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 201 to 225 of 2415 results

201. Taming the Tongue

James 3:1-12, James 3:13-18

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

... by catchwords. Stumble ties the proverb to the rest of the verse. Keep in check is literally “to bridle” and thus links to “bit” in verse 3, which is similar in spelling in Greek. His whole body: the body was viewed as the seat of the passions, the evil impulse. 3:3–4 Because the illustrations do not fit exactly, some have felt there is an allegorical meaning (B. Reicke, James, p. 37) or that James has borrowed from other literature (M. Dibelius, James, pp. 185–90). It is quite possible that ...

202. Signs and Oracles of Judgment

Ezekiel 4:1-5:17, Ezekiel 6:1-14, Ezekiel 7:1-27

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... judge, coldly meting out penalties for legal infractions. God is more like a wronged spouse, smarting from rejection and betrayal. Jerusalem’s faithlessness has broken God’s heart as well as God’s law; as in 5:13, God responds out of zeal and passion. The image of the Lord as a bitter, wronged spouse will recur vividly in Ezekiel 16. The exiles, then, are no righteous remnant who should rejoice in their deliverance from destruction by a just God. Instead, having been saved in spite of themselves ...

203. Jesus Is the Example of Service for His Followers

Matthew 20:17-19, Matthew 20:20-28

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... concern for status, following the example of Jesus himself, who willingly suffers and dies to ransom people. Understanding the Text This passage narrates a final teaching opportunity for Jesus’ disciples before arriving in Jerusalem (20:29–21:11). The passage begins with a third passion prediction by Jesus (20:17–19; cf. 16:21; 17:22–23) and ends with the first explicit purpose statement that Jesus provides for his coming death: to be “a ransom for many” (20:28). In this way, the whole of 16:21 ...

204. Jesus Is Anointed and Celebrates the Passover with His Disciples

Matthew 26:1-5, Matthew 26:6-13, Matthew 26:14-16, Matthew 26:17-30

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... 26:2; also 16:21; 17:22–23; 20:17–19), Matthew narrates the plot against Jesus by the Jewish leaders (26:3–5; also 12:14; 21:45–46). The woman who anoints Jesus (26:6–13) is the first of a number of women highlighted in the Passion Narrative who display discipleship qualities or remain with Jesus when the Twelve desert him (27:19, 55–56, 61; 28:1–10). The scene in which Jesus shares the Passover with his disciples (26:17–30) highlights Judas’s betrayal (26:23–25; see 26:14–16, 47–50 ...

205. Jesus Is Tried before Pilate and Sentenced to Death

Matthew 27:1-10, Matthew 27:11-26

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... –11). Given that Pilate represents the full power of Rome in this decision, and that he is the one who sends Jesus to be crucified (27:26), we can legitimately question Pilate’s perspective. In fact, Matthew emphasizes only Jesus’ innocence in the Passion Narrative, not that of other characters or groups (see 27:4, 19; cf. 23:35). 27:25 His blood is on us and on our children! These words, if extracted from context, indict the Jewish people for Jesus’ death. However, attention to immediate context ...

206. Jesus’s Entry as the Messiah Who Triumphs through Suffering

Mark 11:1-11

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... at the Mount of Olives. The road to Jerusalem has ended; they have arrived at the place of destiny. Pilgrims often arrived a week before Passover to purify themselves and get ready. Bethany (on the Jericho road two miles east of Jerusalem) was where Jesus stayed during passion week (vv. 11–12), and the Mount of Olives recalls Zechariah 14:4: “On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives” (cf. Ezek. 43:2–9). The Messiah has come, and the Day of the Lord approaches. 11:2–3 Go to the ...

207. Jesus Proclaims Judgment on the Temple and the Nation

Mark 13:1-31

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... worry beforehand about what to say. This often has been taken out of context and applied to preaching and teaching in general, but here and in Matthew 10 it refers to trial situations. Mark uses the same verb (paradid?mi, “to arrest, deliver up”) in the passion predictions (9:31; 10:33), so Jesus’s followers are sharing in his suffering (Phil. 3:10; Col. 1:24). They have no need to worry about their response, for God will give them the words to say (“is given” is a divine passive), and the Spirit ...

