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 4776 to 4800 of 5000 results

4776. What If You Truly Were Born Again?

John 3:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... true Parent who, in a spiritual rebirth, is God. When we see a young boy we may say: he is the spitting image of his father. Or a little girl we might say, she has the eyes of her mother. But how many people say about us, “He is as loving as his heavenly Father.” “She is as compassionate as her God?” And yet that is exactly how we are to live. Amy Grant sang a song a few years back: “She has her Father’s eyes.” She was talking about our Heavenly Father. (4) Such a transformation would be ...

4777. Five Ways to be "Holy" During Holy Week

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... Jesus, keep me near the cross, There a precious fountain— Free to all, a healing stream— Flows from Calv’ry’s mountain. Refrain: In the cross, in the cross, Be my glory ever; Till my raptured soul shall find Rest beyond the river. Near the cross, a trembling soul, Love and Mercy found me; There the bright and morning star Sheds its beams around me. Near the cross! O Lamb of God, Bring its scenes before me; Help me walk from day to day, With its shadows o’er me. Near the cross I’ll watch and wait ...

4778. Hemlock and Hyssop

Romans 6:1-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... ’t drink. Blood is their brandy. Jesus never revealed his true humanity more than at his death. Jesus mourned the end of his time on earth, of his truly human life. Yet his death on the cross was not some stoic, serene act. It was a genuine sacrifice of love that came with blood, sweat and tears. God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness, not in our super-human stoicism. We do not have a blueprint for “forever.” We do have a Savior, Jesus the Christ, who showed us how to be fully human and yet ...

4779. Good News about Sparrows

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

King Duncan

... set us free from all of our fears, whatever they may be. He does it in this passage that reminds us that we have a loving Father who is always with us, always mindful of our needs, always willing to grant us His peace, His joy. His eye is on the sparrow ... Father. The best things in life are free says the old proverb and, of course, that’s true. You can’t put a price on love, health or friendship. However, there is a sense in which you can earn them. To have a friend, it’s said, be a friend. Health ...

4780. All In: Calling Your Bluff

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

James Merritt

... words, every believer ought to be “all in” with every other believer and for every other believer. Why? Because not only does the church need us but we need the church as the author of Hebrews points out. "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV) There are some great benefits to being all in to a church. The author of Hebrews lists two: we stimulate each other to ...

4781. Up Close & Personal: Seeing Clearly

Isaiah 6:1-13

Sermon

James Merritt

... will be on the grill! Then there is the “good ole boy” god. He is my buddy. He is my homeboy. He is always cool and loves to just chill out and hang out. He is the buddy god. Then some believe in the “bellhop” god. God has only one job and only ... of God elevated to the third degree. Only once is a character trait of God mentioned three times in succession and that trait is not love, mercy, grace, or justice; it is holiness. If you do not see God primarily as a God who is holy you have the wrong view ...

4782. A Call for Repentance - Ash Wednesday

Joel 2:12-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... page where he read words that struck his heart with conviction: “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it Prone to leave the God I love; Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.” He could barely read those last few lines ... to an inner faith that you already have. Whatever it means for you, the prophet Joel was right about one thing. God is a righteous and loving God. God is faithful to His promises. That means for those of us who live on this side of the cross, if we ask, God is ...

4783. A Reminder to God...and to Us

Genesis 9:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... that ought to be engraved on every Christian’s heart. It goes like this: “Somewhere people still make and keep promises. They choose not to quit when the going gets rough because they promised once to see it through. They stick to lost causes. They hold on to a love grown cold. They stay with people who have become pains in the neck. They still dare to make promises and care enough to keep the promises they make. I want to say to you that if you have a ship you will not desert, if you have people you ...

4784. Who's Your Master?

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... is that one day the kingdom of God will reign in every heart. It is that one day every child on earth will know God’s love and God’s peace. His game plan is that one day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. For that ... who says he or she follows Jesus will buy wholeheartedly into his plan and will live life accordingly. It means living a life of love for all people. It means inviting friends and family to join you in the worship of God. It means doing all you can to ...

