that, it will be too late. 14:13 If only you would hide me in the grave. This hypothetical and imaginative desire expressed by Job contrasts with his revulsion of the grave elsewhere in his speeches (7:9; 17:16). To Job, the afterlife is not a joyful anticipation but rather the unpleasant prospect of a joyless semi-existence. As Job grasps for any semblance of hope, he ...

534. Job’s Hope against Hope

Job 19:1-29

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Daniel J. Estes

... his claim to keep speaking even after his death. 19:25 I know that my redeemer lives. See the sidebar. 19:26–27 yet in my flesh I will see God. Job’s hope, however, is not just for the future. Here Job may well be thinking, or at least desire, that after his severe suffering God will intervene on his behalf to restore him within his lifetime on earth (cf. Ps. 27:13). Indeed, in 42:5 Job does at last get to see Yahweh and he does receive the restoration for which he has longed, including God’s ...

535. “Show Me Your Ways, Lord”

Psalm 25:1-22

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C. Hassell Bullock

... up the hands or lifting up the evening sacrifice may be the liturgical derivative.[4] In light of Deuteronomy 24:15 (NIV: “counting on it”) and Jeremiah 22:27 (NIV: “long to”), where lifting up the “soul” occurs also, the idea here as there is that of hope and desire, which is in harmony with the stress on hope (25:3, 21) and trust (25:2). 25:2 do not let me be put to shame. This verb occurs here and in 25:3 and 20, framing the psalm. For one to be “put to shame” involved a sense of ...

536. “No One Can Redeem the Life of Another or Give to God a Ransom for Them”

Psalm 49:1-20

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C. Hassell Bullock

... enviously at a tree and laments that it has a much stronger hope of living again than does a person (Job 14:7–17), Job’s experience in the dialogue is dynamic, not static, and thus his understanding undergoes change and development. What may be a desire in Job 14:7–17 has become a confident confession in 19:25–27 (“I know”) or at least has moved into the category of hopeful confession. Even though the truth of the postmortem vindication is quite clear, I believe, the nature of his existence in ...

537. Nabuchadnezzar’s Dream and Daniel's Interpretation

Daniel 2:1-23, Daniel 2:24-49

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Ronald W. Pierce

... on how it might feel to win these honors, give acceptance speeches, and frame the fabled “yellow jerseys” to hang in your office or home. As enchanting as this thought may be, all temporal human rewards must never claim the right to define us or become so desirable that one’s life be shipwrecked in pursuit of such a fleeting goal. Excellence and recognition are not inherently sinful, yet they must always be pursued for the sake of obedience to God’s call and for his ultimate glory, never for our own ...

538. Appointing Leaders to Lead

Deut 16:18–17:40

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... appellate court; 17:8–13). The law will teach them how to act (17:11). Anyone who shows “contempt” (17:12–13) for the judgment rendered is to be put to death so evil will be purged from the nation. When the time comes when Israel will desire a king (17:14–20), this desire must not be to replace the theocracy with an autocratic or tyrannical rule. A king for the nation has been envisaged as far back as the time of the patriarchs (Gen. 17:6, 16; 35:11; 49:10). In the days of Samuel, the people will ...

539. Widows and Their Worries: Back to Bethlehem

Ruth 1:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the Lord in a common oath formula, such as “as the Lord lives.” In the latter, omission of the self-maledictory piece allows the oath taker freedom to use the more personal divine name. Accordingly, the name functions like a verbal signature, a guarantee of the genuine desire to do what is being pledged. Ruth implores the Lord to punish her if she does not do all that is in her power to care for Naomi (1:17). This entails nothing less than a change in ethnicity and religion. That Ruth calls on the Lord ...

540. Proverbs of Solomon

Proberbs 10:1--22:16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ” (Hebrew nepesh, which occurs four times in 13:2–4). One’s words can fill one’s life with either luscious or foul fruit, and thus restraint in speech is essential (13:2–3), just as diligent labor enables one to fulfill one’s desires (13:4). The righteous eschew false words (NLT “lies”), thereby protecting their lives (13:5a, 6a). The wicked, in contrast, enjoy broadcasting odious scandal (cf. same verb in Gen. 34:30; Exod. 5:21) and suffer the consequences (13:5b, 6b). Wealth and poverty ...

