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 3276 to 3300 of 4959 results

3276. Humble Acts of Service

Mark 8:31--9:1

Illustration

Brett Blair

During the dark days of World War II, England had a great deal of difficulty keeping men in the coal mines. It was a thankless kind of job, totally lacking in any glory. Most chose to join the various military services. They desired something that could give them more social acceptance and recognition. Something was needed to motivate these men in the work that they were doing so that they would remain in the mines. With this in mind, Winston Churchill delivered a speech one day to thousands of coal miners ...

3277. Making Your Mark

Mt 23:1-12

Illustration

King Duncan

... and desecrated. A tremendous uproar arose among the inhabitants. They feared the vengeance of the gods. The town crier walked the city streets commanding the criminal to appear without delay before the Elders to receive his just punishment. The perpetrator naturally had no desire to give himself up. In fact, a week later another statue of a god was destroyed. Now the people suspected that a madman was loose. Guards were posted. At last their vigilance was rewarded; the culprit was caught. He was asked, "Do ...

3278. A Humbling Moment

Matthew 23:1-12

Illustration

... flattered him, I Corinthians 5:1. With much dignity he turned to those at the grave side and read: "It is reported commonly that there are fornicators among you!" Pastor Hartwig doesn't tell us what happened after that. We all like to impress people. We all desire status in the community. We all have our heads turned by flattery. However, if we get stuck on any of the mid-range of needs material comfort, status, power, etc. and believe that this is the ultimate goal of life, we miss the true joy of living ...

3279. Doomsday Prophets

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

Steven A. Peay

... . Thus, the Seventh Day Adventists were born. Later the prophetess Ellen White, Miller's spiritual successor, would move her headquarters to Battle Creek, Michigan. There her protégé, Dr. John H. Kellogg, a vegetarian, would develop the corn flake, partially because of a desire to use Old Testament dietary laws, and make the city the cereal capital of the world. An out-of-work men's clothing salesman from the north side of Pittsburgh had a religious experience that made him look to Christ's second coming ...

3280. Waiting

Mark 13:24-37

Illustration

Eric Ritz

... the bedroom. Maybe his Dad would be in a better mood. A character in T. S. Eliot's play, "The Elder Statesman," shares this insight on waiting: "If I had the energy to work myself to death how gladly would I face death! However, waiting, simple waiting with no desire to act, yet a loathing of inaction. It is like sitting in an empty waiting room in a railroad station on a branch line after the last train, after all the other passengers have left, and the booking office is closed and the porters have gone."

3281. Twas the Beginning of Advent

Mark 13:24-37

Illustration

Richard J. Fairchild

... and dolls and all sorts of toys. Enough to seduce even the most devout girls and boys. Unfortunately, it seemed, no one was completely exempt From this seasonal virus that did all of us tempt. The priests and prophets and certainly the kings Were all so consumed with the desire for "things!" It was rare, if at all, that you'd hear of the reason For the origin of this whole holy-day season. A baby, it seems, once had been born In the mid-east somewhere on that first holy-day morn. But what does that mean for ...

3282. In the Wrong Place?

Mark 1:1-8

Illustration

King Duncan

... was invited to preach at a nearby country church he had never been to before. As he set out he was uncertain which road to take since most rural roads are not clearly marked and the directions he had been given left something to be desired. He stopped to ask directions along the way. The person he asked tried, but mistakenly steered him down the wrong road. The morning was pleasant and although the road seemed a little longer than the pastor had expected, he cheerfully continued on his way. Finally he ...

3283. Thank You, Magic Dragon

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... "emptied himself." This kenosis, this self emptying, enabled Jesus to enter fully into humble human form and to participate in the "form of a servant" which he freely chose. Christians, too, need to practice kenosis, emptying ourselves of human fears and desires, opening space within our souls. Once we are emptied we are ready to experience pleurosis, "filling up" those ego-abandoned caverns of our hearts with the spirit of Christ. As Philippians warns us, this emptying and filling demand both humility and ...

