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 4601 to 4625 of 5000 results

4601. How to Fail Successfully - Sermon Starter

Mark 6:1-13

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

... you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them." Is there not solid instruction here in our Scripture lesson and from Jesus himself instructions that there may come a time when it's really time to quit? We can try too long. At least Jesus is saying that there are moments when in order to keep on keeping on we need to give up face our losses and accept failure. I think there is an understanding for us here maybe a guide to "how to fail successfully." Let's look at the ...

4602. Failing (in order) to Succeed

Mark 6:1-13

Illustration

... failure) is something we must accept as part of the regeneration process." Many big businesses are starting to recognize the importance of "intelligent" or "smart" failures. These failures might hurt in the short-term, but offer critical lessons for long-term growth. It is significant to note that the long-term lessons would never be learned with out taking risks in the short-term. In other words, sometimes that one step back is exactly what is needed to take a leap forward. Are we willing in our church to ...

4603. Mark 6:14-29

Mark 6:14-29

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... tetrach, Herod Antipas. John preached against Herod and Herodias with enough venom and vigor to earn himself their considerable wrath, not to mention a place in Herod’s prison. Mark’s text presents the story of John the Baptist’s execution as one long flashback, brought about by Herod’s musing on the possible identity of this new prophet-preacher-teacher on the Galilean scene. It is one of the most graphically portrayed stories in all of the New Testament. While some thought Jesus was the return ...

4604. Pentecost

John 14:8-17 (25-27), Acts 2:1-21, Romans 8:1-17

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... things than he has done. John 14:8-17 (25-27) CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. Leader: Sing to the Eternal One as long as you live; People: we praise our God while we have any breath. INVOCATION All-hearing God, we will sing to you as long as we have life and breath, and when there is no longer sufficient breathe to praise you aloud, we will praise you in our hearts and minds. Divine Spirit, inspire our minds and our songs now and every ...

4605. Proper 21

Psalm 91:1-16, Jeremiah 32:1-44, Luke 16:19-31, 1 Timothy 6:6-19

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... another provocative parable about the eternal hazard of greed. Luke 16:19-31 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. Leader: As long as you live, praise the Royal One. People: We sing praise to our God all our lives long. INVOCATION All the glory of earthly monarchs pales in contrast to your majesty in both power and compassion, immortal Sovereign. Your love in the princely Christ encourages our audience, and your Spirit’s inspiration enables ...

Mark 6:30-44

I feel, and can never cease to feel, myself a partaker in a crime which is constantly being committed, so long as I have extra food while others have none, so long as I have two coats while there exists one person without any. I must seek in my heart at every moment, with meekness and humility, some opportunity for doing the job Christ wants done.

Leo Tolstoy

4607. Christ the King

Matthew 25:31-46, Psalm 100:1-5, Ezekiel 34:1-31, Ephesians 1:15-23

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... . Although we enjoy the bounty and variety of the harvest, teach us to avoid waste, that we may have more to share with others in need anywhere in the world. Hear our prayers for family and friends who are sick, anxious about uncertain diagnoses, impatient for a cure, or longing for relief from pain. Bless us all whatever the nature of our need. Comfort those who are dying. You are the Alpha and the Omega, O God, who is and who was and who is to come. Our hope is in you because of Jesus Christ, the faithful ...

4608. Small Saves

John 6:1-15

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... free gift was four of those new curly-q fluorescent light bulbs, the kind that last longer and use less electricity while putting out the same amount of light. This small act cost the power company a few thousand dollars. But according to their figuring, in the long run if everyone replaced their showerhead and a few light bulbs, the savings would be in the tens of thousands of dollars. It was a small act, but it was a start to a big savings. Small is big. From architectural trends like “The Not So Big ...

4609. When You're Overwhelmed

John 6:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

... panic never solved any problem. “Have the people sit down.” A lecturer on stress managemen raised a glass of water and asked his audience, “How heavy is this glass of water?” Various answers were called out. Then he replied, “The weight really doesn’t matter. What matters is how long you try to hold it. “If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem,” he said. “If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In ...

