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 301 to 325 of 679 results

301. True or False?

Isaiah 1:1-31

Sermon

John W. Wurster

... wash away iniquity, who can clothe us afresh and fashion us anew. A God offering a hand to hold, a path to follow, a way to go. Not always a way that is easy or lucrative or painless, but a way that is good and holy and right. A God yearning to show us that way, and guide us, befriend us, and protect us on that way. A God who is steadfast and sure, solid and strong. Do you know a God like that? Maybe this passage of Scripture is too old, too obscure and just plain too irrelevant. But if ...

302. God Knows

Isaiah 5:1-7

Sermon

John W. Wurster

... or concern or interest, then this passage has to make you reevaluate that. Here is a vulnerable God. A God who loves what God has made, who is invested in creation. God longs for love to be returned and aches for potential to be realized and yearns for righteousness and justice from those whom God has created. Yes, God has expectations. Like any lover, God has expectations. When those expectations are not met, God is not free from pain and disappointment. We know what that’s like, don’t we? We know what ...

303. Blah, Blah, Blah

1 Timothy 3:1-16

Drama

Dave Marsh

... , time for work said the tick and the tock. So he threw down his Joe and got ready to go, for he knew that there were shelves to be stocked. Narrator: Now Matt liked to drive in his car, although work wasn’t really that far. Wisdom he’d yearn, so the knob he did turn. Cause there’s nothing like news in the car. Narrator: (Radio person) Blah blah blah, blah blah blah, the radio would say to him. Blah blah blah, blah blah blah, Rush Limbaugh sounded so grim. Blah blah blah, blah blah blah, advice for ...

304. The Language of the Heart

Psalm 100:1-5

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... words. It is the language of the heart. In the American church we hear it most vividly voiced in the songs of slaves in the South. The spirituals reflected an unconquerable faith even in the midst of a horrible life. They grew out of a deep yearning to pass beyond the harshness of today to reach a better tomorrow. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, comin' for to carry me home..." That faith in the ultimate triumph of justice is with us still: "We shall overcome, We shall overcome, We shall overcome someday." The ...

305. Integrity

Song of Songs 2:1-17

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... me of the time when, as a teenager, I discovered ardent letters written by my grandparents when they were in the throes of young love. The discovery completed my picture of them. They were real people after all, animated by the kind of impulses and yearnings I knew quite well. These dignified and upright people - who, before my discovery, I could only imagine going to bed fully clothed - also had a love for one another that was as hungry and tumultuous as the sea. And as their lives demonstrated, passionate ...

306. True Excellence

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... up saying? "There's nothing to watch." Mediocrity ” mediocrity everywhere. Thus St. Paul's words at the end of the twelfth chapter of I Corinthians sound sweet to our ears, "But I will show you a more excellent way." Thank God! In this shallow world how our hearts yearn for a more excellent way. Let's listen for a moment to St. Paul's formula for excellence: "Though I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and ...

307. Reality Maps And Rolling Stones

John 20:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... , though? "I don't know anybody," says Woody Allen, "who can contemplate death and hum a tune at the same time." If your reality map tells you that life ends at the grave, wouldn't it be natural to try to extend life as long as possible? No wonder people yearn for some method by which they can cheat death. Their reality maps tell them it's the end of the line. THIS WAS THE REALITY MAP THAT THE FRIENDS OF JESUS WERE OPERATING UNDER THAT FIRST EASTER. The picture we get from the New Testament is of a group of ...

308. Drooping Arms And Crooked Feet

Hebrews 12:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... other basic ingredient. Why would attitude make such a huge difference? One reason is that the better our attitude, the higher our level of energy. You've experienced it yourself. You've had a rough day at work. By four o'clock you are dragging. You're yearning for the five o'clock whistle. You struggle through traffic, drag your weary body home, and plop down in your easy chair, too worn out to do anything but reach for the remote control. But a friend calls and invites you to do something you really enjoy ...

