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 4351 to 4375 of 4962 results

4351. Professor Of Paradox

Matthew 13:47-52, Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:31-35

Sermon

Roger G. Talbott

Once upon a time, a strange old man came to a small village. He carried a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon. This sight was odd enough to cause the people of the village to notice what the old man did next. The old man took the bowl to the plowed field next to the village and he put some dirt into the bowl until it was about half full. Then he went to the village pump and filled it with water to about an inch below the brim. Then the old man sat down on a rock next to the pump and began to stir the water into ...

4352. Grapes Of Wrath Or Grace?

1 Kings 21:1-29

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

A musician in a camp meeting where I preached wrote a country-gospel song titled, "Sin Will Take You Farther Than You Want To Go and Keep You Longer Than You Want To Stay." Nineteen words is a tad long for a song title, but it does state a succinct and compelling truth: sin will get you in serious trouble. In this lesson, Ahab is king and is married to the wicked, Baal-worshipping Jezebel, and covets the vineyard belonging to a worshipper of God named Naboth. Ahab had plenty of property of his own, but he ...

4353. The Politics Of Love

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

W. Robert McClelland

Luke sets the familiar parable of the good Samaritan in the context of two commands: Love God and neighbor; and Go, do likewise! Furthermore, it is clear that by casting the parable with Jewish bad guys and a Samaritan good guy, Jesus wants our love to transcend ideological differences and respond to human suffering and injustice wherever it may be found. Christian spirituality has always been characterized by its loving concern for others, but it has had trouble seeing the political dimensions of its love ...

4354. Exasperating Grace

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

Johnny Dean

Let’s face it: some folks come to church on Sunday morning with the expectation that, sooner or later, if they pay close attention, the preacher is going to step on their toes. It’s unavoidable; it’s inevitable; it just can’t be helped. In fact, it’s something some folks look forward to, in a masochistic sort of way. I heard a friend of mine say from the pulpit one Sunday, "Well, folks, I’ve been here about 5 years now. And if I haven’t stepped on your toes yet, be patient – I’ll get around to you sooner ...

4355. Living Passionately

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

Text: Luke 4:18-19 - "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Some years ago a friend wrote to the Russian author, Turgenev, telling him that he felt that the most important thing in life was to put one's self in second place. Turgenev replied to his friend: "I suspect that the ...

4356. No Little Bit

Luke 19:11-27

Sermon

There comes in the mail a rectangular piece. The envelop already warns, "DO NOT FOLD OR MUTILATE." The card inside has holes. Also an eleven digit number. Also the message, "If there is any question about your account, please be sure to give this number. Do not fold or tear or staple this card. Thank you." If we tender this holey document the proper respect and remit the amount it demands, it will go to an office and glide through a machine and register our eleven digit number as being paid up. The machine ...

4357. The Resurrection of Our Lord

Acts 10:23b-48, Exodus 10:1-20, 1 Corinthians 15:12-34, John 20:1-9, John 20:10-18, Colossians 3:1-17

Sermon Aid

COMMENTARY Acts 10:34-43 (C); Acts 10:34, 37-43 (RC) Peter tells Cornelius and his friends that God raised Jesus from the dead. A very devout Roman centurion, Cornelius, sends for Peter to preach to him and his friends. In his sermon, Peter reviews the ministry of Jesus including the crucifixion and resurrection. It is to be noted that Peter says that God raised Jesus; he did not raise himself. Note also that Peter explains that the risen Christ did not appear to people in general but to a few chosen ones ...

4358. A Joyful New Beginning

John 20:1-9

Sermon

Let us pray: Gracious and everliving Father, on this day which is greater than all the days, we come seeking to understand the eternal message of the gospel and how it may transform our lives. May we in these moments not only come to know that Jesus lives, but may we come to know him as brother and friend. In Christ's holy name we pray, Amen. The philosopher Sidney Hook writes in an article titled "In Defense of Voluntary Euthanasia" about how at one point in his life he was near death. The treatment for ...

