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 226 to 250 of 399 results

226. The S-factor

John 14:23-29

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... , anonymous lifestyles. But for the disciples of Jesus Christ, even "Cheers" didn't go far enough. "Cheers" never did offer the closeness we are really searching for. Intimacy, love, trust, peace, belonging, community, identity these are the things our spirits crave and these are the things the world cannot give us. Jesus spoke to his disciples' most basic fears and insecurities when he shared his farewell discourse with them. The incarnate Christ knew about the longings and loneliness that reside inside ...

227. The Cream of the Crop, or The Skimmed Milk of the Earth

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of us know that the questioner isn't the least bit interested in hearing the truth or even our opinion. All s(he) really wants to hear is a compliment. Nobody likes to be tagged a show-off or a braggart. But every one of us desperately craves to be praised and complimented and admired. Most of us resolve that little quandary by resorting to a kind of false humility. We are masters at appearing to humble ourselves only so that we may enjoy the praises and exaltations that such behavior elicits from others ...

228. James 3:13-18

James 3:13-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... bring forth "good fruits." Leaving behind strategic alliances and politically astute maneuverings, James insists that Christians must strive for impartiality. The reward for such peacemakers is a "harvest of righteousness," which stands in sharp contrast to the turmoil of internal cravings and "wars" James returns to in 4:1 (further illustrating how well this pericope bridges together the discussions of chapters 3 and 4. Relating the Texts The portion from Job for this week (28:20-28) deals directly with ...

229. Colossians 1:11-20

Colossians 1:11-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... to keep us company? How often has a decision to buy some item - large or small - been influenced by a particularly catchy jingle with clever lyrics? Consider how much of our hard-earned money we are willing to plunk down because we crave a "sound" environment. No matter how chronologically distant their composition, the power of song reaches out to touch us through the Psalms. Psalm 95 is identified as a "call to worship and obedience," a designation that shortchanges its complexity. Historically, this was ...

230. James 3:13-18

James 3:13-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

231. Colossians 1:11-20

Colossians 1:11-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

232. Philippians 3:17-4:1

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Epicurean and hedonist stripe. Others see here a reference to the Judaizers and their strict observance of dietary laws. Most, however, recognize "the belly" as a reference to the time-honored metaphor of the belly as the locus of fleshly and carnal desire. These cravings, Paul appears to argue, have become as a god before whom one bows as a slave (see Romans 16:18). Some have also suggested that Paul, working with "belly" as a metaphor, extends the allusion in his expression "their glory is in their shame ...

233. Jesus' Good News of a New World · Part 2

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... :00 in the afternoon – the hottest time of the day. In those pre-historic days the prevailing wisdom was that water breaks were for sissies. It was good to go two-and-half hours in 90+ degrees without water. I remember the thirst. The body’s craving for what it had to have. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for God’s righteous – for God’s right order, for the new world God has in mind.” Blessed are those who seek God’s right order, with as much eagerness, single-mindedness ...

234. Why We Do What We Do

Matthew 6:1-4

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... be a burden to anyone. And be famous. The young man had concluded that something was so wrong with him, so repugnant, so unacceptable, that he was nothing but a burden to all. He believed that his killing spree would finally gain the attention he so desperately craved. I. The Human Condition: Original Sin We are still on the hillside. Jesus has more to teach us. He turns his attention to why we do what we do. What motivates us? What need are we trying to satisfy? The church has called the need Original Sin ...

235. Faith that Goes from Head to Heart

Numbers 11:4-35

Illustration

David Gallimore

... slavery into the Promised Land, it was a long and difficult journey. The people were grumbling and complaining the whole time. Moses was the leader and he’d just about had it. No matter how God helped them and what God provided for them these ungrateful people were always craving more. In Numbers 11, God provided manna for them to eat in the desert. But they didn’t want manna; they wanted meat. So God said, “Okay, meat it is. In fact I’m going to give you so much meat that in a month’s time it’s ...

236. Heart-Healthy Christians

Romans 8:18-27

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... goodies in smaller sizes. They aren’t “diet foods,” but these slider-sized, two-bite burgers don’t carry the calorie content of their bigger brothers. “Super-sized” is out. “Skinny-sized” (a.k.a. “scrawny-sized”) and paltry malty is in. We all crave a certain amount of richness in our foods. The amount of fat, the layers of creaminess gives food a different feel in the mouth and a deeper sense of satisfaction in the stomach. In order to experience the richness of some food and yet not ...

237. Proper 20

Psalm 1:1-6, Proverbs 31:10-31, Mark 9:30-37, James 3:13-18

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... problems, that diminish disease and promote healing and health. Eternal God, we rejoice in your empire of excellence and live in the hope of ultimate perfection as you are nurturing your adopted children to be brothers and sisters of your perfect Son, Jesus Christ. We crave the completion of our spiritual maturity beyond death and seek to follow Jesus even now as we rejoice in the provision you have made in heaven for our loved ones who have preceded us. With them we will honor and worship you in eternity ...

238. Close Up Parents: Be Cheerleaders, Not Jeer leaders

Colossians 3:21

Sermon

James Merritt

... I. Give Your Children Love Paul says in verse 21 that we must be careful in how we raise our children and how we relate to our children for this reason, "So that they will not lose heart." (Colossians 3:21, NASB) There are two things that children crave from the time they are born and if they do not get them, then they "will lose heart." One is love and the other is acceptance. Have you noticed how children will accept other children only if they meet certain criteria? If a child is good looking, athletic ...

