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 5000 results

4676. The Jump to Judgment

Matthew 7:1-6

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... are called to a life of love, and no one who truly loves can ever be indifferent. I will grant that making judgments can be a dangerous thing. That is precisely why Jesus went on in such detail about being careful in them. But he would never have wanted to be misunderstood to the degree that some have misunderstood him saying that no one should make any kind of common sense judgments at all. So saying, let me offer this role model to take home with you this afternoon. Her name is Melanie Wilkes and you know ...

4677. Temptation

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... she heard the bell on the ice cream wagon ringing loudly in the street outside. Mom waited to see what would happen. The boy wanted the skates, but he also liked ice cream. There was no sound from the room until the vehicle had gone, and the bell could ... seen the film and would not condemn it on the basis of hearsay evidence. I would make my OWN decision after seeing it. He asked, "Do you want to SEE it?" I said, "Of course." I finally did see it (after it came out on video - I'm cheap). For the most part the ...

4678. Ban the "Buts"

Luke 9:57-62

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... instruction to pluck out our eye out or cut off our hand if we look at something or touch something we shouldn't(2) - a bit of Semitic hyperbole that dramatizes a point but is not meant to be taken literally.(3) SERIOUSLY, but not literally. Now another says he wants to come along. "I will follow you, Lord; BUT let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus response draws on a bit of conventional country wisdom: "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." Every ...

4679. Hard to Believe

Luke 24:1-12

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... one side with a 14-penny nail. The unnamed 23-year-old then had a logistical problem. "When he realized that he was unable to nail his other hand to the board, he called 9-1-1," said Sheriff Barry DeLong, who noted it was unclear whether the man wanted help getting free, or help in nailing his free hand. (Bangor Daily News) Which, of course, gives new meaning to the police slang, "We nailed the suspect." Hard to believe. Truth be told, so was the story the women came back with after their trip to the tomb ...

4680. About Kissing

2 Corinthians 13:11-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... other. Let's talk for a few minutes today about kissing. That might sound like a strange theme for Trinity Sunday. Don't blame me. St. Paul says in our scripture today, "Greet one another with a holy kiss." Who am I to argue with St. Paul? If he wants us to talk about kissing today, well, so be it. Besides, nearly everybody's interested in kissing. I read about a court case that involved kissing. Clare Tomie of Detroit told a circuit court jury she doesn't feel a thing when she kisses her husband, and the ...

4681. Rock Solid Living

Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon

King Duncan

... to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’” I don’t want to sound judgmental, nor do I want to impose on you some of my personal biases, but there are many religious people who are an embarrassment to God. They talk a good game, but that’s all it is--talk. In fact, some of the people who use a Christian vocabulary most vocally ...

4682. Surprised By Christmas

Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan

... that night down the centuries. We celebrate it with stars hung on the Christmas tree and the cry of bells and gifts. Especially with gifts. We buy them and wrap them and put them under the tree. You give me a tie, I give you a book, Cousin Martha always wanted an orange squeezer, Uncle Harry can use a new pipe. Oh, we forget nobody. Adult or child. All the stockings are filled. All, that is, except one. We have even forgotten to hang it up. A stocking for that Child born in a manger. It's His birthday we're ...

4683. Love Your Enemies

Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

King Duncan

... movie that pointed out how deadly it is. It was about a young man who had a love-hate relationship with his father. He was trying desperately to hurt his dad in a business deal. When his stepmother learned of it and chastised him, he responded, "I just wanted to beat him once." And she replied, "You haven't beaten him. You have become him." (5) And that's true. Retaliation does permanent damage not only to our enemy but to us as well. We become different people ” twisted and evil. But that's one way of ...

4684. The Secret Ingredient Of Success

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... his driveway. Jim then asked himself the question again ” do I really love Jesus? Am I ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Would I go out and knock on doors and tell others about Christ? It is not a matter of opportunity, is it? It's not for want of ability. It is a matter of passion, of desire, of giving one's best to the Master. Of the barren fig tree the owner of the vineyard said to his vinedresser , "Cut it down; why should it use up ground?" And the vinedresser answered, "Give it another year ...

