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 2851 to 2875 of 5000 results

2851. What to Remember When You're Having a Bad Hair Day

Romans 8:28

Sermon

James Merritt

... , he pulled out a small flashlight and, shining it on this damp piece of paper, he read at the top corner, "Romans chapter 8." Trembling with shock and amazement, he read these words, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose…." Hein began to weep. He knew his Bible. He knew that there was not a more relevant passage of conviction and encouragement and strength for someone in his position, in all of the Word of God. He cried ...

2852. Foundations for the Future

1 Corinthians 3:9-14

Sermon

James Merritt

... II. How to Enjoy Financial Freedom When you save money, whether it is in a CD, bonds, stocks, or mutual funds, you do it for one reason. You expect a return on your investment. Well, so does God. God has invested in you. He has invested His life, and His love. He expects a return on His investment. In Mt. 25:14-30 Jesus told a parable of the talents. A talent in Bible days was not just an ability, it was a monetary measurement. Jesus expects a return on the money He gives you the power to make. Now building ...

2853. It Ain't Over Til It's Over

Matthew 5:31-32

Sermon

James Merritt

... said, "That sounds great, I'll do it." In a few weeks she came back with a report that she had followed her counselor's advice. The counselor said, "Great, now you can sue for divorce." The woman looked at her and said, "Are you crazy? I've fallen in love with my husband for the first time in years and our marriage is more beautiful and happier than it's ever been." Yogi Berra may not have known it, but he was really quoting Scripture when he said, "It ain't over till it's over." God says marriage should ...

2854. Looking in All the Wrong Places

Romans 3:19-28

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

... lay claim to God's favor, because all have broken faith and sinned. Both Jew and Gentile can lay claim because Christ died for all. It is a wondrous truth; but we forget from time to time, and because we find it hard to believe that our holy Creator could love us so much, we tend to look for insurance. We'll trust in Christ and obey the rules. We'll ask God to "give us this day our daily bread," but stock up our cupboards just in case. We'll pray for deliverance from our enemies, but stockpile our weapons ...

2855. I Am the King’s Servant, But God’s First

Matthew 22:15-22

Illustration

Michael Manning

... and yet he realized he could no longer have both. As he weighed his options, he considered the fact that both the king and the church had its problems. The king he loved could be ruthless and he wasn't faithful in marriage. The church he loved, on the other hand, was full of all kinds of sinful men. What was he to do? In a powerful scene from A Man for All Seasons that takes place in the sweating walls of the Tower of London, his wife visits her prisoner husband and asks why he won' ...

2856. Baby Blues

1 Samuel 1:4-20

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... library will have books about infertility and support groups that are available. Many couples search for answers to the questions, "Why do they have children and not us? Doesn't God care about us, too?" We can answer the last question with assurance. Yes, God loves you with an everlasting love. God hears your prayers, and if God does not bring you the answers you want, God will bring you God's own self, walking beside you every step of the way. And, maybe at the secret heart of all our prayers, that is what ...

2857. An Exquisite Attitude of Gratitude

Ephesians 1:15-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... The judges set their collective jaws, and you can see their eyes rolling. The live crowd sucks in all the remaining oxygen in the audition hall, anticipating the sucking void of talent to come. Then this unassuming Paul Potts begins to sing. His voice, his love of the music, his spirit, slowly fills the space between himself and the judges, himself and the studio audience. Before he is half done the judges are weeping or trying desperately not to. The audience (made up of mainly working class Brits with as ...

2858. A Concert of Prayer

1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Drama

Leonard Sweet

... the kitchen, he told her the good news. They embraced and kissed, then sat down to a wonderful meal. Next to his plate there was a beautifully lettered note which read: "Congratulations, darling! I knew you'd get the raise. These things will tell you how much I love you." While on his way to the kitchen to get dessert, the husband noticed that a second note had fallen from his wife's pocket. Picking it off the floor, he read: "Don't worry about not getting the raise. You deserve it anyway. These things will ...

