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 3701 to 3725 of 5000 results

3701. The Advent-ure of Love

Jeremiah 33:1-26

Bulletin Aid

Dallas A. Brauninger

... Collect We come to Advent carrying the expectation of adventure. Where our faith needs an overhaul, we come ready to receive. Where our practice of loving needs bolstering, we come willing to change. In the name of the coming Christ. Amen. Prayer Of Confession We long for light, O God of love, because we know you will enter the murky areas of our lives. Our fretting comes from forgetting your promise to bring what is fair and honorable. We await your reminder through Christ. Amen. Hymns “Tell Out, My Soul ...

3702. Out of Chaos

Luke 3:1-20

Bulletin Aid

Dallas A. Brauninger

... upon us twirls our lives in confusing circles, People: We call upon hope, and hope calls us out of chaos. Leader: When unexpected events rip apart our goals, People: We call upon hope, and hope calls us out of chaos. Leader: God enters our wilderness. People: Come, O long-expected Jesus, call us into hope. Collect Sustaining God, who stands by us and guides us through the rough, we trust in you. Amen. Prayer Of Confession At first, it does not occur to us to call to you when we are caught in a jumble of ...

3703. Praying for a Whole New World

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

William G. Carter

... his wife, “I feel the need to make a serious change in my life. I can’t decide if I want a sports car or an affair.” His wise wife is a marriage and family therapist. She thought for a minute and said, “I recommend the sports car. In the long run, it will be cheaper.” So he bought the car. Sometimes we can make changes that help us cope with the turmoil in our lives. We can buy something or do something, and gain enough time and distance to manage whatever we must. Sooner or later, however, we can ...

3704. What a Star Can't Tell You

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

William G. Carter

... . 1. Raymond E. Brown, The Birth of the Messiah (New York: Doubleday, 1977), pp. 170-171. 2. From one of Keillor’s unpublished Lake Wobegon monologues, broadcast on National Public Radio. Mr. Keillor is particularly fond of the magi, and they appear frequently in his Christmas stories. 3. Thomas G. Long, Matthew (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1997), p. 19. 4. Thanks again to Tom Long, whose exegesis and proclamation of Psalm 19 has informed my interpretation of the text.

3705. Splashed with the Spirit

Luke 3:21-38, Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

William G. Carter

... places we would not expect. The Spirit will give us power to proclaim what God is doing in Jesus Christ. The Spirit will protect us from the puny powers of this age. A minister named Al was pursuing a doctoral degree in theology. He worked long hours on his dissertation, so many hours, in fact, that his children often entered the study to interrupt. “Daddy, can you come out and play?” “Sorry, kids,” he replied, “I have too much work to do.” “What are you working on, Daddy?” Well, he couldn ...

3706. And On the Third Day...

John 2:1-11

Sermon

William G. Carter

... beer. In actuality they would buy only one case of the expensive brew, and after serving it to dull the taste buds of their guests, they tapped a vat of cheap ale. It was cheaper that way; and according to the second chapter of John, it is a long-standing practice. “You have waited to serve the best until now.” The caterer missed the point. But can you blame him? Jesus has revealed the glory of God, not in high and lofty places, but in the middle of a wedding. He revealed the presence of God, not ...

3707. Today

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

William G. Carter

In one of his books, David Buttrick tells about a cartoon in a magazine. The cartoon showed three men sitting in a row behind a long table. A microphone has been placed in front of each of them. One man was pictured in long flowing hair and a draped white robe. Another was battered, a wreath of jagged thorns on his head. The third was swarthy, with dark curly hair and a pointed nose. The caption said, “Will the real Jesus Christ please stand?”1 Everybody sees Jesus from a different angle, including the ...

3708. The Future Shapes the Present

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... and that God had said he would give them a new covenant, not on stone tablets but on human hearts. Yet, Judah was weak and about to be swallowed up by the Chaldeans. The people of Judah had lost faith in everything. Jeremiah held to God’s long-term promise. As a result of his faith and hope, Jeremiah took his life savings and purchased property, land, in Judah which he knew would be destroyed. Scripture says he paid full price for it, too. He was more interested in buying into the promise of a kingdom ...