208. Marriage, Sexual Intimacy, and Spiritual Devotion

1 Corinthians 7:1-40

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... is listed also as evidence of the Spirit’s fruit [Gal. 5:23]). The meaning of the verse would then be something like this: “Those whose minds continue to be occupied by the desire to marry should marry. For it is better to marry than to be distracted by passion.” 7:10–11 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord). Paul’s correction of himself (“not I, but the Lord”) does not set up a contrast of authority, as if Paul in 7:8 simply states his opinion, something they can take or ...

209. “The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation—Whom Shall I Fear?”

Psalm 27:1-14

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... Lord” (27:14, italicized words echo Moses’s words; see the sidebar). Teaching the Text We might well begin the lesson or sermon by referring back to Psalm 26, where we made the observation that David was always on the way to the Lord’s house. It was his passion, a way of life for him. Psalms 23–30 all have their focus on the Lord’s house, but Psalm 27 brings clarity to this theme. It is not merely the house that attracts David but the Lord of the house, who illuminates his way and removes the fear ...

210. Jesus Predicts His Death

Matthew 16:21-28

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... his death based on such likelihood but on necessity (“must”; 16:21). Peter’s words, though probably well meaning, function as a stumbling block to the fulfillment of Jesus’s mission; they do not represent the divine perspective (16:23). Matthew follows this passion prediction with a teaching on discipleship that echoes the call to sacrifice that Jesus models (16:24–28). Self-denial and carrying one’s cross provide the pattern for discipleship (16:24; cf. 10:38 for the connotations of a cross for ...

211. Jesus Anointed at Bethany

Mark 14:1-11

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... wicked deed for which the human agents are fully responsible; nevertheless, all was foreseen by God and worked toward the accomplishing of his greater purpose. 14:3–9 This account of the devotion of a woman to Jesus is not mentioned in the Lucan passion narrative, which tells of Judas’ agreement to betray Jesus immediately after the description of the plot of the authorities (cf. Luke 22:1–6). The “interruption” of the plotting of Judas with the priests by this story in Mark and Matthew (26:6–13 ...

212. Peter's Confession of Christ

Luke 9:18-27

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... applied only to the time of Jesus’ pre-Easter ministry. After the resurrection the disciples will be commanded to preach Jesus as God’s Messiah and humankind’s Savior (Luke 24:46–48; Acts 1:8; 2:36). 9:22 This is the first announcement of Jesus’ impending passion (two others are found in 9:43–45; 18:31–34). There is the possibility that the reference to “suffering” may be an allusion to the Suffering Servant Song of Isa. 52:13–53:12 (esp. 53:3–8, 11; so Ellis, p. 140). Fitzmyer (p. 780 ...

213. Jesus Appears to the Disciples

Luke 24:36-49

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... 48–49 are brief summaries of what will be more fully treated in Acts 1:6–2:4. In v. 48 Jesus tells his disciples that they are witnesses of these things (see Acts 1:8). They are witnesses of his entire public ministry, his passion, and now, most importantly, his resurrection. But the idea of being witnesses is not a passive one. They are to become proclaimers of repentance and forgiveness of sins. Theirs will be an active ministry of outreach to all nations. This active ministry, however, can only ...

214. Remembering Jerusalem by the Rivers of Babylon

Psalm 137:1-9

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... to forget and not remember . . . Jerusalem, he would wish his right hand forget its skill of playing “our harps.” He would also wish his tongue would cling to the roof of his mouth, thus disabling him from ever singing. We must not misunderstand this passionate attachment to Jerusalem as a mere reflection of cultural identity or nostalgia. In the context of the Songs of Zion (esp. Pss. 46; 48; 87) Jerusalem had been where Israel met with God. 137:7 There thus follows the psalm’s sole petition that ...

215. Two Kinds of Wisdom

James 3:13-18, James 3:1-12

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

216. Woes and Judgments

Isaiah 5:8-30

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... (48:9). It is sometimes paired with za’am (10:5, 25; 30:27) which suggests indignant cursing, with khemah (42:25; 63:3; 66:15) which indicates burning rage, and with ‘ebrah (13:9; 14:6) which implies an overflowing outburst. Anger is an aspect of the passion of Yahweh, who is a real person with all the feelings that a human being has—from yearning love (vv. 1–4) to fierce wrath. To put it another way, believing that human beings are made in the image of deity, Middle Eastern peoples do not hesitate ...