4610. Jesus Walking on Water

John 6:1-21; Matt. 14:22-36

Illustration

Johnny Dean

... had a break, he sat down, and a stranger sat beside him, someone he had never seen before and would never see again. For no apparent reason, this stranger took a stick and drew a cross on the ground. Solzhenitsyn sat and stared at that cross for a long while. He later wrote, "Staring at that cross, I realized that therein lies freedom." At that point - in the midst of a storm - he received new courage and the will to live. The storm didn't end that day, but through Jesus, Solzhenitsyn found the strength to ...

4611. Getting Rid of Anger

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

King Duncan

... white shirt with the dark red stain on the shirt pocket to the very dry cleaner Bob had exploded at. The manager took a long, slow look at the dark red stain on the front of the shirt and then looked sideways at Bob’s wife and said quietly, “Good ... good people, who turn their anger inward. They may not be aware that they are angry because they have suppressed that anger for so long. And then they do not know why they are mournful and weeping all the time. They go to a counselor and the counselor says ...

4612. A Certain Word in an Uncertain World

1 Chronicles 29:1-9

Sermon

James Merritt

... very bizarre way that you can't even always count on death. In 1965 he agreed to pay a 90 year old woman $500 a month as long as she lived. In return when she died, he would be allowed to take over her grand apartment in a beautiful part of Paris, France. On ... more valuable than gold…" (I Peter 1: 6-7, Phillips) That is an amazing statement. God handles our problems in such a way that in the long run they don't really hurt us, they help us to become what He wants us to be. You see the issue is not - are you ...

4613. The Spirit of Cross Pointe

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Sermon

James Merritt

... let them have their head and they would take you all over the ranch. They knew every trail there was and you could ride as long as you wanted to and eventually they would bring you back to the stable. Well, Chuck had never ridden a horse before. I went up ... cost, make any sacrifice and give up what is necessary to win any one at any time that I can to Jesus Christ as long as it doesn't compromise biblical principles or the gospel." Six times in this passage Paul talks about winning others. This is the way ...

4614. Don’t Tempt Me—But If You Do I’m Ready

1 Corinthians 10:13

Sermon

James Merritt

... can have his legs knocked out from under him by the riptide of temptation on a moment's notice. Temptation is not reduced when one becomes a Christian. No matter how much you know about the Lord, or how much you grow in the Lord, you will face temptation as long as you live. To be tempted is neither a flaw nor a failure. Temptation in and of itself is not a sin. Shakespeare said, "It is one thing to be tempted; it is another thing to fall." If temptation was a sin then Jesus was a sinner, for Jesus "was ...

4615. Growing Up Is More Than Showing Up

1 John 2:12-14

Sermon

James Merritt

... going over the basics of Christianity again and again; let us go on instead and become mature." (Heb. 6:1 NLT) "Like newborn infants long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation." (1 Pet. 2:2 ESV) "Grow in grace and understanding ... suppose as I'm driving along Teresa is napping and not navigating (which is, by the way, what she usually does on a long trip), and I foolishly take the wrong exit. Now her sensitive navigational alarm clock tells her to wake up immediately. She says, " ...

4616. I’M with the I AM

1 John 5:14-15

Sermon

James Merritt

... before they even call to me. While they are still talking to me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!" (Isaiah 65:24, NLT) Sometimes, God answers prayers immediately. I remember when I was pastoring my former church, I hadn't been there very long and a man brought his daughter to me who had a tumor behind one of her eyes. Two different scans had shown the tumor to be there, one as recently as the Friday before that Sunday. Several of our men gathered around her, anointed her with oil ...

4617. Got Milk?

1 Peter 2:1-3

Sermon

James Merritt

... to do and not doing what He doesn't want you to do, you have a heart that will receive God's word. I heard something a long time ago and I have never forgotten it. It is absolutely true. In fact, it is a law that you can't break. Either sin will keep ... you from the Bible or the Bible will keep you from sin. II. Develop A Hunger For God's Word Like newborn babies long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation (I Peter 2:2, NASB) Peter compares God's ...