3709. Divide and Destroy

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... overcomes the diversity of who we are, how we worship, our present circumstances, and what we believe in our own little groups. F. W. Boreham1 has reminded us that our universe consists of two sets of things; there are Quantities, and there are Entities. Life in the long run revolves around its entities. A pound of butter is a quantity; you can divide it without doing it injury. A quart of milk is a quantity; you can pour it into several glasses without in any way destroying it as good milk. You hear a ...

3710. Truce or Peace?

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... of that church all his life. He was kind, gentle, and radiant. He applied the love of Jesus to everyone he met. Now, the church had a problem. Its former house of worship had not been used in over twenty years. It was falling down. The insurance companies had long since refused to insure it. Birds had built their nests in the pews and everyone was afraid to go in there. It just sat on a corner right in the middle of a major university, taking up space. It needed to be torn down. Several times people had ...

3711. The Scattering of Lesser Figures

Acts 8:9-25

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... was engaged in some research work that could make him famous. He delayed his departure for a few days to complete his valuable research. When he finally arrived in the little town, he was too late. His friend’s little boy was dead. The doctor struggled long and hard with his emotions. His pride had made him a traitor to friendship and service. Gradually he began to develop a new mental attitude of love and service. He resigned his city practice and moved to the small town, becoming a lesser figure in his ...

3712. Taking the Sting Out of Death

1 Chronicles 15:1-16:6

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... He did not know a soul. His name got at the bottom of the list. For an hour and twenty minutes he sat there by himself among strangers. Then a nurse took his name to the back. Two doctors came rushing out. When they found he had been there that long, they said, “Go on home. If you had been allergic you would have passed out by now.” It really makes a difference when the sting isn’t taken out and you can’t see the familiar faces of friends and coworkers. The Apostle Paul states that “the last enemy ...

3713. Even Our Business Belongs to God!

Jeremiah 32:1-44

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... , as we have noted, demand risk and flexibility, not loyalty and concern about community. But recall that it is God’s style to defy the business conventions of corporate culture as we presently experience them. That is what he did in Jeremiah’s day and with long-term success. (Again we are reminded of the Theology of the Cross.) That God would still succeed when he goes against the grain is of course to be expected. After all, he owns the business, your business. And the sooner you get in line with the ...

3714. Life's Not Always Fair, But God Will Straighten It Out

Habakkuk 2:2-20, Habakkuk 1:12--2:1, Habakkuk 1:1-4

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... even though the old dreams of justice and equality seem stillborn, even though we sometimes feel like we are on the treadmill with few alternatives, there is hope. New and better days are coming. God will see to it. Trust him. The Black church in America has a long history of being sustained this way by a hope for the end times. (The technical term for this sort of hope for the end times is to call it an “eschatological hope.”) Life may not be fair, but God is, and so the future has plenty of wonderful ...

3715. God's Gifts Are Free: Enjoy

Deuteronomy 26:1-15

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... God for all the good things that we have? I want to start with the Old Testament because our Christian way of giving thanks is deeply rooted in Jewish precedents. Our assigned Old Testament Lesson from Deuteronomy, though framed as part of one of Moses’ long speeches to the people of Israel, is really a liturgy (an order of worship) of thanksgiving for the presentation of the first fruits of the harvest in the temple sanctuary. Included in this liturgy is a confession of faith. What are these first fruits ...

3716. A Match Made In Heaven

Hosea 1:1-2:1

Sermon

John W. Wurster

... points back to former times, to battlefields of the past, to political shenanigans and treacherous acts, to authority exercised through violence, to rulers who put personal gain over common good and who led the people down wayward paths (2 Kings 9-10). God’s memory is long and God’s perspective is wide and God’s justice is deep. The name Jezreel is a reminder that there is a history of disobedience to be reckoned with. The second child of Hosea and Gomer is named “Not Pitied.” It is a stark name ...

