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 4076 to 4100 of 5000 results

4076. One Life-Changing Word

Isaiah 9:2-7 · Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)

Sermon

King Duncan

... that would come down out of the clouds. He was prophesying “a shoot from the stump of Jesse . . .” That is Isaiah’s way of saying that there was a Messiah coming who would establish a new world order, who would bring into being a new kingdom in which love is more important than power and service is more important than domination. In our lesson for today from Isaiah, the prophet puts it this way “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders . . . And he ...

4077. Down by the Riverside

Mark 1:4-11 · Genesis 1:1-5

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... and his family moved a couple of years ago and began attending a small United Methodist Church in their area. They fell in love with the folks and joined recently. None of Carl's family, except Carl, had ever been baptized, so the whole family, including three ... 't solve all your problems. But it will mark you as one of God's. It will help you to know that you are accepted and loved by God even in the midst of those problems. It will give you a new name, Christian. It will say "YES" even to your yesterdays. It ...

4078. Revolutionary Rules For Living

Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... would upset them to think that I am their enemy? How can I win them as a friend or at least a non-threat? Jesus does not allow me to spit out venom against individuals. We can soften the blows that come our way by expressing God’s love toward those people. “God calls his children to a countercultural lifestyle of forgiveness in a world that demands an eye for an eye — and worse” wrote Brennan Manning. A word of caution. Jesus did not allow himself to be used as a doormat, nor should we. He stood ...

4079. The Sweet Scent of Death

John 12:1-8

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... for Jesus prepare you for the time that is to come. This Holy Communion, I invite you all therefore to smell the sweet scent of spikenard, even as you consume the body and blood of our Lord Jesus. As you partake of Jesus’ sacrificial gift of life, remember the love and commitment that he must have felt as he not only died a wrenching and painful death but did it for our sake, pleading with God with his dying breath to forgive us for what we were about to do. May the scent of this day remain with you. And ...

4080. Ordinary Sin

Luke 22:28-34, 54-60

Sermon

Will Willimon

... Who do people say I am?'' Jesus told the rest of the class he wished they could be as perceptive as Peter. We don't love Peter for that, for who doesn't despise the teacher's pet? But this week Peter flunks the final exam, blows it big. "Weren't ... know the man," Peter swore. Some denial from the man Jesus once called, ''The Rock." Surely Jesus meant that nickname as a joke. And we love Peter for that because lots of the time our brash declarations of faith are also a joke. ''I believe," we say in church. But ...

4081. Acres of Diamonds

1 Timothy 6:10

Sermon

Russell Conwell

... sense also knows that there is not any one of those things that is not greatly enhanced by the use of money. Money is power. Love is the grandest thing on God's earth, but fortunate the lover who has plenty of money. Money is power: money has powers; and for ... earned and built, when he turns to his bride and with an eloquence greater than any language of mine, he sayeth to his wife, "My loved one, I earned this home myself; I earned it all. It is all mine, and I divide it with thee." That is the grandest ...

4082. Preachers, All!

Acts 2:1-13, Acts 2:14-41, Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

Will Willimon

... help, to inquire about the possibility of that occasion, but you also said, ''I guess we have never talked about something like religion, or spirituality, but I want you to know that I believe that Jesus Christ is more than an idea. He is a presence. He loves you, loves you very much, and because he has helped me through so many crises in my own life, I believe he can help you through these crises. Would you like to pray together?'' And she did. And she said that the prayer helped, and you helped. Isn't ...

4083. Lamb and Wolves

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Sermon

Dave Zuchelli

... from their appointed objective. Like Jesus who had “set his face toward Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51 KJV), they were to set their faces toward the town or village to which they were sent. They were to be purposeful and focused. Their ultimate end, after they had won the love and respect of the people to whom they were sent, was to tell them “the kingdom of God has come near to you” (Luke 10:9). Their instructions appeared to be a lot of hoops to jump through just so they could relate that simple phrase. It ...

4084. Out of the Darkness

Matthew 5:13-20

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... in Jesus. I am now an elder at my church and am free from alcohol. On the weekends when I am not working, I find people who have problems and needs like I had and try to help them. This all happened because you loved me with Christ’s love.” (4) People can sense God’s love in even the smallest act of kindness. We are the presence of Christ in the world. The second thing Jesus teaches us here is that being Christ’s presence requires a conscious choice. In vs. 15, he refers to those who light a lamp ...

