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 76 to 100 of 117 results

76. Prescription on a Pole

John 3:1-21

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... handed down from Grandma. It was hard to trace the science behind such traditional home remedies, but they had the credibility of years, experience, common sense, and love. Sometimes our treatments — whether Grandma’s or the pharmacist’s — are quite distasteful. And, as children, we may have pursed our lips and turned up our noses, in need of persuasion that this curdled spoonful was really ultimately good. Likewise, as adults: the procedures and treatments we sometimes face bring both great pain ...

77. The Joy of a Thankful Heart

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... passed through the region between Samaria and Galilee. This was never a pleasant place for a Jew to travel. There was just too much animosity with the Samaritans. The Jews preferred to avoid them. Travel in the region of the Samaritans was simply distasteful. As Jesus walked, a group of ten lepers approached him. The group contains a curious mixture. For one thing, both leprous Jews and leprous Samaritans were traveling together.[1] The illness permitted them to rise above their mutual dislike and to bond ...

78. The Bugs of our Nature

Illustration

Michael

... his dismay, he discovered that tiny living creatures were crawling in it. Since he was especially fond of this particular food, he wondered what to do. Finally, he concluded that there was only one way out of his dilemma—he would destroy the instrument that caused him to discover the distasteful fact. So he smashed the microscope to pieces! How foolish! But don't we do the same with the Word of God. We hate it and would like to get rid of it because it reveals the bugs of our inner evil nature.

79. At the Potter's House

Jeremiah 18:1--19:15, Jeremiah 20:1-6

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

... Judah’s negative response to God’s call for repentance. A poetic oracle registering surprise at the people’s unwillingness to change follows along with a statement of their coming destruction (vv. 13–17). A plot against Jeremiah motivated by the people’s distaste for these negative oracles is disclosed (v. 18), and finally another lament of Jeremiah (vv. 19–23), bemoaning the plots against him and calling on God to punish the plotters. 18:1–4 God begins by telling Jeremiah to go to the house ...

80. Gedaliah Assassinated

Jeremiah 40:7--41:15

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

... out of principle may be seen by the fact that he allowed ten of the men to live when they told him that they had hidden provisions (we have wheat and barley, oil and honey, hidden in a field). The account serves the purpose of heightening our distaste for this brutal figure and reinforcing the fact that he was further disrupting any possible start to a restoration after the judgment. 41:10 This verse tells us that Ishmael not only killed a number of people, but he also took captive the rest of the people ...

81. Exhortations

Philippians 4:2-9

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

... of impurity, or … greed” which should not even be mentioned among God’s people (Eph. 5:3). (5) Lovely. (Gk. prosphilēs). Lovely things are those that commend themselves by their intrinsic attractiveness and agreeableness. They give pleasure to all and cause distaste to none, like a welcome fragrance. (6) Admirable. (Gk. euphēmos). A thing is admirable in this sense if it deservedly enjoys a good reputation. The mind that dwells on such things rather than on those that are disreputable has much in ...

82. A Rebellious Nation

Isaiah 1:1-31

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... left after decimation (see on 4:2). But at least that is something; they might have been destroyed as comprehensively as Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:24–29). On the title the LORD Almighty, see on verse 24. 1:10–15a Yahweh feels a distaste for the people’s enthusiastic worship because it is not accompanied by a commitment to justice. The challenge in verses 10–20 evidently belongs to an earlier period, when disaster might still be avoided. Hear . . . listen again has the resonances of a court scene ...

83. God’s Judgment on Assyria

Isaiah 10:5-19

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... against the audience, it is being turned the other way—or turned back to its earlier significance. A declaration of judgment on Judah’s enemies is exactly that. Once again a woe expresses Yahweh’s intention to “visit” someone (see on v. 3), out of distaste for their tough-mindedness (see on 9:9) and exalted impressiveness of look (see 2:11, 17; 3:18). But the recipient of this visit is Assyria, not Judah (v. 12). Assyria was the one through whom Yahweh expressed that snorting wrath (v. 4: see ...

84. Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem

Isaiah 36:1-22

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... because of the way Hezekiah has been treating the worship of Yahweh (v. 7). Isaiah might be quizzical about this observation. His uneases about the people’s worship of Yahweh have been of a different order. To put it another way, he also feels some distaste for the high profile of worship in the Jerusalem temple, but on a different basis (see 1:12–17). Where these chapters recur in 2 Kings, the Assyrian’s argument resounds with more irony, for 2 Kings 18 has just commended Hezekiah for the religious ...

85. Separation of Faith and Life

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... to exercise spiritual authority. Misguided efforts from years gone by, where church discipline looked more like a pursuit of self-righteousness by the few than the pursuit of Christlikeness by the many, have made the very concept of church discipline distasteful. In yet other situations, the very notion of community membership has disappeared: the church is a place to attend and receive spiritual inspiration, not a community that requires allegiance and can demand serious spiritual engagement.13 As a result ...

86. The Priority of Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... gong,” contrasts with the sound of a beautiful musical instrument and refers to bronze jars used in theaters as resonators—a form of ancient sound amplification. They were loud, lifeless noise machines.[3] Paul designs his language to conjure up crass and distasteful images in the minds of his audience. 13:2 gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries . . . faith that can move mountains. Paul moves from the least of the gifts to the greatest. In spite of receiving even the greatest of the ...

87. The Sin Offering

Leviticus 4:1--5:13

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... the sanctuary itself were not purged, the equilibrium between God and the people would be disrupted and divine wrath would occur. For more details, see “Theological Insights” at Leviticus 16:15–34. Teaching the Text 1. Sin is a pollution that offends God. Sin is a distasteful subject. People do not like to admit that they are sinners. Leviticus 4 reminds us that we are. It deals with the problem of human sin and the need of its cleansing before the holy God. Sin is doing “what is forbidden in any of ...

88. What Can I Get By With?

Luke 17:5-10

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... , also, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have only done what was our duty to do.’” No wonder we bristle and bow up our backs at such a word. But let’s get beyond our seething distaste for the inconsiderate master, and speak a good word for duty. I believe that’s what Jesus was doing. For most, duty is not a pleasant word. Many frown at it as it relates to morality. A school boy on his examination paper wrote this, “The Christian ...

89. What Do You Bring to the Table?

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

Tom Garrison

... eagles, run and not be weary, walk and not faint." What I am saying is that if you will honestly acknowledge this morning what you have brought into this place and willingly share it with Christ, he will accept whatever it is, no matter how distasteful, and together the two of you can do something about it. Honestly, then, what is brought to table? Grief? Guilt? Anger? Emptiness? Something else? Nothing is unacceptable. This is his invitation: "You, there, come unto me, you who are weary and heavy laden and ...

90. Paying What's Due

Matthew 22:15-22

Sermon

David G. Rogne

... the rights of babies to have healthful food begin. Because most of us see things only from our own point of view there are laws protecting the general welfare, and good citizens need to respect those laws, even when it is personally distasteful. Another thing a country may expect when its government is responsive to the needs of its citizens is loyalty. Stonewall Jackson, the Confederate general, was marching in Virginia in 1863. Long columns of soldiers were strung out. The general rode back, watching ...

91. The Resurrection of Christ

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... and last of all, as if it were,” so that the NIV leaves the casual remark “as if it were” untranslated. This minor omission is, however, insignificant compared to the way the translation of the remainder of the verse obscures the violent and distasteful character of Paul’s actual statement. P. R. Jones (“1 Corinthians 15:8: Paul the Last Apostle,” TynB 36 [1985], pp. 3–34) has even made a vigorous case for understanding the phrase last of all as a deliberate theological (possibly polemical ...

