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 1226 to 1250 of 5000 results

1226. The Nazirite Vow

Numbers 6:1-21

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... Vinegar” is sour wine or beer in which the alcohol has fermented into acetic acid. grape juice . . . grapes . . . raisins. None of these are ordinarily wrong to consume, but they are prohibited during the vow. 6:5 no razor may be used on their head. Long, unkempt hair is the most distinctive symbol of the Nazirite (cf. vv. 9, 18–19) and is a visible sign that a person is under Nazirite vow. Delilah famously causes the lifelong Nazirite Samson to break this requirement (Judg. 16:17–19). They must be ...

1227. Victory and Serpents

Num 21:1-9

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... what God would have had us do because we were too afraid to act? Was there a time when sin reared its ugly head—whether pride or lust or envy or anger—and derailed our walk with and ministry for God? Such occasions can create profound, long-term regrets whereby we keep saying to ourselves, “What if I had handled that differently?” Israel had regrets from its earlier failings, but the nation moved on, and eventually God led it to new victories and the promised land. We too may have regrets. But often ...

1228. Job Considers a Legal Dispute with God

Job 9:1–10:22

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... to view God negatively rather than to remember that God does not change in his character and plan. Adversity can bring a person to his or her knees, either in prayer or in despair. In this candid disclosure of Job’s feelings, he comes to the point that he longs for death rather than a continuance of what appears senseless suffering. Job can see no way forward, so he looks for the only way out, in death. As we read this chapter, it is crucial to remember that there is much more to come in the book of Job ...

1229. Job’s Hope against Hope

Job 19:1-29

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... defense (19:13–22). Sensing that he could well lose this legal dispute because the deck seems to be stacked against him, Job longs for a permanent record to be made that could witness forever to his character. He does not want justice to die with him; ... if indeed I am Thine, If Thou art my sun and my song, Say, why do I languish and pine? And why are my winters so long? O drive these dark clouds from the sky, Thy soul cheering presence restore; Or take me to Thee up on high, Where winter and clouds are ...

1230. Yahweh Speaks as the Master Teacher

Job 38:1--41:34

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... has vainly attempted to curse the day in 3:3–10. As a human, Job cannot assume Yahweh’s prerogative to give orders to the morning. 38:16–18 Have the gates of death been shown to you? In 3:16–19 and 14:13–15, Job expresses a longing for Sheol. Nevertheless, Yahweh’s questions in 38:16–18 indicate that Job does not truly understand death and the subterranean region, so his desire for the grave is born out of ignorance rather than knowledge 38:22–30 What is the way to the place where the ...

1231. Job Comes to a Good End

Job 42:7-17, Job 42:1-6

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... expectancy cited in Ps. 90:10), and he sees his great-grandchildren (42:16). With language that echoes the experiences of Abraham (Gen. 25:8), Isaac (Gen. 35:29), and David (1 Chron. 29:28), Job is described as living out a very good and satisfying life. The long life he enjoys is one of the blessings offered by wisdom in Proverbs 3:2, 16; 4:10; 9:11; 10:27. Theological Insights In the final section of the book, Job receives renewed blessing by Yahweh, so the book as a whole confirms the general legitimacy ...

1232. Nabuchadnezzar’s Dream and Daniel's Interpretation

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

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... speech, for effect, as the dream is about to be revealed. God’s speaking to and through Daniel forms an antithesis to the distant gods and failed sages of Babylon (2:10–11).7 The phrase “days to come” connotes general time units, which designate a long-term future, yet one that begins with the end of Nebuchadnezzar’s rule. 2:29–30 not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive. This is a clarifying moment in the narrative as God’s ability (2:28) is set against Daniel’s inability ...

1233. Nebuchadnezzar’s Judgment and Repentance

Daniel 4:28-37

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... honored,” “glorified”), as powerful as it sounds, falls short of confirming a genuine and permanent conversion.8 He acknowledges God on some occasions (2:47; 3:28–29; 4:34–37) and opposes him on others (3:15; 4:25), casting doubt on his long-term commitment. Polytheistic kings like Nebuchadnezzar often valued one god above others (cf. his reference to Bel as “my god” in 4:8). More important, there is no denial of false gods in any of these passages. Since this instance is this king’s last ...

