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 4901 to 4925 of 5000 results

4901. Pentecost ... Again!

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... for this. It was an interminable fifty days since Jesus had risen from the dead. It had been ten long days since Jesus had ascended into heaven from that mountain outside of Jerusalem and that angel had told them to go back to Jerusalem and wait. They had to wait again for what must have seemed like an eternity to finally receive what they had been waiting for - the gift ...

4902. Righting Wrong

Romans 9:1-5

Sermon

Larry Lange

... to biblical standards, not according to their selfish desires. The president of the congregation had been out of town all week long and his only preparation for the meeting was a 45-minute conversation with one of the pastors just after he returned ... results of a pledge drive designed to save the youth director position: with the pledges, the budget would almost be balanced as long as they reduced the position of administrator to part-time. A few people spoke so vehemently against this proposal that the group ...

4903. A Spiritual “Re-formation”

Romans 3:19-28

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... nostrils." When we are angry, our nostrils enlarge. I am reminded of waving a red flag before a snorting, raging bull. That same Hebrew word is used for both nose and anger. In Exodus, God is described as being "slow to anger" (Romans 34:6), which literally means to be "long of nose." The other word means "to burn or to grow hot."2 We often think of anger in degrees of heat or in the shades of red used by cartoonists to illustrate anger. Anger in and of itself is a human emotion that can motivate us to make ...

4904. A Winning Life

Hebrews 13:1-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... s not easy to always try to do the right thing. There are all kinds of influences that will try to take us off course. But as long as we know deep in our hearts that God is with us, we can make it. Most of you have some familiarity with the story of ... writes, “because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you . . .’” You and I can lose everything else, as long as we can believe that God is with us. We can cope and we can conquer. Nothing else in this world can provide that kind ...

4905. Luke 14:25-33

Luke 14:25-35

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... through their faith journey. Jesus’ second illustration uses a military image, highlighting both notions of cost and conflict. The “cost” the king must consider before engaging an approaching enemy army is the cost in lives. Like the tower builder, the king must assess the long-term costs of the pending battle. In this case the greater number of his opponents’ troops causes him to adjust his plans and to ask for “the terms of peace.” Just as the king must consider what it will take to meet his ...

4906. The Challenge of Discipleship

Luke 14:25-33

Illustration

Mickey Anders

... , who could resist the appeal of a $1,000 door prize for a lucky worshiper. Contrast that experience with a newspaper ad that appeared in London in the 1800's which said, "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful." The ad was signed by Sir Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic explorer. Amazingly, the ad drew thousands of respondents, eager to sacrifice everything for the prospect of meaningful adventure. Which approach do we ...

4907. All In The Family

Genesis 9:18-29

Children's Sermon

Marti Kramer Suddarth

... out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. These three were the sons of Noah; and from these the whole earth was peopled.” That’s right. Noah ... as in Noah’s Ark! Noah was a real person who lived a long, long time ago. According to this Bible verse, after the flood, no one was left on Earth except Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their sons’ wives. That means that everyone who is alive today is a descendant of Noah ... that means Noah is our great-great-great ...

4908. The Wise Man Built His House Upon A Rock

Matthew 7:24-29

Children's Sermon

Marti Kramer Suddarth

... House Upon A Rock.”) The wise man built his house upon a rock and the foolish man built his house upon the sand. Why are we singing about beach construction? This is an old song that children have been singing at church for a long, long time, but it isn’t really about beach construction. This song uses symbolism to help us understand what Jesus is teaching. Symbolism is when one thing represents or stands for something else. Sometimes, Jesus used an easy-to-understand symbol to help people understand ...

4909. Finder's Keepers

Luke 15:1-10

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... a New Birth day party. Tony Campolo, who I've talked about before, in his book The Kingdom of God Is a Party, tells one of my favorite stories. On one of his trips from the East Coast to Hawaii, he tells of the time when he found himself awake long before dawn because of the time difference. Rather than trying to force himself to go back to sleep, he got dressed and wandered up and down the streets of Honolulu looking for a place to eat breakfast. He found a little place on a side street, walked in, and sat ...

4910. Silly Putty, Play-Doh and Potter's Clay

Jeremiah 18:1-11

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... Putty is very pliable, it doesn't hold its shape. You can make a vase or a pot and let it sit for awhile and before long, it's just a blob. There are folks like that. Their faith and lives get shaped on Sunday mornings, they feel like they can bounce ... they don't really live the part. As a consequence, pretty soon their faith and their lives dry out and they begin to crack. And before long, their faith no longer holds water. III. Potter's Clay A. And that brings us to Potter's Clay. I couldn't afford the 50 ...

4911. Here I Am

Hebrews 12:18-29

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... do it." And I remember hearing the words: "YOU don't have to," in both my head and my heart. It was then that finally I shut off the tractor, dropped to my knees in prayer and surrendered to the call to preach. I don't know how long I prayed but it was long enough that Grandpa drove out to see what was wrong. Like Moses: after much debate. After much crawfishing and making excuses, I finally said: "Here I am." And I've never been happier or felt more like I'm doing what God has called me to do ...

4912. Step Into The Vision

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... 've stood back and watched this garden grow. But we can't break out the lawn chairs, sit back and let someone else bring in the harvest. Now we have to be about that business as well. Conclusion Sharon Tucker has agreed to chair a new Futures Committee or Long Range Planning Committee or Visioning Team, whatever you want to call it. There are a few members on this Team but if you're interested, you're invited. We haven't set a date for the first meeting yet, but be watching for it. And be watching for those ...

