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 4676 to 4700 of 4962 results

4676. Aren't You Glad?

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

Anne-Rose Reeves

Pastor Jones, at St. Michaels Lutheran Church, wasn't quite sure just how to put his Easter sermon together. And believe me, it wasn't for lack of advice and study. At the last council meeting, the church president had jokingly told him he hoped that this year's Easter sermon would finally say something significant to all those "Christmas and Easter Christians" who show up only twice a year and only put a dollar in the plate. "Pastor, tell them how much money it takes to keep this building in good repair, ...

4677. Temptation

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

King Duncan

A member of Weight Watchers was determined to make it through a full week without cheating. She dropped into a cafeteria one day for a cup of coffee. A man with two doughnuts and a cup of coffee sat down on the other side of the table. The pastries smelled truly delicious ” but the woman remained firm in her decision not to indulge. Lo and behold after a while the man got up, leaving behind one whole doughnut. An internal struggle ensued and temptation triumphed. The woman reached across the table, picked ...

4678. Getting Rid Of Fear

2 Timonty 1:6-14

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you ever been afraid to drive over a high bridge? If so, you're not alone. In fact, some people are so afraid of bridges that they will drive hours out of their way to avoid them. Others try to cross but have a panic attack in the middle of a bridge and can't go on. They block traffic. Because of this, the operators of some of the longest and highest spans in America now offer a driving service. On request, one of the bridge attendants will get behind the wheel and drive your car over the terrifying ...

4679. A Mother And Her Son (Mother's Day)

Matthew 12:46-50

Sermon

King Duncan

A woman had quit work to stay home and take care of her new baby daughter. Countless hours of peekaboo and other games slowly took their toll. One evening she smacked her bare toes on the corner of a dresser and, grabbing her foot, sank to the floor. Her husband rushed to her side and asked where it hurt. She looked at her husband through her tear-filled eyes and managed to moan, "It's the piggy that ate the roast beef." (1) Another harried mother had three very active boys. One summer evening she was ...

4680. Take Time To Say Thanks

Deuteronomy 8:1-20

Sermon

King Duncan

It always makes us feel good when people take their time to express appreciation. The late, great cowboy film star and all-round good guy Roy Rogers never forgot the people who made him what he was. According to Zig Ziglar in his book, Something to Smile About, after Roy starred in his first movie, he began receiving huge stacks of fan mail that he wanted to answer. However, his salary of $150 a week did not even cover the required postage. He talked to the head of Republic Pictures in the hope that the ...

4681. Aging Is Mandatory; Maturity Is Optional

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you ever noticed that grown men can act like little children at times? Every woman in the house is nodding her head. Notice our lesson from the Gospel for today. It begins with some words with which we have become familiar: "They went on from there and passed through Galilee. [Jesus] did not want anyone to know it . . ." There it is again. The stealth Messiah, quietly going about his business, trying to stay out of the public eye. This time Mark provides us with an explanation: ". . . for he was ...

4682. Worthy Is The Lamb

Revelation 5:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

In her book Responding to God, Martha Graybeal Rowlett tells about a column in The San Francisco Chronicle called the "Question Man." People write to the Question Man with various questions they'd like to have answered. However, years ago the Question Man turned the tables. He asked children for their answers to a question. The question was, "What does God look like?"One child wrote, "Jesus and God both have a circle over their heads. They try to walk careful and stay right underneath it because it lights ...

4683. "God News" For Bad Times

1 Kings 17:1-6

Sermon

King Duncan

It has never been easy to be a prophet. Prophets speak for God. Since the things God would say to us, if we gave God a chance, are often not things we would want to hear, true prophets of the Lord have never been very popular. A soldier was trying to get a check cashed in the small town near the base to which he had been assigned. "I'm sorry," said the merchant who was waiting on him, "but I can't cash your check without some kind of identification. Haven't you got any friends at the base who could vouch ...

4684. Are We Able?

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

There is an old saying that “To the victor belongs the spoils.” Nowhere is that more evident than the period following a presidential election. That is the time when the new president-elect begins to divvy up the various cabinet positions and political plums and reward those who helped him get to that exalted position. I.SOMETHING LIKE THAT FORMS THE BACKGROUND FOR TODAY’S SCRIPTURE LESSON. Jesus had just told the twelve that the road they are traveling will ultimately end in his trial, torture, and death ...

