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 3126 to 3150 of 5000 results

3126. What Does It Mean To Love?

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

George Johnson

... my neck out? Will it change our relationship if I tell her that I love her? Should I wait until I'm more certain? That was a long time ago. I still say those words - perhaps not as often as I should. And I still love to hear them said to me, "I love you ... is a sacrifice. Some of us have adopted a lifestyle that makes tithing very difficult. That is, we have homes, cars, clothes, sports and long range goals that make it difficult to live on the 90 percent. So we may take from the 10 percent that belongs to God ...

3127. Finding Oneself in the Wilderness

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

Thomas Slavens

... was the same, “Not my will, but Thine.” He understood his mission to be that of a servant. Jesus found himself in the wilderness. So can people today. Forty days will not change the world, but even in one minute sometimes decisions are made which have life-long importance. In the wilderness we do well to ask ourselves these questions: Am I living by bread alone? By my attitudes and actions do I put my God to a test? Am I worshiping the Lord and serving only him? The story of the temptations of Jesus ...

3128. Who Holds the Keys to the Kingdom?

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

Steven Burt

... the household of faith?” “A good argument,” I said. “But why didn’t the other pastor buy it?” My supervisee wasn’t sure. Finally I said, “Picture what it is you’re doing when you, as a pastor, particularly as a pastor in a long white robe, preside over the sacrament or ordinance we call Communion or the Lord’s Supper.” “I’m serving,” he said. “Yes, you are,” I said. “But whose part are you acting out?” “Jesus’ part,” the pastor finally said. “Fine,” I answered ...

3129. Small Church Communion

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

Steven Burt

... small church in Rome around A.D. 150. On the day which is called Sunday, all who live in the cities or in the countryside gather together in one place. And the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets [scripture] are read as long as there is time. Then, when the reader has finished, the president [preacher], in a discourse [sermon], admonishes and invites the people to practice these examples of virtue. Then we all stand up together and offer prayers. And, as we mentioned before, when we have ...

3130. The Gospel Of Christmas

John 1:1-18

Sermon

James Garrett

... , ‘Give me my Christmas presents early this year. I am bored with this place and am splitting for the big city.’ “And the father took the presents out of the closet and gave them to him. “And not many days after, the son packed his bag and took a long trip to the city, where he wasted all his money in an endless round of Christmas parties. He even hocked his father’s presents, and soon he had spent all that, too. “The minute he had run out of funds, doors were closed to him and the party spirit ...

3131. Jesus Is Rejected

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

James Garrett

... of what youth were wearing, I cried out, ‘Everybody at school will laugh at me.’ My mother said fiercely, ‘You ought to be ashamed of yourself for worrying about what people will think. Don’t you know that it doesn’t matter what people think as long as you know you are right.’ Of course, at age 15, when peer pressure is enormous, I didn’t believe her. Nevertheless, I got some comfort from her words 50 years later when I found myself indicted for my opposition to the Vietnam War.” It doesn ...

3132. The First Christmas Message

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

James Garrett

... , who is Christ the Lord. Jesus was born to be the Savior of the world. That was the first Christmas message. It is the Christmas message today. That’s what we all really need -- a Savior! We want to know forgiveness, salvation, peace with God. A longing both universal and personal. It is ancient and modern. Our whole world needs the Savior. You have received many invitations during this season but none is more important, or equal to the one sent by God at Christmas. In Jesus Christ each of you has a ...

3133. The Greatest Wonder Of All!

John 14:5-14

Sermon

John M. Braaten

... to offer our witness to others without having to be concerned about saying the "right" words or doing the "right" things, as long as we are sharing the goodness and mercy of God. The Spirit can take even simple offerings and transform them into experiences ... . He has cancer and I was wondering if you would be willing to go to see him at our house?" I agreed to do so as long as he was told that I was coming. My relationship with Agnes and Obed deepened as his cancer worsened. Once a week I would call. Then ...

