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 483 results

276. The Golf Shot That Destroyed an Airforce

Mark 9:42-50

Sermon

King Duncan

A little girl had been naughty, so she was sent to her room for a quiet time. Afterward, all smiles, she returned to her family, saying, “I prayed to God.” “That’s good,” said her mother. “Did you pray that God would help you be a good girl?” “No,” she replied. “I prayed that God would help you put up with me.” Many of us are like that little girl. We do wrong, but rather than repenting of our sins, we pray that God will put up with us. And why not? It’s our nature to sin; it’s God’s nature to forgive. ...

277. Victory and Serpents

Num 21:1-9

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: God helps his people overcome enemies and their own mistakes. Understanding the Text Most of the narratives up until now in Numbers are of a negative tone, filled with rebellion and sin and death. These events include the rebellion and sin of the leaders Moses and Aaron (Num. 20:2–13) and the deaths of Miriam and Aaron (Num. 21:1, 22–29). But as the old generation disappears, the tone of the narratives becomes increasingly positive. Numbers 21:1–9 shows progress, regress, and progress. The people ...

278. Proper 12

John 6:16-24, John 6:1-15, 2 Samuel 11:1-27, Ephesians 3:14-21

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: God fills us with the Bread of Life for our bodies and our spirits. COMMENTARY Lesson 1: 2 Samuel 11:1-15 (C) King David has consolidated his power and no longer personally engages in the risky task of doing battle with his enemies. Getting up from his afternoon nap, he surveys his capital from his balcony, when he spies a beautiful woman taking her bath; it is Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of David's valiant fighters. He has her brought to his palace and has sex with her. When she sends word ...

279. Holy Tuesday

Mark 11:27-33

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

There is an old saying to the effect that a good rabbi always answers a question with another question. One rabbi was asked by a member of his congregation, “Why do you always answer a question with another question?” The rabbi replied, “Do I?” Jesus was called “Rabbi” by His followers. The word means, literally, “teacher.” In modern Judaism the rabbinate is an ordained office. In ancient times, however, “rabbi” was simply a title of respect, addressed to laymen learned in the Mosaic law. Although Jesus’ ...

280. The Ultimate Happy Meal

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Can you guess what this is? (Have on hand a McDonald's Happy Meal for a show-and-tell.) Chicken nuggets, French-fries, something to drink, and most important of all – a schlocky piece of plastic that, at least for the next five minutes, spins, bounces, whirls, rolls, or whistles better than any other toy on earth. You know what it is: a McDonald's Happy Meal. Is there alive in North America an adult who's ever spent a lunch hour with a child without feeling compelled to buy a Happy Meal at some time or ...

281. Not Far From the Kingdom

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

Warren Thomas Smith

"You are not far from the kingdom of God." (v. 34) It was a discussion on the Great Commandment. We call it the "controversy source." An unnamed scribe, one of the straightforward individuals in the gospel narrative, came to Jesus asking a question. It was a candid inquiry, asked by a guileless person. Let us recall, first, that the man was a scribe. His business was recording the scripture. Long before the invention of printing by the Chinese, all documents were executed by hand. What a tiresome, ...

282. Blessed With Peace

John 14:15-31

Sermon

O. Garfield Beckstrand, II

This week two thoughts were foremost in my mind. One thought was quite normal for a preacher as well as a basic necessity. What shall I emphasize Sunday morning when I am using for my text the words of Jesus which he spoke on his last night upon earth to his disciples? "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you ..." The other thought was quite different. I remembered that 31 years ago last Wednesday I was ordained into the ministry at the fiftieth anniversary of Trinity Church. After my father gave ...

283. I Am The Only One Left Who Cares!

1 Kings 19:9-18

Sermon

King Duncan

Many of us have felt what Elijah felt out in the wilderness. Things are quickly going from bad to worse and I am the only one left who cares! That was Elijah's weary response to God. It came after Elijah's momentous victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. How quickly we can slide from the mountain of triumph into the valley of despond. Elijah did. Queen Jezebel was after his blood. He had fled out into the wilderness. He was hiding in a cave. God came to him in that cave and asked him, "What are ...