4618. Friends

1 Samuel 18:1-4

Sermon

James Merritt

... a sling-shot. At that moment, David became the most popular person in all of Israel. He was the first Israeli idol; he was a national hero. He was an overnight celebrity and he immediately became a part of the king's court. Happiness and harmony didn't last long for David, because King Saul was eaten-up with jealousy. He was the new kid in town. The people respected Saul, but they loved David. David tried to build a bridge to Saul, but the fire of jealousy in Saul's heart would burn it down. It was obvious ...

4619. Mind Games

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Sermon

James Merritt

... walks around on all fours, and he even eats hay." The doctor said, "Well, I'm sure I can cure him, but it will take a long time and it will cost a tremendous amount of money." The lady said, "Well, money is no object, he's already won two races." You really ... , but because the world loves darkness rather than light. It broke my heart recently to find out that Larry King asked Chuck Colson not long ago to go to dinner. He told Chuck Colson the invitation was for one purpose. He said, "I'm going to give you two ...

4620. I’m At the End of My Rope

2 Kings 4:1-7

Sermon

James Merritt

... the wedding at Cana when Mary the mother of Jesus looked at the servants and said, "Whatever He says to you, do it." (Jn. 2:5) When it comes to obeying God, the only passing grade is 100. If you obey God 99% of the way, you fail. But as long as you obey God immediately, implicitly, and inclusively; if you'll keep pouring it out, He will keep filling it up. I have learned something about God and the way He relates to His children. God tests us by our faith, but He measures us by our obedience. Jesus said ...

4621. All By Myself: The Fear of Loneliness

2 Timothy 4:9-21

Sermon

James Merritt

... was at that point in her life that she began to honestly and diligently seek the Lord. She got on her knees and asked Jesus Christ to come into her heart. She then looked at me and said, "James, that has been over fifty years ago that I realized as long as I have Jesus, I am not alone." III. Respond To The Needs Of Others Listen again to what Paul said in verse 17, "But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me and that all the Gentiles might hear ...

4622. Being a Woman of God

Acts 16:11-15

Sermon

James Merritt

... 't know how far. I heard about a little boy that walked up to an elderly woman one time and said, "Lady, how old are you?" She said, "Young man, my age is my business!" The little boy said, "Well, lady, it looks like you've been in business a long time." Women are much more concerned, quite frankly, about their appearance than men. Men, by and large, don't really seem to matter if their stomach begins to sag or their face begins to wrinkle, and don't care to do a whole lot about it. But women are totally ...

4623. Why Me?

Proverbs 16:4, Colossians 1:16

Sermon

James Merritt

... tell you what the survivalist will tell you and that is - the purpose of life is just to stay alive. Just to live as long as you can. Some books will take the approach of the hedonist which basically says, "The purpose of life is pleasure" or like the ... about the five purposes for your life. Right now, I want you to see God's motive for creating us to begin with. Ephesians 1:4 says, "Long before He laid down earth's foundations, He had us in mind, and settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole ...

4624. Picture Perfect Close Up: Children - Get Under The Umbrella

Colossians 3:21

Sermon

James Merritt

... you play football or not, that you play in the band or you don't or that you make straight A's (that is as long as you are doing your best), but God does expect this - God does expect that you will honor your parents by obeying them. Our text for ... the hard way, but the easy way to learn it is in the school of obedience. Obedience in the short run will pay off later in the long run, not just for your parents, but for you. Do you know why? Because, one day you are going to have children. You are going to ...

4625. Framing Values – Part Two

Daniel 1:1-21

Sermon

James Merritt

... I'm pregnant." Your love is on the line. When the police call and tell you that your son is in jail for driving under the influence, your love is on the line. When your teenagers make bad choices, poor decisions, and wrong moves, your love is on the line. Long after their bad choices, poor decisions, and wrong moves are in the past, that teenager is going to remember one thing, when I needed my mom and dad most, did they stand by me and show me that they loved me? I am not talking about condemning mistakes ...

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