4359. What’s God Going to Do With You?

Hosea 5:1-15, Hosea 6:1--7:16

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

What shall I do with you, o Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away. "What in the world am I going to do with you?" Have you ever heard that before or said it? A mother shakes her head at a child who is always getting dirty and asks, "What am I going to do with you?" A husband, like Hosea, has a faithless wife, and each time he takes her back, he despairingly asks, "What am I going to do with you?" A criminal appears before a judge ...

4360. Five Minutes After Death

Revelation 21:1-27

Sermon

Robert Allen

There is an old Arab parable about a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to the market one day. Before very long, the servant returned, white and trembling with fear. There was great agitation in his voice as he said: "Master, down in the market place I was jostled by someone in the crowd. When I turned around, I saw that it was Death who had jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture. Master," he said, "please lend me your horse, for I must hasten away to avoid Death. I will ride to ...

4361. No Holding Back

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Familiar words. "Heart...soul...mind...strength...your neighbor as yourself." We learned them as the GREAT COMMANDMENT. All others pale in their light. We agree, of course. "Love the Lord your God with all your HEART." Not the blood-pumping heart, the "heart" that, from ancient times has been considered the seat of our emotions. Two weeks ago I had the privilege of preaching for our neighbors at the Church of God of Prophecy - it was an exciting service of worship because those Pentecostals really do get ...

4362. Been There, Done That, No Thanks!

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

"There have been a lot of changes around here," said the old man proudly, "and I want you to know I've been against every one of them." Have you ever noticed that some people have a difficult time with change? Some people would rather fight than switch. Their motto seems to be "Don't rock the boat even if it's the Titanic!" Of course, some changes are difficult to accept. As someone has said, "It just doesn't seem right to go over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's condo." And not all change ...

4363. Let's Play, Stump The Theologian!

John 16:5-16

Sermon

King Duncan

An aging Jew was crossing the street in front of a Roman Catholic church. He was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver. As he lay there, half conscious, a priest hurried out, and prepared to administer the last rites. "Do you believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost?" the priest asked. "I'm dying," cried the old man, "and he's asking me riddles!" Peppermint Patty steps up to the store counter in a PEANUTS cartoon. She says, "Yes, sir . . . I need some school supplies . . . some pencils ...

4364. In Search Of A Reason For Being

Hebrews 4:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

What is your one great goal in life? The one vision that fires you up and stirs you to transcend the daily grind? Well, for John Searing, an arts-supplies salesman from New Jersey, it was to yell, "He-e-e-ere's Johnny!" on the old "Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson. Searing had watched "The Tonight Show" since he was a child, and he had always thrilled to the sound of Ed McMahon bellowing the introduction. So, in 1980, John wrote to "The Tonight Show," asking if he could have the chance some night of ...

4365. Get Your Third Class Tickets Here!

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

In one of his books author James Moore takes us back to the old West when the major means of transportation was the stagecoach. We’ve seen persons riding in stagecoaches in western movies. What we might not know is that the stagecoach had three different kinds of tickets--first class, second class, and third class. If you had a first-class ticket that meant you could remain seated during the entire trip no matter what happened. If the stagecoach got stuck in the mud, or had trouble making it up a steep ...

4366. Where Meek Souls Will Recieve Him Still

John 3:22-36

Sermon

Darrick Acre

Nicodemus silently creeps through the dark streets of Jerusalem, keeping to the shadows, vigilant, lest anyone sees him. He is on a mission. The teacher, Jesus, is in Jerusalem. Wonderful things are said of Him. He has amazed the people with miraculous signs; astounded them with the authority of His teaching. He has stirred Nicodemus’ curiosity, pricked his interest, and even enlivened his hope. “Surely,” he thinks to himself, “this man is from God. I’ve got to meet him.” But how? Official opposition to ...

4367. The Destructive Power of Dis-Unity

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

Eric Ritz

As we continue in our study of the Philippian letter, we see that Paul addresses the age old problem of fussing and fighting among God''s covenant people. This is one of the reasons I know Paul is writing to a real church, not a mythological one. Paul begins verse 2 trying to persuade and coax two sisters in Christ Jesus from acting up in the church family. It seems that Euodia and Syntyche were having a terrible time of agreeing on anything, except that the other was wrong. From the various scholars and ...

