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 451 to 475 of 679 results

451. Waiting for More

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Illustration

Joel D. Kline

... of light. We must then grapple with the challenge to be co-creators with God as we anticipate that new creation. William Willimon, dean of the chapel at DukeUniversity, asserts: Show me a person who is not waiting [for something more to come], not yearning, not leaning forward, standing on tiptoe for something better, and I will show you a person who has given up hope for anything better, someone who has settled down too comfortably in present arrangements. And that's sad. The future belongs to those who ...

452. Had-To

James 1:17-27

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... changes roll right off your back. Other changes merely annoy you. Others disturb you down to the depths of your soul. But did you ever notice that those people who seem most sensitive to every little cultural change, every lifestyle blip are the same people who yearn the most for the long-awaited peace and stability of a future heavenly existence? Hello! Talk about culture shock! You tell me why it is, when we have a terrible time adjusting to the whole notion of an automated teller giving us our cash, we ...

453. Rock-Bottom Living

1 Peter 2:2-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... income in America more than doubled in real terms between 1957 and 1990, the number of Americans who reported being "very happy" remained the same at one-third. In other words, having more is not "the real thing." More does not answer our deepest yearnings or fulfill our deepest needs. The American Dream, defined in terms of material things, has become The American Nightmare. The best of times materially they may be. But they seem more like the worst of times spiritually. In Meyer's words: Never has a ...

454. Fifty-Fourth and Lexington

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... voice. Sitting in the midst of an urban wilderness, this John-the-Baptist voice touched a lonely, aching place that lurks in the human heart, offering an unexpected message of faith and hope in the midst of the darkest, most blighted night. Bryars himself started yearning for the confidence and faith this old man's song celebrates. He began to face what it means to feel homeless and alone even when we are sitting in the midst of our families. Bryars vowed to respect this homeless person by creating a ...

455. The S-factor

John 14:23-29

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... " captured the imagination of an entire country. Why was "Cheers" one of the greatest successes in the history of television? Was it because so few of us have familiar hangouts these days that "Cheers" offered a sense of homey comfort? Did we love that "Cheers" bar because we yearn for a place (or a church) "where everybody knows your name"? Most of us don't even know our neighbors' names anymore. Most of us care more about what's going on in our neighbor's lawn than what's going on in our neighbor's life ...

456. Drawing Lines

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... our neighborhood." When we resent the intrusion by the federal government into our regional needs and wants, our territory takes on the even larger boundaries of "our state." When threats of war and terrorism start crashing on our shores, we find ourselves yearning for a way effectively to protect "our nation." When our ozone layer starts to fizzle away from fluorocarbons, and our oceans start smelling like backed-up septic tanks, we suddenly feel the need to defend "our planet." When we eventually draw our ...

457. Invitations from the Christ Child

Luke 1:26-38

Illustration

King Duncan

A woman visited a tourist town and stopped to see a cathedral. As she stared at the beautiful stained-glass windows, a feeling of peace washed over her. She hadn't felt that way since childhood, and she had a deep yearning to attend church again. Kneeling before the Christmas scene, she studied the figure of the Christ child whose arms were outstretched. She wished with all her heart that those arms were reaching out to her. She remembered Christmases of long ago when her family attended church together. ...

458. Mark 12:38-44

Mark 12:38-44

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... ) worn by pious Jews while praying, or to the practice of wearing special Sabbath day garments. It is most likely that the simplest interpretation of this clothing is the best. By wearing "long robes," the scribes are apparently expecting to garner yearned-for honor and prestige based on their enhanced appearance alone (they seek to be "greeted with respect in the marketplaces" [38b]). These scribes, prancing about in their frippery and finery, have no real authority (see Mark 1 :22). But they continuously ...

459. Mark 13:24-32

Mark 13:24-32

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... s Gospel is known as Jesus' farewell discourse, cataloging his final instructions before the grueling test in Jerusalem. According to Mark, Jesus concludes his earthly ministry by commanding the faithful to maintain an active watch. Mark seems to anticipate Jesus' absence and yearn for his returned presence more pointedly than do the other gospels. The longing in Mark's Little Apocalypse is answered in verse 30 by Jesus' promise to the church that he will return. But as a strong reprimand to those who would ...

460. John 17:20-26

John 17:20-26

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

John 17 is what we should rightfully call "The Lord's Prayer." The prayer which we recite every week and call the Lord's Prayer is actually the Disciple's Prayer - the words Rabbi Jesus gave to his followers who yearned for some prayer of their own. But here in John 17 is Jesus' own prayer, prayed on the eve of his betrayal and death, prayed with all the hope and love and intensity and anguish of that moment in his life. This week's Gospel text focuses on the concluding ...

461. 2 Kings 4:8-17

2 Kings 4:8-17

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... voices the request of the Shunammite woman. We can only assume that the uncanny ability of servants to know all the juiciest gossip in a household took over here. Gehazi reveals that the woman is childless, and her husband old - intimating that she yearns for a son. With this insight, Elisha has Gehazi once again summon the woman so that he may pronounce his blessing on her - that she will bear a child "in due time." Incredulous, the woman momentarily drops her respectful demeanor and, directly addressing ...

462. Romans 8:26-39

Romans 8:26-39

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... inarticulately toward God in prayer. Whichever way you interpret this verse theologically, remember that it is perfectly acceptable to read Paul's declaration as the groaning of the Spirit itself on our behalf. The Spirit is emotionally involved and eternally invested in our yearnings toward the Divine. Verse 27 reveals that God hears and understands the Spirit even when words or utterances of any kind fail the human praying. God goes directly to the heart, which is one with the mind of the Spirit. When our ...