4085. The Complete Picture

John 11:1-45

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... weeks away from celebrating the most important event in human history. I pray that in these last four weeks, you have seen Jesus through the eyes of Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, the blind man, and Lazarus. I pray you have seen his truth, his light, his power and his love. And I pray that you have wrestled with the question of who Jesus really is. I believe, as did Martha in spite of her grief and her questions, that he is the Messiah, the Son of God. If you have come to believe this too, please pray this ...

4086. How Does Prayer Work?

1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... with God. It is as natural as turning around and speaking to a friend. It is also being quiet and still and listening to God, and being transformed by him. Prayer is a conversation with God that brings us closer to God and allows us to be formed by his love. Prayer is intimacy with God. So here is how prayer works -- (are you ready?) -- Prayer does not change God; it changes us. Prayer does not give us what we want from God; prayer helps us want what we need from God. I believe this is what Paul had in mind ...

4087. Division of the House

Matthew 10:24-39

Sermon

William G. Carter

... of Jesus from the book of Revelation. His hair is pure white, as a sign of holiness. His eyes are like fire, as a symbol of love. In his hand he holds seven stars, as a sign of authority. From his mouth comes a sharp, two-edged sword.(Revelation 1:12-16) This ... we let the risen Lord cut that close? Are we willing to let a living God make a difference in our lives? Are we willing to love Jesus more than anything or anybody? Am I willing to trust him enough that I would lose my life for his sake? If our faith is ...

4088. Will God Be With Us?

Exodus 33:12-23

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... , if Moses had to choose between God’s awesome miracles or God’s continuing presence, it was no contest. He wanted to know God. The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” That sounds like a lovely, comforting assurance from God. There are just two little problems with it. Professor Dennis Olson of Princeton Theological Seminary says that our English translation of this first phrase is wrong. The Lord says to Moses, “My Presence will go,” but there is no “with ...

4089. Vengeance: Human and Divine

Matthew 13:1-9 · Isaiah 44:6-8 · Psalm 1-12, 17-18, 23-24

Sermon

Will Willimon

... Psalm 139. In fact, they are fairly typical of a good many of the Psalms. As C. S. Lewis says, “In some of the Psalms the spirit of hatred strikes us in the face like the heat from a furnace mouth.” Such vengefulness often occurs in the Psalms we love the most--like 139 which begins so beautifully then, in the middle, screams “Wilt thou not slay the wicked?” As if the poet can't stand it being pious any 1onger and says, “Look God, quit fooling around with the wicked. Wipe 'em out--there's a simple ...

4090.

Psalm 103:1-22

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... Exod. 34:6; cf. also verse 7 of our psalm and Exod. 33:13). It is cited frequently in the OT, several times in liturgical contexts (Pss. 86:15; 145:8; Neh. 9:17). This confession forms the basis for the use of the key word pair—love and compassion—in our psalm, but it also introduces the subject of God’s anger toward sins, iniquities (v. 10), and transgressions (v. 12), the same three terms used in Exodus 34:7. While celebrating God’s mercy, the psalm does not ignore the reality of his wrath, though ...

4091. Do You Believe in Miracles?

Mark 4:26-34

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... dinner to our own family but to feed a world starving for the grace of God in their lives. Planting cultivates faith. The more you plant without expectation, the more you find, you are planting in faith. Jesus tells us that all it takes is a little bit of love and faith to start an entire movement. A mustard seed can do the job. Just a little bit of faith in God’s ability and power, and the kingdom community that Jesus’ imagined will begin to grow like a weed. We seed. We plant. We pray. We believe. And ...

4092. A Responsive Prayer for Advent 4

Luke 1:39-45 (46-55) · Hebrews 10:5-10 · Micah 5:2-5 · Psalm 80

Bulletin Aid

Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson

... gift of life to the human race ― Jesus Christ, our Savior. We offer you our most lofty praise and thanksgiving. You alone reign supreme as God over all of creation. God of grace: C: Come and save us. P: Shepherd-God: we thank you for lovingly protecting and abundantly feeding your flock. Thank you Jesus, for the boundless treasures of your grace. God of grace: C: Come and save us. P: O Christ, our words, thoughts and actions are utterly inadequate in expressing what you have accomplished in your once-for ...

