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 4726 to 4750 of 4962 results

4726. Standing In the Gap: The Work of Intercession

2 Chronicles 7:11-22

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

I’m excited about what you’re doing in chapel this year here in Orlando. I’m particularly excited about your theme: Standing in the Gap—and the fact that Steve is basing all of his sermons on the Lord’s Prayer. I want to fit into that pattern—but confess to you that I do so out of the kind of sense that D. T. Niles expressed when he described evangelism as “one beggar telling another beggar where to get bread.” None of us are experts in prayer—the more we pray, the more we realize that we are limited—and ...

4727. Put Your Best Foot Forward

Isaiah 52:7

Sermon

James Merritt

As you now know I am willing to study any subject if will help me communicate the Word of God. This week I did a study of all things, feet, and I was amazed to discover how very important feet are to the human body. Our feet will carry us the equivalent of five times around the earth in an average life span. Yet, we barely pay attention to them. But did you know that if you were to lose just a little toe on one foot, you would have to learn to walk all over again? Doctors know that feet are mirrors of our ...

4728. Penguins in Mission

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

Real life is often funnier than fiction. I want to tell you a true story about a family in Knoxville, TN that decided to take a day-trip to visit the Chattanooga, TN Aquarium. They entered the aquarium and were fascinated by the many displays. However, about midway through their visit the young parents suddenly discovered that their four-year-old son was missing. He had been with them the moment before, but now he was gone. They began to panic, as you might imagine. When they could not find him on their ...

4729. Is God Pleased With Me?

Hebrews 11:1-6

Sermon

James Merritt

One of the most exciting events in track and field is the relay races. It takes a combination of speed, timing, precision, and teamwork in order for a relay team to be victorious. Now the suspense is much greater than an individual race because in an individual race the fastest person always wins. In a relay race the fastest team can lose if one thing happens - they fail to pass the baton. Any track coach will tell you that relay races are won or lost not in the sheer speed of the team, but in the transfer ...

4730. What Gift Do You Bring?

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Gary L. Carver

I remember watching a football game between Kansas State and Ohio State. Kansas State was evidently favored to win because they had clobbered Oklahoma just a few weeks earlier, but they were not doing very well. In fact, they were behind by quite a bit and then in the last half they mounted a comeback and midway through the fourth quarter they were doing quite well. They were only behind fourteen points and were deep in Ohio State territory. Then it happened — a senseless, silly, stupid penalty. It was a ...

4731. A Voice Calls in the Wilderness

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

King Duncan

I guess everyone has his or her own concept of what is important in life. There’s a tombstone in Wisconsin that leaves no doubt about the priority of the person who lies in that particular grave. Under a certain man’s name and the dates of his birth and death is carved this inscription: “Bowled 300 in 1982.” Well, that was what was important to this man. He once bowled 300 and he wanted the world to know it. Some of you bowlers can relate to that. A woman was taking her time browsing through a yard sale. ...

4732. Justice and Mercy, Not Fasting

Zechariah 7:1-14

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

A Query about Commemorative Fasts (7:1-3): A question about mourning the destruction of the temple introduces a series of sayings that address the present spiritual condition of the community, review the divine judgment on its ancestors, and declare God’s promises of future blessings. A concentric literary framework holds these oracles together in a chronological and logical sequence that answers the practical question about religious observance and the underlying spiritual distress over the fulfillment of ...

4733. Saul on the Rampage

1 Samuel 22:6-23

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

Big Idea: God regards as enemies those who oppose his chosen servants. Understanding the Text In this next episode the focus briefly shifts from David to Saul, and we see the tragic aftermath of David’s visit to Ahimelek (21:1–9). Saul accuses the priests of being traitors and murders them and their families. Only one, Abiathar, escapes. He goes to David, who welcomes him and promises him protection. The contrast between Saul and David cannot be sharper. While Saul is murdering the Lord’s priests, David is ...