4913. Swept Clean

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... , sometimes you have to clean up the clutter. B. The same is true for our souls. That's part of what Jesus was talking about to Martha. You see, sometimes there is emotional and spiritual baggage that we've carried around that should have been gotten rid of long ago. The other night on Clean Sweep, there was a woman who had 3 jewelry boxes. The host asked her why. She said, because one of them had belonged to her mother but sadly, she couldn't remember which one, so she kept all three. The host very gently ...

4914. A Double Portion

2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... have been sold to date and they would fill up the world's largest freight train, consisting of 660 freight cars, more than 45 times. Did you know the St. Louis Arch is 15,120 Oreo cookies high or (630 feet). The Golden Gate Bridge is 28,800 Oreo cookies long or (4,200 feet). If every Oreo cookie ever made were stacked on top of each other (more than 345 billion), the pile would reach to the moon and back more than five times. Then again, if placed side-by-side, they would encircle the earth, at the equator ...

4915. The Burning Question

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... given a F4 rating on the Fujita Tornado Rating Scale which means winds measured between 207-260 mph. It left a path of destruction 21 miles long. I'll never forget how confused my Mom looked and felt that day. Dad was home when we got back and he was the same way ... in the air for about 45 minutes until he was rescued. Reporters later asked him how he was able to hold on to the rope for so long. "I didn't hold on to the rope," he replied. "I just tied it around my waist, and the rope held on to me." (1) God ...

4916. Moving Day

John 14:23-29

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... entire earth ain't got a burden to carry he can't understand. You ain't alone in that. But you've been carrying this one long enough. It's time to lay it down." Junah admits, "I don't know how." Bagger replies, "You've got a choice. You can stop, or ... of those old hurts we have caused and the ones we have received. We have to pack and unpack. If you're going to have a long term guest or a new member of the family you prepare. The spare bedroom gets cleaned out, the house gets cleaned up and everyone else gets ...

4917. Out Into The Deep Water

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. [4] When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." [5] Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." [6] When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. [7] So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they ...

4918. Wedding Bell Blues

John 2:1-11

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... tricky. A wedding is the most stressful thing anyone can do. And there are so many things that can go wrong. I'll never forget a wedding I did in Arlington, at FUMC. The flower girl was about five and First Arlington has a long center long aisle. Rehearsal went perfect. It was the best rehearsal I'd ever been involved in. When she entered during the wedding, everyone was all smiles. She made a beautiful stately entrance. She started down the aisle gently tossing rose petals. It was beautiful. Then she ...

4919. The Grateful Samaritan

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

King Duncan

... other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to the man, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” I suppose a million sermons have been preached on that question Jesus asked that day long ago, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” Mark J. Molldrem in Emphasis magazine made a Top Ten list in the vein of comedian David Letterman of the responses that the ten lepers who were healed by Jesus might have said after Jesus healed ...

4920. It's Just A Little Thing

Mark 12:38-44

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... NRSV) [38] As he taught, he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, [39] and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! [40] They ... devour widows' houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation." [41] He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the ...

4921. Blast From The Past

John 17:1-19

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... like that comforting hand through the mail slot. We may not see God, but God is there holding hand because Jesus lifted us up in prayer so long ago. And because of that prayer, whenever we need God's presence, we are GUARDED by the hand of God and we can feel that Blast ... in, the play resumed and Jake got the ball. He started to take a knee, just like he'd practiced all week long. Teammates stopped him and told him to run, but Jake started going in the wrong direction. The back judge rerouted him toward ...

4922. I Doubt It

John 20:19-31, Act 4:32-37

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... the Cross and the Good News of the Resurrection. One little boy grew up in a military family. His father used to tell long stories of military triumphs. One day in Sunday School, the boy's teacher gave a graphic account of Jesus' death on the ... us, believing is seeing. Doubt is natural part of life and even of faith. With the help of God. It's as natural as breathing, as long as you let the breath of God breathe within the doubt. Ask God to breathe life into your doubt through the Doubters Prayer. You know it ...

4923. The Dawn of Forever

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... all dressed up in our best finery. We put on our best faces so they'll be recognized by the people we haven't seen in a long time. We laugh and giggle in anticipation. We tug at our collars because of the extra pounds we've put on since the last time we ... hug. And he did. At first this guy didn't know what to do. Apparently he'd never been just hugged before. Or it had been so long that he didn't remember. But once he saw that it was just something John wanted to do, he hugged the stuffing out of John. And ...

4924. Beneath The Shadow Of The Cross

Mark 15:16-37

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... for faith in Jesus. The very air of the city that day was electric with anticipation and excitement. It was one of the most joyous and exciting events that ever took place in Jerusalem. But to John, standing below the cross and his Master, that day seemed so long ago and so far away. In the darkness descending on both the world and his spirit, it felt as if the whole world were standing beneath the shadow of the cross. Thinking back on it was like trying to remember a bad dream that you wanted to forget ...

4925. WWF: Smack Down In The Wilderness

Mark 1:9-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... Van Dyke show that I just love. The title of the episode was: "The Curious Thing About Women." In this episode, Rob's sense of humor backfires when he decides to base a television skit on Laura's curiosity and penchant for opening his mail. After having a long discussion over Laura's curiosity and the sanctity of opening your own mail, a large package for Rob is delivered to the house. Laura is bound and determined not to let her curiosity get the best of her. But it doesn't work. She walks past the package ...

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