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 4376 to 4400 of 4962 results

4376. The Client

Zechariah 3:1-7

Sermon

James Merritt

One of the greatest apologists of the Twentieth Century was C. S. Lewis. In a great book he wrote entitled, The Weight of Glory, he makes this salient observation: In the end that Face which is the delight or the terror of the universe, must be turned upon each of us either with one expression or with the other, either conferring glory inexpressible, or inflicting shame that can never be cured or disguised. I read in a periodical the other day that the fundamental thing is how we think of God. By God ...

4377. Practical Tips For Powerful Prayer

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

The most under-utilized power on earth is not ethanol or solar power or even nuclear power. The most under-utilized power on earth is the power of God channeled through prayer. Surveys have revealed that 71 percent of Americans believe that God definitely answers prayer and another 15 percent believe that God probably does. That means that 86 percent of Americans believe that prayer is effective. Nevertheless, just a small percentage of Americans have a specific time set aside each day for prayer. Why is ...

4378. God’s Wisdom or the World?

James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Once upon a time there was an old man who lived on the outskirts of town. He had lived there so long that no one knew who he was or where he had come from. Some thought that he had been a very powerful king, but that was many years ago. Others suggested that he was once famous, rich, and generous, but he had lost everything. Still others said that he was once very wise and influential. There were even some who said he was holy. The children in the town, however, thought he was an old and stupid man and ...

4379. The Masterpiece

Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-28

Sermon

James Merritt

From the time God created the first man, God began speaking to all men. For over one thousand years, God had been speaking and revealing Himself to different people at different times and different places. He spoke to Moses as he wrote the first five books of the Bible. He gave psalms to David, proverbs to Solomon and prophecy to the prophets. For over one millennia God had spoken practically nonstop. Then, when the last prophet named, Malachi wrote his last words and put his pen down, God for the first ...

4380. God's 'Yes!' To Every Promise

2 Corinthians 1:18-22

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

It's kind of silly now, nothing more than a fond memory that has been replaced by the deep love I have for my wife, Mary. But as a boy in the third and fourth grade it was major. It was no simple school boy crush. I was completely, madly, irrevocably head over heels in love with a girl by the name of Barbara Wissman. I remember one of our teachers reading Tom Sawyer to us. In my mind, I was her Tom Sawyer and she was my Becky Thatcher. When she walked into the room my heart would skip a beat. For a long ...

4381. The Broken Body of Christ

1 Corinthians 11:17-26

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall; All the king's horses and all the king's men, Couldn't put Humpty together again. Who is Humpty Dumpty anyway? He appears to be some egghead with scrambled brains, a nerd, a dork, a geek. But let's not be too quick to judge. Many think he was King Richard III, the hunchbacked monarch who rode a horse named Wall. In the Battle of Bosworth Field, King Richard fell from his horse and his body was hacked to pieces by the enemy. Maybe the resilience ...

4382. Leaving Home

Genesis 12:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

There was an article about two Irishmen who set up a company in order to sell dirt genuine Irish dirt to Americans. The two men say the demand for this “official Irish dirt” has been phenomenal. They sold one million dollars worth of their product in a very short time. One elderly New York businessman placed a $100,000 order so he could be fully buried in genuine Irish soil. (1) Obviously that gentleman was very, very homesick. His body was in the US, but his heart was still in his homeland. That happens ...

4383. The Forgiveness Factor

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

David E. Leininger

This is probably one of the best-known vignettes in all of scripture, this wonderfully appealing story about friends who are so anxious to get one of their number who needs healing to Jesus that they will go to incredible lengths to make it happen. Hence, we have history's first recorded elevator ride. By way of background, Mark's gospel lets us know that there have already been a number of healings and exorcisms in Jesus' ministry — the man in the Capernaum synagogue with the unclean spirit, Peter's ...

