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 4851 to 4875 of 5000 results

4851. What Kind of Vote Would Jesus Get?

Mark 15:1-15

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... play well in Peoria” - or anyplace else, for that matter! Who would get our vote? That is a very live question, even in our own day. We are certainly not all agreed on the answer. Even we Christians, who claim to be followers of Christ, are not sure we want to follow Him that far. Most of us still look upon him as an impractical dreamer, out-of-touch with the realities of this world. If we are terribly honest, we might admit that most of our sympathy goes to Barabbas. Our votes certainly do! Our tax money ...

4852. Did You Leave the the Door Open? (I am the gate)

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... --retaliate by throwing him out of the Temple. They did not really care much about him and his condition. They only wanted to use him for their own purposes. However, Jesus did not single out the Pharisees--but others as well. Remember this ... triumphant grin. As she drove away, the fellow who lent her the hammer came over to me and said, ''If only she had told me what she wanted the hammer for I think I could have helped her. I''m a locksmith.''" Oh, the brokenness we bring into our lives when we try to do ...

4853. Who Needs a Shepherd? (I am the good shepherd)

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... closer I see the words, "Dear Occupant or Resident." Those offers go quickly into my circular file. The greatest joy in my life is in knowing that I am known by God. The joy of the human journey is coming to know this awesome God who actually wants to spend some time with us. We are not merely residents or occupants, but actually children of God. Listening for the voice of the Good Shepherd is the most important thing anybody can do in their life. It is the key to finding green pastures--still waters--and ...

4854. The Lord's Prayer: Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... Reign of God." It is a petition that covers two areas of our lives: the here and now and our eternal destination. Dr. William Barclay, the distinguished Bible teacher, shared this insight on this dimension of our Christian life: "This is no prayer for the man or woman who wants and desires to stay the way they are." However, you and I know full well how easy it is to stay the way we are. It is not easy to participate in the work of the Kingdom of God. We prefer our own safe "Kingdoms." Unless you have been ...

4855. Two Conversations with Jesus: The Second Word

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... might possibly be the Messiah. Be glad--be eternally grateful that Jesus did not answer his prayer that day. Indeed it was a prayer request. It was a request to be saved from Death, so that he might be able to kill some more Romans that he had missed. He wanted to be saved from the penalty of sin--but only to sin again. He cries out, "Jesus save yourself--and then we can talk." If Jesus had saved himself, you and I would be people of great despair today. For the only option we would have in that case would ...

4856. Where the Bread Loaf Is Not a Stone

Matthew 7:7-12

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... disillusioned man he turned out to be. It really wasn''t much of a contest: the young Elvis won by a 3-1 margin. Who would want to look at the swollen face of a drug addict taken shortly before he died? We''d rather not face the fact that our idol ... fell with a crash. We''d rather not admit that this man who had it all was still hungry inside. Some people don''t even want to believe that he''s dead! (1) Unfortunately for Elvis Presley--his bread loaf became a stone. It does for us all. What is the bread ...

4857. Half-Time is Now Over

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... me with a silly grin and said, 'I’m a lousy mailman.'' "I asked, 'What do you mean, you’re a lousy mailman?'' "He answered, 'Everybody else gets the mail delivered by one o''clock; I never get back until about five thirty or six.'' "'What takes so long?'' I wanted to know. "He said, 'I visit! That’s why it takes so long. You wouldn’t believe how many people on my route never got visited until I became the mailman. But I’ve got this problem, I can’t sleep at night.'' "I asked, 'Why can’t you ...

4858. Don't Let Your Tongue Bite You

James 3:1-12

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... young lady named Sally and her mother had a violent shouting match about the dent she put in her mother''s car. After the confrontation, the father tried to console her. "What did your mother say about the dent in the car?" he asked. "Dad, do you want me to leave out the swear words?" "Please," he replied. Sally said, "Then she didn''t say anything." The mother failed to realize that words also can leave "dents" in people--but more than that they can poison the soil of a relationship. Dents can be hammered ...