4785. TGFGF - Good Friday

John 18:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... Mr. Cermak said to Franklin Roosevelt, “I’m glad it was me instead of you.” (3) We’re not sure he really said that, but if he did, he was a man who truly loved his country. “I’m glad it was me instead of you.” Who did Christ love when he lay down his life? Obviously he loved all of humankind. He loved you and he loved me. So I hope you won’t think me too flippant for naming this brief message TGFGF Thank God for Good Friday. There are some things about Good Friday we need to remember. First ...

4786. An Annual Reminder

John 20:1-9

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... in this direction or that do not remotely change the immense reality: Namely, death is too big for us. We cannot escape it; we cannot conquer it; we cannot buy or learn or medicate our way out of it; and we cannot remove its seal from friends, loved ones, or ourselves. Then comes the good news of Easter. The women arrive at the tomb and discover that the stone “had already been rolled back.” What they could not do for themselves, God had already done for them, and in the same event, God also did for ...

4787. Je Suis Jesus

1 Corinthians 7:1-40

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... right now,” we are also “somewhere else.” We are rooted in the past, active in our present, and focused on our future. Music is the lifeblood of any faith community. Hymnody forces us to face the tensions of faith — the fact that no matter how much we love the Lord yet how hard it is to be faithful. Or here’s another tension. Anybody remember this old praise song that Jim Reeves made famous: This world is not my home I'm just a‑passing through My treasures are laid up Somewhere beyond the blue ...

4788. Jesus Heals Body and Soul

Mark 1:29-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Sometimes that healing is physical. In one of his books Robert A. Schuller, the younger Schuller, tells about Lory Jones, the wife of actor Dean Jones. Some of you are old enough to remember Dean Jones. He starred in many Walt Disney films, such as The Love Bug (the original one) and The Shaggy D.A., and in the television show, The Teddy Bears. In February of 1974, Lory and Dean Jones took a vacation to Mexico City. One day when they were sightseeing, they decided to tour a Roman Catholic cathedral. As ...

4789. The Big "W"

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... . Worship is not where we show up to show off. Our identity is as disciples, not do-gooders. On Sunday mornings we arrive not to “do God a favor,” but to dare to draw nearer to the divine, the One who is our source of life and love. Jesus invited us to this place. Jesus shook off Peter’s spoiled-dog identity and instead challenged all his disciples, the first twelve and all those who followed the first twelve for two thousand plus years, not to “do God a favor,” but to “favor” ourselves with ...

4790. Peacemaker

Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

James Merritt

... things that can rob you of this kind of peace. Sometimes you have uncontrollable circumstances - things like sickness, the death of a loved one, or the loss of a job. Then there are unchangeable people. These are people who are difficult to get along with ... you go to that person and share with them how God has everything under control and how God works everything out for the good of those who love Him, of how you will be there for them if they need you and you can re-gift to them the peace of God? Then, maybe ...

4791. The Right Connection

John 15:1-17

Sermon

James Merritt

... Christ and you decide to become that branch, from that moment on you enter into a life-long process where your Heavenly Father as a loving gardener is going to do everything He can to maximize the fruit in your life. He does it the same way a gardener does. A ... difficulties are signs that God doesn’t care when in reality they are signs that God does care. God is the Master Gardener. He loves you so much that He will never allow anything to come into your life that He hasn’t designed to be used as a ...

4792. Be Careful What You Ask For

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

King Duncan

... movie many Jews saved by Oskar Schindler are shown placing stones on his burial marker. This is a Jewish tradition--the stones symbolize that the memory of this man will not be blown away by the wind. (5) No act of service to Christ and to those whom Christ loves will be blown away by the wind. It will never be forgotten. Jesus asked James and John, “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” A few sentences later he says, “You will drink the cup I drink and be ...

