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 2173 results

351. Proper 12

Matthew 13:44-46

Bulletin Aid

Theme: A Reign worth any sacrifice Exegetical note The first two parables in this selection form a pair and say essentially the same thing from two perspectives: God's coming Reign is like a treasure or rare jewel that is so invaluable that it is worth total sacrifice. Matthew's message in recording these two parables was probably an indirect exhortation to his contemporary Church to accept self-sacrifice willingly. Call to Worship Leader: Let us worship the God of hidden treasures! People: LET US PRAISE ...

352. Easter 5

John 14:5-14, John 14:1-4, 1 Peter 2:4-12, Acts 7:54--8:1a, Psalm 31:1-24

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

TEXTS FROM ACTS AND PSALMS The lesson from Acts tells of the stoning of Stephen. The psalm has no actual connection with Stephen's speech or the account of his execution, but in the story of his death Stephen prays. Psalm 31 is itself a prayer-song for deliverance from one's enemies in which the psalmist utters a line (31:5) similar to Stephen's first prayer (7:59), so there is an imaginative way to relate the texts to each other. Acts 7:55-60 - "Living and Dying as Jesus Did" Setting. The pattern of story ...

353. Changed Lives - Nicodemus

John 3:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

[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: Changed Lives – Nicodemus New Title: What Does “Born Again” Mean? If you have ever been around a child who is mentally challenged and has difficulty with speech, you may appreciate a ...

354. Prescription on a Pole

John 3:1-21

Sermon

David J. Kalas

We have so many aisles of medications in our country today that home remedies may be a vanishing art. So many over-the-counter products boast that they can cure what ails us, not to mention the almost infinite number of prescription medicines that our doctors may commend to us for our good. An older generation, however, remembers the homemade treatments and concoctions that were handed down from Grandma. It was hard to trace the science behind such traditional home remedies, but they had the credibility ...

355. I Wonder about God’s Will for My Life

Romans 12:1-2

Sermon

Charley Reeb

We have all seen them. As we drive down the road, there as plain as day. I am not sure who the source is, but they are certainly there—those signs from God on the highway. You know, the pitch black background with a white message from God. I saw one just the other day that read: “We need to talk” -God I got to thinking about those signs and asked myself: Wouldn’t it be nice if God really spoke to us this way? Wouldn’t it be nice if we were ever confused about something, all we would have to do is look at a ...

356. Redeemed

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Animation: paycheck (month) or $2000-$3000 in cash [Hold up the check or cash.] I’m holding here a paycheck for $3,000. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, that’s an approximate month’s take-home salary for an average American today. $4,000 gross. $3,000 net. Some of you probably make more than that, some less. But that’s the national average for 2015. At the dawn of the first century, an average wage for an Israelite would have been the equivalent of about 7 or 8 silver shekels per month (in ...

357. A Larger Design For Living

Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon

Clement E. Lewis

Words Of Preparation from 1 Peter 2:4-5: Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house. Hymn: "Higher Ground" Scripture: Matthew 7:24-29 (NRSV) Jesus said, "Everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been ...

358. Salvation as Hope

Romans 13:8-14, 1 Thessalonians 4:13--5:11, 1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Sermon Aid

T. A. Kantonen

Salvation is the fundamental concept of Paul’s theology but salvation, even as present experience, can be understood only when it is viewed in an eschotological perspective. Paul’s doctrine of man derives its dimension of depth from his eschatology. To interpret human experience in mere psychological terms is superficial. Man is flesh and spirit but these are cosmic powers. Corresponding to them are the antitheses: grace versus law, spirit versus letter, new covenant versus old covenant, freedom versus ...

359. Advent 4

Luke 1:39-45

Sermon Aid

First Lesson: Micah 5:2-5a But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from who shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live ...

360. Believe It Or Not!

Isaiah 52:13--53:12, 1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship One: For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. All: For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." One: Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? All: For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through ...

361. Lent 3

Exodus 17:1-7, Psalm 95:1-11, John 4:5-42, Romans 5:1-11

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Gathering Have a water supply available in the narthex for your congregation to fill their cups and glasses and then have them leave their seats and surround the baptismal font. Pre-assign different voices to speak the following litany as people pour water into the font. Clean, pure, rushing water, running on the streets, flood water, muddy water, bath water, bottled water, ice cold water, steaming hot water, salt water, spring rain, bubbling up from our eyes, from the earth, from your heart. Leader Water ...

362. The Healing Power of Faith

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

King Duncan

There is an old, old story about a traveling evangelist who also advertised himself as a faith healer. In one of his crusade services he jumped on the platform and said, “I have faith that two people will be healed tonight. Where are you?” he asked. “Who would like to be healed?” A man ran down the aisle, named Harry. Asked what his ailment was, Harry said he had a lisp. He explained sadly, “I can’t talk wite.” He was instructed to go behind a curtain. Another man hobbled down on crutches. His name was ...

363. Out of Control (Good Friday sermon)

John 18:1-19:42

Sermon

John Jamison

[Note to the preacher: As I write this message, my vision is that it is something more than just another sermon. It is written in four sections, each one presenting a step in the story of the events of that Friday. My personal presentation of this message would be in one of two ways, depending on the experience I am wanting to create. Option 1 would be to use this as the format for the entire Good Friday service, with each section of the story separated with music, liturgy, or any other activity desired. ...

364. The Bramble King

John 15:1-17, John 15:18--16:4, John 16:5-16

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Here are their names: Simon (whom he named Peter), Andrew (Peter's brother), James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the zealot), Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him). "A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of ...