284. The Dark Side Revealed

Numbers 32:23

Sermon

James Merritt

The dark side - all you have to do is to simply say those words and in this day and age an image comes to your mind of a creature in all black, who breathes heavily through a mask - called Darth Vader. Star Wars – a classic battle between good and evil, has now filled the Hollywood screens and home theatres for 30 years. Teresa and I were newlyweds when it first hit the screens in 1977, and to this day, this saga is still one of the best sellers of all times. The final movie, Revenge of the Sith, released ...

285. The Forgiven and the Forgiving

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

The miracle of Christ is that strange power that enables me to know that I have been forgiven and, therefore, by grace to possess in my own life the strange and wonderful capability of forgiving others. We want justice. No, we don’t! We want mercy. I have done things in my life that I cannot now straighten out. I need mercy. I need forgiveness. I am caught. There is no hope. I have done so much that I cannot un-do. Woe is me. I’ve had it! I can love, and care, and maybe God will love and care for me, so ...

286. Jesus' Most Perplexing Parable

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

In the scripture lesson for today Jesus tells a perplexing parable about a thoroughly dishonest employee who was praised for his dishonesty. In this story Jesus not only seems comfortable suggesting that it is acceptable to compromise with moral failings, but our Lord appears to commend his disciples to "go and do likewise." For centuries, preachers, commentators, and scholars have struggled to make sense of this outrageous tale. Let me give some context. The fifteenth chapter of Luke opens by telling us ...

287. Why Did I Do That?

Romans 7:7-25

Sermon

King Duncan

Do you ever wonder why people do some of the crazy things they do? People are amazing! Ask Dr. Tucker Montgomery. Dr. Montgomery spent fifteen years as an Emergency Room doctor at the University of Tennessee Hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee. Dr. Montgomery has seen a multitude of injuries that resulted from simple stupidity. He tells the story of one man who was brought in to the ER with serious injuries to his face and teeth. Dr. Montgomery was appalled to learn how the man had injured himself. While ...

288. The Road To Emmaus

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Brett Blair

A friend shared with me a beautiful legend about a king who decided to set aside a special day to honor his greatest subject. When the big day arrived, there was a large gathering in the palace courtyard. Four finalists were brought forward, and from these four, the king would select the winner. The first person presented was a wealthy philanthropist. The king was told that this man was highly deserving of the honor because of his humanitarian efforts. He had given much of his wealth to the poor. The ...

289. Our Jealous Husband

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Paul W. Kummer

These are Ten Commandments that little children know to be true: 1. When your mom is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your hair. 2. No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats. 3. You can't trust dogs to watch your food. 4. Never hold a dustbuster and a cat at the same time. 5. You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk. 6. Puppies still have bad breath even after eating a tic-tac. 7. When your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person. 8. Don't sneeze ...

290. Advent 1

Luke 21:5-38, 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13, Jeremiah 33:1-26, Psalm 25:1-22

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

The Sprouting Fig Tree The season of Advent prepares us for the coming of the birth of Christ. While our celebration is usually associated with expectation, hope, and joy, the events themselves have an underlying tone of tragedy and sorrow. Tragedy and sorrow are most explicit in the account of the slaughter of the innocent children at Herod's orders in his attempt to eliminate a potential rival to his throne. A less evident underlying theme of sorrow is the injustice existing in the world when babies have ...

291. A Workman Approved by God

2 Timothy 2:14-26

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

Exhortation to Resist False Teachers The concern for the “salvation” of “God’s chosen people” expressed in verse 10, plus the exhortation to perseverance, with its warning against apostasy in verses 11–13, bring Paul—and Timothy—back to the hard realities of the situation on Ephesus, with the presence of the false teachers (cf. 1 Timothy). Apparently they continue to plague the church, as Onesiphorus had probably informed him, although clearly not all have capitulated. This concern dominates the appeal ...

