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 2751 to 2775 of 5000 results

2751. From Envy to Gratitude

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... to a denarius a day but, good Lord, a man works only one hour and he gets the same. There's something wrong with that." Joseph Epstein in his book on envy says academia is more heavily laden with envy than any other institution on earth. If you want to smell envy in the air, just visit Harvard, Yale, or Princeton. Will Willimon wrote his most recent book on the seven deadly sins, talking about the sins of Christians. He said he had to write that book after going through the process of being elected bishop ...

2752. Pray

Matthew 6:5-13

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... 's unbelief, she got this simple explanation. “I prayed and prayed, and prayed for a new puppy dog, and all I got was a new baby brother." Well, prayer does have its problems. We ask for guidance and all we hear is silence. We get what we want and wind up not wanting what we get. Unlike Garth Brooks, we don't always find it easy to thank God for unanswered prayers. Prayer is a mystery, yet over 80% of Americans pray and over half of Americans pray every day. Even 0ne-fifth of the atheists in this country ...

2753. The Loving Friend

John 4:1-15

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... or fall All you've got to do is call And he'll be there, yes he will. You've got a friend. The Jesus I want to know is a loving friend. The longest conversation recorded in the Bible is this dialogue between Jesus and the woman at the well. It's a ... hear the answer. But a real friend will ask, ‘how are you doing?' and then they will look you in the face and open their ears and want to hear the real answer of your life. Verse 6 tells us it was the 6th hour — high noon. Women do not come to draw water at ...

2754. Loosening Up for Better Production

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... recipients of the seed. Sandy is the gardener at our house. I got my fill of dirt as a kid. Sandy came in the other day and said, “Some of our trees are under stress." This dry weather is killing them. You see, we live on a hillside lot. I wanted something that reminded me of Kentucky. The soil on that hill is about an inch deep; the rest is solid rock. It's almost impossible for our plants to develop a good root system. Jesus said there are people like that. They look good on the surface, but they have ...

2755. Conversion or Credentialing?

Acts 9:1-5, 10-12, 17-19

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... Christians he could find in Jerusalem, he sought authority to take his bounty hunting to Damascus, “So that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he could take them as prisoners." Paul was the kind of guy you want for you not against you. You want him on your team. One reason I've learned not to be upset with people who are angry with me, is that I know most anger is driven by passion. If I am lucky enough to redirect their passion they will become my most valuable leaders ...

2756. Hot Air or the Holy Spirit?

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day (Acts 2:41). Can you picture that in your mind? I can't. I met with a group of high school senior guys the other night. They have been praying for me and among other things I wanted to sit down with them and say thank you. I love those opportunities. It was a splendid moment in my life because I don't get to do that very often. I enjoyed it immensely. The agenda was simple: Ask any question that might be on your mind. During the ...

2757. Marketing or Disciplemaking?

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... you remember every song that the Sonshine Choir sang." Isn't that true? It's in your heart, isn't it? Tyler: Yes Dr. Olds: I just want to say thank you and thank you to all of you for your devotion. You are an example of devotion to the Lord. You help us worship ... known, I have met in church. How can I be so lucky to work with such wonderful people? Worship is the heartbeat of a church. I want to bow here and renew my covenant with God to be the very best pastor I can be. Maybe you would like to join me in ...

2758. Being Open to the Impossible

Mark 6:30-44

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... this because of the nudging of the Lord — I’ve come to this decision in prayer.” Then with a grin on his face, he said, “Now that’s where it stand — $2,000 a year — but I’m going to keep on praying, and my pledge may change, but I want you to know if it changes, it won’t go down.” Dr. Grant knows – how well he knows – that in many of life situations what we have is not enough, but he also knows that Jesus multiplies our resources when we offer them to Him, believing He will do the ...

2759. The Cost of Discipleship: Get Lost!

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... begun when he was no longer with them. And what he had begun was a ministry of renewing the world through love. If we’re to follow him, we’re to follow him in compassionate ministry That ministry may take us into areas of our city where we don’t want to go. It may put us with people with whom we are not comfortable. It may call us to tasks we would not choose ourselves. A war correspondent paused long enough to watch a nun as she unwrapped a wounded soldier’s leg. Gangrene had set in. The stench ...

2760. Center Stage

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... -year deadlines on all things personal and professional? We may have no choice in the flurry of this season. In all of those details let us not forget that they are really behind the scenes stuff. What we think really matters might rate only half a line from Matthew. Matthew wants us to see what God is doing in the craziness of Christmas. Let us see how God is acting, even in situations that seem to us to be pure pain. Let us see how, no matter how lost and broken we may feel, God is saving us. Let us see ...

2761. Becoming Good Trees

Matthew 5:17-30

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... -term goal is our joy. In an early scene of Plato's Republic, Socrates is at the home of Cephalus having a nice conversation. Cephalus is an old and wealthy man who lives in a suburb of Athens. Socrates asks him what he has learned after growing old. Socrates wants to know what awaits him. One of the things the man talks about is a quote from Sophocles, the author of Oedipus Rex. Sophocles said that when he became old he no longer felt the lusts of his youth. Being freed from his lust was like escaping from ...

2762. Streams of Living Water

John 4:5-42

Sermon

Lee Griess

... river that never dries up. The mercies of God are always present — our lives are safe in God. Streams of living water. That's what Jesus offers us, a faith that is strong and active, a life that is steady and true. It's the kind of life that God wants us to live and it's the kind of life available to those who live by streams of living water. And yet, how often we fail to do that. How often we refuse to send down roots. Instead of turning our hearts over to God, we just go through the ...