4384. We Wish to See Jesus

John 12:20-33

Sermon

John Smylie

"Sir, we wish to see Jesus" (v. 21). This was the request of the Greeks who had come to worship at a festival in Jerusalem. These were Gentiles, non-Jews, who likely showed up at the Jewish Passover and other festivals because they intuitively felt that the God of Israel was the true God. Their own philosophies and religious systems must not have been satisfying to them for it seems they knew that there was more to be found. It appears they felt that Israel desired to discover answers to their deepest ...

4385. For the Life of Betsy D. I. Smylie

John 12:20-36

Sermon

John Smylie

4386. The Good Works We Leave Behind

Acts 9:36-43

Sermon

David J. Kalas

It's a poignant scene: the gathering place of mourners. In our culture, that scene is usually played out in a funeral home, a chapel, a sanctuary, or at the graveside. In that day, however, it most often took place in the home of the deceased. And the body was there, too, similar to our visitations with open caskets; though without some of the cosmetic advantages. So it is that the grieving friends of Tabitha are gathered together in her home. She must have died rather recently, for she hasn't been ...

4387. A New Name for a New Year

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

A minister wrote in the church newsletter that he was setting goals for the New Year. One of his goals was to clean up his desk. Another of his goals was to find last year’s goals. Some of you probably keep desks like that. Some of you will remember the “Calvin and Hobbes” comic strip. In one strip, Calvin and Hobbes are talking about the New Year. Calvin says, “I’m getting disillusioned with these New Years. They don’t seem very new at all. Each New Year is just like the old year. Here another year has ...

4388. The Ark Brought to the Temple

2 Chronicles 5:2-6:11

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

Solomon Dedicates the Temple: At the end of the previous episode (5:1) the scene is set for the dedication of the temple. The following episode now deals with this great event, which stands at the center of the Chronicler’s reconstruction of the monarchical past. The dedication of the temple has different elements and is accompanied by speeches, prayers, sacrifices, music, and a theophany. The whole description from 5:2 to 7:22 bears a liturgical character, as if the Chronicler wanted the reader of his ...

4389. Sin, Confession and Redemption

Isaiah 59:1-21

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

Critique of the Community (59:1-8): While there are positive notes throughout 56:9–59:8, the dominant tone is confrontational, and even the positive notes incorporate barbed comment. The way the passages speak of shalom, which occurs six times (57:2, 19, 21; 59:8), sums up this point. This distinctive concentration of references finds its closest parallel in Zechariah 8, which again belongs to the same period as Isaiah 56–66. Admittedly there are no specific indications of a particular context here, and ...

4390. The Week

Mark 14:1-15:47

Sermon

John Jamison

[Note to the preacher: This message is not presented as a sermon with an introduction, three points, and a conclusion, though you are welcome to rewrite it that way if you wish. My goal for this message is to invite my listeners to experience the events of Jesus’ week, more as he and his disciples experienced them. This message takes us to the arrest in the orchard of Gethsemane. The messages for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday will complete the journey. My goal was not to explain the ...

4391. It's Okay to Cry

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon

Lori Wagner

I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:4-5) [Optional Prop: crystal teardrops] Tears. Frustration. Grief. Sadness. It’s the name of the milieu pervading the atmosphere of many churches today. Dwindling attendance. Lack of enthusiasm. Fear of the surrounding culture, not to ...

4392. House Rules, Forgiveness, and Why Rat Poison Is not Good for You

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

Roy Howard

I have two public school elementary teachers in my family. I’ve learned a great deal about what goes on behind the scenes long before the students arrive and long after they have left: the seating chart, the reading corner, the attractive posters, imaginative strategies for teaching difficult concepts, and much more. There is a lot to teaching. The same can be said for those people who teach congregations of every size every Sunday. There is so much that happens behind the scenes from Monday to Saturday ...

