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 3101 to 3125 of 4961 results
Sermon
King Duncan
Everyone knows about the Good Samaritan. He is one of the best-known characters in history. We know he belonged to a despised people--Samaritans--people who did not keep the laws in the prescribed way and who had intermarried with foreigners. We know he was the surprise hero in Jesus' parable that bears his name. We know he was a generous and compassionate man who paid an innkeeper out of his own pocket for the upkeep of a stranger who had been stripped, robbed, beaten and left for dead beside the road to ...
Sermon
James Merritt
There is a story about two neighbors who grew up in a farming town. They had suffered through a long dry season, and there wasn't enough hay to keep the cows fed. So one of the neighbors came up with the idea that the two of them ought to go into the hay merchandising business. They bought a truck, drove to another state where they bought hay for $3.00 a bale. They then brought it home and sold it for $2.50 a bale. After about two months in the business, one neighbor looked at the other one and said, "You ...
Sermon
James Merritt
There was a young boy who wanted to go down to the lake and fish, and his mother asked him to take his little sister along. Well, he protested vigorously. He said, "Mama, the last time she came with me I didn't catch a single fish." The mother said, "Well, I will talk to her and I promise this time she won't make any noise." The boy said, "It wasn't the noise Mom, she ate all my bait." I have come to the conclusion that there are basically four reasons why people do not catch fish: (1) Some people are ...
Sermon
David R. Cartwright
We live in what has been called the "Information Age." We have more information at our disposal than any generation before us. We are flooded with bits of information, or should I say "bytes"? I think a much better description of our time would be the "Age of Distraction." Everybody and everything are out to get our attention. And one way to do that is to distract us from whatever we may have been doing or are trying to do. A case in point, I particularly dislike the scroll at the bottom of television ...
Sermon
King Duncan
Comedienne Joan Rivers who died last year once said something with which many people would agree. “People say that money isn’t the key to happiness,” said Joan Rivers, “but I always figured if you have enough money, you can have a key made.” “I always figured if you have enough money . . .” says Joan Rivers. How much is enough money? That is a good question. A Hollywood film editor once said, “I had this date the other night with a woman who wanted to walk along the beach. I’m wearing a twelve?hundred ...
3106. Interpreting the Times
Luke 12:54-59, Luke 12:49-53, Luke 12:35-48
Teach the Text
R.T. France
Big Idea: God’s true servants will not be caught unawares but will always be found doing their master’s will. Understanding the Text The theme of readiness for the Lord’s coming, begun at 12:35, now continues: 12:35–48 is a coherent unit of teaching, which has been broken up here simply to accommodate the commentary divisions. The collection of sayings that follows in 12:49–59 does not relate specifically to that theme, but it does add further to the sense of crisis: Jesus’s arrival has confronted people ...
Sermon
King Duncan
In his book A Scent of Love Keith Miller tells a hilarious true story about a mother back in the 1960s who took her children to an animal farm--a place where they could pet animals that roamed free . . . and even ride an elephant. She put her kids in her Volkswagen Beetle (remember those?) and drove off to the animal farm. No sooner had they arrived than she discovered there wasn’t a space left in the parking lot. She settled for an apron on the pathway by the ranger station. She and the children got out ...
Sermon
Dave Zuchelli
Some people get distracted by almost anything. As focused as I can often be, I’m also one of those guys who can walk from one room to another and forget why I went in there. I remember once, when I was about twelve years old, my Dad gave me some money to go pick up a loaf of bread. I hopped on my trusty bike with the basket on the handlebars and set out for the convenience store a mile or two down the road. When I got there, I looked around to grab the… Uh oh! I couldn’t remember what my Dad had sent me to ...