3717. Changing Seasons, Constant Love

Jeremiah 8:4--9:26

Sermon

John W. Wurster

... all those words and all the time learning those words, some of the most important words I’ve learned to speak over the years are very simple ones. They are words I knew before I went to seminary, before I went to college. I’ve known these words for a long time. You’ve known them, too. It’s only recently that I’ve learned how useful they are for ministry, how important they are for my understanding of who I am and who God is. Three little words: I don’t know. I don’t know why children die. I ...

3718. Make Up Your Mind!

1 Kings 18:16-46

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... the Creator of all things good and they were called into being by his mighty power. “Popular” opinion, no matter how popular, cannot change his nature and laws. The Baal followers forgot that as, it seems, have many in our day. Elijah challenged them: “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him” (1 Kings 18:21). You will note that they had no answer to Elijah’s question. Nor, do the pseudo-intellectuals of our generation ...

3719. Bad News from a Good Man!

1 Kings 21:1-29

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... inheritance” (1 Kings 21:3). Notice his priorities. They’ll slip past you if you go too fast. It was not family inheritance that kept Naboth from selling his vineyard. It was something far deeper than that. It was religious principle. “The Lord forbid,” he said. Long before, God said, “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; with me you are but aliens and tenants” (Numbers 25:23). Naboth is saying, in effect, this is not mine to sell. It belongs to God. It was not the ...

3720. Plumb Line Prophecy

Amos 7:1-9, Amos 7:10-17

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... care that you do not forget the Lord. — Deuteronomy 6:10-12 Even in the church we are leaning out of plumb. Our theology tends to be shallow and our sermons are often designed to be inoffensive. Oh, we don’t mind speaking out against issues, so long as we are reasonably certain that what we say will not offend the people of power in our congregations. A friend of mine heard about one preacher who apologized to a prominent person in her congregation by saying, “Well, had I known you might be here today ...

3721. The Promise of a Son

Genesis 15:1-18

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... promised hope for the future! The promise of a son would mean God’s continuing favor. The intent here is not to sound sexist, but the ancients believed that sons were directly a sign of God’s favor for health, wealth, and prosperity of their families. So long as Abram was without a son, he could question God’s approval of his faith and obedience to God. Doubts about God’s affirmation could still linger, but God knew that Abram desired a son and granted him the desire of his heart. What Abram needed ...

3722. Blind Man's Bluff

Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... could have time to think about his ways and get straight with God. Saul had plenty of time to think about what he did and how he did it to the followers of the Way. So long as he had eyes he could see what he was doing, plan what he was doing, look into the eyes of his men who did the doing. So long as he had eyes he could survey the land, take note of the hideouts of the frightened followers, and have command of his prey as an eagle in flight. Stern eyes. Haughty eyes. Patronizing and condescending ...

3723. A Sense of Urgency

Acts 9:32-43

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... waste time. He did not consult his date book to see if he could squeeze the time in to see about the dead woman. He could have reasoned that since she was dead, it was too late to respond urgently. He could have placed it as last on his long list of other priorities. He could have taken his own sweet time to get there. Instead he went immediately with the disciples because the matter was of utmost importance. Arriving at the home of the dead woman, he prayed for her, laid hands on her, and restored her to ...

3724. There Is Hope (A Christmas Communion Meditation)

Luke 1:67-80

Sermon

Brett Blair

... rewrote the story as though it were happening today. Perhaps this will help us to identify with the events that took place so long ago. It goes like this: It was in the last days when Bush was President and Sadaam Hussein had been overthrown in ... Now we live in hope.” Isn’t that what the Nativity story is all about. It says to us that we have been living in fear long enough. It is now time that we live in hope. Hope is not something to be gotten around to after all fears have been banished and disproven ...

3725. Born Again and Again and...

Ephesians 1:1-14

Drama

Dave Marsh

... ! John: I made that verse up. Katie: Oh. John: Let me read you the real thing: "And because of what Christ did, all you others too, who heard the Good news about how to be saved, and trusted Christ, were marked as belonging to Christ by the Holy Spirit, who long ago had been promised to all of us Christians. His presence within us is God's guarantee that he really will give us all that He promised; and the Spirit's seal upon us means that God has already purchased us and that He guarantees to bring us to ...

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