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 2776 to 2800 of 5000 results

2776. Beneath The Shadow Of The Cross

Mark 15:16-37

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... Lord, not just my feet but also my hands and my head!" When Jesus was finished and described what he had done for them, he started talking about death and betrayal. He said one of the twelve, one of the chosen, one of his friends would betray him. They all wanted to know who. Jesus paused in the middle of the meal, looked right at Judas and handed him a piece of bread with which he had sopped the gravy, a portion usually reserved for the guest of honor. Judas nearly choked. He looked as if he'd seen a ghost ...

2777. Time to Unpack

Matthew 11:1-19

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... no Go-It-Alone, DIY (Do-It-Yourself) kit to spiritual peace and power. In fact, the Christian faith is based on God’s initiative, not our industry. When I look at how some people are working so hard at being good and getting it right, I want to say to them: “Hey, leave something for the Savior. You don’t have to do it all. Let go and let God. Leave something for the Savior.” When intolerance for vulnerability reigns supreme, the likely result is extremism. Brown has a neat, devastating bit of math ...

2778. Daring Thomas

John 11:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... finding missionary work in their own city. Two years later she was still resolved to go to Uganda. Although he was quite upset about her decision, he went to the airport to see her off. As he watched her plane exit the runway, he commented that he had wanted her to be a respectable Christian not a real one. (3) Many of us, if we were honest, would confess that we come closer to the profile of a respectable Christian than a real one. Sacrifice and commitment are really not part of our vocabulary. A few years ...

2779. What to Do with the Weeds

Matthew 13:24-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... is a scary parable. The weeds are going to be thrown on a fire and burned. Jesus isn’t actually giving us a guide to growing good wheat, of course. He’s talking about human behavior. But one thing’s for sure, in this scenario, you do not want to be a weed. It’s like a story our Roman Catholic friends tell. In the Roman Church, seven is traditionally the age of reason. When children reach seven they are expected to attend Mass regularly and go to confession. Why? Because when they are seven they are ...

2780. The Weeds within Us

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Illustration

Hubert Beck

... ? Is this not a reflection of the words of Paul we heard only recently when he speaks of the great distress created within himself when he did the things he did not really want to do while not doing the things he very much wanted to do? St. Theresa of Avila prayed, "Oh, God, I don't love you. I don't even want to love you, but I want to want to love you." Do you not recognize yourself in reflections like these? The great physicist Werner Heisenberg said, "Man can do what he wills, but he cannot will what he ...

2781. God's Battleship

John 17:6-19

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... there should be no officers at all. Then there is the issue of the weekly meeting at which the captain is honored and his instructions read. All agree on its importance, but some want it loud while others want it quiet. Some want ritual, others want spontaneity. Some want to celebrate so they can meditate, others want to meditate so they can celebrate. The consequence is a rocky boat. There is trouble on deck. Fights have broken out between sailors. There have been times, incredible as it may seem, when ...

2782. The Earth Is the Lord’s ... And Don’t You Forget It!

Psalm 24:1

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... ] and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it" (Genesis 2:15). So which is it? To rule or to take care of it? Why not both? Why not use our intelligence and scientific knowledge, not simply to do what we want when we want just because we want, but to make this little globe that we borrow better for all of us, all more than six-billion human beings plus lots of other plant and animal life? We certainly have the ability. But with it comes responsibility because, like it or not, we are in ...

2783. The View From Jesus’ Pew

Mark 12:38-44

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... one would ask any questions during the year. At the end of the year he made his report. He had paid off the church debt of $200,000. He had redecorated the church. He had sent money to missions. He had $5,000 in the bank. Needless to say, everyone wanted to know how. The man quietly explained, "You people bring your grain to my elevator. As you did business with me, I simply withheld 10% and gave it to the church. You never missed it."[1] No, that is not a model I would hold up as appropriate, but the ...