4793. Brushing Your Teeth with Oreos

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

King Duncan

... like child-care than we do. Imagine the sacrifices that Mary and Joseph had to make to fulfill the demands of their religion. But they did so gladly. That’s the kind of people they were. I doubt not at all that had an impact on Jesus. I’ve always loved that story of the little boy who was asked if he believed in God. He answered, “Well, yes I do.” When asked why, he said, “Well, I guess it just runs in our family.” Does it run in your family? What’s the real message you are giving your ...

4794. An Extraordinary Wedding Gift

John 2:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... God’s will is pretty clear. We know it is God’s will that we are to take care of our relationships. Marriage is one of those relationships for many of us. Remember the groom in our opening story who wanted the priest to eliminate those lines “love, honor, and obey” and ‘forsaking all others, be faithful to her forever?” There are many couples today who want to altar their vows so they are less restrictive. Doesn’t God want us to be happy, we may ask? Most certainly He does. That’s the whole ...

4795. Second Chances

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... . (4) I believe he is right. You know me by now. I am a person who preaches 99% of the time about a God of grace and love. But from time to time we need to face facts. It is absurd to think that a Creator God has no expectations from those whom He has ... to help us learn and grow stronger as we make our pilgrimage through life so that we might bear more and better fruit. I love the way Louisa Tarkington once put it. She wrote: “I wish there were some wonderful place called the Land of Beginning Again, Where ...

4796. Body / Ambassador

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... Christ on earth and the minister of reconciliation that he really is. Otherwise, they risk forfeiting the eschatological salvation of the Lord. For the Corinthians to defect from Paul and to reject his apostolic ministry is to abandon Christ and the Spirit, and thus the very love of God. 5:16 The new section begins in verse 16 with a conclusion (So, h?ste) that draws together what Paul has been saying in the previous section and makes a transition to a new subject. In the previous section (4:7–5:15) Paul ...

4797. Thanksgiving and Prayer

Ephesians 1:15-23

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... to the form of prayer found in 1:15. 1:15 For this reason may refer to all that has been said in 1:3–14 about the blessings of God. But the apostle may have something more specific in mind, because he immediately mentions the faith and love of the readers. No doubt his thoughts and prayers go back to the fact that they, as Gentiles, heard the gospel and became God’s people (1:13, 14). The statement ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus speaks strongly against Ephesus as the destination ...

4798. The Coming of the Lord

1 Thessalonians 4:13--5:11

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... who get drunk, get drunk at night. In contrast with such activities (and Paul now returns to the exhortation of v. 6 and develops it), since we (the believers) belong to the day, let us be self-controlled (nephō, again see disc. on 5:6), putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet (cf. Rom. 13:12; 2 Cor. 6:7; 10:4; Eph. 6:11–17). The familiar metaphor of armor might have been suggested by a glimpse of armor catching and reflecting the first light of day. But equally ...

4799. The Lord's Grace to Paul

1 Timothy 1:12-20

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... 8–10, where, although it is not expressly said, Paul has again shown the helplessness of the Law, which was said to exist for sinners. But the Law can only “keep them in check,” as it were; God’s grace brings with it faith and love and offers eternal life. This affirmation of the gospel is made, however, in the form of personal testimony, flowing directly from the words “entrusted to me.” In sheer wonder at the grace lavished upon him, Paul puts himself forward as “Exhibit A” of such grace ...

4800. Paul’s Request for Onesimus

Philemon 1:8-25

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... that privilege just as he has before (v. 8). He wants Philemon to act out of conviction, not out of compulsion. But he also wants Philemon to know that his request comes from the heart and not the head only (I appeal to you on the basis of love). 10 Finally, it appears that Paul is ready to state his request. But no such luck, for the reader is not informed of that until verse 17. All of Paul’s comments prior to that show that he approaches Philemon gradually, tactfully, and in deep humility. Paul calls ...

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