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 4276 to 4300 of 5000 results

4276. Dead Man Walking

Psalm 130:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... four of our Scripture readings this morning. Every day there are millions of men and women who spiritually qualify as dead men walking and dead women walking. Are you looking just to get through each day at work until you can get out the door? Are you longing for the weekend by Monday afternoon? Do you count it a good day when no one asks anything of you or makes any demands upon your time? Have you stopped risking meeting new people, going new places, taking new roads, reading new books, listening to new ...

4277. Dolphin Drops

Isaiah 56:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... stances, faking great moves – this was posing. Having an awesome board, sweet trucks, and all the other paraphernalia for skating, but never doing anything but sitting around and looking good – this is posing. Thane didn't mind not being as skilled as Tony Hawk yet – as long as no one would ever think he was just a poser. [By the way, Tony Hawk is the Michael Jordan of extreme sports, and today a bigger name than Michael Jordan.] The truth is, however, most of us have acted as posers most of our lives ...

4278. Thanks Be to God

Deuteronomy 26:1-15

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... and began to panic. He wanted to escape, but the house was locked up tightly; there was no way out. As he slumped on the floor, the woodcutter thought of his wife and family. He had been a fortunate man and now his life was to end. After a long time, the woodcutter looked at the clock on the wall; it read five minutes to midnight. The snake stood ready to strike, but in the distance could be heard a faint sound; the church bell was ringing. It rang and rang -- nine, ten, eleven, twelve times. With the last ...

4279. Don't Forget the Mustard

Luke 17:1-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... were one and the same. Curatives and restoratives were cooked up at home, not picked up at the drug store. It is hard for us to realize that 1914 was really the first year when a trip to the doctor made you better. Long before scientific discoveries revealed the inner workings of penicillin, digitalis, or even aspirin, old wives and herbologists prescribed moldy bread for coughs, supplied foxglove for the faint-hearted, and urged headache sufferers to chew wintergreen leaves. But one of the most popular and ...

4280. Experience the Mystery

Colossians 1:15-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... had repeatedly thwarted all attempts at repair, rendering the car interior as dark as a black hole after sundown. Taking kids to evening events was a bit of a seeing-eye exercise. The moss that grows happily on most Pacific Northwest cars had long ago taken up residence inside the vehicle as well as outside. With added fertilizer from five years of cookie crumbs, various spilled liquids, and assorted fallen foodstuffs, the vehicle was becoming an organic entity, returning itself to the earth from whence it ...

4281. Four Cornerstones

Ephesians 2:11-22

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... earliest Christians first knew Jesus as savior of the world and shepherd of their souls. "You can never be sure in the long run what's success or failure. Stumbling blocks have an uncanny habit of turning into stepping-stones. The young man who loses ... artist or thinker, or better still, decide to become a simple ferryman. Who knows what's good or bad, success or failure in the long term? It may be that there's no success like failure and no failure like success. The break up of a relationship can seem ...

4282. If the Shoe Fits, Wear It

Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 4:12-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... could take them safely down. In verses 12-17 Matthew makes a point of taking Jesus on a specific journey. Jesus is not looking for a prime location with a water-view. Jesus is looking to fulfill the God-ordained prophecy that was revealed long ago to Isaiah. Jesus' journey – to Galilee, past Nazareth, to Capernaum, "in the land of Zebulun and Naphtali" – was taken across salvation history. Jesus' shoes were not the worn-out sandals of an aimless wanderer. Jesus wore the shoes of the Messiah. Fulfilling ...

4283. Jedi Christians

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... that extraterrestrial epic our nonlinear, postmodern version of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. Once again, all us "kids" long to be Jedi Knights empowered by the Force, mysterious and wise, armed with way-cool light-sabers, and ... was blazing. For an instant Peter throws caution to the wind and lets his feet take him where his heart knows Jesus is calling him to be. As long as Peter looks to Jesus and is wholly focused on following him, his feet stay dry and his future is secure. But, typical of Peter, even as he ...

