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 3576 to 3600 of 4959 results

3576. Is There Room For A Prophet?

Malachi 3:1-4, Luke 3:1-6

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... will come?" Big brother Jason said, "I've been very good, but my sister just robbed a store."(1) Obviously, at four, little Susie didn't fully understand the Commandment "Thou Shall Not Steal." Part of that misunderstanding was human nature and the desire to take whatever you want. But part of it was just her age and inexperience. Misunderstandings like that happen all the time, even to people with experience and understanding. Take for example the character in our Scripture today, John the Baptist. I've ...

3577. Room For A Savior?

Luke 2:22-33

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... who 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 aren't clearly marked and the directions he'd 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 ...

3578. First Class Freedom

Galatians 5:1-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... Welch was a staunch Methodist and heavily involved in the Temperance Movement in part because his son was an alcoholic. He had helped his son sober up only to see him fall off the wagon because he took communion using real wine. That was the spark for his desire to created an unfermented wine for communion. Which he did in 1869. At first the church would have nothing to do with it, but Dr. Welch was hardheaded and persistent and finally convinced his local church to use it by appealing to the idea of Mutual ...

3579. Flying First Class

Ephesians 1:3-13

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... in the midst of his past catching up to him. Because of that "Upgrade," because of the Grace Jean Val Jean experienced through the Bishop, he was able to reach out to others and Fly First Class by living a First Class Life in Christ. Conclusion That's what God desires for each of us. God in Christ offers each of us an Upgraded life. Just like the Bishop, Christ ransomed our souls and has given us back to God. Not because God had to; not because we did enough good deeds to earn it; not because we're the best ...

3580. Altar Your Gifts

Malachi 3:10, Luke 6:27-42

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... of this Church. I believe a Church budget isn't so much a financial statement of what we need. I believe that a Church Budget is a ministry dream sheet. Within those figures lie dreams and ideas for ministry that we as a congregation have; the concern for others; our desire to be faithful to Christ and our calling to reach out and go out into the world to make disciples. All of those are reflected in every line item the budget. A budget is a hard thing to develop. It's hard to put a dollar figure upon the ...

3581. LOST? Looking For Love

John 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, 1 John 4:7-19

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... when I called her by name. And you see, that's the Good News, God does know our name. God knows us more intimately than we know ourselves. God know our comings and goings. God knows our strengths, our weaknesses, our foibles, our failures. God knows our struggles and desire to do right. God knows how easy it is for us to muddy up and cover our lives in filth. God also knows how we prevaricate and make excuses for our own failures and faults while judging harshly, those around us. God knows all that and the ...

3582. Lost? Looking For Happiness

1 Peter 2:9-12

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... you out of darkness into his marvelous light. [10] Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. [11] Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. [12] Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge. You and I are called to live differently ...

3583. Only Jesus

Mark 9:2-9

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... what we are called to do is stay focused. We're called to stay focused and we're called to help others. We're called to help our children and youth stay focused, too. That is what is behind all of our youth and children's programs. A desire to help them listen to God and to focus their lives on Jesus only. A few years ago there was an article in the "Faith and Inspiration" section of the Star Telegram one Saturday titled, "Impress a teen....go to church." According to the Princeton Religion Research Center ...

3584. That's All I Want

Psalm 23:1

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... is so much more to the 23rd Psalm than just the passage which talks about walking through the valley of the shadow of death and fearing no evil. This Psalm is about a unique relationship that we have with the Good Shepherd and the relationship which the Shepherd offers and desires for us. The problem is that it's one of those passage we know so well, we can recite by rote without ever thinking about the meaning. Because we know it so well, we don't listen to it any more. It's right up there with the two ...

3585. Followed By Mercy

Psalm 23:6

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... to experience Grace because Grace leads to Mercy and mercy leads to Goodness. II. Mercy I think there's a great example of Mercy in the holiday classic, A Christmas Story. In the story, it seems all the adults are conspiring against young Ralphie's one desire. All he wants is a Red Ryder B-B gun. Everybody keeps telling him, "You'll shoot your eye out." He gets more and more frustrated and irritated and it spills over into all of Ralphie's relationships. After one particularly trying day at school, Ralphie ...

3586. Jonah: Run!

Jonah 3:1-10

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... get back on their feet after Marvin lost his job and couldn't afford rent anymore. The Arlington Life Shelter helped both Marvin and Kerry find jobs. They've been able to open a savings account. And the computer skills Marvin has learned had spurred a desire to go back to school to learn even more so he can upgrade his learning potential. It's little things like the canned goods, food other supplies we bring to the pantry. They helped 400 plus families with groceries last year. Flood buckets. Mosquito Nets ...

3587. A Chance To Start Over

John 8:3-11

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... the minds of the crowd of accusers that day, because they came armed with weapons to carry out the sentence before the verdict had ever been reached. I think it's interesting that the word translated here "without sin" can also mean "without a sinful desire." This woman was only a convenient opportunity for the Pharisees to try and trap Jesus and they knew it. No wonder this self-proclaimed mob of morality mongers who didn't care about the woman or her sin, dropped their stones. And when they did, Jesus ...

3588. Five Smooth Stones

1 Samuel 17:1, 4-11, 21-24, 32-50

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... name is tattooed or written on the palm of God's hand. In Isaiah 49:16 God says, "See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands...." Some folks have a hard time comprehending that God knows each and every one of us by name. Or that God desires a personal relationship with each of us. These folks sort of view life like a giant Ant Farm. Remember those? We're the ants and God is the owner. We go about our business and God just sits back and watches. Every now and then God might throw a treat ...