4859. King of the Road

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... how it helps us to recognize the King of the Road of Life--and how we can recognize that Jesus Christ is still wanting to explode His presence into our lives. First, it is a time to remember and be encouraged. Every Sunday we gather together as ... I was more than an animal. This man saw me as a child of God, created in His image, and he knows that God loves me. It made me want to cry." (1) As you receive the Elements of Holy Communion, may it help you to remember that you are a child of God--loved by Him--and ...

4860. The Power of Remembrance (Part III)

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... at the picture and saw it was the famous picture of Daniel standing in the lions'' den. He described a few other details and became quiet. She then said, "Anything else, Pastor?" He said, "No." She lovingly placed her arm around his waist and said, "Pastor, what I wanted you to see and never forget is this: Daniel does not have his eyes on the lions. His eyes are focused on Jesus Christ." In prison Paul knew his eyes should not to be focused on the cell walls but on Jesus Christ. Yes, All Saints'' Day is ...

4861. Blank Walls or Filled Lives (Part V)

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... created a light which saved our lives." Paul writes to a church that is fragile and in the infancy of its development. The Philippian congregation did not have the advantage that we do today of some 2,000 years of history and tradition. Paul did not want them to give up but to "keep on keeping on." He writes to let them know how his imprisonment is actually helping, not hindering, the advancement of the Gospel. For me, it has been fascinating to read the great testimony and inspiring stories of faith that ...

4862. The Power of Encouragement (Part VIII)

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... incredible people when Jesus Christ reigns in every heart and mind. I offer three insights for your consideration and action today. WE MUST FIRST FOCUS ON WHAT A PERSON CAN BE IN CHRIST RATHER THAN WHAT THEY PRESENTLY ARE. LOOK FOR POSSIBILITIES--NOT PROBLEMS. I want to share with you some of the world''s opinions about a few folks known to us: Albert Einstein: Did you know that Albert Einstein was four years old before he could even speak? And seven years old before he could read and understand his first ...

4863. The Power of a God-Shaped Attitude

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... has sinful thoughts and ideas." I agree. It is one thing to allow a sinful thought to pass through your mind; it is another thing to allow it to set up residence and to ruin your life and others. Before I go very far in this sermon today, I want to make it very clear that I do not believe men and women can be saved by having a good attitude. I do strongly believe that when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior that the totality of our human existence enters into a powerful transformation ...

4864. Tripping the Tempter

James 1:1-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... offers of Satan in the desert because He was obedient to the insights given in the word of God. This is what James wants the Christian community to do in every age. I cannot get out of my mind the witness that Mickey Mantle gave about his ... Spirit--everything we do will be crooked. We must not allow the seductive powers of temptation to divert us from the road of life that God wants us to travel. You and I know that, even though we are Christians, we still have the inclination to sin daily. That is why we ...

4865. The Tenacity of Trouble

James 4:1-12

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... human skills and training that had made survival possible. But Captain O''Grady also said, "I was helped so much by the fact that I knew that God loves me and that I love God." His first words over the microphone before hundreds of people were, "First of all, I want to thank God." This is its own expression, if you will, of this teaching of James. It is a recognition of Scott''s dependence on God, of God''s concern for him; God''s love for him, the love that he shares with God. This is a remarkable thing ...

4866. The Tender Touch (Part 1)

James 5:13-20

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... the sacred scriptures clearly teach. All we know is that when he refused to speak about it, he slowly wasted away. When he declared his sin, he was on his way back. There is no situation beyond the reach of the tender touch of God. I want to suggest that sickness sometimes stems from the fact that we either cannot or will not acknowledge and confess what lies within us. This is why we have a special time set apart in each worship service for silent individual prayers of confession, along with the corporate ...