3134. Portrait Of A Powerful Servant

John 13:1-17

Sermon

John M. Braaten

... unrelenting love. In that moment the disciples were given an illustration of such impact that it would remain in memory as long as they had breath. His actions were those of an unabashed lover - giving a new dimension to the disciples’ understanding of ... without requiring love in return. In spite of the stubborn pride of the disciples, Jesus went to work. And he says to us, as he said long ago to the disciples, "Do you know what I have done? I have given you an example that you also should do as I have done ...

3135. Not Defeated But Victorious

2 Timothy 4:9-18

Sermon

O. Garfield Beckstrand, II

... loyalty in personal relations, a basic respect for every person, and the kind of conduct towards others which acknowledges the work of God in every human being. But I think especially this afternoon of the courage and cheerfulness which marked his life during his many long months of illness. Who of us could have walked in his footsteps with greater courage and more cheerfulness? We can only express the words of the disciple when he saw the victory of his Lord over the afflictions of life - "Thou art the man ...

3136. Redeeming Grief

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Eulogy

Charles L. Koester

... . He, a Vietnam veteran, sustained multiple fractures of the leg which hospitalized him for the next six months. His recovery was long and filled with many medical complications. He almost died at one point during surgery. At the funeral all were in tragic ... hell of our heartache. He does not turn away from us, as we are so prone to turn away from him. Nor is he silent during the long night of our anguish of soul at the time of tragedy in the loss of a wife, a daughter, a friend. Nor does God leave us ...

3137. The Room Named Heaven

John 14:1-4

Eulogy

W. George Easson

... But it happens at times that there are those who are denied the normal capacities the rest of us take for granted; those who require unusual amounts of care and attention. For those with the responsibility of providing that care, it does not take long to discover that there are other human qualities of much greater significance in determining the value of life. They soon learn to value life by other things than productive capacity, Things like love and trust, sympathy and patience, honesty and a transparent ...

3138. The Blessed Hope of Everlasting Life

Philippians 3:1-11

Eulogy

James G. Cobb

Preached Just Prior to Pentecost/Confirmation About the person: She was a life-long member of the parish, mid-fifties, with children and grandchildren in the congregation. Diagnosis had ... receiving it. Grace is God's free and unmerited forgiveness and love he brings to us. He is there for us even in times we don't think he is. During these long days of the hospital vigil, the family saw a little, anonymous story in the hospital you may have heard, but it tells the story. It says, "One night I dreamt I was ...

3139. God's Love Is Deep

John 14:1-4

Eulogy

Alan R. Lindberg

... Supper. This peace is more than the absence of pain and trauma: it is the very anesthesia of all of life. It is an entire different existence - beyond time and space. And as much as we humans love this world and will fight to save our lives, we will also long for a life free from the constraints of our human bodies. There will be those today who will try to take God's task of judging ____________. But we believe that we cannot do that. For in doing so, we are doubting the sufficiency of the grace and love ...

3140. Joseph And His Brothers

Genesis 37:1-11, Genesis 37:12-36

Drama

Dallas A. Brauninger

... Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he had made him a long robe with sleeves. 2: But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak ... him out of their hand and restore him to his father. 3: So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves that he wore; and they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it ...

3141. Into The Whirlwind

2 Kings 2:1-18

Sermon

Robert Allen

Certain events, no matter how long ago they happened, are forever etched in your mind. One such event that I shall always remember happened when I was in ... over to hug him. They sat and talked until dawn even though his father had to be at work the next morning. Tommy said, “I was only sorry about one thing: that I had waited so long. Here I was in the shadow of death, and I was just beginning to open up to the people I had actually been close to. “Then, one day, I turned around and God was there. He ...

3142. How To Deal With Frustration

1 Kings 8:22-61

Sermon

Robert Allen

It had been a long day and I was ready to go home. It was almost 9 p.m. and only a few groups of people were left. They were ... paid, he had to sell his lovely home and was now living in a small apartment, and he was still having to dip into his savings just to pay his bills and live. As he told me his long list of woes, I began to be depressed. He had experienced a lot of disappointment and frustration. Finally, he looked up at me and said, “There is one biblical phrase that has come to mean a lot to ...