292. What In The World Is Happiness?

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

King Duncan

A family had sold everything possible to pay bills and to put food on the table. Nevertheless, a burglar broke in one night when the family was gone. The family returned and found the door knocked off its hinges. "What did the burglar get?" the police officer asked. The head of the house just shook his head. "Practice," he said. It's not easy being poor. What did Jesus mean, "Blessed are the poor?" Jesus was a master at keeping his listeners off-balance. He always said the unexpected. He praised people ...

293. Confession And Supplication

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

The text for our message this morning comes from the 4th chapter of Paul’s letter to the Church at Philippi, the 4th chapter, the 4th through the 7th verses. Hear the word of the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord always. "Again I say, rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance, the Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. And the piece of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and your ...

294. Marriage 101

Ephesians 5:22-23

Sermon

James Merritt

Let me begin by making a statement that all of you either do know or should know. That is, the institution of marriage is in big trouble in America. The number of Americans getting married has dropped to a 40 year low, and "I do" has been replaced with "I won't" or "I no longer will." A study by Rutgers University National Marriage Project found that Americans have not given up on marriage as an ideal, but there has been a catastrophic drop since 1960 in the number of couples who actually walk down the ...

295. Can a Rich Person Go to Heaven?

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

King Duncan

A man named Murray put the following announcement in his local synagogue’s newsletter: “LOST: a black leather wallet containing precious family photos, personal ID documents, and $875. Finder can keep the photos and documents but please return the money, to which I am attached for sentimental reasons.” One man replaced all the windows in his house with expensive double-pane energy efficient windows. A year later he got a call from the contractor complaining that his work had been completed a whole year and ...

296. Epiphany 6

Mt 5:21-37 · 1 Cor 3:1-9 · Ps 119 · Dt 30:15-20

Sermon Aid

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

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS The Old Testament lessons for this Sunday articulate the completion of God's salvation and encourage the reader to enter God's new world. Deuteronomy 30:15-20 is a call for Israel to choose life in the land over death in the wilderness, while Psalm 119:1-8 provides encouragement for the worshiper, who has left the wilderness and entered the land, to persevere in walking on God's roads in God's world. Deuteronomy 30:15-20 - "Bond Yourself to God and Choose Life" Setting. The book of ...

297. A Perfect Prayer

Sermon

Erskine White

Romans 8:26-27 Give thy servant therefore an understanding mind, that I may discern between good and evil. (1 Kings 3:9) Most of us would admit without too much prodding that we are not perfect, that we are a frustrating blend of good and evil. Oh, I've known a few Christians who think they are without sin because they are saved, but these are people who don't understand themselves or the Scriptures. For the rest of us, I think we'd all confess that we are flawed and fallible, imperfect at best. But what ...

298. Is Conscience the Best Guide?

John 16:5-16

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

Some time ago I read in the paper that the United States Treasury has a "conscience fund," which was created for those who have lied, cheated or stolen, and who now wish to salve their consciences by returning to someone the money which they had gotten dishonestly. The "Conscience Fund" was established by Congress in 1811 when an anonymous donor who claimed to have defrauded the government sent five dollars to the Treasury Department. He said that he could not live with his conscience until he had paid the ...

299. The Truth about Truth

John 8:31-32

Sermon

James Merritt

I honestly don't believe that I will ever preach a more important sermon than this one. I hope after I introduce my topic, your ears will perk up, your back will straighten up, your eyes will light up, and you will focus your attention on me with laser-like intensity. Listen carefully to the next three statements: There are no absolutes. All truth is relative. You have no right to force your idea of right and wrong on anyone else. Currently, sixty-two percent of American adults believe these statements to ...

300. A Man Whose Dreams Came True

Genesis 37:1-11

Sermon

R. Blaine Detrick

We are seeking to tell the story of the Bible by selecting certain key people at particular points along the way. In the previous chapter, we indicated how God had decided, after the fall of man, to choose one person and through him to build a nation - a nation to be the instrument by which his message of redemption might reach the whole world. That man was Abraham. After Abraham, we pass very quickly over his son and grandson, Isaac and Jacob. This is difficult to do, because there are so many interesting ...

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