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 501 to 525 of 1164 results

501. Proper 15

Hebrews 12:1-13, Luke 12:54-59, Luke 12:49-53, Psalm 82:1-8, Jeremiah 20:7-18, Jeremiah 23:9-32, Jeremiah 38:1-13

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE There are more clues - and more of them are non-theological than they are theological - coming from the calendar to date than there are from the church year this Sunday. This much gradually becomes clearer; the church is in the last quarter of its year, moving closer and closer to the conclusion and climax of that year, Christ the King Sunday. Aware of this, the framework of the church year begins to exert more influence than it has for some time. It reminds us that we are always about the ...

502. Cross Purposes

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

"In the cross of Christ I glory towering o'er ..." Is the cross today towering over the world? Atlanta is presently boasting of its newest hotel, seventy stories high, the highest hotel in the entire world. Just a couple of blocks from this hotel are a Methodist church and a Catholic church, each with a tower and a cross on top. There was a time when the highest point in a town was the church spire with a cross on its pinnacle. Now city skyscrapers dwarf the church with its cross. The cross is over-towered ...

503. Epiphany 4

Micah 6:1-8, 1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5, Matthew 5:1-12, Psalm 1:1-6

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE Manifestation and ministry continue to be the dominant theological and liturgical themes for this Fourth Sunday after Epiphany, which provide the homiletical clue to the selection of readings and the sermon itself. The theological framework of the church year is quite "thin," almost indiscernible in the middle of Epiphany; actually, the beginning and ending of the season keep the manifestation/ministry themes in focus. The celebration of the Transfiguration on the Last Sunday after the ...

504. Checking The Vital Signs

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

It was Easter Sunday. One thousand, seven hundred fifty showed up for worship that day. Boy, was this place full! And it really felt good. We sang some of the same hymns as today. I gave the kids red Easter eggs and my sermon title was: “Don’t Be Alarmed.” The main idea was that Christ is alive and with us, so there need not be any event or situation in our lives here that should scare us. In addition, even at our death and the death of the people we love, we need not have any fear since Christ has come ...

505. Gathered Around The Throne

Revelation 7:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

I want to set the mood for today’s celebration with some words from Dr. R. G. Lee. I quote, “Mother and I were very close. We lived on a poor farm . . . so poor that you could hardly raise an umbrella on the place, much less a mortgage. One day the family was in town, except for Mother and me. She was sitting in a rocker on the old porch, knitting. I was lying on the floor, my face in my hands and my heels sticking up in the air. I looked at my Mother’s hands. They were hard and toil worn. I asked her, ‘ ...

506. The Celebration of the Great Multitude in Heaven

Revelation 7:9-17

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: God and the Lamb receive praise for saving the people of God through the great tribulation and for comforting and protecting them afterward. Understanding the Text The Revelation 7 interlude features a single vision showing the situation of the people of God, but from two different perspectives. First, in 7:1–8 we see God’s people sealed or protected and prepared for spiritual battle. Second, in 7:9–17 we see God’s people celebrating in heaven following their victorious endurance through the ...

507. I Am The Servant

Sermon

Ronald Lavin

...Here am I among you like a servant. -- Luke 22:27 (NEB) ____________ The old Gospel hymn, "I Love To Tell The Story," is a helpful point of departure as we begin looking at Jesus, the Servant. I love to tell the storyOf unseen things above,Of Jesus and his glory,Of Jesus and his love.I love to tell the story,Because I know it's true;It satisfies my longingsAs nothing else would do. I love to tell the story:How pleasant to repeat.What seems, each time I tell it,More wonderfully sweet!I love to tell the ...

508. No Apology

Acts 4:1-22

Sermon

Paul W. Kummer

Sometimes it just takes boldness!\n "Tell me what my dreams means," bellowed the king. "And I want to know what the dream was, too! It was so terrifying that I can't remember it! Tell me now! If you don't, O wise men of Babylon, I will have all of you killed." That's the report Daniel heard in his prison cell as henchmen came to fulfill the king's earnest decree. "Wait, there's a God in heaven who reveals mysteries," delays Daniel, and with boldness in God and with confidence that God gives dream meanings ...

509. Monday: The Way Of The Cross: Figs & Fig Trees

Matthew 21:18-22

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

An eight year old boy came running home from school one day all excited because he'd won a stuffed animal won at the class Valentine's party. "Congratulations. How did you do that?" Mom asked. "Well," he explained, "the teacher put all our names together in a box, and then picked one out. I feel kinda bad though. I cheated." he said. You cheated?" Mom said. "How did you cheat?" With a guilty look on his face he said, "I prayed!" (1) I like that little boy's faith. According to the passage we're going to ...