3109. On His Way
Matthew 21:1-11
Sermon
Larry Powell
See in your mind’s eye a city that has doubled in population almost overnight. The city is Jerusalem and faithful Jews have converged upon the holy city from great distances to celebrate the Passover. They have come from every country district and all the lands of the Diaspora. The Jewish historian, Josephus, recorded that as many as 1,000,000 pilgrims came annually to the feast. Families were reunited, friends renewed acquaintances, spirits were high, and from the Temple priests down to the simplest ...
3110. Proper 8
Luke 9:57-62, Galatians 5:16-26, 2 Kings 2:1-18, Luke 9:51-56
Sermon Aid
John R. Brokhoff
COMMENTARY Old Testament: 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 Elisha succeeds Elijah as prophet of Israel. Elisha was a faithful and devout disciple of Elijah. So loyal was he that he would not let Elijah out of his sight. Knowing that he was soon going to depart this world, Elijah asked Elisha what he could give him. Wisely Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit. This was granted to Elisha, for when Elisha took Elijah's mantle, he used it to separate the waters of Jordan. The power and authority of Elijah's ...
3111. Losers Keepers
Mark 8:31--9:1
Sermon
Donald B. Strobe
The Texas millionaire stipulated in his will that he be buried in his favorite possession: his $90,000 Rolls-Royce. When the time came, two laborers were shoveling the last bit of dirt onto the now-buried luxury car. One finally turned to the other and said, “Boy! That’s living!” Not really. Not according to Jesus. Death comes to everyone, from the richest to the poorest, and the finest car in the world won’t make a difference on the other side of eternity. “For what shall it profit a man, to gain the ...
Understanding Series
Michael S. Moore
Judah’s Famine and Elimelech’s Death: The story of Ruth has a specific historical context, the days when the judges ruled (lit. when the judges judged). The act of repeating a seminal Hebrew root twice (shepot hashopetim), however, immediately implies that Ruth’s opening line attempts to do more than just situate the book historically. Hebrew, like English, repeats words for emphasis (GKC 117p). Ruth, in other words, is very much a story about mishpat (“justice,” from shapat, “to judge, rule”). 1:1 The ...
Sermon
Frank Ramirez
There’s a scrap of papyrus (a form of paper made from reeds that grew in the Nile) that has survived the centuries until it was found in the Egyptian desert over a century ago. Although there are gaps in the piece, enough has survived to make it clear what it is. It’s a list of Olympic champions. The Greek Olympic games were held every four years for a thousand years. The list includes champions for all the events including the 200 yard dash which was the oldest event in the games. This list included ...
3114. Controlling Our Cravings
Luke 12:13-21, Exodus 20:1-21
Sermon
Bill Bouknight
When I was 12 or 13 years old, I worked one summer as a general flunky at a service station. Often I assisted a young country boy who worked in the grease pit. As he worked he sang a song, probably a popular country music hit of that time. Don't worry. I'm not going to sing the song, but here are some of the words: "How many times have you heard someone say, If I had his money, I could do things my way. But little they know that it's so hard to find One rich man in ten with a satisfied mind. Money can't ...
Sermon
James W. Moore
This sermon is based on Luke 2:8-14: Let me begin this morning with a beautiful old Christmas legend… the ancient legend tells of how God called the angels of heaven together one day for a special choir rehearsal. He told them that he had a special song that he wanted them to learn… a song that they would sing at a very significant occasion. The angels went to work on it. They rehearsed long and hard… with great focus and intensity. In fact, some of the angels grumbled a bit… but God insisted on a very ...
Sermon
Billy D. Strayhorn
(Pursuit of Happiness Clip) If you have seen the movie Pursuit of Happiness, it is based on the true story of Chris Gardner. Chris Gardner's life is falling apart. After a business deal goes bad, he feels that the only way he can make a good life for his family is if he changes careers. So despite all the odds, Gardner enters the chase for a lucrative job as a stockbroker at Dean-Whitter. The only problem is that the competitive internship required doesn't pay anything, and there is no guarantee of ...