2859. Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)

Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... remove our blindfold and cry out to that glory, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Then, with faith and humility, we must ask God for the most precious of all gifts, the ability to see our risen Savior. Let me open my eyes to the glorious light and love and power of Christ. We don't talk about it much, but after being struck blind, how scared was Paul? I have got to believe he was scared sightless. Yet in spite of his fear, he got up off that dusty road and continued on. His faith overcame his fear ...

2860. Ephesians 1:15-23

Ephesians 1:15-23

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... both the sheep and the goats ask the judging Son of Man the same question "When was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?" The "sheep" did not intentionally share their goods, their compassion, their love with others in order to grow in righteousness and serve Christ. But that was the result. The "goats" did not intentionally ignore the needs of others in order to deny God's tremendous power and belittle Christ's sacrifice. But that was the result. God is ...

2861. Memories of Home: The Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... his Second Coming. This Advent we’re looking at one of Jesus parables through the lens of Advent. It’s the parable that goes by different names, depending on which of the characters is put in the spotlight: the Elder Son, whom we focused on last Sunday; the Loving Father, whom we’ll focus on next Sunday. And the Younger Son, the Prodigal Son, whom we’ll focus on today. Using the lens of Advent to view the parable invites us to look for the darkness in the parable as a means for seeing the darkness ...

2862. Epiphany 4

Mark 1:21-28, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Deuteronomy 18:14-22

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... . b. He speaks God's Word v. 18. Epistle: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 1. Free in chains! (8:1-13). Need: In this Lesson we have a paradox; we are free but enslaved. Our knowledge of God frees us from superstition, legalism and a bad conscience, but love enslaves us for the welfare of our weak brother who does not yet have the knowledge. The Lesson harmonizes with Luther's "Christian Liberty" in which he said that the Christian is the freest of all men but the servant of all. This principle comes out of a practical ...

2863. Easter 6

Psalm 98:1-9, John 15:9-17, Acts 10:23b-48, 1 John 5:1-12

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... the beauty of creation, the baptism of your grace, the unity of your church, we express our gratitude and join them as we can, with voices and instruments of all kinds. We worship you with all kindred souls in every time and place with humility and love and obedience. Amen PRAYER OF DEDICATION We serve you, Great God, with whatever we have, with our financial resources, with our musical skills, with our voices and our pens, with hands that can be folded in prayer and open in the service of others, with our ...

2864. Easter 3

Psalm 4:1-8, Luke 24:36b-48, Acts 3:11-26, 1 John 3:1-7

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... of some of them in the strength you have given us in the church. We are of the same humanity that repudiated the suffering Messiah. We are of the repenting community whose sins are wiped out. We need to know you more truly so that your divine love may come to perfection in us, through the Spirit of the Risen Christ. Amen Declaration of Pardon Pastor: Friends, hear the good news! We have come to plead our cause with the Divine Parent, Jesus Christ, God’s Son. People: Jesus Christ is just and the remedy ...

2865. Proper 6

Galatians 2:11-21, 1 Kings 21:1-29, Psalm 5:1-12, Luke 7:36-50

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... occasion to tell a parable and issue a pardon. Luke 7:36--8:3 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. Leader: Enter God’s house through the abundance of God’s steadfast love. Pray humbly in reverence of God’s holiness. People: We pray humbly in reverence of God’s holiness. When we leave we will make our way straight before the eyes of God. INVOCATION Almighty God, holy and just, no earthly monarch can approach your majesty and justice ...

2866. Lent 5

Psalm 130:1-8, Ezekiel 37:1-14, John 11:1-45, Romans 8:1-17

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... hope. People: Like someone in the darkness we will look for the first light of dawn. INVOCATION God in whom we rely, Christ in whom we have faith, Spirit of all our hopes, we come to worship you and to affirm our confidence in your love. We love you because you first loved us. Hear our prayers in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen PRAYER OF CONFESSION God of our yesterdays, our todays, and our tomorrows, we are too prone to live for the moment, to let our health and our emotions and our passions rule our lives ...