4685. The Bible: The Book No Other Can Match!

2 Timothy 3:16

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Dr. Joel C. Gregory, newly elected pastor of the well-known First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas, shares this story: "Bill Bentley moved to the mountains of Southern Mexico near Guatemala in 1938. He went there to translate the Bible into the language of a remote tribe in those mountains, the Tzeltals. His fiancee, Marianna, was serving a neighboring tribe. They went back to Pennsylvania to be married, but six days before the wedding Bill died of a heart attack. "Marianna was crushed. God had called her ...

4686. Repentance: The No That Is A Yes

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Elie Wiesel is one of the great story-tellers of our time. He is a Jew who has a passionate memory of the Holocaust. He tells stories with a clarity and a passion that sets your soul on fire. In fact, a collection of his Hasidic stories is entitled "Souls on Fire". Let me read you the introduction to that book: "My father, an enlightened spirit, believed in man, My grandfather, a fervent Hasid, believed in God. The one taught me to speak, the other to sing. Both loved stories. And when I tell mine, I hear ...

4687. What Do You Want To Be Like When You Are 65?

Proverbs 3:1-35

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

There is a classic story of a Russian countess who sits in the theater on a cold, winter night. Her emotions are played upon by the sad scene depicted on stage -- so much so that she sheds copious tears. Meanwhile, outside, her coachman is shivering in the cold as he awaits to take her home. She allows the emotion of pity to be excited by an imaginary scene, but refuses to allow pity to play on the chords of her daily life in relation to her driver. The Proverbs will play on the cords of our daily life if ...

4688. A Discussion Among Angels

Matthew 24:36-44

Drama

Matthew Powell

Cast Storyteller The Archangel Michael The Archangel Uriel The Archangel Raphael The Archangel Gabriel (The Storyteller stands off to one side. Michael, Uriel, and Raphael are seated in the center and stand when they speak and remain standing. Gabriel sits slightly farther back from the others. He stands and comes forward when he finally speaks) Storyteller: A company of angels, returning from their various labors on earth, was sitting in friendly conversation. There were three of the company who seemed to ...

4689. Mom: The Heart of a Godly Family

Proverbs 31:10-31

Sermon

James Merritt

Nobody can write a letter like a mother. I can remember when I was in college my first year, I was so homesick I literally lived for those days I would go to the post office and get a letter from my Mom. I want to share with you one mother's letter to her son in college. This mother was a country lady, not very well educated, but she loved her son. This was the letter: Dear Son: Just a few lines to let you know that I am still alive. I'm writing this letter slowly because I know that you cannot read very ...

4690. God's Will: Don't Leave Home Without It

Romans 12:1-2

Sermon

James Merritt

It was one of those attention-grabbing headlines that made me stop and read the article. The headline read: "Plane With A Mind Of Its Own Crashes." The story that followed was not only very funny, but illustrated a great truth. Here is the story: Paul Sirks owned a Vintage single-engine plane, a 1946 Aeronca Champ. He had landed the plane at Grimes Field Airport in Urbana, Ohio, because of mechanical problems. The plane's engine had stalled on the runway and Sirks got out to restart it by hand-turning the ...

4691. Guilt: How to Keep Your Conscience Clear

Psalm 32:1-11

Sermon

James Merritt

Ogden Nash once wrote this little couplet: There’s only one way to achieve happiness on this terrestrial ball, And that is to have either a clear conscience or none at all.1 Perhaps the most powerful and poisonous of all human emotions is the emotion of guilt. Guilt can make a person afraid of their own shadow. There is a story told of the time when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the English writer, who created the character Sherlock Holmes, decided to play a practical joke on twelve of his best friends. He sent ...

4692. Wanted: A Lasting Marriage. Only Good Chemists, Bad mathematicians, Expert Soul-O-Flexors Need Apply

Mark 10:2-16

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

107 million married persons in the United States are asking the question, "How can I make my marriage last?" The answer is in the details. Here's my favorite "Go Figure!" for 1997: A major status symbol in this greedy-get-more consumer culture of ours is something that no amount of money can buy. You can't inherit it; you can't discover it; you can't even own it. What is it? What is this remarkable commodity that draws gasps of astonishment and admiring glances when it is revealed? It's a miracle marriage ...