217. The Surrogate

Matthew 1:1-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... is Uriah? We also don’t know. We sense, she is a Jewish young woman, but the story makes no mention of her parentage. We do know however that she is married to a foreigner, who fights for David in his royal army. Was David’s passion for her out of line because she was young and inexperienced? Were Bathsheba and Uriah under an arrangement of “suspension of marriage” during wartime, as could have been under Uriah’s circumstances, in which case they were not legally bound? For the punishment for both ...

218. The Power of the Wilderness

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... too out of our times of conflict and into the promised land of the good news. In our wilderness moments, Jesus calls out to us in our “wild places” and calls us into growth in our relationship with Him, with each other, and into greater commitment and more passionate faith. It’s easy to have faith to God when things are going well. But when things are in flux, in fury, in friction, will you keep walking? Will you be faithful to God then? Jesus can help you come out of every wild place with a renewed ...

219. The Gathering at Cana

John 2:1-11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... of the Savior. Litmus test: Inspecting for a Burning Heart The third way to discern whether your life is touched by Jesus is to see whether the miracle has touched your heart. It’s not enough to convince your mind. But a heart touched by God has a burning passion for the gospel! The Jesus “burn” is familiar to many who have come to Jesus: those on the road to Emmaus, John Wesley to name a few. A burn of the heart leads to recognition of the mind. A burning heart is a reminder –in mind, body, and ...

220. God Gives the Pharisees the Finger!

John 7:25-44, John 7:45--8:11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... and every day. Some of them may be tame and tepid. Others can hurt –badly. But whatever your agenda, if it’s not God’s agenda, you are barking up the wrong tree of life, so to speak! And when personal agendas become your passion instead of God being your passion, bad things happen. The scripture story for today is about agendas. It’s about a confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees. At first look, it seems as if the story is about an adulteress woman, or as we would put it more kindly today ...

221. Peter the Petulant

Mark 14:1-11, Mark 14:12-26, Mark 14:27-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... he had chosen Peter to bear the most responsibility, to wear the apron of a Jesus master. Ready or not, Jesus was about to leave them, and it was time to step up. And Peter was noticeably nervous –not just nervous, but terribly insecure. Peter had a passion and a love for Jesus, but he also had a stubbornness, a petulance, and an impetuousness that sometimes got in the way of his ability to follow. “Get behind me you tempter!” Jesus would command Peter when he thought Jesus should take the easier way ...

222. The Alabaster Jar

Mark 14:27-31, Mark 14:12-26, Mark 14:1-11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... the oil of sorrow, as well as the oil of gladness in this Lenten journey as we walk His road with Him. We are His companions, His lovers, His companions, His partners as He lives out His resurrection life in us. Be full of love, people of God. Be passionate about your faith. And devoted in your love of Jesus. We don’t love in the abstract. We love in the concrete, in the blessed form of Jesus the Christ. Your life is part of God’s beautiful love story. And you are His beautiful beloved. [Optional: You ...

223. For the Love of God Is . . .

1 John 5:3-4

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... there and partly because of this form of love, "Eros." It's the root word of erotic. It concerns itself with the love shared between a man and a woman, especially a husband and wife. It encompasses the passion of human love and describes the bond between a man and woman. Within the passion of Eros there is always sexual love. Eros finds its deepest fulfillment in the sexual passion and relationship between a husband and wife. This is the purpose for which man and woman and marriage were created, to bring ...

224. Fertilize Your Faith

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... reality of his identity as both Son and Creator. Today and going forward in this barren time of Lent, may we all pray earnestly for God’s gift of fruitfulness and promise. Jesus has the ability to restore your faith, your hope, and your passion. Resurrection Day is coming. Will you be ready? [1] Leonard Sweet, From Tablet to Table (Colorado Springs, CO: Tyndale House, 2014). [2] Note those, such as Sarah, Rachel, Rebekah, Hannah, and others. [3] The Hebrew word for “barren” means “to uproot or pluck ...

225. The Joy of Being Found

Luke 15:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... outcasts? Some rabbis were so devoted to protecting the holiness of God’s word that they refused to teach unclean folks. But not Jesus. I think the reason the religious and social outcasts were so attracted to Jesus is because they saw his enthusiasm, his passion for God. As John Wesley, the British pastor who started the movement that became the Methodist Church, used to tell his followers, “Catch on fire for God and people will come and watch you burn!” (2) That’s what Jesus did! He caught on fire ...

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