309. Have You Checked On Your Investments Lately?

John 6:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

Approaching 40, Bill yearned for a boat. Frugality won out until the day he came across the obituary of an old high-school classmate named Ted. Ted had been the same age as Bill and now he was dead. Bill was certain this was a sign that life was too short. So he went ...

310. The Leadership Principles Of Jesus

Hebrews 5:11-6:12

Sermon

King Duncan

... second half was about to begin. Without Lambeau's instructions, the Packers faltered in the last two quarters and lost the championship 23-17. (1) One of the most important themes in society today is leadership. Every corporation, every institution, yearns for a strong effective leader. Maybe you remember when Chrysler Corporation was on the economic ropes, nearly bankrupt. Then Lee Iacocca was hired to save this troubled company. Within five years Chrysler experienced a profit of 925 million dollars! That ...

311. When Are You Coming?

Isaiah 63:1-6

Sermon

King Duncan

... well. "Mamma, mamma," he kept repeating, "When are you coming?" The plaintive cry of Isaiah is much like that. He cries out to God, "O, that you would rend the heavens, that you would come down . . . " He is saying, "Mamma, Mamma, when are you coming?" Isaiah yearns for some sign of nearness from a God who seems to have turned His back on His people. A God-forsaken people is a people in trouble. Have you ever felt God-forsaken? Welcome to a large and distinguished company. Every believer will feel that way ...

312. Are You Going Down?

Luke 2:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... joy of his kingdom. A woman visited a tourist town and stopped to see a cathedral. As she stared at the beautiful stained-glass windows, a feeling of peace washed over her. She hadn't felt that way since childhood, and she had a deep yearning to attend church again. Kneeling before the Christmas scene, she studied the figure of the Christ child whose arms were outstretched. She wished with all her heart that those arms were reaching out to her. She remembered Christmases of long ago when her family attended ...

313. The Real Tragedy Of The Tv Evangelists

Mark 6:7-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... they worry if they're playing evangelist." It has been 60 years since Sinclair Lewis wrote his fiery indictment of the traveling evangelist. His spiritual predecessor of Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart was named Elmer Gantry. In this classic portrayal of the yearning of the spirit in battle with the weakness of the flesh, the flesh wins. Lewis saw in a clear and unforgiving way, the potential for abuse that the role of the modern evangelist entails. Fortunately, most people don't associate such shennanigans ...

314. Walk Together

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

King Duncan

... in a marvelous way. St. Paul was single and expressed the opinion that celibacy was really the best style of life. Most of us would disagree, but people who choose to remain single certainly need not apologize on Scriptural grounds. Most of us yearn for a happy marriage, though. That is the wonderful way in which God has created usmale and femaleone complementing the other. Because this is such an important part of our life, let's consider God's intent for the marriage relationship. AN ELEMENTARY ...

315. Welcome To The Mountain. Now Go Home

Exodus 24:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... the mountain. His commitment to rationalism would not allow him to climb it, perhaps, but he knew it was there. Pity the person who never ascends that mountain of exultationwho never senses the glory of God. PITY EVEN MORE THE PERSON WHO YEARNS FOR THE MOUNTAIN OF EXULTATION, BUT REFUSES THE VALLEY OF SERVICE. Once Billy Graham took part in a television show in London that included some wellknown British personalities. The host was discussing the current evangelistic crusade in Earls Court. He askedas they ...

316. Looking For Happiness In All The Wrong Places

John 4:1-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... , happiness. Somehow she was searching in all the wrong places. People do that. PEOPLE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS IN THE ACCUMULATION OF THINGS. Clare Booth Luce was one of the most remarkable women of our time. She had everything most people could yearn for. There is an interesting story about when she was appointed United States Ambassador to Italy. She located in that historic land a beautiful seventeenthcentury Italian villa. She established her residence there. Soon after moving in, however, she began to ...

317. Finding Our Way Back Home

2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... hadn't found his way home. (1) That must be a terrible feeling--to lose your way home. Let's talk about that for a few moments this morning. Father's Day is a good time to think about home. St. Paul in our reading from 2 Corinthians writes of yearning for his heavenly home. We can appreciate that. We, too, have a home in heaven. Some of us, however, need to pay more attention to our home on earth. What are some of the functions of a healthy home? HOME, FIRST OF ALL, IS WHERE WE LEARN VALUES. IT IS ...

