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 3826 to 3850 of 4962 results

3826. Day Of Decision

Mark 14:10-26, 43-52

Sermon

King Duncan

Long, long ago, or so I've been told, Two saints, they met on the streets paved with gold. "By the stars in your crown," said the one to the other, "I see that on earth you, too, were a mother. And by the blue tinted halo, I see that you wear, You, too, have known sorrow and deepest despair." "Ah, yes," came the answer, "I once had a son. A sweet little lad, full of laughter and fun." "But, tell of your child!" "Oh, I knew I was blest, The first moment I held Him, close to my breast; And my heart almost ...

3827. Only the Abba Knows

Mark 13:32-37

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

I originally thought of titling this sermon “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Apocalyptic Eschatology,” but discarded that idea, for fear that there might be one or two who might not know what I was talking about. Actually, that is exactly what this sermon is about: “Apocalyptic Eschatology.” “Eschatology”-the study of the “last things,” and “Apocalyptic” - a revelation, unveiling, uncovering. The last book of the Bible, which we call “Revelation” is also titled “Apocalypse,” because that is its ...

3828. The Great Divide

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

King Duncan

It has been said there are only two groups of people in the world: those who divide people into groups and those who do not. And I suppose that is true. But we do live in a divided world. East and west, north and south, blue state and red state, black and white, male and female, rich and poor the list goes on and on. Some of these differences are of little importance. Others shape our existence from the cradle to the grave. No divide, however, is as important as that divide represented in our lesson for ...

3829. Simeon and Anna: The Quiet of the Country

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

In the movie, “A Patch of Blue”, the blind girl asks her grandfather, “Old Paw, what’s green like?” The irritated man answers: “Green is green, stupid. Now stop asking questions.” There follows a poignant scene in which the young girl claws the grass with her hands and gently rubs a leaf against her cheek, trying to experience the reality of “greenness”. That is a parable of the human situation. We want to experience reality. We try to dissect it, claw at it, analyze it, explain it. God helps us here. When ...

3830. Looking at Jesus from Behind Prison Bars

Matthew 11:2-11

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

How different things must have looked for John behind prison walls. If ever the word "free spirit" applied to anyone, it applied to John. He said what he wanted to say, without holding back. If the scholars are correct that he was an Essene, then he had gone into the wilderness specifically to get away from everyone. The Essenes wanted to worship their way, with no interference from anyone. Now, those prison walls confined John. We can't know what it was like for John to be the superstar preacher. We don't ...

3831. A Rebellious Nation

Isaiah 1:1-31

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

Introduction--Jerusalem Judged and Restored: Chapter 1 introduces both the message of Isaiah ben Amoz over three decades and the book as a whole. The people have paid the penalty for abandoning their relationship with Yahweh (vv. 2–9) and need to own the fact that they have perverted their life with Yahweh by practicing religion but not justice (vv. 10–20); judgment can then be a creative purging that restores justice as well as the relationship (vv. 21–31). 1:1 The fact that the word vision always denotes ...

3832. Job Considers a Legal Dispute with God

Job 9:1–10:22

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

Big Idea: Job wants God to declare him righteous, but he cannot envision how to bring this about. Understanding the Text In chapters 9 and 10, Job takes up the challenge made by Bildad in 8:5 to plead with the Almighty. As he contemplates this possibility, Job focuses on his legal status before God. In this speech he begins to work out in his mind how he might approach God with his situation, and how God might respond to him. In his soliloquy in chapter 9, Job turns over in his mind whether he should enter ...

3833. God's Most Welcome Gift

Isaiah 9:6-7

Sermon

King Duncan

We’re grateful for the boys and girls in our congregation this evening. I want to begin with a riddle just for them. Boys and girls, what did Adam say to his wife on the night before Christmas? The answer: He said, “It’s Christmas, Eve!” And, of course, it’s true. This is Christmas Eve. And what an exciting evening it is as you await the coming of Santa. Of course this is the season for giving and receiving gifts. And the greatest Giver of gifts is God. Think for a moment about all the gifts God has given ...

