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 351 to 375 of 3108 results

351. A LITURGICAL DRAMA FOR PENTECOST

Drama

Tom Eberle

Pentecost The Pentecost season accounts for approximately one-half of the church year. Because of its length, this portion of the liturgical calendar loses the conciseness of the other festival seasons. In one sense, though, the length of the Pentecost season is appropriate. Pentecost is the time of the church, living under the New Covenant. For approximately six months, then, the attention of the church is directed toward the living out of this new relationship. The church seeks to demonstrate the full ...

352. The Children of Promise

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

A serial killer is the object of a serious psychological study in the novel The Alienist by Caleb Carr. The alienist in the nineteenth century was an expert in mental pathology. In this story, set in 1896, the alienist is Llazo Kreizler, hired by Theodore Roosevelt, then Commissioner of the New York City Police Department. Mr. Roosevelt was intent upon apprehending the serial killer of the young boys caught in the web of an unsavory lifestyle. As Kreizler tries to develop a characterization of the nature ...

353. A Remedy For Anger

Matthew 5:21-26

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you ever noticed that anger can cause us to do some dumb things? Several years ago William F. Merten of Mt. Clemens, Michigan, wrote to Reader's Digest to tell about a memorable argument he had with his wife. The argument was well under way as they left a party one evening. Once they were in the car, words were flying. The area they were driving through was not the best, so they stopped arguing just long enough to lock the doors. Then they started again. Merton's wife had really worked up a storm, and ...

354. Watch What You Eat

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Columnist Erma Bombeck has set up some rules for herself for eating or not eating food on her many travels. She offers the following suggestions: Never eat anything you can't pronounce. Beware of food that is described as, "Some Americans say it tastes like chicken." If a country does not have one single head of cattle, no range and no cowboys, don't order beef. This is no time to be a sport. When they tell you how the skin of what you are eating makes wonderful shoes and handbags, leave it. Resist eating ...

355. A Healing Presence

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

I want to call you to prayer in a focused sort of way this morning. And we need to remember as we pray, because of who we are as Christians, that word of the prophet Micah, listen to him - he shall judge between many peoples. And how shall decide for strong nations far off, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. That’s a dream of the kingdom, a kingdom that the Lord promises ...

356. The Offense of Grace

Matthew 5:43-48, Matthew 5:38-42

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

Victor Hugo begins Les Miserables with the story of Jean Valjean. He is an ex-convict who has just been released from nineteen years in prison for stealing bread to feed his sister's children. As he reenters society, no one will house him or give him work because of his criminal record - that is until he stumbles into the bishop's house. Much to Valjean's bewilderment, the bishop treats him with kindness and hospitality. Seizing the moment, Valjean steals the bishop's silver plates and, then, flees into ...

357. The Secret Of Our Confidence

2 Timothy 1:11-12

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Hear we are on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and I wonder if you feel very thankful. Some would reply, “Brother Bill, some of us are more thankful than others. It depends on one’s circumstances.” You know, it’s easy to celebrate Thanksgiving when your family is healthy, your income is ample, your stocks are ascending, your favorite team is headed to a bowl game, your sinuses have overcome the Memphis grunge, and your aches and pains are minimal. But that kind of thanksgiving can be awfully superficial. ...

358. Out of the Miry Bog (Dealing with Depression)

Psalm 22:1-31

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

I’ve told you this story before, but it’s such a good one, it deserves repeating. And it’s the best story I know to introduce the sermon this morning. A business man’s wife was experiencing depression. She began to mope around and be sad, lifeless - no light in her eyes - no spring in her step - joyless. It became so bad that this “man of the world” did what any sophisticated person would do. He made an appointment with the psychiatrist. On the appointed day, they went to the psychiatrist’s office, sat ...

359. Can You Carry Your Weight?

Romans 13:8-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

If someone were to stand in front of you and offer you a choice - in one hand “objective” truth, in the other hand “subjective” truth — which would you pick? Bet you’d go with the “objective.” But anyone here like to be treated like an “object?” Anyone here not want to be treated like a “subject?” In a “Peanuts” cartoon, Charlie Brown says to little Lucy: “My Dad said that someday I might be able to run for President.” “Really, Charlie Brown?” Lucy answers. “He certainly must think highly of you!” “I don’t ...