3117. Watch!
Matthew 24:36-44
Sermon
J. Howard Olds
A ninety-six year old man won fifty million dollars in the lottery. When his family was notified, they called their pastor for help since they were afraid the news might cause the old fellow to have a heart attack. The pastor agreed to help. He went over to visit the elderly man. They talked about the weather and life in general. Finally the minister asked the old man, “Suppose you won fifty million dollars, how would that change your life?” “It wouldn’t,” said the man, “I would still have arthritis. I ...
Sermon
King Duncan
One of my favorite Peanuts comic strips is the one that came out some years ago just a few days before Thanksgiving. Lucy’s feeling sorry for herself and she laments, “My life is a drag. I’m completely fed up. I’ve never felt so low in my life.” Her little brother Linus tries to console her and he says, “Lucy, when you’re in a mood like this, you should try to think of things you have to be thankful for; in other words, count your blessings.” To that, Lucy says, “Ha! That’s a good one! I could count my ...
Sermon
Robert Beringer
Charlie Brown isn't the only one who asks, "What's Christmas all about?" Real people also ask that same question. Several years ago there was an exchange student from Indonesia, spending his first December in America. The crowds of shoppers in the stores, the Santa Clauses, the bright lights, the trees, the manger scenes, the parties, and the growing sense of excitement and revelry - it was all more than a little confusing to him. Then one night as he satwatching television with his host family, the ...
Sermon
Wallace H. Kirby
The late J. Wallace Hamilton preached a sermon titled, "Bare Feet in the Palace." Borrowing an image from the author, Agnes Newton Keith, he suggested that this illustrates our times. The palace has undergone a radical change. The privileged who used to live there are gone: in their place have come the have-nots of the earth. They are now "barefoot in the palace." They have taken over the privileges of the few, and they do not intend to return to their former places of misery and destitution. If you want a ...
Sermon
David E. Leininger
Did you happen to see that wonderful story in Thursday's paper about five-year-old Branden Lake in Youngsville who called 9-1-1 last Sunday morning to get help for his Mom who was lying unconscious on the bathroom floor?(1) Adding spice to the account was the fact that the emergency dispatcher on the other end of the call was the boy's Dad, Todd Lake. Everything turned out all right - mother Karen's collapse was due to dehydration brought about by a viral condition, and she was back home from the hospital ...
Sermon
Edward Inabinet
If you knew you were going to die tonight, would that cause you to change your use of time today? Most of us would have to say, "Yes, it would." John Krahn had a friend, named Art, whose doctor diagnosed him as having a terminal illness that would claim his life within a year. After a month, the doctor discovered he was mistaken and told Art that his condition was not terminal after all. As Art reflected on the month he had spent under this mistaken death sentence, he acknowledged the negative, painful ...
Sermon
Eric Ritz
Today, I want to pick up and continue the series of sermons I have been sharing from the Book of James. I have preached on the Tongue from James 3:1-12, on Troubles as a part of our faith journey from James 1:3-11, and now I want to share another sermon that begins with the letter "T"--Temptation. One of my colleagues tells the story about a church in Kentucky that demonstrates the ancient but ever present power of evil and temptation. It seems a certain contractor had done some much needed repair work for ...
Sermon
Maxie Dunnam
I think I've told you the story of the mother who was trying desperately to get her son out of bed, to get him up and ready for church on Sunday morning. None of you parents have that problem with your children, do you? The mother threatened, begged, cajoled -- but to no avail. "Come on, Son, she pleaded. Why don't you want to go?" "I'll give you three reasons, he said. One, the people down there aren't friendly. Two -- they don't like me, and three, they don't listen to what I have to say." Parents, have ...
Sermon
Maxie Dunnam
As we pick up in our preaching journey through Luke, let me review for just a moment. Recently, we looked at the passage from Luke 9, verses 57-62. It was the story of Jesus’ encounter with three different men and their discussion about what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. Jesus spoke demanding words to all of them, concluding with that dramatic exhortation: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” But there is another side to the story. A man was complaining ...
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