4734. Building a Winning Team

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

King Duncan

I don’t know if you have noticed or not, but it seems like CEOs and HR departments of nearly every sort of business enterprise as well as every sports coach in the land these days is talking about how to build a winning culture. Building the right culture is said to be the magic formula for uniting your team around a singular vision. Some companies address this challenge by scheduling a team-building retreat. Have any of you ever been on a team-building retreat? These retreats are designed to get people ...

4735. Jews and Christians: All in the Family

Romans 15:4-13

Sermon

Will Willimon

“May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome one another...as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” Any law enforcement officer will tell you that a policeman would rather try to stop a bank robbery than to intervene in a domestic argument. Bank robbers want only to take the money and run. But an estranged husband or ...

4736. The Rebirth

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Ron Lavin

The story of Nicodemus is fascinating and intriguing. Nicodemus came to Jesus secretly by night, probably because he didn't want anyone to see him. He came to Jesus with a compliment. He said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him" (John 3:2), thinking that Jesus, like most people, would be impressed by a compliment. He came wanting to discuss theology, assuming that Jesus would be interested in a ...

4737. Easter 6

Jn 14:15-31; Acts 15:22-29, 16:6-15; Rev 21:22--22:5

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Epistle: Acts 16:9-15 Paul responds to the Holy Spirit's call to go to Macedonia. Paul was on his second missionary journey. He was planning to preach in Asia Minor, but the Holy Spirit prevented him from doing so. One night he received a call to go to Macedonia. Since Luke joined him, Luke could now say "we." They sailed from Troas to Philippi, a Roman province. Because the city was mainly a place for retired Roman soldiers, there were few Jews and the city had no synagogue. Consequently, Paul ...

4738. Resist Temptation

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

The Holy Gospel for this First Sunday in Lent is the evangelist Mark's very brief account of the temptation of Christ. The temptation account may bring to your mind the movie, The Last Temptation of Christ. That movie gained much attention, because many people protested the substance of what was purported to be a possible last temptation of our Lord. The suggested temptation was that on the cross Jesus thought about what life would have been or might have been like had he loved a woman and married. Many ...

4739. A Sermon for Passion Sunday

Matthew 27:45-56

Sermon

Dean Lueking

On this Passion Sunday, we stand again at the threshold of the Great Seven Days, this week of time that takes us to the inmost heart of the work that God has done for us through Christ his Son. As we prepare to hear the passion story of Jesus’ suffering as proclaimed by St. Matthew, I invite you to hear one sentence in particular. It is that word of our Lord from the Cross that is at once the most anguished account and the Gospel which comes to us from it: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" ( ...

4740. Do You Believe In Easter?

Luke 24:1-12

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

What a thrill it is to be a preacher on Easter morning! It’s better than being Irish on St. Patrick’s Day or a child on Christmas morning or Tiger Woods at the Master’s or a Duke basketball fan on April 2nd of this year. (You knew I would mention that sooner or later, didn’t you?!) The great New Testament scholar C.H. Dodd said, "The resurrection is the epicenter of belief. It is not a belief that grew up within the church. It is the belief around which the church itself grew up." (1) Billy Graham has ...

4741. Loving Unconditionally

John 13:31-38

Sermon

Robert Bachelder

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another ..." The love which Christians show for one another has always been a compelling, even unanswerable argument for the truth of our faith. Jesus said: "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." So well did the early Christians follow Jesus’ prescription that it was said of them: "See how they love each other." St. John Chrysostom, who was made Bishop of Constantinople in A.D. 398, remarked: "If we ...

4742. Signs Of A Vital Church

2 Corinthians 2:12--3:6, 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

A few years ago First United Methodist Church in Abilene, Texas, bought a new sign or marquee. The message on the sign could be changed each week. The purpose was to advertise the church to the thousands who passed by daily on a busy highway. A decision was made to let each Sunday School class be responsible for the message on the sign for one week. The Bible Class was first. Their message read: "The Church Visitors Never Feel Like Strangers." The following week the slogan was produced by a young couples ...