3834. Are Ye Able?

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

Although Christianity was an illegal religion during much of the first three centuries of the faith, there were both times when authorities turned a blind eye to their existence, and other times when persecution was intensified. During the reign of the Emperor Trajan (98-117AD) persecution intensified. In 108 AD, one of those arrested and condemned to be thrown to the wild beasts for the entertainment of the cheering crowds was Ignatius, the overseer of the church at Antioch. Antioch had been a center of ...

3835. Permission To Daydream

Joel 2:28-32, Joel 2:18-27

Sermon

Robert P. Hines

Manny pictured it in his mind. He would go to Harvard Law School and graduate with highest honors. He would come back home and run for office: mayor, state representative, governor, and finally, president of the United States. He could see himself doing important things in politics, helping people in significant ways. He would fight poverty, repair bridges and highways, clamp down on crime, and negotiate peace in different parts of the world. When he saw these things happen in his mind, a great big smile ...

3836. The Men

Drama

William Grimbol

SETTING: Four men gathered in a courtyard garden for conversation TIME: Christ's ministry ARNOLD: The man is a lunatic. JOHN: He is beyond that. Claiming to be God. How absurd. ARNOLD: The man is crazy to be preaching and teaching what he does. I mean, really, I am all for helping the poor, or assisting those who are widowed or alone. But ... the idea that the first shall be last? Did you hear that quote? The first will be last one? JOHN: Exactly. He is crazy. Completely. BILL: This helping the poor can be ...

3837. Dead or Alive?

Joel 2:28-32

Sermon

What red-blooded member of the Western story and Western movie cult has not developed a fascination for the old-style posters proclaiming that someone is wanted "Dead or Alive"? The Scriptures for today suggest we should have before us a series of posters with our pictures on them, each proclaiming in the boldest of print: "WANTED! Alive; not Dead!" This is the impression one gets from the whole biblical message. Moses in his farewell address reminded the people that God had set before them blessing and ...

3838. What Must I Do?

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

King Duncan

Not everything in life can be accepted at face value. Sometimes we are fooled. For example, one of the best-known sites in New York City is named Trump Tower. Trump Tower is named, of course, after successful realtor and self-promoter extra ordinaire, Donald Trump. Located in mid-Manhattan this spectacular building is 68 stories tall, according to most reference sources. At least that's what the books say. And, in fact, there is a button for the 68th floor in the elevator. Pushing that button takes you to ...

3839. The Autobiography of God

John 14:5-14

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

Halford Luccock once told of a woman in a certain American city, who called a local minister on the telephone a week or so before Christmas. She was in much agitation, and explained that she was in charge of the community Christmas tree lighting ceremony. What disturbed her was the limited selection of carols to be sung. She could not, she said, find just the right songs for such an occasion. “Most of the Christmas songs,” she said, “are so distressingly theological.” “Well, replied the minister, “ ...

3840. The Wedding Guest

John 2:1-11

Sermon

Mark Trotter

I imagine those of you who have been hosts at a wedding reception, or anticipate doing that sometime in the future, were interested in the Gospel lesson for this morning, where Jesus attends a wedding and turns the water into wine, not only producing the finest of vintages, but also covering for the host’s bad planning. The host was able to tell his guests, "Well, I was just reserving the best for the last." Someone suggested the title of this sermon ought to be, "No Wine before Its Time," which is clever ...

3841. Walking First Class

2 Corinthians 3:12-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

McFaith. You know people like that don't you? They want Gospel Lite as if it were something consumable and not something to consume their souls. They don't want to bear the cross as Jesus said, but they'll gladly wear it as jewelry. They don't seem to get it. They have no idea what their destination or purpose in life is all about. They remind me of a story told about the late Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes. When he was eighty-eight years old he was traveling by train. When the conductor came ...

3842. Future Perfect

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Do you remember High School English class? Not English lit or American lit. I mean the class where they taught or tried to teach us all about adjectives and adverbs and dangling participles? One of the things I remember about English class diagramming sentences. It was then that we had to know all parts of a sentence and especially all the various tenses. Past, Present, Future and then there was one that always bumfuzzled people, the Future Perfect. According to the website, www.EnglishPage.com, "The ...