541. Paul’s Apostolic Salutation and Prayer

Philippians 1:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... : a life of holiness. He first prays that the Philippians abound in love and the truth of the gospel (1:9). Love and discernment go together for Paul. He calls the Philippians to love in such a way that their love is founded on truth and understanding. Paul desires for the Philippians to have this love and discernment so that they may live a life of holiness and obedience to God, so that they may “be pure and blameless for the day of Christ” (1:10). This life of holiness is itself a proclamation of the ...

542. A Call to Christlike Obedience

Philippians 2:12-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... known them to obey when he is there (2:12). Yet this obedience is even more important because Paul is not there. When Paul is there with them in Philippi, the Philippians may have obeyed only out of respect for Paul, not out of a genuine desire to obey God in all things. Thus, when Paul is absent, their obedience is a greater indication of their true character. This obedience is to be seen in their following Paul’s instruction: “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (2:12). This ...

543. False Teachers and Their Destruction

2 Peter 2:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... is in the donkey’s mouth.) These teachers promise much but deliver little (2:17–18). They have been and still claim to be followers of Jesus and, as pointed out in 2 Peter 1:3–5, have therefore been delivered from the power of desire. But now they are enslaved to it again (so the “freedom” from conventional morality that they promise is a sham, since they are not truly free themselves). Therefore, they are worse off than if they had never become believers (2:20–21), presumably because they ...

544. The Question of Sin and the Commandment to Love

1 John 1:5--2:14, 1 John 2:15-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... have overcome the evil one (2:14). The repetition and the parallel references add emphasis to his affirming message: “Do not love the world or anything in the world” (2:15). Rather than spell out particular sins, however, the elder is content to leave the sins of worldliness general: the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and pride in wealth (2:16) cover the territory effectively. These drives do not come from the Father but from the world. And the world, along with its ...

545. Dying To Live

Isaiah 43:16-21

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... to something new. A bad habit must die to provide room for a good one. Certain ways of thinking must change in order to get the desired action. A place of comfort must be left in order to move to a healthier one. All such radical changes must occur in order for ... raced towards us, God put skin on, and in sacrificial love jumped in front of us and took the blistering bullet for us. God’s one desire for us is that we allow our sins to die in him. Do you remember what Paul said? “How can we who died to sin ...

546. The Life You've Always Wanted

Acts 5:27-32

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... party and play is just not cutting it anymore. Could it be that your life has become meaningless and empty and you desire some- thing more? If this is true, maybe you are ready now to make the move from success to significance. Peter and ... receive my soul at last.[6] It’s important, at times, to hide in the presence of God, and relish what God has done for us. But God desires us to move out and beyond. God needs us to leap out of our comfort zones, take a risk, make a sacrifice, and move to the heartbeat of ...

547. Does Prayer Make Any Diﬀerence?

Mark 1:35-39

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... to surrender like that in prayer, life gets exciting and becomes more interesting than you would ever imagine. You see, we must move from “Lord, this is how I want things to work in my life” to “Lord, I want what you want for my life.” If you desire intimacy with God through prayer today, I have a simple suggestion for you. If you do what I am about to suggest you will experience the difference that prayer can make in your life. For the next seven days start your day with prayer. It doesn’t have ...

548. Unstoppable Love

Mark 1:40-45

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... is Jesus is walking by. He is right there beside you. You don’t have to beg like the leper. All you have to do is say, “Lord, I need your love and grace. Come and make me clean and put a new spirit within me.” If that is your desire, Jesus will be overjoyed, and he will shower you with his mercy and grace. Our text in Mark says that when Jesus was moved with compassion he reached out and touched the leper. He touched him. Back then they didn’t know much about leprosy. The Jews thought if someone ...

549. Pop Verses!: Philippians 4:13

Philippians 4:13

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... do. Get to work on following Jesus in the world and everything else will take care of itself. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you.” The richest people are those with the fewest needs. The richest people are those whose only desire is to please Christ and live for him. So many think this verse is about super human power. “I can do all things, like swim the English Channel or win a Green Jacket!” I had to give up my dream of a Green Jacket a long time ago! For ...

550. A Warning Against Hypocrisy

Matthew 23:1-39

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... greater” (note play on “Rabbi,” v. 8) must be servant. Phillips translates verse 11, “The only ‘superior’ among you is the one who serves the others.” Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who take a lowly role will be honored. The desire of the scribes and Pharisees to attract attention to themselves will lead to their undoing. 23:13–22 We now come to some of the most severe words ever uttered by Jesus. His deep concern about religious hypocrisy is expressed in a series of ...

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