4743. Come Home For New Year's

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

King Duncan

"Phil, I heard you flew to California on vacation," said Irlene. "I'll bet that was great!" "No, Irlene," Phil replied, "that was bad. When I got there, I missed the bus from the airport to my hotel." "Oh," said Irlene, "that's bad." "No," Phil replied, "that wasn't bad. I got a taxi, and the driver was very friendly." Irlene: "That's good." "No," said Phil, "that's bad. The transmission in the taxi broke before we even got away from the airport." "Oh," said Irlene, "that's bad!" "No," Phil replied, "that ...

4744. Smart As A Goat

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

A farmer from Bulgaria, Mihail Janko, is convinced that his goat has a very special talent: it can discern a person's character. Janko claims that he can put pictures of people in front of the goat and the goat will show, by his behavior, whether the person in the picture is of good or bad character. Evidently, the goat head-butts pictures of “unpleasant people," but eats the pictures of pleasant people. Janko has even relied on the goat's special talent to help him choose boyfriends for his four daughters ...

4745. As The World Turns

Matthew 4:12-17

Sermon

King Duncan

Baby Boomers will probably remember the name of the rock star Alice Cooper. If you think Alice Cooper is a "she"--you give your real age away. Alice Cooper was the first "shock -rock" act. He used to parade on stage with makeup and live snakes and simulate his own decapitation--a pretty raunchy act. A few years ago his career received quite a boost when he appeared in the movie WAYNE'S WORLD. The scene everyone remembers is where Wayne and Garth have a chance meeting with Mr. Cooper, and they fall to their ...

4746. Slippery Rock

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

Some “rock” Peter turned out to be! Immediately following Jesus’ giving him that new name, the very first thing he did was to say something so stupid that Jesus had to call him a “devil,” and tell him, “You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men.” (Matt. 16:23) Some rock! In J.D. Salinger’s novel CATCHER IN THE RYE, fifteen-year old Holden Caulfield gives us this profound theological reflection: “I like Jesus and all, but I don’t care too much for most of the other stuff in ...

4747. The Power of a God-Shaped Attitude

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

Eric Ritz

I have a potential gift for you this morning. There are two marvelous readings shared from the sacred scriptures, and the truth they both profess is the POWER OF A GOD-SHAPED ATTITUDE! Do you remember the lyrics we learned as children which went like this: "Pussycat, Pussycat, where have you been? I''ve been to London to see the queen. Pussycat, Pussycat, what saw you there? I saw a wee mouse under her chair." Now London is a splendid and enchanting place to visit. Imagine a city which includes places like ...

4748. The Answer Waiting for a Question

2 Corinthians 1:12--2:4

Sermon

Fredrick R. Harm

A number of years ago some Christians placed bumper stickers on their vehicles stating, "Christ is the answer." After some time a wiseacre started displaying a sticker that read, "If Christ is the answer, what is the question?" Of course this made a hilarious impression on those who seem to have "three sneers for everything and three cheers for nothing." As we consider our text for today we discover God telling us that "Christ is the answer"; he is the eternal "yes" to all the promises of God, and the ...

4749. The Joy of Shared Truth

1 John 1:5--2:14

Sermon

Paul E. Robinson

The chasm between the realities in which two different people live can be vast. Such was the case in July of 2000 in Pompano Beach, Florida. Jamie Dean Petron, aged 41, had killed and injured two victims in a robbery there, when he then forced his way into the home of seventeen-year-old Althea Mills, who was there with some younger relatives. Althea was threatened by the gunman, but she said that she kept taking comfort from a verse of scripture she had learned, 2 Timothy 1:7: "... for God did not give us ...

4750. The Commitment Question: Will You Lay Down Your Life For Me?

John 13:31-38

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

There is a little church on the Appian Way not far from the city Rome that bears the interesting name "The Church of the Quo Vadis". Those Latin words, Qou Vadis mean whither goest thou?A beautiful legend which has it that a few years after the crucifixion of Jesus, Peter had been in Rome and was under the threat of persecution again. He was fleeing for his life -- leaving the city in fear, when he met Jesus. Jesus was headed into the city, so Peter asked Him the question "Lord, whither goes thou?" And the ...

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