3284. The Three Stages to Truth: A Biblical Philosophy of Education

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... on; it doesn't add up; something is missing; things still haven't changed. On the Emmaus Road they can only be perplexed about this mighty prophet: "We had hoped he was the one." In Jerusalem they are paralyzed with fear when the very one they most desire to see actually appears before them. Yet it is only by experiencing this stage of search theology that the disciples are ready to listen to the truth Jesus will now lay before them. There is an Aesop fable about a dispute between the sun and wind over ...

3285. Wrong!

John 3:1-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... the Kingdom of God and the "already is" of Christ's resurrection and ascension. Every age is "equidistant from eternity" in terms of its moral status. A recent New Yorker cartoon depicted one Puritan saying to another as they stepped off the Mayflower: "My immediate desire is religious freedom, but my long-range goal is to get into real estate." If any people should be able to thrive in the good news/bad news days of this in-between world, it should be Christians. Our attitudes and actions must reflect this ...

3286. In Christ, or in a Jacuzzi Jesus?

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... reshape your life. When you step out of a jacuzzi, the air hits your artificially warmed muscles and they all tense up again; your artificially-toned sags all bag again. Nothing has really changed. Donald J. Shelby (Santa Monica, California) quotes an unnamed writer who expressed this desire for a Jacuzzi Jesus with pungency: "I would like to buy only $3.00 worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don ...

3287. A Postmodern Coat of Crayola Colors

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to God: Biblical Conversion in the Modern World [Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1989], 73) Travel through the postmodern world in which we live today requires both these "hot" and "cold" colors. Interestingly, in the emerging postmodern culture with its desire to be "cool," to "chill out," we are seeing more "cold" colors catching on than "hot." The following virtues seem to be in particular need during these latter days of the twentieth century. Hot Colors: Fuchsia - Compassion. Everywhere one looks ...

3288. The Golden Calf and the Golden Table

James 1:17-27

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... and our current addiction to knowledge. Knowledge, the stockpiling of information, is often indiscriminant in its tastes and unconcerned with its use. James cautions in this week's text that Christians become conscientious doers as well as hearers of God's word. Our desire for pure knowledge, untempered by wisdom, can lead to a similar threat. Steeped in knowledge, we can still sit comfortably, doing nothing. Wisdom, the gift from God, is necessary to guide the use of knowledge, as well as our use of the ...

3289. The First Christmas Card

Philippians 4:4-9

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... is more than a party day, more than a family gathering. It is recognizing the arrival of God in our midst - for our sake and for our salvation. Yet salvation is more than the forgiveness of sin. Salvation brings with it a tremendous sense of wellness and joy and a desire to live life wholly and abundantly alive.

3290. Church Slugs

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of our Bill of Rights, we find free speech under assault throughout the United States, including on some college campuses. The notion of political correctness has ignited controversy across the land. And although the movement arises from the laudable desire to sweep away the debris of racism and sexism and hatred, it replaces old prejudice with new ones. It declares certain topics off-limits, certain expressions off-limits, even certain gestures off-limits. Political correctness can be applied to ...

3291. Getting the Face We Deserve

Exodus 34:29-35

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... " as we have tried to determine whether the faded silhouette it displays is actually Christ's own image? Moses himself is determined to see God on his second trip up to Sinai's heights. Accordingly, God does go to great lengths to make this desire a reality. But what God does not mention, and Moses does not discern, is that experiencing God's presence in our lives can and should dramatically change us. This week's text from Exodus suggests that sometimes those changes are even physically hazardous. Moses ...

3292. What's Your Drink?

Isaiah 43:16-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

What do we thirst for? What is our drink? Jesus offers his disciples deep drinks of "living waters." Draughts of the “Living Waters" must be our signature sip, our desired drink. Civilized behavior the world over demands that a proper host or hostess offers some sort of sustenance when welcoming visitors into their homes. Who among us doesn't feel compelled to quiz their guests, even before they get a chance to sit down, about what we might be able ...