4284. More!!!

Isaiah 11:1-16

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... safe-bet things, and never-in-a-million-years things. In other words, they weren't afraid to ask for MORE! Asking for MORE! is a part of today's Advent theme. In Isaiah's eloquent oracle, his prophecy speaks to the yearnings and longings of a desperate, disparate people. The monarchy of Israel/Judah was in ruins. Generations of self-absorbed, self-serving, despotic then puppet kings had left both nations dismantled and in disrepair. But all the people could envision, as they dreamed of reestablishment, was ...

4285. Pay It Forward!

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... , leaving everyone in the dark. A repair team had to catch a ride over to Shaw from Orcas on a local businessman's boat to reach the site of the problem and begin repairs. Sometimes it is the most insignificant-seeming events that have the most long-reaching, widespread results. In just the last five decades: · Rosa Parks decided not to move to the back of the bus. · John, Paul, George, and Ringo decided not to get haircuts. · IBM decided to let Bill Gates keep the rights to his software. · Tiger Woods ...

4286. The Devil Takes Visa

Isaiah 55:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... discontentment. Isaiah asked his people the same question the Church needs to ask us again today: "Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?" (verse 2) Normal stuff just isn't ever going to satisfy our spiritual longings. That is why we have such an out-of-bounds, off-the-wall God. All God asks of us is to join in the madness! All God wants is for us to receive God's covenant, the Master's Card, which enables us to Forgive, when you feel like ...

4287. The Longest Running Parade in History

Psalm 118:1-29

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... and taught, knew what they were seeing. · Observant Jews, pious travelers on their way into Jerusalem for Passover, had also heard stories of this man Jesus. Now, as he appeared mounted on the donkey colt, the crowds brought their long-established traditions, their long-held hopes, to life. They joyfully joined in the moment, celebrating the symbolic arrival of a messianic figure, a prophet as foretold, with the cries and obeisance deserved by such a dignitary. The problem with Palm Sunday celebrations ...

4288. The Real Winning Attitude

1 Timothy 6:3-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... 're going after is fought on blackboards or boardrooms. Winning takes planning, practice, and precision. Most of all winning requires stick-to-it-iveness that refuses to cave-in, keel-over, kneel-down, or give-up when the competition is fierce and the odds are long. Ever since humanity found itself with a little spare time on its hands, sporting events have served to teach virtues to youngsters as they sought to become the next generation of winners. Whether it was playing a wild form of polo using a goat's ...

4289. Undercooked Turkey and Unwrapped Presents

Hebrews 2:5-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... do if he were in my shoes? What should I do if I want to be like Jesus? What should I do if I want to incarnate Jesus' mission and ministry into this day, this moment, this immediate situation? If Jesus, the incarnated Godhead, the long awaited Messiah, truly continues to be incarnated through his blood "brothers and sisters" then the divine love Jesus brought into that Bethlehem stable should flow through your veins, your heart, your spirit, every day. The question is less "WWJD" or "What Would Jesus Do ...

4290. Are You a GOT TO or a GET TO Christian?

Genesis 15:1-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... s age and apparent barrenness, take back his own confidence in the divinely-directed future he had hoped for and believed in for so long. His age, Sarai's age, the passage of still more years, would all now be counted as sacred - elements that would be used ... , they will abandon him, they will condemn him to death. These are the very same inhabitants Jesus calls to, those he longs to make sacred again through his sacrifice. In one of the gentlest, most blatantly maternal images of the Second Testament, Jesus ...

4291. The Crowd that Watched God Die

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... in the barracks or gaming in the taverns. They resented being told what to do. Especially did they dislike crucifixion duty. It wasn't a pleasant sight to watch nails driven into human flesh. Even the most battle-hardened soldier was horrified by it. And it took so long for a man to die. The hours crept by like an arthritic turtle. So the men, indifferent to the death of Jesus, began to gamble for the few belongings of the convicts. It was their way of passing the awful time away. The soldiers are also here ...

