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 276 to 300 of 4962 results

276. Touched

John 20:24-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... .” In literature a short succinct passage can be a “touchstone.” In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Horatio’s dying words are a “touchstone” passage: “Goodnight, sweet prince/and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.” In John’s gospel, we have one of the great touchstone passages of the Bible. Jesus invites Thomas to plunge his hand into the wounds his resurrected body bears. The touchstone of this exchange, of John’s resurrection witness, is Thomas’ ecstatic proclamation: “My Lord and my ...

277. Solomon's Officials and Governors

1 Kings 4:1-19

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... within the biblical tradition. This leaves us with Arubboth, which is otherwise entirely unknown in the OT. Joshua 15:52 lists a town named “Arab,” however, whose root consonants are identical with our Arubboth; this is a Judean town. We thus have one Judean town mentioned along with another that could be Judean, in a district whose name can plausibly be connected with a third. It therefore seems apparent that the twelve district governors represented Solomon in all of Israel, including Judah. 4:20 The ...

278. The Authority of Jesus over Nature and the Cosmic Powers

Mark 5:1-20, Mark 4:35-41

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... that Jesus performed miracles in his ministry and through his apostles in the early church, many have a hard time believing in miracles today. But God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and he is still Lord over all creation. It is important to bridge this gap of faith. Have one or two people share a brief testimony of how they have experienced God’s miraculous power in their life.

279. Learning to Walk in the Dark

Matthew 26:14-16

Sermon

David & Marian Plant

... are evangelical Christians, mainline Protestants, and Roman Catholics. Some are proponents of harsher punishments and penalties for any crossing the US border illegally; others work to mitigate a fast-track judicial system that keeps for-profit jails at capacity. But as Samaritans they have one goal, one mission, and they speak as one voice. “We save lives.” This is walking in the dark! Through one traditional hymn we pray that our eyes may be opened to the truths God has for us. Another hymn reminds us ...

280. Soiled Faith and Watered-Down Churches

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... shape, grown in clinical settings, and you’ll end up with “tasteless.” But give me some of those little wild Maine blueberries that have survived the winds and the rains and the bears, and adapted to their surroundings, and your mouth will have one of the treats of its lifetime. Disciples of Jesus are not grown to be "perfect" universal specimens of sameness. Christians are intended to grow like the mustard seed: wild in the fields, "artisan" berries, all a little different and unique, depending on ...

281. The Vision of the Great Prostitute

Revelation 17:1-18

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... pretender and, like all the other false messiahs, is doomed to destruction. 17:12–13 The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. Historically, the background of the ten horns is Rome’s practice of using client kings to rule its provinces (e.g., Herod the Great and his sons). Figuratively, the ten kings are identical to ...

282. Judgment Day

Mark 13:1-31

Drama

Steven E. Albertin

... , global warming, and so on) and it is easy to start thinking of giving up. But there is a strange irony in all of this. The supporters of nuclear weapons and the critics, the environmentalists and the disciples of big business, the hawks and the doves, all have one fundamental assumption in common: Survival of this world and this life is all that matters. Fearful about the water we drink, the air we breathe, the great mushroom cloud looming over our heads, we get by as best we can and grab what we can. And ...

283. Paul's Concern for the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:11-21

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... , the situation is still tense; Paul is still in a position of having to defend himself. His statement in 7:16 is clearly an exaggeration, designed more to effect a positive response than to compliment the church for already having one. 12:21 Scholars have debated whether the vice lists in v. 21b (impurity, sexual sin and debauchery) and v. 20b (“quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder”) reflect two different factions within the Corinthian church ...

284. Christmas: Before And After

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Lois Anne DeLong

... , and remained there until word reached them that Herod had died. It was just one time of many when Joseph followed the advice of our fictional friend, Samuel, to “Love him, protect him, teach him ... and let God do the rest.” If our four little scenarios have one thing in common is that all the people in these stories made pretty dramatic leaps of faith, and acted on the Word of God even when it flew in the face of customs, other people’s judgments, even risking own their lives. We hope that this is ...

285. What Does God Really Want?

2 Corinthians 8:1-5

Sermon

James Merritt

... of giving to this offering. They were literally begging Paul to let them put something in the offering. I heard about a single woman who heard her pastor preach a message on marriage one time, and the pastor said, "God wants every man to have one woman, and every woman to have one man." She immediately went down to see him after the service was over and said, "I cannot tell you how frustrated I was with your message today." He said, "Which part?" She said, "That part where you said God wants every woman to ...

286. How Not To Throw A Party

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

Alex Gondola

... , friend/foe, the dividing walls of hostility will come smashing down. The crash will be greater than the fall of the Berlin Wall. God's Banquet Feast will be the greatest party ever! How can you and I get an invitation to a party like that? We already have one, issued by Jesus himself. That invitation is scattered throughout Scripture. Most of us have heard it most of our lives: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28, RSV); "I am the bread of life. He who ...

287. It's Everybody's Business

John 1:35-51

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... I Am A Christian" cards which give us a non-confrontational, nonjudgmental way of talking about our faith with others. We've also developed the "SPIRITual Basics Card" to help us talk about how to live as a Christian in the everyday world. This Sunday we have one more tool. Since we're talking about Evangelism and "It's Everybody's Business" we've developed a Business Card for you to carry which is also an Invitation. On this car you will find all the basic information about our Church, Worship styles and ...

288. Cross Eyed: Anger

John 2:13-22

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... not a sin. Need proof? Well, first, would you agree that Jesus is the Sinless Son of God? Of course you would. That's what Scripture says. Hebrews 4:15 reminds us: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin." If Jesus was without sin, and Jesus got angry, then anger is not a sin. We don't much care for an angry Jesus. We prefer to think of Jesus as meek and mild. But we need ...