4093. The Greatest Gift

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... ordained, or family. They only needed to be sent by God to do the “caring” thing. For God sent his Son into the world to save all people –all those who would be “wise” enough to honor God with the goodness of their hearts. For it is the loving quality of our hearts that God has wanted all along! Make no mistake. Jesus’ greatest gift in his young life came not from his fellow Jewish people, not from the rulers of his land, and not from his own citizens, but from a group of foreigners from another ...

4094. We Live in Hope

1 Corinthians 15:19-26

Sermon

Bonnie Bates

... the world up until it has gotten to the state it is in. He has faith that there is more to life than what he can see, touch, taste, and smell, but he hasn’t quite figured out the nature of God in his own experience. He knows love. He feels love. He knows forgiveness. He feels forgiveness. He has long theological conversations with me, but more questions than answers and I will admit, I do not have all the answers either. Do I know the actions required of God to have raised Jesus from the dead? No, I do ...

4095. Behold, the One Who Betrays Me Is With Me

Luke 22:14-34

Sermon

Will Willimon

... you, a kingdom. “One of you will betray me," he said. And who doesn't? And to these he promised a place in his kingdom, a kingdom of the betrayers. His promise is based, not upon who we are, but upon who he is. We betrayed his love. He does not. My old friend Stuart Henry recalled, in the strict, Southern Presbyterian church of his childhood, on those Sundays when Communion was observed, that the pastor would stand before the congregation and say something like, “It is my sacred and solemn duty to warn ...

4096. Why Pass By?

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... among the good guys and he was as kind, good, and decent as any character ever written for fiction. His daughters were back at the camp that the Governor intended to attack and he said to the Governor, “You are a father of a daughter. I know you love her. So how can you contemplate killing my daughters?” The Governor steeled his face into something between a smirk and a frown and said, “They’re not mine.” Maybe the priest and the Levite didn’t care about the man on the side of the road because ...

4097. For Someone of Distinction

Matthew 5:13-16 · 2 Timothy 4:1-2, 6-8

Eulogy

Richard E. Zajac

... it goes without saying that there will always be our remembrance of John as an imbiber of fine cognac and fine single malt scotch, but also cheap beer. Never putting on airs, John could dialogue with the janitor as well as the university president and he was loved by all. All in all, John Buerk’s life, in a metaphorical way, followed the script of the movie A Field of Dreams. When John was very young, he heard God tell him: “If you build it, they will come.” John built the beautiful and marvelous life ...

4098. For Someone Remembered by Many

Luke 24:13-35 · Acts 20:31-35 · Matthew 16:13-20

Eulogy

Richard E. Zajac

... and especially, a wonderful man. God has given us all the gift of memories not only to bring smiles to our faces and warmth to our souls, but also to help us to realize that what’s gone still manages to live on, that when someone we love dies, that life continues. And it continues not only in our memories, but it continues in a resurrected existence where peace and happiness eternally reigns. Joseph Hirtzel lives on now in God’s celestial kingdom and we’re consoled in the fact that he’s not hurting ...

4099. God Is Like...a Name

Exodus 3:1-15

Sermon

Kenneth L. Gibble

... will provide both comfort and challenge. And I think a word of warning is in order: we should be prepared for some surprises along the way, because the older I get, the more I keep discovering that both the universe we live in and the God who created and loves it are far more complex and far more wonderful than we usually think or can even imagine. We begin our exploration today with some thoughts on the idea that God is like… a name. Not just any name, of course, but God’s name. I realize this is a ...

4100. God Is Like...a Friend

2 Corinthians 5:16-20

Sermon

Kenneth L. Gibble

... given the promise of being the friends of Jesus if we will do what he commands. And the commandment is simple, yet daunting ― to love one another. To be his friend, we have to be friends with each other. We may even be called upon to lay down our ... more of the same. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid. I promise to go with you through the whole business. I love you. Nothing can ever separate us. Friendship with God — does it sound too good to be true? It’s not; it’s offered to ...

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