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 26 to 50 of 376 results

26. Will You Sing With Me?

Romans 15:4-13

Sermon

Heather Sugden

... Night?” I pleaded. Nothing… “Ok, Jingle Bells? Rudolph? Frosty the Snowman?” Maybe it was stage fright, or maybe my fear was contagious, but the joyful noise of my youth group had suddenly gone quiet. Luckily, the activities director of the facility was also a keen observer. She had already gone to her office and retrieved Christmas song books for us to use. With words in hand, the festive mood quickly returned. We could and did sing the songs as a group — not only as a group of youth and leaders ...

27. Holy Wisdom From On High!

Proverbs 8:1-36

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... Matthew, I'm George!" We might also conclude that along with the Spirit's Wisdom is given to us the fruit of self-control! You see, there is a perception and discernment which is not inherent within us by nature. But the Spirit's perception gives a keenness and astuteness that we can never claim as our own. It is rather that wonderful, divine Wisdom from him which quickens the believer. John and I were invited to preach for a week on the campus at the Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky. While there, we ...

28. The Weaver

John 18:28-40

Illustration

... The play was set in a single room. It was Pilate's headquarters where he had addressed Jesus about his kingly aspirations. The students had based the play primarily on the exchange of Jesus and Pilate but another subplot was added and it kept them all keenly attentive. In a cottage near the soldiers' quarters sat a young soldier's widow. Only two weeks before her husband had died in a raid on one of the province's outlying areas. There had been a revolt against the soldiers in a Jewish village, her husband ...

29. In The Eyes of God

Isaiah 20:1-5

Sermon

Gerald Whetstone

... the eyes which spotted a curious tax collector in a sycamore, noticed disappointed little children behind his disciples' robes; eyes which pierced Peter's heart in the firelight of a courtyard; eyes which had compassion on his mother even from the cross. It goes beyond a keen sense of observation. It was a matter of seeing what nobody else, looking upon the same person, would see. In the midst of our Lenten journey, God doesn't see us as everyone else sees us. People around us may see us as cool, successful ...

30. Down A Garden Path

Genesis 2:4-25, Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

Gerald Whetstone

... we're drifting or driven somewhere else. Our faith is meant to guide and keep us in the most usual moments and places, as well as in our crises; besides, that's how most of our crises begin. Alert to temptation in such customary circumstances, we will also be more keenly aware of the thousands of moments of beauty and forgiveness and affection and peace and grace which also make their daily appearance in our lives. So, this Lent, let's walk the steps of the garden path together.

31. Make Scriptural Hope Your Own

Romans 14:1--15:13

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... at the same time if we will be able to pay off the credit card balances after December 25. Still others of us are worried about our health or about the health of someone in our family; and, of course, the loss of loved ones is usually felt most keenly in the holiday season. If we are struggling with loneliness, a lack of direction, a feeling we are cast adrift without much hope, where can we turn to find the way through our own dark and stormy night? The Apostle Paul provides us with a clue when he states ...

32. Boast In The Lord

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... as a tanner in the town of Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Good at his craft, he earned some respect from the townspeople, but they were not ready really to be friends with him, at least not on an intimate basis. Especially in his Congregational Church he keenly felt the reserve that people had for him. He was only allowed to attend the services if he sat in the balcony assigned to black persons, but he was not permitted to receive communion. A lesser man than Amos would have been bitter experiencing such rejection ...

33. Be Charitable In Your Judgment

1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... to light. And what about those of us who know that we have done wrong, sometimes flagrantly? The long-playing Broadway musical Les Miserables with its spectacular music and staging has thrilled American audiences in recent years. The story written by Victor Hugo has keen perceptions about human nature. When the play opens Jean Valjean has just been released on parole after spending 19 years on the chain gang. He soon learns that the yellow ticket-of-leave that he must by law display condemns him to be an ...