318. Be Careful How You Walk

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

King Duncan

... evening, after the other families had left, the third little pig said to her siblings "Now I know what love is, for I have experienced it." (3) That's the kind of love that happened in the New Testament church. That is the kind of love St. Paul yearns for each of us to experience. When the church really is the church, we are visiting in one another's homes. We are breaking bread together. We are worshiping and studying and singing with one accord. Life cannot beat us down when we are joined like that. Sin ...

319. The Awesome Power Of Believing

John 1:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... build himself a house. "Here, take my branches," cried the tree, "and build your house." He did and the tree was happy. More years passed. Now the young man was growing older. He was tired of his surroundings. He wanted to see the world. When he expressed his weary yearning to the tree, she exclaimed, "Cut me down. Take my large trunk and make yourself a boat. Then you can sail away." And that's what he did. The tree was happy. Many more years passed and an old man returns--too old, too tired to swing from ...

320. Ready For The Great Race

Hebrews 12:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... own life. Is there some sin that is holding you back from being the kind of person God created you to be? In the final "Star Wars" trilogy, 900-year-old Yoda lies down to die. As he is dying he continues to instruct young Luke Skywalker, who yearns to be a Jedi-a real fighter of the space force. "Remember," says Yoda, "Jedi ™s strength flows from the Force. Beware of anger, fear...the dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path forever will it dominate your destiny...Do not underestimate the ...

321. Who Is He?

Mark 8:27-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... must have inspired her that evening, because all at once she said, "Joni, Jesus knows exactly how you feel ” you aren't alone in this ” He was paralyzed too. Remember how He was nailed to the cross? His back was raw from being beaten, and He must have yearned for a way to move or redistribute His weight. But He couldn't. He was paralyzed by the nails, unable to move." That was a moment of revelation for Joni. After that, she was no longer angry with God, and she felt Him become incredibly close to her ...

322. What Is True And Who Can You Trust?

John 18:28-40

Sermon

King Duncan

... to live in a society where no one could be trusted. Truth is essential ” even when it hurts. In his book THE DIFFERENT DRUM, M. Scott Peck presents an interesting theory about relationships. He says God designed us to yearn for open, honest, authentic relationships ” "communal" relationships. But because we choose peacekeeping over truth-telling, we end up in "pseudocommunal" relationships instead. These are marriages, family relationships, or friendships that are strictly surface level. No one says ...

323. Angels Announce His Coming

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan

... focus on are those who serenaded a group of shepherds on a hillside long ago with their song of "Peace, Goodwill toward men." LET'S THINK ABOUT THAT WORD "PEACE" FOR A MOMENT. It is one of the most welcome words in our vocabulary. Every generation yearns for peace. Christmas is all about peace. A former German soldier once told a true story about his own experience of Christmas peace. The story is set in World War I. After months in the trenches, the soldiers of that awful conflict were miserable with lice ...

324. A New Look For A New Year

Isaiah 61:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... WILL PROVIDE US WITH "A CROWN OF BEAUTY INSTEAD OF ASHES." Ashes are the symbol of grieving, mourning, despair. During Lent people put ashes on their foreheads as a sign of contrition and repentance. There is a time for ashes, but according to Isaiah, God's yearning is to replace our ashes with a crown of beauty. One translation says a garland of beauty. The crown and the garland are symbols of victory not defeat. They say to the world, "Here is a winner." Can you imagine the change that would take place ...

325. The Cry Of Freedom

Matthew 22:15-22

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... out that it is different being on one's own. And many of them end up back in the nest. Freedom overwhelmed them. The cry that I have heard from the various countries and its people for the last two years has been the crying and yearning for FREEDOM. From Germany to the Soviet Union, from Poland to Romania, from China to Chile, from South Africa to the West Bank, is the cry for freedom. The walls have fallen and Checkpoint Charlie is no more. Structures of political oppression are changing in the Soviet ...

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