463. Philippians 3:4b-14

Philippians 3:4b-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... a "loss" because his newfound faith in Christ revealed to him that righteousness is a relational existence, not an ethical standard. In verse 10, Paul reveals the greatest miracle of this new relationship that he shares with Christ. When Paul yearns to "know Christ," the aorist infinitive of this verb reveals that this "knowing" is a definitive act, not some ongoing intellectual process (i.e., knowing about Christ). In this moment of knowing, Paul perceives two revelations: "the power of his resurrection ...

464. Mark 12:38-44

Mark 12:38-44

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

465. John 17:20-26

John 17:20-26

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

466. Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)

Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... built on the theme Len Sweet presented in this weekly sermon. Here are their responses. Trade in Your Blindfold Are you willing to trade your blindfold for the light of Christ's presence in our lives? Don't answer too quickly. It is a hard exchange to make. We yearn for the comfortable darkness of our blindfold. It is easier to simply go about our lives with our spiritual eyes closed to the light of the Way, the Truth and the Life. Don't bother me. Don't make me change! Sorry, but this is not what God calls ...

467. Mother Church

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... , wound, abuse – just like the god-substitutes. Mothers can pass their sin-sickness on to their children. Now, if we are not blessed to have our mother-shaped hole filled with a mother whose God-shaped hole is filled with God, we will spend our life, yearning, seeking, searching, starving to have it satisfied. God loves us so much, God provides us people who love us as though we are their children. This is where I see Pentecost and Mother’s Day intersecting. It’s been said, “It takes a village to ...

468. The Father’s Blessing

Genesis 27:1-40

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... never heard I guess I’ll never hear The man I thought would never die S’been dead almost a year He was good at business But there was business left to do He never said he loved me Guess he thought I knew How many of us here still yearn to hear the words that will bless us with God’s blessing? Words that will remove the sense that there’s something wrong with us that makes us unworthy to be loved. In ancient times, the father had one blessing to give to his children. It went to the eldest ...

469. Pastoral Prayer for First Sunday of Lent

Mark 1:9-15

Illustration

Joel D. Kline

... healing touch … God, make us mindful of those among us this day who silently hold hurts and brokenness within them. Teach us to look into one another's eyes and hearts. We pray for those experiencing pain in their significant relationships, those who are yearning for new beginnings in life. We pray, O God, for young people facing untold pressures and challenges, and for older persons seeking to come to terms with limitations and losses. Whatever our life situations, O God, lead us in paths of right living ...

470. On-Beyond-Zebra Living

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... last. First, God-first. We are called to love with a God love, a God love where sacrifice is not an afterthought, but a forethought. God love is a verb which fulfils its mission in us and through us and among us. This doesn’t mean that our dreams and yearnings have no play in God-first God-love. In the words of Bishop Gerard W. Hughes, “If God’s love for us bears no relationship to our own deepest longings and desires, then God cannot be a God of love, but a God of commands. If God’s will for ...

471. Proper 8

Mark 5:21-43, Psalm 130:1-8, 2 Samuel 1:17-27, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... the blessing of God our savior. People: We see the face of the God our savior in the face of Jesus Christ. INVOCATION Loving God, we seek your face in times of joy and sorrow. We may come more casually when life is full of happiness. We come with yearning when sorrow and tragedy have shadowed our joy. Receive us in the best of times and the worst of times; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen PRAYER OF CONFESSION God of death and life, of tragedy and comedy, of sorrow and joy, we confess our dismay at the ...

472. Woe to the Blessed

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

Gary L. Carver

... around our possessions and the pleasing of ourselves by our resources, we may already have our reward. The word "reward" here means "paid in full." Isn't it ironic that in a day in which we supposedly have the finest economy in years, there is a yearning in the heart and soul of the American people for spirituality? Now I'm not talking about a spirituality that is always found in churches, but a hunger for spirituality. It is as if the entire nation is saying, "There's got to be more!" Perhaps Jesus ...

473. Mary Magdalene’s Day

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... with the risen Jesus Christ is what counts, isn't it? Anything less will not enable us to live a victorious faith that others want. To be able to tell others we have seen the Lord and he lives in our hearts is the message the world always yearns to hear. To see his behavior in action with power and vitality makes even the hardest sinner sit up and take notice. Are we being too fundamental and, some would say, pietistic? Perhaps, but then we must discover new words to say essentially the same thing! The ...

474. So, Are You The Messiah?

John 10:22-30

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... for years after our Lord arose from the dead and ascended — yes, and still at this moment — people are looking. Our Jewish friends, in particular, have this long historical record of watching and waiting. There were, and are, many disappointments in all of this yearning. Indeed, before and after Christ there were those who claimed to be the anointed one of God. Again and again dreams and hopes were followed by disasters. There seems to be something amiss in most everyone, until he or she has settled on ...

475. Keeping His Word

John 14:23-29

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... But he did, so that all would be as it should be. Some may have begged him to stay. What would you and I have done under those unique circumstances? We can't be sure, of course, but in all likelihood, we would reflect those same desires and yearnings. Jesus, you are going to put us through hell on earth and then you are leaving us! That might be somewhat of a stretch. Yet, knowing human nature, it may be almost exactly some of their thoughts and feelings. Spiritual electricity is in the air and the voltage ...

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