3843. Rules for Christian Households

Colossians 3:18-4:1

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

The Household Rules The NIV entitles this section “Rules for Christian Households.” Here Paul sets forth a series of reciprocal admonitions that are to govern the relationships between wives and husbands, children and parents, and slaves and masters. This list forms what has come to be known in academic circles as the Haustafeln, a German term meaning a list of rules or duties for members of a household. Similar lists to the one in Colossians are found in Ephesians 5:21–6:9 and 1 Peter 2:18–25, 3:1–7. The ...

3844. Please Use The Servants' Entrance

John 13:1-17

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Dr. M. Scott Peck is a respected Christian psychiatrist and noted author. You may have read his best-selling book, The Road Less Traveled. Peck is not a theologian, but listen for a moment to his comments regarding our scripture lesson for the day: What a strange way for the guest of honor to act during a final meal with his friends. What incomprehensible behavior from a ruler who would momentarily announce, "I confer on you a kingdom." In those days, foot washing was considered so degrading that a master ...

3845. Epiphany 3

Mt 4:12-23 · 1 Cor 1:10-18 · Is 9:1-4 · Amos 3:1-8 · Ps 27 · Ps 139

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Isaiah 9:1-4 This passage is a portion of the First Lesson for Christmas Day. On that occasion it was employed as a fulfillment of the expectation of the birth of the Messiah. In the context of Epiphany it is used as a fulfillment of the promise that the Messiah would be a light for all the nations. This passage was written during a time of great darkness and gloom. The tribes of Zebulon and Naphtali had been subjugated by the Assyrians in 734 B.C. Yet, the prophet envisions a ...

3846. Jacob And The Night Wrestler

Sermon

Jerry Eckert

August 22, 1982 Comment: A good story can be done a number of ways. Astory about Jacob lent itself as a short story when I didit. Since then, I have come to see it as a radio drama, notunlike those frequently heard in the '40s and '50s in whichthe hero narrates and has some dialogue with a limitednumber of other characters. Sound effects would be nice andcould be handled by a creative team working on this story. Those who study the biblical story closely will realizeI have taken some liberties, as most ...

3847. Reuben: I'm Not A Sandwich

Genesis 37:12-36

Drama

Dr. Raymond Bailey

THEME: Reuben is one of the forgotten characters of the Bible -- the one who, by normal processes, should have received the birthright as the firstborn son of Israel. He tells of the common experience of feeling like a second-class son, because Israel favored Joseph. He shares family events, as well as his inner soul. SETTING FOR THE SERMON MONOLOGUE: Most persons have heard the story of Joseph and his brothers. Many people have heard the story over and over. They have rarely, if ever, heard the ...

3848. Epiphany 6

Luke 6:17-26, Psalm 1:1-6, Jeremiah 16:1--17:18, 1 Corinthians 15:12-34

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The numbering of the Sundays of Epiphany warns the liturgically-initiated that the climax of the season of manifestation and ministry is approaching, and that with it comes the beginning of Lent. Christmas and the Epiphany of our Lord have diminished in the thought and worship of the churches by this point in Epiphany. Theological clues continue to surface in the name - Epiphany - of the season that the Episcopal and Lutheran churches use for these Sundays. "Ordinary Time 6" and "Proper 6 ...

3849. The Upside-down Kingdom of God

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Johnny Dean

Doesn’t it seem to you that our whole culture (when we’re not tuned in to catch the latest nonsense coming out of Washington) is devoted to reminding us that our chief goal in life is to be happy? ("Yes, what he did was wrong. But the economy is good and I’m happy.") There was even a song about the importance and preeminence of being happy a few years ago. Do you remember it? "Here’s a little song I wrote, you might want to sing it note for note: Don’t worry. Be happy!" Advertising sells products based on ...

3850. The Confessions of a Younger Brother

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

"There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom. And he called out, ‘Father ...

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