239. The Passion of the Christ – The Rest of the Story

Matthew 27:45-56

Sermon

James Merritt

... occurs when a person has suffered the loss of a large amount of blood. The heart tries to pump blood that isn't there. The blood pressure drops. The kidneys stop producing urine to maintain what volume of blood is left and a person becomes very thirsty, craving fluids to make up for the lost blood volume, all of which you see clearly happening to Jesus before He was even crucified. In other words, Jesus was already in critical condition before He was even nailed to the cross, but the worst was yet to come ...

240. The Maybe Moment

2 Samuel 11:1-15

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... old saying to the effect that you can't keep a bird from flying over your head, but you can keep him from building a nest in your hair. The point, of course, is that temptation, no matter what its subject is, can arise from a thought, a suggestion, a craving, or, as in David's case, a chance glance. There is no sin in that, and we generally cannot prevent such happenstance. Temptations of some kind, and more likely, of several kinds, come to us all. I saw a cartoon once in which a man was praying, "And I ...

241. Flying Coach to Nirvana

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... cocoon of autonomy and excessive self-determination. He argues that indeed this is what most people around the world want also, a safe, quiet cocoon. It is the marvelous first-world freedom to do next-to-nothing while getting three squares a day. I personally crave nothing more than a quiet evening at home. I want not to be at church meetings or community meetings or watching kids perform. I surely do not mean that there is something wrong with "down time." Instead, there is something right with going from ...

242. What Church Looks Like

Acts 16:9-15

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... part of an imperial monopoly granted to Lydia's family because of service to Rome in times past. She would have had a great deal of social importance, for normally in that time women were not named in public, but what she seems to have craved more than anything else was acceptance into the family of God. The original Greek text makes it clear that these women did not gather together by accident. They gathered together in a structured manner to worship. The women had active church lives, but their church ...

243. CSI: Jerusalem

Luke 24:36-48

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... bag of letters to Chris in the courtroom. The judge stood up and said, "If the U.S. Post Office, a branch of the Federal Government, recognizes this man as Santa Claus, then who am I to argue with the Government. Case dismissed." For example, we know what the world craves, fame and fortune. That's why shows like Deal or No Deal and American Idol are so popular. We want it and we want it big. We cheer for the folks who make it big. And that's great. But let me ask you this? What would make 28 people ...

244. Luke 13:31-35

Luke 13:31-35

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

How consistent are you? Do you favor sweet over salt, yet sometimes crave a big bag of popcorn instead of a bowl of ice cream? Do you like to go out on Friday night, but suddenly feel the need for a quiet night alone at home? The Bible says “It is not good for man to be alone” (Gen.2:18) and yet ...

245. Live and Learn

Isaiah 55:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... first page of the new student’s book. The student then licks the honey off the page when he/she turns the page. The sweetness of this honey is forever linked to the act of learning. The sweetness of learning is to be a lifelong craving. Have any of you seen the “My Baby Can Read” ads? They are amazing. These tiny babies, ten months, eight months, even six months old, are shown flashcards of words. Then these babies read the flashcards, responding to the printed message. The card reads “clap” and ...

246. God's Whatever

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... the garbage dump of the world so you could be set free from all of that. Paul is simply saying focus on that. According to Dr. Elinore Kinarthy, the average person has more than two hundred negative thoughts a day: worries, jealousies, insecurities, cravings for forbidden things, etc. Depressed people have as many as six hundred. We can’t eliminate all the troublesome things that go through our minds, but we can reduce the number of negative thoughts by changing our focus. (3) "Whatever is true, whatever ...

247. Time to Get Wet

Revelation 22:1-6

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... ’t have a fountain or a pool full of pennies in it somewhere? Hotel lobbies, office complexes, libraries, county courthouses, all spurt water, inviting people in and making them feel welcome. Can you find a doctor's office nowadays without an aquarium? Human beings crave closeness to water. That's why most of the earth's population hugs the shorelines of its continents. Maybe it is because we are made almost entirely of water. Maybe it is because we started our life in water, living in it and breathing ...

248. That The World May Believe

John 17:20-26

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... , nor stay too far out, The door is the most important door in the world It is the door through which men walk when they find God. There’s no use my going way inside, and staying there. When so many are still outside and they, as much as I, Crave to know where the door is And all that so many ever find Is only the wall where the door ought to be They creep along the wall like blind men With outstretched groping hands. Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door. Yet they never find it ...

249. Led by the Spirit, Tempted by the Devil

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... is expedient, to settle for the temporary - we all know about that, don’t we? Evelyn Underhill put her diagnostic finger on our basic problem. She said, “We mostly spend (our) lives conjugating three verbs: to want, to have and to do. Craving, clutching, and fussing, on the material, political, social, emotional, and intellectual – even on the religious plane - we are kept in perpetual unrest. We forget that none of these verbs have any ultimate significance, except so far as they are transcended by ...

250. Making the Most of Small Beginnings

Matthew 13:31-35

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... eyes innocent and kind. Surely the love of a woman and the sweet shelter of home are my heart's desire, reasoned the knight; “But when I touched her, Lo! She too, fell into dust and nothing, and the house became no better than a broken shed." His soul still craving, he traveled on. He found a warrior clad in golden armor. But he also turned to dust. Then he came upon a city that sat upon a hill. Surely civic service and the affection of his fellow men will mean his journey's end. But when he reached the ...

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