4867. The Other Side of Christmas

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... All Year Long." She jumped out of the rocking chair--despite being worn down--and shouted, "Forget it--Forget it--only a merchant would want it to be Christmas all year long." To those of us who use credit cards, we know full well that Christmas does last all ... , the man inquired, "What is the next best thing I can do?" Far too often we are just like him. Herod always is. We say we want God''s best dream for our life. But when the reality of God''s will becomes evident we begin to search for God''s next best ...

4868. Depression: When the Spirit Is Faint

Psalm 142:1-7

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... there evil? In my files, I have a quote by Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick that has been very helpful to me in my journey that I want to share today: "Once, I also decided that I could not believe in the goodness of God in the face of the world''s evil. But ... impossible on the basis of no God." (2) I further share another insight by Dr. Fosdick which is at the heart of what I want to share with you for your consideration today. Dr. Fosdick writes, "I celebrate the resources of a Christian faith to see a man through ...

4869. What a Difference a Day Makes

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... a man called George Washington was the President of the United States of America. I love the story of the New York City native who saw the beauty and splendor of the Grand Canyon for the first time and shouted, "My God, something incredible happened here!" I want to share today the incredible Good News about what happened on that first Easter day and what a difference the power of the truth of that day can make in your life. EASTER DAY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE BECAUSE IT DECLARES THAT GOD ALWAYS HAS THE LAST ...

4870. The Measure of Love

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... awakens within us the ability to love ourselves and other people. His love will be the measure and standard. The love of God does not wait for you and I to repent to receive it. We repent because we have come to experience the love of God, and then we want to live in that light and power, not our own. Nowhere in the Bible do I find a verse which declares that God said, "Be good," and I will love you. Rather, I John declares: Because I love you, you can become loving. I have provided the example and power ...

4871. Living with the Aches and Alleluias

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... think of some introductory remarks, he heard Dr. Schuller continue: "The person of whom I am speaking, of course, is Jesus Christ. And here to tell you about Him is my friend, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale." Yes, Jesus Christ came to free us to be all that God wants us to be. From that moment when Jesus Christ entered the human race at Bethlehem there came power and there came light. There came life and there came future. No matter how hard circumstances seem to be, there is never a time in the life of a child ...

4872. A New You or a New Year

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... but to God''s word for insights and instructions on how each of us can be "A New You in a New Year." I believe the Apostle Paul, writing to the church at Philippi gives a time-honored principle that worked in 63 A.D. or today. First, if you want to make every day count, you must choose a priority. I believe it was Edna St. Vincent Millay, who once said, "I know that life must go on, but I forget just why." We sometimes miss the great opportunities of life because we get sidetracked. I once heard the tale ...

4873. When "Well Done" Is Rare

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... good class. It was taught by a pretty good teacher Who always let pretty good pass. He wasn''t terrific in Reading He wasn''t a whizbang at Math. But for him education was leading Straight down a pretty good path. He didn''t find school too exciting But he wanted to do pretty well. He did have some trouble with writing And nobody taught him to spell. When it came to arithmetic problems Pretty good was regarded as fine. 5 and 5 need not always add up to 10 A pretty good answer was 9. A pretty good student ...

4874. A Memorial Forever - Memorial Day

Proverbs 1:1-7

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... my church office. It has the face of Jesus on it. While it does help me to be on time, it reminds me of another sense of time which is eternal. Today, many Americans live only in the present; they are "digital livers." They want it all now. They want immediate gratification. They don''t want to wait for anything. But we serve a God who began things long ago and who will end things sometime in the future. Jesus was at the beginning, and he will usher in the end. Jesus declares in Revelation 22:13, "I am the ...

4875. Biblical Insights for Being a Christian Father

Deuteronomy 1:1-8

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... womanizers who have NO significant moral values or spiritual backbones. It is no wonder that many men have given up on devoting time and energy to the role of fathering. The male identity is under constant pressure to be something other than what God wants it to be. This decline has taken its toll. Dr. Armand Nicholi, Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, summarized findings from his own study of this phenomenon: "About ten years ago, I began to study several hundred young men who had dropped ...

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