92. Josiah Renews the Covenant

2 Kings 23:1-30

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... this hill, analogous to the kind of corruption we find elsewhere in personal names (cf. the discussion in the introduction, note 21). “Mount of Olives” (Hb. har hammišḥâ) has been altered to Hill of Corruption (Hb. har hammašḥîṯ) to express the authors’ distaste for what went on there. “Topheth” in 23:10 (taking the vowels of bōšeṯ, “shame”) is probably another example of the same phenomenon. 23:18 The prophet . . . from Samaria: The choice of words is noteworthy. He is not from ...

93. John Mellencamp and the Danger of Procrastination

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... and family. But she died with the dishes still in a box. (4) So is it with people who are always putting things off until tomorrow. So often, tomorrow never comes. If you love someone, tell them. If you’re facing an important task, no matter how distasteful, tackle it. You’re not going to enjoy doing it anymore when you can no longer put it off. Of course, procrastination with heeding the call of God is the most serious procrastination of all. I challenge you to find one place in the New Testament where ...

94. What Really Counts

Mark 9:38-43

Sermon

King Duncan

... into the family of Christ and that is with words and works of kindness. So often when people are doing what they consider to be mission work, they do so from a feeling of superiority. They feel that the person who is the target of their effort is distasteful, or even deplorable. They do not realize that Christ is already at work in the life of that other person through acts of kindness, decency, and concern. The only thing they really need is a name for the redeeming work that is already going on in their ...

A duty is a task we look forward to with distaste, perform with reluctance, and brag about afterward.

James S. Hewett

96. Luther on Marriage

Illustration

Martin Luther

... , do this and do that? It is better to remain single and live a quiet and carefree life. I will become a priest or a nun and tell my children to do the same." But what does the Christian faith say? The father opens his eyes, looks at these lowly, distasteful, and despised things and knows that they are adorned with divine approval as with the most precious gold and silver. God, with his angels and creatures, will smile—not because diapers are washed, but because it is done in faith.

97. Christ's Monarchy

Luke 23:33-43

Sermon

Molly F. James

... parents and children. Parents know what is best — their vision and understanding is much broader and more far reaching than that of a child. They know that good things will come of eating broccoli and cleaning up one’s room no matter how distasteful these actions may be for the child at the present moment. The parenting image can be problematic, also for we all sadly know stories of parents who abused their power, whose totalitarian tendencies resulted in physical and emotional scars that their children ...

98. A Taxing Encounter

Matthew 9:9-13, Mark 2:13-17, Luke 5:27-32

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... Matthew to follow him. And Matthew left his job, quit presumably, and became a disciple of Jesus. Matthew, a Jewish man, would constitute as a “lost sheep of Israel” by means of his occupation. He was an outcast, known as a crook, and just plain distasteful in others’ eyes. Those Jewish men who nuzzled up to the Romans were never well-liked. Interesting is that we learn in Mark that many tax collectors followed Jesus. Matthew is not the only follower or disciple from this group. He is the one used ...

99. The Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... dangerous, dirty, a second-class citizen, or perhaps an “illegal?” What would you do? What would YOUR story be? Who would this man be in YOUR culture? In Jesus’ story, it’s a bit in reverse. The man who stops to help is a Samaritan –someone just as distasteful and worrisome to his listeners (which we assume are all Jewish) as this Muslim illegal might be to a Jew. Or to any one of us. We don’t know the status of the injured man in Jesus’ story. But we could safely say, he probably was Judaean ...

100. Identity Crisis

Genesis 32:1-21, Genesis 32:22-32, Genesis 33:1-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... blind father, disguising himself as Esau, and receives his brother’s blessing. As the “chosen” brother, his mother then sends Jacob to her own brother Laban, to secure a wife from their own clan. Meanwhile, Esau marries Canaanite women, to the distaste of his parents. When coming upon Laban, Jacob again attempts to flout the rules by bartering first for Rachel, the younger of the two sisters, when tradition dictates he marry the elder first. When Laban, their father, refuses to overlook Leah, Jacob ...

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