2867. Proper 18

Matthew 18:15-20, Psalm 149:1-9, Exodus 12:1-30, Romans 13:8-14

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... servants, as he has promised. People: The Lord will be good to us, as he has promised. Pastor: Friends, believe the Good News! People: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Exhortation Be under obligation to no one—the only obligation you have is to love one another. PRAYER OF THE DAY Heavenly Parent, Brother of sinners, Spirit in the church, help us to agree in our prayers and in our common life, that your purposes may be accomplished, your will obeyed, and your children reconciled to each other and gathered ...

2868. Trinity Sunday

Matthew 28:16-20, Psalm 8:1-9, Genesis 1:1-2:3, 2 Corinthians 13:11-14

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... response may be genuine and dispel the darkness that remains with us; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen PRAYER OF CONFESSION God of love, Son of grace, Spirit of community, it is easier to recite the creed than to test our faith in the living of it. Self-examination can ... vocation. Keep our children from harm and danger. May our nurture of them in home and church and school develop in them a love of beauty and truth in art and in life. May they behold the beauty of the Lord in the house of the Lord. ...

2869. All By Myself: The Fear of Loneliness

2 Timothy 4:9-21

Sermon

James Merritt

... he was. Just before he died, he wrote on a note these words, "I feel so alone sometimes. The night is quiet for me. I'd love to be able to sleep. I'll probably not rest. I have no need for all this. Help me Lord." [2] Twenty-two percent of all ... in your life is to force you to focus on the only one who is with you. Amy Grant used to sing a song that said, "I love a lonely day because it forces me to focus on You." Prayer and praise are powerful antidotes to the illness of loneliness, because God has a 24 ...

2870. Why Me Lord?

2 Corinthians 9:6-8, Exodus 35:4-5, 10-11

Sermon

James Merritt

... longer go out and shop for Christmas gifts so she would just send checks to her best friends and her family. Since she wanted her loved ones to buy their gifts before Christmas she worked to get everything in the mail early. She wrote out a Christmas card to all of ... is very important, and the word pray is found in the Bible 371 times. If I were to ask you the same question about the word "love" I'm sure all of you would agree that it is very important, and it is found in the Bible 714 times. But what you may ...

2871. Family Ties and Good-byes

Luke 12:49-56

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... when Harry did, she jumped at the proposal and said, "Yes," immediately. She dedicated herself to making Harry happy. He didn't pray, so she stopped. He didn't go to church, so she didn't go, either. Carol had gone to church as a child and loved it, but her children seldom attended because Harry said that churches were just after your money and were worthless. She had been raised as a Christian, but her faith began to fade as she was away from the Christian fellowship, the Word and the sacraments. Carol was ...

2872. The Good News about Marriage

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... itself to effective parenting. Jesus understands all this. What he wants us to see, however, is how beautiful God’s original plan is for the propagation of the race: One flesh, a couple before God with their offspring, a family in which God’s love abides. For those who choose to marry, this is what God wants a lifetime partnership. Having said that, however, we need to face the fact that a satisfying life-long relationship requires work. An old Persian philosopher was sipping tea one day when a friend ...

2873. I Am the Ressurection and the Life

John 11:17-37

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... , he responded, this illness is not unto death but to the glory of God that the son of God might be glorified. And though he loved Lazarus, he did not go immediately to see him. In fact the scripture says he stayed on for two days in Puria, across Jordan from ... I wanted everybody to know what a fine boy that I had raised. Father, you know what I remember now? I remember your son and your great love when you gave him to us, and how sad you must have been when he died on the cross. And so God, if you would do ...

2874. Every Day God Equips

John 14:15-27

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... God, Equips us for our task. In other words, God supplies the tools we need to carry out the Great Commission. Listen to what Jesus tells the Disciples in the Upper Room on the night He was betrayed and arrested. John 14:15-27 (NRSV) [15] "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. [16] And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. [17] This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because ...

2875. Every Day God Encourages

Acts 4:36-37; 11:22-24

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... he went home that evening and he pulled out some writing paper and, for the first time in twenty years, he remembered a high school English teacher. He hadn't thought of her in years, but she'd taken an interest in him. She'd helped him to discover a love for poetry he didn't know he had. She made him feel as if he might be worth something after all. He wrote her a simple letter. Three days later, he received a reply. This long retired school teacher wrote, "My eyes are blinded with tears as I write. You ...

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