4685. How Can You Tell A Christian?

John 13:31-38

Sermon

King Duncan

... of us that says such love is out of place in the world in which we live. Sure, love is great up to a point, but we want to be sure that we still have some room for some of the baser emotions like anger, resentment and even hate. We are like a woman who ... appearance of the real thing, but it is a fake. It's for people who can't afford a cellular telephone, but don't want their friends to know it, I guess. The amazing thing is that more than two hundred thousand people have bought these fake antennas. When ...

4686. Finding Glory

Galatians 6:11-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Jamie Buckingham tells about a famous Southern preacher who used to wear red socks, sequined trousers and a flashy checkered sport coat into the pulpit. Then he would begin his message by praying, "O God, hide me behind the cross." (5) Somehow I don~t think he really wanted to be hidden, do you? St. Paul gloried in the cross of Christ. And so can we. All we need to do is spend a few minutes thinking about the meaning of that cross for our lives. WE CAN GLORY, FIRST OF ALL, THAT CHRIST UNDERSTANDS OUR ...

4687. Prayers That Work

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... Clinton signed it himself. Stephanopoulos offered to accept the rest of the petitions on Clinton's behalf, but Oulette refused. He wants five minutes with the president. Back in Minnesota, far from the politics of war and Washington, Oulette's parents are ... sent to Siberia, and brutally treated. "When I could not stand any more, I renounced Christ. I renounced my heritage," he said. "I wanted to be part of my peer group." Years later, he received his mother's last letter written in a language he no longer ...

4688. No More Pain!

John 8:31-41

Sermon

King Duncan

... at the long lunch table and could even smell school when I opened the lunch box. All my friends were there and watched me. As I walked back through my second-grade lunch experience, I thought, MAMA DOES CARE. I AM IMPORTANT." (4) That is the freedom that Christ wants to give us. We are important! We matter! We are not slaves ” we are sons and daughters of God! This is the truth that sets us free. It's not complicated. Jesus says, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know ...

4689. Comfort My People

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... school. Can you help me, Santa? Kids laugh at me because of the way I walk and run and talk. I have cerebral palsy. I just want one day where no one laughs at me or makes fun of me. Love Amy." Thousands of people were touched in the USA and as ... WALK WITH ME is published by the United Cerebral Palsy Associations. "I got teased all the time, and what she asked for was what I had wanted and finally got." On that special day, Amy got her chance when she read the note on radio WJLT in a segment that included a ...

4690. Swimming With The Sharks

Mark 9:2-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... . And it is to his followers that he has given the commission for the teaching and the preaching of this kingdom. That's you and me. We are to be transformed and then we are to be transformers. You know how the story of the Mount of Transfiguration ends. Peter wants to build three booths, one for Christ, one for Moses and one for Elijah, and stay on that mountain. But it is not Christ's mission to stay on the mountain and be worshiped. His is a ministry of love to the people in the valley below. And that is ...

4691. Jesus Won! We Won!

John 20:10-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... them and began talking to them. He was meditating on this when there came a knock at the door. It was a poor person who wanted to tell his troubles to a priest. The priest, immersed in his meditation asked to be excused for not being able to listen to the ... night Tex came back to the bunkhouse so drunk that he passed out in the middle of floor. He was known to become violent so no one wanted to move him out of the way. The boss asked the young man to move him. As he grabbed Tex to move him, Tex pulled a knife ...

4692. In Praise Of Goofing Off

Mark 6:30-44

Sermon

King Duncan

... took care of the church's lawn himself." "I'm aware of that," said the pastor. "But I called him and he doesn't want to do it anymore." Different people have different ideas about work. A lazy clerk fiddled around while his irate boss burned. "You're the ... is that it is the attitude of more people than we might imagine. I am not agreeing with the writer of this letter, but I want to begin this morning by making one thing clear. YOU AND I HAVE A RELIGIOUS RESPONSIBILITY TO GOOF OFF FROM TIME TO TIME. It's ...