2784. The Miegakure Messiah

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... into our lives everyday. There is no simplistic sugar-coating in her reflections. Daily despair is a daily occurrence. But so are the daily graces that she takes the time and effort to record. Instead of making a bucket list, which is all about what we want to do, Voskamp makes a bless list, which is all about what God does for us – the momentary glimpses, the miegakura moments, when grace and joy are offered to us on a daily basis. Does it seem simplistic just to “make a list” of the small things ...

2785. Fred and Barney

John 10:11-18

Sermon

John Smylie

... and retrieved my shotgun to hold the dogs at bay while Betsy contacted the local sheriff to come take the dogs away. Had I wanted to, I could have exacted vengeance upon those animals and shot them. I did not feel like a very good shepherd. My sheep ... me holding a gun on them as they now cowered in one corner of the pen. Even though I had the right to shoot them had I wanted to, they had left the sheep after I scared them away and I saw no use in putting them to death even though their attack brought death ...

2786. King Me!

John 18:33-37

Sermon

... in this life is to be admired and respected and loved, why do we spend most of our time trying to be successful and powerful and feared? What does that have to do with Jesus, standing before Pilate, refusing to act like a king that the world would want to follow? Theologian Fredrick Buechner writes: If the world is sane, then Jesus is mad as a hatter, and the Last Supper is the Mad Tea Party. The world says, "Mind your own business" and Jesus says, "There is no such thing as your own business." The world ...

2787. Witness: More than Judgment

1 Corinthians 9:16-23

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

... moved in sometime early this summer. It was just before we went on vacation and then school started and the fall race began. You understand how that is. He is right next door and I still haven't had a meaningful conversation with him. And I want to, I want to as a neighbor and I want to as a Christian. But now it has been several months. How long are they still new? In our home, we have divided up the household chores. My job is to walk to the end of the driveway, open up the mailbox, and bring the mail ...

2788. God’s Great High Priest

Hebrews 5:5-10

Sermon

Nancy Kraft

... truth is, we all have opportunities to hurt because of our desire to act out the will of God in our lives. We don't have to go around seeking suffering, but it has a way of finding us. I don't believe this passage is telling us that God wants us to suffer or that God inflicts suffering on us. Suffering is not something that God does to us for our own good. God does not purge us so we're fit for his kingdom. But, when we live what we pray in the Lord's Prayer, "Thy will be ...

2789. The Vision of God

2 Corinthians 12:2-10

Sermon

Gibson “Nibs” Stroupe

... its ability to stand alone on its own authority. Even though he lists his vision as the climax of his boasting, Paul wants to announce that the rivalry is not between competing visions of God. The rivalry is between visions of the gospel of Jesus ... possible, and this is the third level of meaning of his thorn. As the old spiritual says of God: "He may not come when you want him, but he'll be there right on time."2 Paul discovers — and he shares with the Corinthians and with us — that despite his chronic ...

2790. God Enjoys AND Enjoins Us

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... some artificial stimulant. As a full participant in the banquet of the kingdom we will both enjoy the presence of God and will experience the fulfillment that comes from participating in the procession of that kingdom. God enjoys us and first, and foremost, wants all of us to come to the banquet. But God also enjoins us to bring something to the party. Bring ourselves — bring our songs, our stories, our possibilities, our probabilities. We have been invited to do nothing less than change the world through ...

2791. Where's Dad?

Matthew 2:13-18

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

... of coffee. I’m actually headed for Centerville. I live there. Just celebrated Christmas with my brother and family in Nashville. Brad: I see. (extends hand) I’m Brad Nelson. I was supposed to meet my dad but he just called — said his boss wanted him to check some blueprints and specs before bids tomorrow. It’s deadline time for the project — but — that’s the way it always is. Stranger: You sound more than disappointed. Something wrong? Brad: (loudly blurts out) Wouldn’t you be if — (speaks ...

2792. Dedicating Temples

1 Kings 8:1- 6, 10-11, 22-30, 41-43

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... her research as follows: An eleven-year-old girl goes to a pizza shop and orders pepperoni. A twelve-year-old girl with the same group of friends, in the same pizza shop, orders, "I don't know." She can't decide what she wants. Even if she knows what she wants, she is not sure she wants the boys to know that she knows. A fourteen-year-old girl with the same friends, in the same pizza shop, may say, "I'll have whatever you have." This summary of the experience of girls is Mary Magdalene's story, a story that ...