4368. Grace in the Midst of Suffering

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Glenn McDonald

For several years an earnest and energetic woman has been attempting to make August 8 a national holiday in the United States. She'd like to call it, "National Admit You're Happy Day." She has canvassed the governors of all fifty states, personally requesting their support. At least fifteen governors have responded positively. A good many others have been less happy with the idea -- including George Pataki, the governor of New York, who has said, "The state of New York has no official position on happiness ...

4369. In The Beginning And The End...God

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

"A fire mist and a planet –a crystal and a cell a jellyfish and a saurian,and caves where the cave men dwell; Then a sense of law and beauty and a face turned from the clod Some call it Evolution,And others call it God. A haze on the far horizon,The infinite tender sky.The ripe, rich tint of the cornfields, and the wild geese sailing high;. And all over upland and lowland, the charm of the goldenrod,Some call it Autumn,And others call it God. Like tides on a crescent sea beach When the moon is new and thin ...

4370. The Easter Question: Why Are You Weeping? Whom Do You Seek?

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Have you ever stopped to think how many important things in scripture take place in a garden? It all began in a garden, really, in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve rebelled and through self-will they alienated themselves from the love of God. It was in the garden of Gethsemane that Jesus fought the greatest battle of his life there in the garden, the struggle was so intense that he sweat drops of blood. He knew what was before him, and undoubtedly He was talking about the Cross when he anguished, "If it be ...

4371. Some Things Ought Not to Happen

Genesis 21:8-21

Sermon

James L. Killen

Some things that happen in our world just ought not to happen. A mother decides that she does not want her newborn baby, so she wraps it in a blanket and leaves it beside a rural road. Fortunately, the baby is found by someone passing by before it dies but the ants have already begun to bite it. A community puts its trust in a man and elects him to public office. Then he uses his position to enrich himself by taking bribes and favoring the businesses of his friends. Famines occur in impoverished parts of ...

4372. Financial Freedom

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

Some of you may have read a remarkable short story sometime during your school years by D. H. Lawrence titled, “The Rocking‑Horse Winner.” I wonder if you remember how the story begins? It is a haunting tale about a family living above its means. The mother is considered by friends and neighbors to be the perfect mother, in spite of the fact that deep down she knows she has difficulty loving her three children. It’s important to the husband to keep up the pretense of success--the large house, staffed with ...

4373. Proper 8

Genesis 22:1-19, 2 Kings 4:8-37, Romans 6:1-14, Romans 6:15-23, Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Genesis 22:1-14 (C) God orders Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Yahweh puts Abraham to the toughest test of his life. His son, Isaac, was to be sacrificed as proof of Abraham's love and loyalty to God. At the moment Abraham is about to plunge the knife into Isaac, God stops him and provides a substitute sacrifice of a ram. Lesson 1: 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16 (RC) Opening our lives to God's messengers. Lesson 1: Isaiah 2:10-17 (E) Pride will be destroyed and God will be exalted. Lesson 2: Romans ...

4374. WaterFire Disciples

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Does your church have a mission statement? There are very few now that don't. Remind your congregation what it is. Can they recite it by heart? Does your church have an image statement? There are very few now that do. But in an image culture, it's more important to have an image statement than a mission statement. The city of Chicago came up with an image statement for itself in 1999 and it brought into the city hundreds of millions of dollars. The image that best captured their history and heritage was ...

4375. What Impresses God

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

James Merritt

There was a very lost, wicked, rebellious man who decided it would be good for business if he went down to the church and joined it. He was an adulterer, an alcoholic, and had never been a member of a church in his life. But when he went down to the altar to join the church, he gave public testimony to the church that there was no sin in his life, and that he had grown up in the church, and they readily accepted him as a member. When he went home he told his wife what he had done, and his wife, a very ...

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