3143. Selling One’s Soul

1 Kings 21:1-29

Sermon

Robert Allen

... need to be honest with ourselves and openly acknowledge that we like to get what we want. Let’s face it, we like to win whether it is us as individuals, or our family, or our country, or our football team. There is not anything wrong with that as long as we don’t believe we are above the law. However, once we believe we are above the law, we become insensitive to the needs of others, our wants and desires become more important than the wants and desires of others, and we become willing to sell our souls ...

3144. Let It Shine!

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... it. This is the word to those in the new creation of Christ. The spiritual darkness is threatening to blow your light out, and as long as you have the light of Christ in your life that light can never be snuffed out. Stop hiding your light under the bushel. Isaiah ... still struggling with whether to shine that light. They still apologize to people for what God has given them. For too long now they have sold out their souls to the darkness. They have allowed the darkness to overcome their light. They have ...

3145. Hostage Crisis

1 Kings 19:1-8

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... to today is none of these things. The hostage crisis today is where the people of God are taken prisoner by evil and spiritual decadence, where souls have sold out to Satan; where the spiritually anointed are held captive by their own vices, devices, and perverse longings. It is a crisis of flesh and blood, of fear and trembling; a failure of nerve; where the things of God that are good are warring to prevent the things that are of Satan from taking over their minds and souls. The hostage crisis we face ...

3146. Living Beyond Unhappily Ever After

Genesis 21:8-21

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... road to meet her shining hero. Their eyes meet in a halo of passion as he dismounts, embraces her in his arms, and salutes her with a long, searing kiss as the camera fades to black. The End. This story, as with so many Hollywood movies, ends happily ever after. Her lost love has come ... , life beyond broken dreams and discomfited plans. There is life beyond the battlefields, the cold wars, and the long fights. Life even beyond the broken dreams of the cemetery. Keep looking for the watering places. Don't give ...

3147. Holy Diet

John 6:24-35

Sermon

Donald Macleod

... needed to provide full life. Few of us take this seriously. If our physical condition is not up to par, we run to the physician. If we are frustrated, despondent, filled with a sense of failure, aimlessness, and lost meaning, we rarely get upset by it. We long for peace of mind, fulfillment, and a well-rounded life. We aspire, but fall short of spiritual awareness. This means: get to know him (read and reread the Gospels); live with him (talk to him in your prayers); love him (give him the edge of your ...

3148. Playing By A Different Set Of Rules

Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 13:36-43

Sermon

Larry Goodpaster

... are we to do? With such questions and thoughts in mind, I listened again to the rhythm and lyrics of one of the parables of Jesus. This story of the wheat and the weeds sang a lesson I was not prepared to hear. But like a melody that lingers long after the record has been played, this one would not leave me. The plot of the parable is simple. An absentee landlord prepares the land and sows the best seed that is available. With the weather cooperating, the land in good condition, and the extra expense for a ...

3149. Find Your Way Home

Hosea 4:1-19

Sermon

Keith Hammer

... been many bad nights, but this was worst of all. Now he was really alone. He began to have all the bad thoughts again… perhaps life really wasn’t worth living anymore. The doorbell rang. It was his sister Sherri. She reached out her arms and held Terry with a long and warm embrace. “I know it’s the pits,” she said, “I’ve been where you are tonight. Now I’ve come to help you start the trip back like Sally did for me. Let’s go out and eat. It’s on me.” God answered his wayward peple. He ...

3150. Living By A Hunch

2 Kings 4:8-37

Sermon

Keith Hammer

... reporter for the local newspaper put a magnifying glass to his past. He discovered the stranger who eventually became the mayor had a long criminal record before coming to the town and had spent 12 years in prison. How do you make up your mind about people ... stay each time they were in town. Through Elisha, God returned the favor and gave her and her husband the son for which they had longed all their lives. We learn from this lady of Shunem just how important it is that we let God give us eyes of faith too ...

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