360. How Can I Know God's Will?

Acts 1:12-26

Sermon

King Duncan

Wesley D. Tracy tells about a woman whom he calls Kate Dowd. That is not her real name, but she is a real person. Kate, a dedicated wife and mother, volunteered at her church, helped with Cub Scouts, tatted lace, and knitted scarves. Then she discovered something that was more exciting than all the rest of her activities combined riverboat gambling. Almost immediately her life was completely changed and not for the better. Kate would cross the river daily to Illinois and board either the Alton Belle or the ...

361. Breaking The Cycle - God’s Answer In Forgiveness

Genesis 45:3-11, 15

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

People often mistake forgiveness for a feeling, but it goes much deeper. Basically it boils down to a choice, an act of free will. A prime example of forgiveness from the scriptures is Joseph. Joseph, the elder of the two sons of Jacob by Rachel, comes to the pages of the biblical account at age seventeen (Genesis 37). He is first seen tending his father's flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, Jacob's other wives. The biblical account does not go into detail about what ...

362. Cleaned and Claimed

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you ever been around someone who is not particularly concerned with personal hygiene say, in a crowded elevator? If so you can be grateful that you didn’t live 100 years ago or 200 years ago. One of the changes that has taken place over the centuries that we can be thankful for is the concern for personal hygiene. For example, what if we lived in the 1500s? This is interesting. One writer tells us that in the 1500s most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still ...

363. Blessed

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

We hear it all the time. We hear it in church, in interviews with sports and movie stars, and we hear it a whole lot around the Fourth of July. “I’ve been blessed.” “We’ve been so blessed.” But what does it mean? What does it mean to be blessed? Usually we associate it with plentitude. It means that we have a lot of something: money, property, talent. Certainly, in that sense things haven’t changed much over the past 2,000 years. Ask any first-century Jew who the blessed people were in their community and ...

364. How to Pray

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Most of us choose to attend a church or a Bible study or a small group because we feel good there. We feel the presence of the Lord. We feel cared for. And yet, in almost every Christian gathering, there is a moment that strikes fear in every person’s heart. No, it’s not when we pass the offering plate. It’s when someone says, “Is there anyone who would like to pray? I’m just going to open us up with prayer, and then each one of you offer up a prayer as you feel led.” For some of us, it is terrifying! You ...

365. Dynamic Preaching January 2024 Sermons

Sermon

King Duncan

[Note: While King Duncan is enjoying a well deserved retirement we are going back to his earliest sermons and renewing them. The newly modernized sermon is shown first and below, for reference sake, is the old sermon. We will continue this updating throughout the year bringing fresh takes on King's best sermons.] Original Title: Preparing for a Royal Visit New Title: Getting Ready Mark 1:1-8 January 7, 2024 (Baptism of the Lord) A little boy attended his first symphony concert. He was excited by the ...

366. 2025 Lent Sermon Series

Sermon

Various Authors

From Upside Down to Rightside Up by Wayne Brouwer 1. A Portion of Thyself – Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 2. Into the Wilderness – Luke 4:1-13 3. Mountaintop Experience - Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) 4. Whose Fault Is It? – Luke 13:1-9 5. In the Mirror - Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 6. Terms of Endearment – John 12:1-8 7. Scandal - Luke 22:14-23:56 8. Night and Light - John 13:1-17, 31b-35 9. Faces at a Funeral - John 18:1-19:42 10. Creation Reborn - John 20:1-18 What If It’s ALL True? by Lori Wagner 1. The Wild Within – Luke 4:1- ...

367. The Upside Down Life

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

I confuse “inversion therapy” with “aversion therapy.” The latter (“aversion therapy”) is where you train your dog not to leave your yard, or not dig, or not bark, with a collar that shocks the dog when it does run off, dig, or bark. “Inversion therapy” helps alleviate back and neck pain by taking the usual gravitational press we live with and literally “standing it on its head.” One method is to strap your feet into boots and hang upside down like a big bat. Rosie O’Donnell once did this on the Ellen ...