4393. Graciousness and Grumbling

Matthew 20:1-15

Sermon

Will Willimon

Well, religion has suddenly become the burning concern of politicians. I can't remember when religion has been so important in a presidential campaign. It wasn't long ago that John Kennedy had to explain why, although he was a Catholic, his religion would not hinder him from being a good president. And a very short time ago, Jimmy Carter stood before the voters and admitted that, although he was a faithful Baptist, he would perform his presidential duties as if he were nothing at all -- or something like ...

4394. I Want To Remind You — Easter Sunday

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Sermon

John B. Jamison

We have heard it before, but let’s hear the story again. The law of Moses said that if a person was killed by hanging on a tree, their body must not be left there overnight but must be buried before sundown. The Romans in charge of the crucifixion did not care at all about what Moses said, and usually left the bodies hanging there for the animals to remove. That set the best example for people walking past to understand what happened to criminals against Rome. But, maybe it was Joseph of Arimathea, an ...

4395. Recollections of Enoch, A Jewish Captive In Babylon

Isaiah 12:1-6

Drama

Robert A. Morgan

I thought I was an old man when we were brought to Babylon, and I am ten years older now. I never expected to live this long under what I assumed would be the acute hardships of being captives, held against our wills in this strange land so far from home. But actually, daily life since we reached here has not been all that difficult. The journey from Jerusalem was very difficult. The Babylonian soldiers who had herded us together saw to that. There were not enough horses or donkeys to carry us all, and ...

4396. Signs, Sayings, and Oracles of Judgment

Ezekiel 12:1-28, Ezekiel 13:1-23, Ezekiel 14:1-11, Ezekiel 14:12-23

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

Laying the Blame and Taking Responsibility: The typical Ezekielian expression “the word of the Lord came to me” recurs throughout the chapters between the second vision of the Glory in chapters 8–11 and the oracles against the foreign nations in chapters 25–32—except in chapter 19. Indeed, in the twenty-six chapters between Ezekiel 11 and 38, this is the only chapter in which that characteristic phrase does not appear. This chapter stands out, therefore, in the larger structure of Ezekiel. Further, after ...

4397. Beware Of Your Piety

Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 6:5-15, Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

Whatever happened to Lent? It has been some time now since church attendance was swollen during this season. Congregations also conducted weekday services that were well attended. Lenten reading was popular, and people talked a great deal about their Lenten fasting. "What did you give up for Lent?" was a common question. Very often that was done with little thought. In the Chicago area in the '50s, where and when Lenten piety was quite prominent, a woman was shopping at the bakery. While she was waiting ...

4398. Life's Loose Threads and The Tie That Binds

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

In 1481 Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to paint an altarpiece for the chapel of a nearby monastery. He devoted an inordinate amount of time and energy to the depiction, compiling countless preparatory sketches and carefully attending to each intricate detail. The result was revolutionary: one of the most dramatic and innovative renderings of the Renaissance, before which succeeding generations of artists would later stand awestruck in absolute wonder. Mysteriously, though, just seven months into the ...

4399. Behold The Man Who Turned Toward Jerusalem

Mark 10:32-34

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

Some time ago I was reading Harold Kushner's book, Who Needs God. I was struck by a story he told in that book. He said he was talking with a nurse once who related a conversation she had with a young lady. This young lady's boyfriend was dying of cancer. The nurse asked her if she could do anything for her. The young lady answered, "Yeah, remind me never to love anybody this much again."1 Now we come to that part of Christ's story where Jesus begins to look toward the cross. There is a difference now in ...

4400. Gifts of Lent VII: Joseph Gives His Tomb

John 19:38-42

Drama

Donald Neidigk

Dramatic Monologue Welcome to my store! I'm Joseph of Arimathea. You're not interested in shopping today? No problem! Let's just sit and talk for a while. My shop's not busy and there's nothing I like better than telling others about my Lord. I haven't always been such a bold disciple of Jesus. My friend Mark says I "boldly went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body." But let me assure you, I was as frightened as anyone on that Friday when Jesus was crucified. As a matter of fact, even though I'm the one who ...

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