1234. Good for Nothing

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... . A while ago, I had two or three counseling appointments with a member of a congregation—a relatively new member. This man had fought for a lifetime feelings of worthlessness, guilt, self-depreciation, and failure. He said a surprising thing to me. “For a long time, I have believed in God, but since becoming a part of this congregation, I’ve come to believe in myself.” How did that happen? It happened because people within the church paid attention to him; they simply shared with him the milk of ...

1235. Are You a Pillar or a Pillow?

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... me give you an example of what I mean. Chuck Swindoll tells about an incident that occurred in his church many years ago--at the height of the so-called hippie movement. A young man stumbled into Chuck’s church during the Sunday Morning Worship Service. He had long straggly hair and a beard. He obviously hadn’t bathed in several days. He had been living on Fritos, beer and drugs. With a dazed look in his eyes, he slowly made his way down the aisle trying to find a seat in the packed sanctuary. No one ...

1236. Psalm 82

Psalm 82:1-8

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ” will you fail to respond to us? In 81:13–16, God answers them in generic terms: “Listen to me . . . follow my ways.” Now, in 82:1–2, God gives them specifics. He redirects their question back to them: “How long” will you, O Israel, contradict all that I have taught you, by supporting the wicked and forsaking the helpless? Defend the defenseless; rescue those dominated by the world (82:3–4). In verses 1 and 6, God refers to his people as “gods” (cf. John 10:22–39). He uses ...

1237. Proverbs of Solomon

Proberbs 10:1--22:16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... (13:10a). A lengthy unit on fulfillment versus frustration follows in 13:12–19, as indicated by the expression “a longing fulfilled,” which brackets the section in verses 12b and 19a. This allows one to interpret verses 13–18 as indicating ... perverse plots (16:30). The chapter closes in 16:31–33 by summarizing central wisdom themes. Righteous conduct leads to a long life (16:31), and conquering oneself (literally “one who governs his spirit”) is more significant than conquering a city (16: ...

1238. The End of Jerusalem

Ezekiel 7:1-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... :18) are ostensibly mourning customs—mourning because of loss and humiliation. Even those things that normally give stability to life—silver and gold—will be abandoned. In fact, it was this silver and gold that partially got the people in trouble to start with (7:19). Long before Paul said it, Ezekiel shows that the love of money is the root of all evil. Silver and gold led to jewelry and jewelry led to idols. In a time of deep crisis people will grab for anything, even a shoestring. Prophets who have ...

1239. When Heartbreak Turns to Heartburn

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... was their own chief priests and leaders who caused this travesty of justice to happen. Furthermore, they add, "We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place." Three days! Three long days since hope has been snatched from them! Now, his body is missing and they have no idea of its whereabouts (see v. 21). For these two -- as it is even today for many people -- the notion that Jesus Christ, God's Son who was crucified on a ...

1240. What Was That All About?

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

James L. Killen

... of friendship must have grown between them? Can you imagine that they sought every opportunity to spend time together, take long walks during family gatherings or religious festivals, and stay up late at night talking about the things on their ... human decisions about his participation in the work of God. Jesus must have spent a lot of time remembering the things that Isaiah said and the long talks that he and John had about it. Was he indeed born and chosen and called to be the servant of God? No doubt Jesus ...

1241. Do You Have Your Key Ready?

John 20:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... following Jesus’ crucifixion were the longest nights that those who loved him would ever endure. Perhaps you have gone through your own long night. The words of a doctor, “I’m sorry, it is malignant. There is nothing we can do.” A phone call ... receive it. As Christ was resurrected from the grave, so may you and I experience new life through him. That is the gift he longs to give each of us. It is the opportunity to experience victorious living here and now. Tim Zingale tells about a pastor standing at ...