4693. Motorcycles, Marriage And A Word From God

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... ideal marriages are very difficult to find. I didn't say that there are not happy marriages. Nor did I say that marriage cannot be very fulfilling. Most people obviously prefer marriage to the single life. All I am saying is that there are no perfect marriages. Want evidence? Show me a perfect marriage in the Bible. Adam and Eve? One of their boys murdered the other. I doubt they had the perfect home. Abraham and Sarah? Abraham tried to pass her off as his sister. She could have ended up in Pharoah's harem ...

4694. The Leadership Principles Of Jesus

Hebrews 5:11-6:12

Sermon

King Duncan

... after all.' "Still smiling, Dave looked at me and said: ˜Do I pay you a lot of money? Do I argue with you over what you want to spend? Do I bother you? Then don't tell me what the goals should be. Be on [budget] by the half; be on [budget] by ... desk and go home,'" [Dave replied.] Beeson argued why he couldn't meet the goals. Mahoney replied, "Not interested. My board and my stockholders want me to make my numbers. The way I make my numbers is if you guys make your numbers. Make your numbers!" (3) Now, to ...

4695. A Time For Hope

Isaiah 2:1-5

Sermon

King Duncan

... thought of writing a bitter, cruel letter to crush his opponent. He constructed horribly mean phrases in his mind. He took great delight in savoring the anticipated effect of each cruel word. He tried to pray about the matter, but he found that he didn’t really want to turn it over to God. He then tried an experiment. He tried to completely relax ”to push every thought from his mind. As he sought to relax, he felt deep within himself a "a vague longing" for the coming of one he called simply "the Friend ...

4696. The Manger Is Empty

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... born. I think the whole trouble is that we're thrown into life too fast. We're not really prepared." And Linus asks, "What did you want . . . a chance to warm up first?" The Advent season is supposed to be our chance to warm up. It's that time to prepare our hearts ... people live only for pleasure and never accept responsibility for themselves or for each another. There aren't very many who would want to live there. There is nothing that will starve the joy out of people like a steady diet of moral decay. Sure ...

4697. Good News For You

Isaiah 7:1-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... -desirable circumstances, but the casual observer that night would never have guessed that the birth of this peasant child was the result of a mighty promise of God. Of course, every child comes into the world as a promise of God. Someone has said that when God wants something great to be done in this world, God has a child born. Each of us has great dreams for our children. So does God. CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT A PROMISE KEPT. IT IS ALSO ABOUT A PROPHECY FULFILLED. The two are closely related. You and I probably ...

4698. You Shall Call His Name Jesus

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... saw in themselves. You remember the wonderful story of the Wizard of Oz. In the story several characters illustrate how persons learn and believe in unfounded assumptions about their personal limitations. Dorothy and her dog Toto want to return to Kansas, the Scarecrow wants a brain, the Tin Woodman wants a heart, and the Cowardly Lion wants courage. The Scarecrow learned he had no brain. An old crow said to him, "If you only had brains in your head you would be as good a man as any of them. Brains are the ...

4699. "Catch-able" But Not "Fetch-able"

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

King Duncan

... Big Haley, the officer complained that--in the mountain vernacular-- "She's catch-able but not fetch-able." (1) Some things in life are like that. They may be catch-able, they are not fetch-able. Suppose you are I had never heard about Jesus Christ, but we wanted to know about the nature of God. How would we go about it? It's a problem. We could look at nature to draw our conclusions, but nature presents a mixed bag. Nature has its positive side. There is the abundance of the soil, and the faithfulness of ...

4700. Watch!

Matthew 24:36-51

Sermon

King Duncan

... is these pictures of the mind that are the key." Joseph Powell, a Loyola University professor, expressed it well in his excellent book, Fully Human, Fully Alive: "Fully alive people find enjoyment in what others regard as drudgery or duty. They don't have to; they want to. They are aware of the thorns but concentrate on the roses. Each day has a newness about it; it is never a carbon copy of yesterday. Fully alive people eagerly await new insights. These insights will renew them and their visions of reality ...

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