2793. I Am Baptized!

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... of where our ultimate allegiance lies. And one thing more: Baptism is a sign of our new life in Christ. There is a delightful story about a precocious three-year-old named Joey, who did not enjoy baths. Seeking to overcome his objections, his mother said, “Don’t you want to be nice and clean?” Joey replied, “Yes, but can’t you just dust me off?” That’s what a lot of us would like when it comes to baptism a simple dusting. One man said that at a certain point in his life he considered joining a ...

2794. Doing Your Own Thing

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... it as I please.” Ever hear that one before? “This is my money. I will spend it as I please. This is my life. If I want to squander it, that is my right.” Have you ever encountered someone with that kind of attitude? Perhaps a few of you did when you got up ... never advertise celery on TV?” (3) That’s true, even if celery is the perfect snack as far as calories are concerned. If we want to lose weight, we’re not going to get any help from Madison Avenue. That’s one reason it’s hard for some of ...

2795. Were You There?

John 19:17-27

Sermon

King Duncan

... drives it in! He is saying: it is my sin that nailed Him to the Cross! (4) We were all there. I don’t know about you, but of all the characters who were there I identify most closely with Nicodemus. I confess my sin. I’m not all Christ wants me to be, but there is hope for me. Beginning with this Good Friday service, by the grace of God I can be a better person. I can begin now living more like the Master. How about you? You were there as well. Is this a time for a new ...

2796. The Ashes of Our Lives

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

... us. - Romans 5:3-5a Ed understood the certainty of that promise. A man had spent a fruitless day fishing. He didn't want to go home empty handed. He decided to stop at a local fish market. "I'd like three good sized fish," he said to ... the ashes, while the ashes are in the wind? While the ashes, while the ashes are in the wind? 'Tis a simple hope to want to heal the pain 'Tis a simple hope to want to find someone 'Tis a simple fear that life won't be the same When the ashes, when the ashes are in the ...

2797. No Pleasing Some People

John 12:1-8

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... once it's opened you can't use it anymore. I don't know about you, but the longer I own something valuable, the less I want to part with it and the less I get out of it. Do you know people who can't bring themselves to use the good china for ... m not dead yet." In the end his son clunks him over the head and throws him in. Jesus is not dead yet. But there are some who want to clunk him over the head and speed up the process. What are they thinking? Jesus just raised Lazarus from the dead. He doesn't fit ...

2798. Believing Thomas

John 20:19-31

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... in his name. — John 20:30-31 I find these some of the most frustrating words of scripture. I'm just getting started. I want to know more. After all, I can buy a 1,000-page or larger paperback novel at my grocery store or at the airport with ... ll hold my attention until I'm finished, at which point I'll just wish there's more. The gospels are so short, comparatively. I want more. Indeed, John must have heard that often enough because eventually he added one more chapter. His point is well taken. It's not ...

2799. Liberating the Possessed

Luke 8:26-39

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

... mean?" Lincoln said, "It means you are free." "Does that mean," she asked, "that I can say whatever I want to say?" Lincoln said, "Yes, my dear, you can say whatever you want to say." "Does that mean," she asked, "that I can be whatever I want to be?" Lincoln said, "Yes, you can be whatever you want to be." She asked, "Does that mean I can go wherever I want to go?" He said, "Yes, you can go wherever you want to go." The girl, with tears streaming down her face said, "Then I will go with you."3 Liberated ...

2800. The Body of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... have their attention on the Super Bowl. Think how absurd it would be if the man who takes the opening kickoff would find that his arms wanted to return the ball up one side of the field, while his legs insisted on going up the other. As it is, assuming he plays his ... man why he would bother to come since he really could not get much out of what was going on, and the man replied, "I just want to show the world whose side I'm on." That is a valuable ministry all by itself. We have work to do. Let us get on ...

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