2763. A Salvation Army Parade

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

Lee Griess

... to the side, crying. She sat in her tears watching people come and go. After a while, a young boy approached her and asked her why she was crying. Through her tears, she told him of her little boy, now sentenced to death. She ended by saying that all she wanted to do was to see the president, because she knew he was a fair man and her son would be pardoned. To her great surprise, the little boy asked her to follow. As they approached the front gate, the little boy said to the soldier it was all right for ...

2764. The True Shepherd

John 10:1-10

Sermon

Lee Griess

... voice as I should have. There have been times when I've been too busy, too preoccupied, too centered on my own concerns. And frankly, there have been times when I was afraid to hear his voice; for I figured he'd have something to say that I didn't want to hear. Maybe you're like that, too. That's why Jesus says, "The sheep listen to his voice. He calls them by name and leads them out." Some people know the sound of high finance. Others don't miss a word spoken by their favorite politician. Young people know ...

2765. Personal Politics

Matthew 18:15-20

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... God's blessing in all of this. But he also was aware that through the process Jane might have felt hurt at times, so Ralph wanted to ask her forgiveness for whatever pain he might have caused. If Jane could just give Ralph and Sue her blessing, he knew God would be ... 15 NIV). This instruction strips me of my most destructive weapons and forces me to rehumanize the very one from whom my heart wants to pull away in disgust. Jesus does not claim it will be an easy thing to do. No psychologist would pretend the ...

2766. Unwanted Freedom

John 8:31-36

Sermon

Chris Ewing

... by a puppet king. To say, "We have never been slaves to anyone" is an affront to historical reality. But in another sense, they were absolutely right. Remember the book of Esther, where Esther's courage to speak up foiled Haman's wicked plot? Haman had wanted to massacre all the Jews in the Persian Empire — and why? Because Mordecai the Jew had refused to bow down to the powerful noble when he passed by. Never mind that bowing to nobles was what everyone in Persia did; Jews didn't. They acknowledged the ...

2767. Power Sharing

Ephesians 1:15-23

Sermon

David O. Bales

... . God makes you able to stand up for Jesus, with faith that trusts God even when friends flee, mobs turn against you, the sky turns black, and for your life, you can't figure out what God is doing. God makes you able to serve Jesus with love that wants the best for all, that lives for the benefit of others, and that doesn't worry when your interests come in last. God makes you able to live as Jesus did, with hope that sees beyond today, that overlooks the disabilities you've always had, and that beholds the ...

2768. Boast in Our Suffering

Romans 5:1-8

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... cancer. You are not looking forward to the start of school. It will be another dreadful year of pain and loneliness and ridicule. All you want is a friend, but no one ever seems to have time for you. The social events you had hoped for over the summer never ... a garbage dump outside of Jauarez, Mexico. She had nothing. She obviously had suffered much in her life. But she said that she did not want our pity. Instead she had a gift for us. It was a song that her mother had taught her. It was a simple prayer in ...

2769. Children of the Heavenly Father

Romans 8:12-25

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... arrive. It is painful to see the gifts pile up under the tree and not be able to open any. It is painful to tell Santa what you want but then have to wait weeks to get it. It is painful to wait for the arrival of the big day, but the child is willing to wait ... son on the occasion of his son's eighteenth birthday. In the face of his adolescent son's questions, doubts, and insecurities, he wanted to assure him that there was nothing wrong with being adopted. In fact, in some ways it made him more special. He ...

2770. A Winning Life

Hebrews 13:1-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... same, the clerk in the convenience store and the CEO of the large corporation. He treated everyone with respect and dignity. Jack found time in his busy schedule to be involved in ministries to the homeless. He never judged them, never looked down on them. He only wanted to help them turn their lives around. Jack also took time to mentor young people not only in his industry, but also those who were struggling to get started in other areas of life. He was a positive, cheerful man who never said a mean word ...

2771. Swept Clean

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... what the house looked like. He didn't care if the table was dusted or the windows were clean. He cared about them and he wanted to spend time with them. I think that's why he told Martha she was too distracted and that Mary had chosen the better part. ... too, get too busy and distracted in our service to God. We don't take time for that simple companionship. So today I want us to focus on this passage through: Cleansing The Clutter Of Our Soul, Setting Priorities For Life, and Savoring The Best First. I. ...

2772. Called To Freedom

Galatians 5:1-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... go to the church of my choice, and it's in Denver!" Aren't we all just like that inmate? We all want our freedom and we don't want anyone to take it away from us. This week we'll be celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence and celebrating ... no longer bound by the Law and they go, "Whoa, cool!" They interpret it to mean that, now, they can do anything they want. They interpret it to mean that once they've accepted Christ they're no longer under any restraints. Anything goes. And no matter ...

2773. Good and Mad

Luke 4:21-30

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... should be thankful that we have food. There are those who have none. They wouldn't care what direction the bread was turned, they just want bread. They wouldn't care if it took an extra ten minutes to get their meal, they'd be thankful they were getting a ... know some older congregations who would give their eye teeth for one child in worship. They'd put up with all the noise that child wanted to make. Because the presence of that child, and the noise that child made would be a sign of hope and growth, and a ...

2774. Dress For Faithfulness

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... real battle was fought." Prayer brings us into the very presence of God. Through prayer we are brought to the throne of grace and we are enabled to stand before God. Not presumptuously but in all humility and because we've been invited there. And once there, God wants to know everything on our hearts and minds about everyone we know and love. And even those we don't love. Conclusion You and I have been called to Dress For Faithfulness, not Success. We're called to live a life that is pleasing to God in all ...

2775. Rich In His Poverty

2 Corinthians 8:7-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... us. Let's look at the passage from Paul's letter that describes what God does for us through Christ. 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 (NRSV) [7] Now as you excel in everything in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. [8] I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. [9] For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for ...

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