4292. Are You Turned On to Christ?

1 Peter 1:1-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... some people on. Malls are full of window-shoppers, stadiums are full of screaming fans, movie theaters are full of people looking for new stories. But it is hard to stay turned on, totally fulfilled, on-fire-for-life, by a baseball game or a new boat. Looking for that long-range, never-lets-you-down turn-on is what leads some of us to abuse alcohol, to turn-on with drugs, to keep moving from lover to lover, to get lost in the dream of a big score at the gambling casinos. Sooner or later each of these turn ...

4293. Can You Smell the Perfume?

John 12:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... done will be told in remembrance of her" (Mark 14:9). In 2000 years, Jesus got one thing wrong. He said that a woman would be remembered for her act of faith wherever the gospel is proclaimed. Have we done what Jesus said we would do? Might not it be long overdue for us to do what Jesus said we should do, and make him right? Why did Jesus say what he did about this woman? Notice exactly what Jesus did and did not say. Not, when you tell the gospel story, remember Peter. Not, when you tell the gospel story ...

4294. How High Is Your Faith Quotient?

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... are also afraid that kids who learn they have very high IQ's will become intellectual bullies. How many of you know what your IQ is this morning. How many of you have no idea what your IQ is this morning? Even if you've never discovered what some test long ago determined as your IQ, however, you've probably based a lot of decisions in your life on how smart you think you are. · Did you go to college or go right into the work place? · Did you opt for work that used your hands, back and legs, or gravitate ...

4295. The Golden Bull or the Old Rugged Cross?

Acts 16:16-40

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of the most recent, and most crass expressions of the "American Dream." · "Who wants to be a millionaire?"-Everyone obviously. · "You are the weakest link" -Why? Because you fail to win the big cash prize. · "Survivor"-where skills are honed and hardships endured all for a long distance run for the money. In today's Acts text it is easy to look back at the behavior of the slave-girl's owners and rail at them for their selfishness, for their fixation on lost income at the expense of the girl's liberation ...

4296. What's Your Status Symbol?

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of certain subcultures. For Manhattan parents, status is a kid who curls up with the classics, a ten-year-old who takes George Orwell's 1984 on vacation and actually reads it. · For retirement-villagers, status is a still valid driver's license. · For long haul truckers, status is millions of miles without a scratch. · For frequent fliers, status is The Platinum Club. · For Hollywood deal makers, status is making them come to you. · For middle class 8-year-olds, status is a stay at home mom. · For ...

4297. My Precious, My Precious

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... rest into smaller fortunes for family members. When it comes to the surprise discovery of unexpected treasure, we're happy to model our behavior after the example set by our self-service economy. We serve ourselves first, last, and always. I went into a restaurant not too long ago and sat down. Someone came up to me, smiled, and said: "Serve yourself." Those words stuck with me and stick in my craw: Serve yourself. We're told we live in a service economy. It used to be that when we spoke about the growing ...

4298. Go Meditate!

Revelation 19:1-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... ' swimming pool or their brand-new mini van, but trusts the Lord to provide every need. Love doesn't brag when other parents share their disappointments and insecurities, and love rejoices when other families succeed. It doesn't boast, even when I've multitasked all day long and my husband can't do more than one thing at a time. Love is not rude when my spouse innocently asks, "What have you done today?" It doesn't immediately seek after glory when we see talent in our children, but encourages them to get ...

4299. Trust that Leads to Transformation

John 2:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... and cleared the room so only the family could be there together. I heard him say, "Daddy loves you, and Daddy did all that he could." I watched as his other daughters surrounded his bed, and the mother crawled up in the bed with her. They brushed Tina's long hair. I remember hearing one of them saying, "Tina, you've been with us. Now you're with God." As I held two of the sisters, I also remember the older one crying, saying, "God help us. God give our family strength." Then there began the soft moaning of ...

4300. The Dash of Discipleship

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... the first sentence will read: "So-and-so was born in . . . and died in . . . " We adults write the same essay on our tombstone: Martin Luther King, Jr. 1929-1968. The most grounding and grounded fact about those we want to know about is when they lived and how long they lived. Knowing when someone lived does give us an immediate handle on what some aspects of that individual's life must have been like. A European born in the 4th or 5th century makes us think of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table ...

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