3589. What's In A Name?

John 15:9-17

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... time and for all time. She really didn't introduce me in the normal sort of social way, you know, "Billy, I'd like you to meet...." No Mary did it subtly by her lifestyle and her practices. She introduced me to a relationship that I discovered I wanted, desired, needed for myself. One I've discovered I can't live without. Listen to how Jesus describes that relationship. John 15:9-17 (NRSV) [9] As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. [10] If you keep my commandments, you will abide ...

3590. CSI: Jerusalem

Luke 24:36-48

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... distribution centers in New Orleans. What would make over 600 college age youth give up their spring break to live in tents they brought, in miserable conditions with little if any running water, minimal shower facilities and 14-16 hour days in filthy conditions? Not a desire for fame and fortune. What is it that inspires 3000 youth and adults from the Central Texas area to scatter to the wind every summer and pay $350 to live and eat in a church for a week and work painting, building, cleaning and the like ...

3591. Cross Eyed: Triumph

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... tomb. They stooped down and looked in. And there they saw the burial clothes lying there and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head rolled up in a place by itself. And they believed. This morning we come from all kinds of places with all kinds of needs and desires, with all kinds of fears and burdens. Some of us have come running and we're out of breath. Some of us have come because we've been drug here by family or friends or by the force of some need in our lives. Some of us have come because ...

3592. How Brave Are We?

Luke 5:1-11

Illustration

King Duncan

Let me tell you a true, but humorous and slightly scandalous story that comes out of the early days of the church. When the father of Origen, a third century theologian, was arrested for being a Christian, Origen, then only 17, was aflame with the desire to follow his Dad and share in glorious martyrdom. His mother pleaded with him not to go, but the headstrong boy did not want to listen to reason. His quick thinking mother did what she could. She hid his clothes. Though Origen stormed and protested, she ...

3593. The Empty Church

Illustration

Thomas Reeves

... . Christianity becomes a cultural Christianity when the faith is dominated by a culture to the point that it loses much of its authenticity. What we now have might be labeled as a Consumer Christianity. Millions of Americans today feel free to buy as much of the Christian faith as seems desirable. The cost is low and customer satisfaction is guaranteed."

3594. Your Face Gives You Away

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

King Duncan

... 3) I guess you can file this under the category, “You can fool some of the people some of the time . . .” People who are looking for a mate want to put on their best face. Nothing in the world is more normal or natural than that. But the desire to improve our appearance can lead to some unfortunate situations. Pastor Glen Schmucker tells about a young woman who was in his youth group years ago. She was a teenager when he last knew her. Today she is a single adult and has a very high‑pressure job. She ...

3595. Gladdening the Valleys Below

Luke 9:28-45

Illustration

Edward F. Markquart

... primarily on the mountaintop. I like the quotation by Henry Drummond, the Scottish theologian when he said, "God does not make the mountains in order to be inhabited. God does not make the mountaintops for us to live on the mountaintops. It is not God's desire that we live on the mountaintops. We only ascend to the heights to catch a broader vision of the earthly surroundings below. But we don't live there. We don't tarry there. The streams begin in the uplands, but these streams descend quickly to gladden ...

3596. Commitment (Series: Fundamentals of Family)

Ephesians 5:22-33

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... sure to crumble. A prominent pastor in this country says Ephesians 5:22 means that a wife should relinquish her rights and fall in line under her husband’s authority like a solider obeys his commanding officer. It might not be the wife’s desire to fall in line under her husband’s orders, but it is her spiritual calling under God. Let me kindly comment, “That’s heresy.” Power corrupts and absolute power absolutely corrupts. When love of power replaces the power of love, families are destined to ...

3597. Valley of Suffering (Series: Peace in the Valley)

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... from the Chinese who ravaged his land and murdered his people, yet he continues to radiate peace and joy. Someone asked the great spiritual leader how it was possible that a man subjected to so much persecution could avoid being filled with anger and a desire for revenge? The Dalai Lama replied, “In my mediation I allow all the suffering of my people to enter into the depth of my heart, and there to be transformed into compassion.” Now, let me give just a word of caution to compassionate people. Few ...

3598. Thanks for the Memories

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... lake every cabin was lighted by kerosene lamps. You see, the transmission lines had not yet been laid. People lived in the shadow of a magnificent hydroelectric dam, but were not yet plugged in. There is a will of God. The will of God can be known. The desire to please God pleases God. Plug into the Power. This is my prayer: that your fruit will be plentiful. I pray that you will be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ. (Verse 11) Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my ...

3599. Come and See

John 1:43-51

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... enormous teeth, down in the depths, and a jellyfish forest. The pelican assures Nemo that his father is probably out in the harbor right now. Finally understanding the depth of his father's love for him, Nemo shrugs off his complacency, and becomes even more resolute in his desire to get back home. There are so many people in the world who feel abandoned by God. If they think of God at all, for many of them it's God is far away and completely disinterested in their lives. They have no concept of what God ...

3600. The Family Album

1 John 3:1-3

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... you have been blessed beyond compare. Because the focus is God and not the money. It's an affair of the heart and soul and the focus of the heart and soul that matters in Stewardship. Our focus is this great love God has for us and our desire to share that love with others through the work and ministry of the church. Conclusion Dr. Tony Campolo likes to tell how God is like a grandparent who visits with friends and relatives, and then begins to pull out all the pictures of their children and grandchildren ...

Showing results