34. Now, Even Now....

Joel 2:1-11

Sermon

Gerald Whetstone

... that they intend to quarrel less, laugh more, more often stare into the night sky and stay in closer touch with their families and friends. Of course, for some, the reality of nearing death brings profound fear or despair. What prevents us from living so keenly aware of the blessings, needs, possibilities, dangers and beauty of this day and each day? Actually, people have a lot of trouble holding on to the present moment. Some people long for an imaginary past. They sigh for simpler times, for the good old ...

35. An Arranged Wedding, But An Intentional Marriage

Genesis 24:1-67

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... that some of the things we thought were strengths are really weaknesses. A woman remarked during marriage counseling, "When I married Dan, I loved his sense of humor. My family was so serious about everything. They never laughed. Dan had such a keen wit. Now I want to divorce Dan because he laughs at everything and never takes anything seriously." Good marriages learn to accept the frailties and weaknesses of one another. Marriages improve when husband and wife accept that every imperfection cannot be ...

36. The Essence of Spirituality

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... she had emerged from the ocean of God's love, had spent her time in the sun and was now preparing to sink back into the Ground of Being from whence she had emerged. Would that as we all take this spiritual journey from birth to death we are that keenly aware of our God's presence --as if we sense our wavelike nature as life rises out of the vast ocean of God's presence, moves across the water of time, only to fall back into the ocean of God's being. The Indiana poet, James Whitcomb Riley says it ...

37. Expecting the Unexpected

Judges 4:1-24

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

... , give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile" (Matthew 5:49b-41). Have you ever attempted to live out the meaning of these words? It's tough to do! And hence, the burden of such a passage is more keenly felt in trying to follow the instruction than in figuring it out. Still, I suppose it's best to be honest and admit that there are some passages which place a burden on our ability just to accept them. It isn't a question of comprehension or achievement. The ...

38. Getting Down To The Local Issues

Sermon

Thomas Long

... make up the Christian life, it is here along this road that the risen Lord comes to meet us. In The Spiritual Life Of Children, Robert Coles writes about Ginny, a young girl from a poor family who is bright, articulate, imaginative and has a keenly developed spirituality. Ginny recounts, for example, that her uncle, who was wounded in Vietnam, is still nervous and upset, prone to frequent crying, and she wonders how God must have felt during the violence of that war. "If my uncle cries now," she reflects ...

39. I Saw The Risen Christ Last Week -- And It Wasn't Even Easter

John 20:10-31

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... saw the risen Christ last week -- and it wasn't even Easter! I saw him one Friday afternoon in the eyes of a woman who, after surgery, had been given a new chance to live. Now she values every minute she has, every day that is hers. Now she is keenly aware that not even death can separate her from God. I saw Christ in her eyes. I saw him one Sunday afternoon in December when I drove to a nearby town to see a friend whose husband had been killed in an automobile accident the previous Friday. I saw Christ ...

40. Responding In Anger

Job 7:11-21 · Matthew 21:12-13

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... talk it over with a trusted friend. This friend can help me look at the cause of my anger and change what is upsetting me. I am like Job. I often cry out to God from the depths of my agony. At such times I feel God's presence very keenly, and I know that I have come in contact with One who is able to bear the burden of my anger and distress. I know that Jesus, the crucified one, knows and understands this agony and will sustain me.

41. The Assumption Of Discipline

Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 6:5-15, Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... elderly, disabled, or working poor. When you meet these folks and talk with them, at a place like the inner city ministry Patchwork Central or the Evansville Rescue Mission, you realize how much we have in common. They are us and we are them. We become keenly aware that most persons who are giving aid are one short step -- loss of a job, catastrophic injury or illness --away from needing it. Almsgiving, in other words, enables us to keep our perspective on the world, and to be in a right relationship with ...