1242. When All Is Said and Done

Acts 16:9-15

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... life up to this point? Do you feel like you have not taken advantage of the life God has given you? Well, take heart, because as long as you have breath, it is not too late. At this very moment, you can make things better! To help motivate us to take advantage of ... we own, the cars, the house, the cash. What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash. So think about this long and hard. Are there things you’d like to change? For you never know how much time is left. You could be at dash mid- ...

1243. A Light In the Darkness

John 1:1-6, 19-28

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... wounds. Where was God? He was wailing with the parents in the churches. Where was God? He was wailing and crying with our nation. And as God cried with us I believe he said: “How long will my children do this to each other? How long will this precious world of mine choose such evil and destruction? How long?” Oh, the patience and long-suffering of almighty God! It does not escape us that we even killed God when he came upon this earth. He conquered death, but what do we think the cross means? As God in ...

1244. Gratitude and Coping

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

Tom Garrison

... "the jury was already back in" about the psychological effects of such a habit upon personality structure. He noted that learning to cope with difficulty and stress is one of life's most basic challenges. The pattern one develops at this point early in life goes a long way toward the shaping of one's personhood, and this is why the use of hallucinatory drugs can be so damaging. In a word, they offer an escape from reality. This is not a new idea, but really another form of something very old; namely, the ...

1245. To Drown Hell and Burn Heaven

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

Kristin Borsgard Wee

... heaven. Then maybe we really could love God for who God is and let God be God. There was a well-known trickster in Norwegian literature. His name was Peer Gynt. As a child, Peer couldn't seem to separate fact from fiction and he never stuck to anything very long. As a young man he ran off with Solveig but he soon got tired of her and abandoned her. Peer went on to have many adventures in life, but he never stands for anything and he never seems to see anything through. As an old man, Peer finds his way ...

1246. Always Ready

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

David G. Rogne

... best time to plant a tree was 25 years ago. The second best time is today." That sign is a reminder that the opportunity is still open. A tree can still be planted, in spite of the squandered opportunities of 25 years ago. The door is still open, and as long as it is, there is still opportunity to act. The parable of the ten bridesmaids reminds us that to reach our goal we need to prepare, we need to be ready to deal with the unexpected, we need to rely on our own personal experiences, and we need to act ...

1247. Signs of the End of the Age

Mark 13:1-31

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... 2 Tim. 3:1–5). These events are affirmed as things that must happen, but Jesus denies that they indicate a speedy end of the world (v. 7). Like the first pains of childbirth (v. 8), they signal that something important is coming, but do not indicate how long the painful wait will be. In short, Jesus confirms that the sort of events described here are part of God’s plan and do not indicate its interruption but its advance; at the same time he declares that they do not reveal when the divine plan for the ...

1248. Israel's Unbelief

Romans 9:30--10:21

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... law (so 2 Cor. 3:13–14; Heb. 8:13). Reference to the Greek only complicates the matter, for telos (NIV, end) carries at least four different meanings in the NT. The meaning of the phrase in 10:4 has been the subject of long debates and monographs (Gaugler, for example, devotes twenty-four pages to these seven words). The dogmatic distinction in theology between law (OT) and grace (NT), which is particularly common to Protestantism and Orthodoxy, normally interprets verse 4 in the second sense, i.e., that ...

1249. Marriage

1 Corinthians 7:1-40

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... further complication of a mixed marriage between believer and non-believer is not to be introduced into the life of the believer after the death of a spouse. The NIV once again gives an overly heavy tone to Paul’s words, which literally say, “A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if he may sleep [a euphemism for dies], she is free to be married to the one she wishes—only in the Lord.” Paul’s admonition at this point assumes the word of the Lord and offers a common-sense reasoning to a ...

1250. Eliphaz's Second Speech to Job

Job 15:1-35

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... been able to “listen in on God’s council,” and that council has already exonerated Job as “blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” (1:8). Thus the reader already knows that Job is right and the friends—in their reliance on the long tradition of the sages—are wrong. 15:9–10 Eliphaz claims parity of knowledge with Job, in an apparent reply to Job’s denial that his knowledge or wisdom is in any way inferior to that of the friends (12:1; 13:1). So Eliphaz asks, what could ...

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