4693. Rock-Bottom Living

1 Peter 2:2-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Instead of "rolling stones," disciples of Jesus are called to be "living stones." There has been a lot of tongue wagging going on in the media lately about "The Spoiling of America." This is not concern about water pollution or unchecked deforestation. It is about children especially our swelling population of spoiled children. - How big a collection of Power-Rangers does your 5-year-old need? - How many Super Nintendo cartridges does it take to satisfy your 9-year-old? - How much money must really be ...

4694. Experiencing God

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

Stan Purdum

Today is Pentecost, the anniversary of the day nearly 2,000 years ago when the Holy Spirit came powerfully upon the followers of Jesus who were gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem. They were so inspired that they rushed out into the streets and began preaching about Jesus. Some 3,000 converts were made that day alone. Most Bible scholars mark that day as the beginning of the church — the birthday of the church. Very likely, none of this comes as news to you. You've heard this all explained before. Even ...

4695. Sharing God’s Love

Hebrews 10:16-25

Sermon

Richard Gribble

There once was a king who ruled over a vast empire, but alas, he was rather old and thus decided that he needed to select his successor from his four sons. He called them in, one-by-one, to discuss the inheritance of his kingdom. When the first son entered the king's chamber, the old man sat down and spoke: "Son, I am very old and will not live much longer. I wish to entrust my kingdom to the son best suited to receive it. Tell me, if I leave my kingdom to you, what will you give to the nation?" Now this ...

4696. A Soul Restored

Psalm 23:2-3a

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

A young woman shared the story of her mother who has a fear of tunnels which isn't unusual. Anyway, one Spring this Mother had to drive the Pennsylvania Turnpike to visit her daughter at college. Knowing the mother's fear of tunnels, the daughter was a little concerned about the trip. When Mom arrived safely the daughter asked: "Did you have any trouble?" "Just the tunnels," Mom replied. "One of them was 2 1\2." Puzzled the daughter asked if she meant 2 1\2 miles or 2 1\2 minutes. Mom answered, "Neither - ...

4697. A Kingdom that Cannot Be Shaken

Hebrews 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

Most of us probably think of the state of Tennessee as part of the “Bible Belt” an area of the southern United States known for its religious fervor. But it has not always been so. According to author and historian Jack Neely, at the turn of the 19th century, Tennesseans were a largely heathen people. Traveling evangelists and missionaries made little impression on either the cotton growers on the west end of the state or the hillbillies on the eastern end. Then, on December 16th, 1811, a massive ...

4698. Time for the Offering

2 Corinthians 8:7-15

Sermon

Gibson “Nibs” Stroupe

We have been blessed at our church to have had student interns in ministry for many years from Columbia Theological Seminary, Johnson C. Smith Seminary, and Candler School of Theology. They have been all varieties of cultures, genders, ages, outlooks, and approaches. As a multicultural church, we like to think that we have broadened their view of themselves and of ministry. I know that they have greatly enriched our lives. We ask our interns to lead all parts of worship over the course of their time with ...

4699. When the Going Gets Tough

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

The golf course was crowded with golfers one pleasant fall morning. Bob was standing in front of a tee preparing to swing at his ball. He visualized hitting a beautiful shot that would carry hundreds of yards. As he was standing there lost in his thoughts, an announcement came over the public address system: “Would the gentleman standing at the women’s tee please back up to the men’s tee?” Bob ignored the announcement. He continued his pre-shot routine. Again, the announcement came across the PA system: “ ...

4700. Trouble In the Parsonage

Hosea 1:2-10

Sermon

David E. Leininger

There once was a retreat attended by the clergy of a community for the purpose of establishing support groups. To kick things off the leader broke the participants up into groups of four and instructed them to confide in one another. In one group, a rabbi broke the ice by saying, "I'll begin by sharing one of my most disturbing problems. Occasionally I slip out of town and give in to my craving for pork - I stuff myself with bacon, sausage, ham, pork chops, and sometimes even babyback ribs." At this point ...

Showing results