3293. Unum Humanum

John 17:20-26

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... kinship until they experience the breakdown of borders and bigotry and boundaries within their own souls, until they recognize the divine spark flickering in every heart. Not surprisingly, even as national borders become less meaningful and less useful, they are yet greatly desired. As the Cold War has thawed out the Communist Bloc, it has left the components of the Soviet Union in a messy quagmire. Out of tradition and out of fear, these countries are making a last ditch attempt at nationalism. It is ...

3294. Down the Up Staircase

Genesis 11:1-9

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of the Lord cannot reach out to the wounded traveler because these men will not act as conduits, or "Jacob's ladders" for God's descent. But Habgood finds the other focus of this parable, though usually overlooked, an even stronger example of the divine desire to be with humanity. The priest and the Levite refused to venture even across the road in order to help the beaten man. They stuck to what they believed was the safety of their familiar route. Helping the other would have meant getting off the ...

3295. Speak Up for Forgiveness

Hebrews 13:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... on true forgiveness. It is rather a scheme for fixing blame. We are not capable of genuinely forgiving the tendency for bureaucracies to dehumanize their workers. However, we are able to forgive our co-worker for refusing to acknowledge our individual needs and desires. We must not fall into that old trap where we virtuously claim that "we love humanity - it's people we can't stand!" True forgiveness must always have a face. Secondly, Wangerin insists that we must "remember our own forgiveness" (98-99 ...

3296. Rags and Robes

Micah 1:1-7; 2:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... preaching to crowds of overalled and gingham-dressed disciples. Reviewing Barrows' work for Arts magazine (April 1992), William Hendricks, Dean of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, notes that throughout the history of Christian art there has always been a desire to depict Jesus as "one's own kind", a process usually accomplished by "clothing and context" (15). Hendricks reminds us that Jesus has traditionally been clothed in everything from raggedy swaddling strips to the elegant richness of bejeweled ...

3297. Toys R Us. NOT!

Ephesians 1:11-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... games - all under one roof. Despite the huge variety of goodies crammed into each store they are all of one "type": kids' stuff. The temptation to develop only one facet of our character at the expense of all the others is usually fueled by a noble-sounding desire to be "the best" at some particular thing. From childhood we are taught that if we want to excel at some skill or activity we need to practice discipline, give up other sidelights that may distract us or take too much time and focus our energies ...

3298. Give Us a Break

2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... as "down-time." While the wisdom of all these "breaks" is obvious, we rarely think about "taking a break" for the sake of our soul. When is the last time you looked at the fast track and considered just what is making you run? Is your race sponsored by a desire for wealth or power or security? Or do you feel urged on by the call of Christ? Does the prospect of spending quiet time alone send you into an anxiety attack? Perhaps we even need to take a break from a church life that has gotten crammed full of ...

3299. The Harvest of Love

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Illustration

Helen Keller

That blessed saint, Helen Keller once wrote: "Christmas is the harvest time of love. Souls are drawn to other souls. All that we have read and thought and hoped comes to fruition at this happy time. Our spirits are astir. We feel within us a strong desire to serve. A strange, subtle force, a new kindness animates man and child. A new spirit is growing in us. No longer are we content to relieve pain, to sweeten sorrow, to give the crust of charity. We dare to give friendship, service, the equal loaf of ...

3300. The Monster Under Megan's Bed

John 6:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of Jesus' healing powers. All the text tells is that those who had enough faith to "sit down" received all they could possibly want from Jesus' hands. Children don't yet see generations of hatred and animosity. They see common needs, common desires, common hungers. Remember Yitzhak Rabin's funeral? What do you remember? The tears and testimony of his young grand-daughter spoke the most eloquently and passionately for the dream of peace for which her grandfather had just given his life. Her words breathed ...

Showing results