42. Prayers for the Sundays After Easter

Bulletin Aid

Rolland R. Reece

... deep into the nature of life to find there a wisdom and power that sustains even when the sun fails to shine, the beautiful flowers die on their stems, and our possessions are blown away. At last when we tally up all the experiences of our lives we become keenly aware of our dependence upon you -- and you do not fail us. It seems nearly impossible, but bright days and dark days are both occasions for the revealing of your love and truth. May your name be praised. We come to you in the name of your Son. Amen ...

43. A Positive Addiction

Romans 1:1-17

Sermon

Robert R. Kopp

... called us to do. We were involved in a thousand and one decent and wonderful programs and ministries, but while we were busy here and there, something of God slipped out of our lives. Our busyness kept us so preoccupied that we didn't have a keen interest in simply "knowing God" which should be every Christian's highest goal. I learned a painful lesson: To maintain integrity I must put first things first. When Jesus is the first priority or most positive addiction in our lives, our lives are better. When ...

44. Is There Any Seed Left In The Barn?

Haggai 2:19

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... we have to do? And we have to do these things. I'm not a Scrooge. But I think our approach to Christmas is wrong. Christmas is a marathon, and even if we pare down our expectations, it is still a time in which we are meant to feel more keenly the ties that bind. Seasons don't begin and end in a single day. There is no mad rush in autumn to do all the leaf raking and storm windowing. We don't brace for a single day of winter, hurriedly plant during a frenzied day of spring, or cram ...

45. Trinity Sunday

John 16:5-16

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

... for every question. Help us to accept the fact that a sense of awe and mystery can be a positive influence in our lives. It is not always helpful to insist on answers. We need the sense of mystery. You are profoundly present everywhere. You are keenly aware of our true needs. You are patiently building your kingdom. We do not need to fully understand the mystery; we need only to claim it. Accept our grateful praise, Gracious Father. Accept our grateful praise, Savior of the World. Accept our grateful praise ...

46. The Meek

Sermon

John A. Terry

... of him who is meek and lowly in heart, and so finding rest in his soul." J. Hamilton "Meekness cannot well be counterfeited. It is not insensitivity, or unmanliness, or whine. It is benevolence imitating Christ in patience, forbearance, and quietness. It feels keenly, but not malignantly; it abounds in good will, and bears all things." W.S. Plumber We can become over-familiar with the words of the beatitudes -- the meek shall inherit the earth -- and not notice how startling this reward is. The meek get ...

47. Turning A Minus Into A Plus

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... was invented or sustained by someone who turned a minus into a plus. The evidence is before us. Our God is a mighty God. Our world has possibilities. Our faith in God can really make a difference in our lives. How can we reclaim that remarkable understanding? A keen insight into God's power is this lectionary passage from the book of Isaiah. At the time of its composition the Jewish people were in exile in Babylon. They were forced to live far from their native land. They were a weak people in the midst of ...

48. Looking A Little Bit Crazy

Mark 3:20-30

Sermon

William G. Carter

... world changed? Try telling that to the family and friends of Jaco Pastorius. A former altar boy from Fort Lauderdale, Pastorius emerged during the late 1970s as a bright new star of the jazz music scene. He was a phenomenal bass player, with a keen ear for harmony and an unsurpassed technical ability on his 1962 Fender bass. He joined the well-known jazz group Weather Report and gained instant acclaim for his musicianship. With the fame, however, came free access to cocaine and alcohol. As Jaco fell into ...

49. A Voice Crying In The Wilderness

John 1:1-18, John 1:19-28

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... that they can't accept the status-quo like the rest of the people. Strange in that they are not willing to overlook inconsistencies and injustices as most people are willing to do. Strange in the sense that they seem overly conscientious with a keen sense of compassion and concern. There is a tendency to ignore the prophets because they make us feel uncomfortable, and by ignoring them, we hope they will go away. At times, we have taken more drastic measures, by stoning the prophets, in hopes of silencing ...

50. The Meek

Psalm 37:1-40

Sermon

John A. Terry

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