289. An Extraterrestrial Celebration

John 13:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... go to the Father. The evening meal was being served, and Judas Iscariot was already plotting to betray him. According to John, Jesus wanted his disciples to know just how much he loved them, so before we get to the story of the bread and the wine, we have one of the most shocking scenes in human history. The Son of God got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. And he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel ...

290. Easter is a Terrible Thing to Waste

Acts 1:1-11, Acts 1:12-26

Sermon

Johnny Dean

... in the shape of a cross, placed in each window of the church, across the altar rail, across the front of the baptistry – literally everywhere you looked on Easter morning, you could see Easter lilies! Each year, members of the church were given the opportunity to have one of the lilies placed there in honor or memory of a loved one for a contribution of $5. Only $5! And you didn’t even have to take them home with you after the service. The church would dispose of them. Everyone just assumed that they ...

291. Yes! (Easter Sunday)

John 20:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... through the local graveyard. Stopping to read the tombstones, Grandma explained that the first date on the tombstones was the day the person was born and the second date was the day the person died. “Why do some tombstones only have one date?” little David asked. “Because those people haven’t died yet,” his grandmother explained. David was obviously stunned by his grandmother’s explanation because, that night, he couldn’t stop talking about the excursion. “Mom,” he said with wide eyes ...

292. Proper 24

Exodus 33:12-23, Matthew 22:15-22, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Psalm 99:1-9

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... of standard coins. It was a small minority of Jews, however, who were sufficiently principled to worry steadily about the physical aspects. Yet such piety was highly regarded. When Jesus asked his examiners for a coin—perhaps implying that he didn't have one—they easily and without scruples brought out a Roman coin. The coin itself declared that they were compromised. Al they yielded to the necessity and convenience of political reality. Thus Jesus tells them if they enjoy the comforts of Rome, they ...

293. Jesus' Final Exam

Luke 20:19-40

Sermon

Will Willimon

... , Caesar's," they say. "Well, that settles it," says Jesus, giving them one of the greatest non-answers of all time. "Render to Caesar what's Caesar's, but give to God what is God's." Behind this interchange there is an answer. They have one of Caesar's idolatrous coins on them; Jesus' pockets are empty. Here they are examining Jesus about his stance toward the Roman occupation forces in Judea while they collaborate with the Romans. They carry Caesar's coins -- which become silent but irrefutable proof of ...

294. Warnings from Israel's History

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... the Corinthians in context: They are arrogant, overly self-confident, believing themselves to be “standing firm.” But, Paul says, “Watch out!” The Corinthians are not above the unpleasant complications of normal human existence, and facing that fact they have one hope: the faithfulness of God. God is trustworthy, and even if the situation seems impossible, nothing is beyond God’s power and grace. When the Corinthians confront times of trouble they should not deny their susceptibility to temptation ...

295. Victorious, but Not Unscarred

John 20:24-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... in the way. No one will accuse us of being fanatics about our religion. That’s sad. Jim Congdon in Leadership Magazine tells about a jarring TV commercial that ran sometime back. The commercial featured no dialogue. It simply showed a series of people who have one thing in common a nasty injury or scar. There’s a cowboy with a huge scar around his eye, and something wrong with the eye itself; a fellow with a bulbous cauliflower ear; another with horribly callused feet. There’s no explanation at all ...

296. Dancing with the Wind

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Johnny Dean

... so mean? I’m just telling you that it’s my birthday. Why do you have to put me down? I don’t want anything from you. I mean, why should I have a birthday party? I’ve never had a birthday party in my whole life. Why should I have one now?’ Campolo says, "When I heard that, I made a decision. I sat and waited until the women left, and then I called over to the fat guy behind the counter and asked him, ‘Do they come in here every night?’ He answered, ‘Yeah.’ ‘The one who was sitting right ...

297. Mom Taught Me to Share

Acts 17:16-34

Sermon

Johnny Dean

... lesson in Athens that day. Maybe he learned that there are worse things than beatings and imprisonment and opposition. Maybe Paul learned that the worst response to a sermon is NOT opposition or disagreement. It’s indifference. As a preacher, I’d much rather have one person come to me and say, "I think you’re wrong about that, preacher," than have the whole congregation say, "That was interesting," then wander on back down the hill to keep doing whatever they were doing before. The casual shrug of the ...

298. The Primacy of Human Relationships

Matthew 5:33-37

Sermon

Joe Pennel

... the final second of the game ticks away. For church officials, the bottom line is how much money has been raised and how many members have been received. In Pat Conroy's book, The Prince of Tides, there is a character who yearns to have one of her recipes printed in the most prominent cookbook in the city of Colleton, South Carolina. She does everything in her power to get her pet recipe in Colleton's premiere cookbook. She experiments with various food combinations. She presents herself to those people ...

299. The Love of a Father (Father's Day)

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

King Duncan

... relationship with God. Still, I have to believe that Joseph, though barely mentioned in the Gospel narrative, was probably an influential role model for Jesus. Why else would Jesus have chosen the imagery of "Father" to portray God? In Matthew 10: 29-31 we have one of the most important Scriptural reminders of the love of our Heavenly Father for His children. "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?" Jesus asks, "And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's will. But even the hairs ...

300. Family Reunion

Genesis 29:15-28

Sermon

Will Willimon

... for so long, that my childhood did not happen. I had to keep it tight, up near the chest. I could not let it out. I followed the redoubtable example or my mother. It's an act or will to have a memory or not, I chose not to have one. Because I needed to love my mother and father in all their flawed, outrageous humanity, I could not afford to address them directly about the felonies committed against all of us. I could not hold them accountable or indict them for crimes they could not help. They, too, had ...

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