368. Proper 12

Mt 13:31-33, 44-52 · Rom 8:26-39 · Gen 29:15-28 · Ps 105:1-11, 45b

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

TREASURES AND TRASH The parables in Matthew 13:44-52 continue the series of eight that are found in this chapter. The previous parables were told in public to a large crowd (see Matthew 13:1-3). Now Jesus moves into a house where the disciples came to him (Matthew 13:36). He first explains the parable about the weeds among the wheat. He then proceeds to tell the three parables in Matthew 13:44-52. Two of the parables, the treasure hidden in the field and the pearl of great value, are twins. The third ...

369. Milli Vanilli Religion

Matthew 7:15-23

Sermon

James Merritt

Several years ago one of the greatest scandals ever to hit the music industry occurred. Two young men had formed a group called Milli Vanilli. They cut an album called "Girl, You Know It's True." For that album they won a Grammy Award. They were invited to give concerts everywhere. They were making money by the boatloads. There was only one problem. They had lip-synced the entire recording, and they had to return the Grammy. When you played their tape, when you listened to their music, it sounded just as ...

370. A Song for Tomorrow

Psalm 1:1-6

Sermon

James Merritt

It occurred to me the other day just how much God loves music. Think about this – the only art of earth that we take to heaven is music. I don't know what all we are going to do in heaven, but if you sing or play an instrument already I know one of the things you are going to be doing. Even if you don't sing and you don't play, you are going to learn very quickly - perhaps to do both. The Bible makes it very plain there is always music in heaven. Of all the arts and crafts that human kind has learned over ...

371. The Weeds

Matthew 13:30

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: weeds Is there anyone here who has a garden? What do you grow in your garden? Do you have any corn, peas, potatoes, pickles, tomatoes, strawberries? Sounds like a wonderful garden. Maybe you have flowers in a garden. Does anyone grow roses, petunias, daffodils or flowers like that? I think that people who have flowers around their houses have some of the luckiest houses in the world. A house has to feel dressed up when someone takes the time to plant flowers and make it look pretty. There is one ...

372. The Heart Of The Matter

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

Robert P. Hines

A number of years ago a man owned a red Ford Pinto station wagon. He bought it when he was going to college, and kept it for quite some time. In its last few years of service, the car had several thousand dollars put into it. The owner had to replace the engine; he had to put in a new transmission; and he had the whole body repainted. It looked good on the outside, but it had some serious problems on the inside. The heart of the matter was that it was really on its last legs. When he finally bought a new ...

373. Proper 26

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12, Habakkuk 2:2-20, Habakkuk 1:1-4, Luke 19:1-10

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 In a world of adversity the righteous live by faith. Habakkuk and Yahweh are engaged in a dialogue. The prophet, a contemporary of Jeremiah, served during the reign of King Jehoiakim (608-597 B.C.) and during the last days before the Babylonian conquest. Under Jehoiakim conditions in Judah were horrible lawlessness and oppression. In the light of these conditions Habakkuk goes to Yahweh with a complaint: Where is he? Why does he not answer? Why doesn't he do ...

374. Advent 3

James 5:7-12, Isaiah 35:1-10, Matthew 11:1-19

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Isaiah 35:1-10 A message of promise and hope comes to the captive children of Israel. Yahweh is going to free them from their oppression and open a road through the parched desert to the holy city of Jerusalem. The writer (not Isaiah) poetically pictures the entire creation participating in the redemption of God's people as the desert springs to luxuriant life, free of ravenous beasts. In this second exodus from the land of captivity to the promised land, the redeemed leave their ...

375. The Merciful

Sermon

John A. Terry

Matthew 5:1-12Matthew 18:23-35 The quality of mercy is not strain'd,It droppeth as a gentle rain from heavenUpon the place beneath: it is twice blest;It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomesThe throned monarch better than his crown.(The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, scene 1) In our practice of "mercy" there is a kind of "I'll scratch your back -- you scratch my back" philosophy. Be decent to others and they will be decent to you. It is like the story on which ...

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