365. Dressed for Success?

Luke 24:36-49, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Judaism is the story of how the love we feel for another person leads to the love of G-d, and robes us in garments of light.” (Rabbi Jonathan Sacks) Prop: a white tie and white baptismal shawl / wear a clergy collar or robe that day How many here work in a business? In a school? In a hospital? Any other kinds of workplaces? [Give people time to answer.] No matter where you work, I’m guessing you have some kind of dress code. I’m wearing today my pastoral garb. While sometimes I don’t, you can be sure that ...

366. Identity Crisis

Genesis 32:1-21, Genesis 32:22-32, Genesis 33:1-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

We all walk with a limp. Our walk with God is a broken gait. Or at least an uneven one. God is always in the lead. Always sure. Always strong. We (on the other hand) walk with God weakly and imperfectly. Sometimes even disastrously. But as long as we continue to walk, we remain in relationship. And that’s what’s most important. In life, our limps and our scars tell our stories. Stories of the struggles we’ve survived. Stories of the wounds we’ve suffered. They leave a visible trace upon our person, a ...

367. Israel's Unbelief

Romans 9:30--10:21

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

Righteousness: Gift or Reward? So far Paul has considered the case of Israel from God’s side. God made choices from among Abraham’s descendants to create a peculiar people for himself. The election of Jacob over Esau was independent of human merit or responsibility, since the choice was made when both were still in Rebekah’s womb. If in subsequent generations God hardened Pharaoh and blessed Israel, it was “in order that [his] purpose in election might stand” (9:11), a purpose rooted in mercy and directed ...

368. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

Romans 15:14-22

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

In the present section Paul returns to matters of personal interest which he broached at the beginning of the epistle (1:8–15). Romans 1:8–15 and 15:14–33 are the only two sections of the epistle which might be called autobiographical. Although they fall outside Paul’s main argument, they provide vital information about his reasons for writing. Both sections attest to the apostle’s longstanding desire to visit Rome (1:10, 13; 15:22–24, 28, 32) and to bring his readers a spiritual blessing (1:11–13; 15:29 ...

369. Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues

1 Corinthians 14:1-25

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

The Practice of Prophecy The discussion returns to the direct consideration of spiritual gifts that was the explicit focus of Paul’s remarks up to 12:31a. One should notice at the outset that Paul’s general concern is with orderly worship, but there are bends and turns to the argumentation that are hard to follow and highly debated. Moreover, as later readers turn to this passage they sometimes forget the concrete historical circumstances that lie behind Paul’s remarks, but to do so is a disaster. Paul ...

370. A Shocking Revelation

Revelation 1:9-20

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

Why did you come here today? Have you given it any thought? Why did you come here today, to church? There are all the usual reasons, I suppose: It’s our habit! It’s what we do on Sunday mornings! That’s probably as good a reason as any! Thank God for good habits! But maybe it’s more than that for you. Maybe you’ve had a rough week, a strange week, a tiring week. Maybe things aren’t working out in your marriage. Maybe the first days of University are more than you’d bargained for. Maybe life on the job isn’ ...

371. The Door of Prayer

1 Timothy 2:1-8

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

During my seminary days, I pastored two small churches near Bardstown, Kentucky. One of those churches had Sunday night services. Since it has always been a challenge for me to produce one sermon a week worth hearing, the thought of two sermons a Sunday seemed overwhelming. So we had a lot of hymn sings for Sunday night service. At a hymn sing the people present call out their favorite tunes and everybody sort of sings along. Mrs. Stora Barlow was a public school teacher in that congregation. Every time I ...

372. Restarting Joy - Rejoice

Isaiah 55:10-13

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Joy does not depend on the external events of life. Adversity may hit us with gale-like force, but the joy in our hearts will be determined by the will of our souls. Joy is a choice! In his book, Laugh Again, written in 1991, author Charles Swindoll relates that he was on the Dallas Theological Seminary's Board of Regents as they interviewed the first woman faculty member. Her name was Lucy Mabery. Swindoll chronicles the incredible journey of Professor Mabery on her ride to being a faculty member at ...

373. Christian Success and Christlikeness

1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

Big Idea: When the Christian faith is reduced to a mere complement to cultural norms, churches come to affirm the very things they should despise and despise the very things they should affirm. Understanding the Text First Corinthians 4:6–13 ends Paul’s response to the deeper and broader issues in the report coming from Chloe’s household. Paul brings the tension between Corinthian ideals and true Christian ideals into their sharpest contrast yet by pointing to his own situation. Everything about Paul, both ...

374. A Broken Vessel for Jesus

Mark 14:1-11

Sermon

Michael Milton

It was the ancient custom to anoint the feet of the honored rabbi. Jesus was likely anointed on many occasions, but two stand out. One is recorded in Luke 7:36-50 in the house of Simon the Pharisee. There, in a scene filled with pathos, a woman tenderly wipes Jesus’ feet with her tears. The other is our text for today. As we come to Mark 14, we come to plotting and betrayal. But sandwiched between this evil is the second story of anointing. It is the story of a broken vessel by a broken woman. It just may ...

375. The Narrow Door

Luke 13:22-30

Sermon

King Duncan

Some of you remember George Foreman. Foreman is a two-time former heavyweight boxing champion of the world. He is also an Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and entrepreneur. Foreman is a colorful character who is probably better known today for his George Foreman Grill. When he won his second heavyweight world championship, at age 45, he became the oldest man in the world to win the heavyweight title. It’s quite a remarkable story. In his book, God in My Corner, he tells about that ...

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