510. Israel and the Present Curses and the Past Blessings of the Covenant

Romans 9:1-29

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

Big Idea: Chapters 9–11, which correspond to the curses component of the covenant (chaps. 5–8 enunciate the blessings), answer the question “Have God’s promises to Israel failed?” Paul answers, “No!” In 9:1–5 he broaches the problem of Israel’s unbelief. Israel previously enjoyed the blessings of the covenant but is now under its curses for rejecting the Messiah. Understanding the Text In order to situate Romans 9:1–5 in its literary setting I must briefly make four points. First, what is the relationship ...

511. Week Four Of Lent

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Monday Week FourIsaiah 65:17-21John 4:43-54 God Restores Hope In 1935 Bill W. and Dr. Bob lived on the fringes of society. They were drunks spending their nights and many days drinking away the cares of life. Both men needed someone who could help them to regain their dignity and self-worth. They found that special person in each other. The story of the sobriety and recovery to productivity of these two men is the story of the beginnings of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), an international organization which ...

512. Would You Like to Live Forever?

John 10:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

Let me ask you a question: what would you be willing to do to live forever? I’m not talking about eternal life after you die. I’m talking about avoiding death altogether. Human beings have always searched for a way to cheat death. In Hollywood, Florida, there is a church called the Church of Perpetual Life, and its focus is on extending the healthy human lifespan on this earth for as long as possible. The church’s motto is “Aging and death can be optional.” What a great marketing slogan for a society that ...

513. Missing The Real Miracle

John 6:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

John and Ruth Jones were celebrating the 4th of July by having their extended family over for a cookout. They had planned a spectacular home fireworks display--even though fireworks were illegal in their state. A relative called at the last minute to ask if he could bring a friend to the cookout. John and Ruth graciously said yes. The friend turned out to be a police officer. What were John and Ruth to do? John quietly whispered to their son, John, Jr., "Hide the fireworks--quick." That is no surprise. If ...

514. Marks Of A Champion

1 Timothy 6:3-10

Sermon

King Duncan

One of the first things many young women have to do when embarking on a career in corporate America is to learn a new language--the language of metaphors from the world of sports--metaphors like "swing for the fences," "full-court press," "knock-out punch," etc. Let's face it. Men, for the most part, talk about sports. Surely you've read Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. Men talk about sports; women talk about relationships. At least, that's what the experts say. The Apostle Paul was a man. And so ...

515. That's Not Fair

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

Some years back an anonymous dialogue circulated on the Internet. It was aimed at parents. It went like this: Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God’s omnipotence did not extend to His own children. After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And one of the first things God said was “DON’T!” “Don’t what?” Adam replied. “Don’t eat the forbidden fruit,” God said. “Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey Eve, we have forbidden fruit ...

516. Saved by the Bell

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

It's one of the most powerful images in the history of Christianity: Jesus on the cross, flanked on either side by two thieves. Or if you were a first-century gawker at Golgotha, here are three criminals lifted up for humiliation on three crosses. In the final hours of their lives, these three criminals formed a community of the dying. They entered into relationships with each other, shared intimacies, and conversed with each other about matters of life and death. If you listen carefully to this dialog of ...

517. The “Sad-You-See” Syndrome

Mark 12:18-27

Sermon

Michael Milton

Today we witness an ancient military war tactic at work—attack in waves, leaving no time for the enemy to recover from the first shot. First came the chief priests, scribes, and elders with their religious question to trap Jesus Christ.[1] They were defeated by Jesus, and they knew it. But it wasn’t over. The scheming conspirators then sent the unlikely alliance of the Pharisees and the Herodians to throw a political net over the Savior, but they failed. Now, in an unrelenting attack, comes a rather ...

518. Suffering Leads to Victory

1 Peter 3:18-21

Sermon

Richard Gribble

The Comanche people moaned aloud to the Great Spirit: “O Great Spirit, our land is dying and we are dying too. Tell us what we have done wrong to make you so angry. End this terrible drought and save your people before we perish altogether. Tell us what we must do so that once more you will send rain and restore our land to life.” For three days the people prayed and danced, they prayed and danced, but no rain came. When the rain did not come, the elders of the tribe went to the hills to listen to the wind ...

519. God Will Provide the Resources

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

There is a time-honored story about a pastor and his wife who decided to invite the church council and their spouses over for dinner. It was quite an undertaking, but this devoted couple wanted to be a good example for the leaders of their church. When it came time for dinner, everyone was seated and the pastor’s wife asked their little four-year-old girl if she would say grace. The girl said, “I don’t know what to say.” Her mother said, “Honey, just say what I say.” Everyone bowed their heads and the ...

520. When The Fish Won't Bite

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Frank Lyman

You may have read about a man in California who has to be the worst bank robber in history. He went into a Bank of America in San Francisco and wrote out a stick up note on the back of a deposit slip. He got in line to present his note to the teller, but while he was in line he started thinking that maybe somebody saw him writing the stick up note. Maybe they were calling the police right now. So he decided to get out of line and go across the street to the Wells-Fargo bank. He had to wait in line there, ...

521. God Will Take Care of You

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

During the long, hot days of summer, dinner-time seems to get pushed back further and further into the evening. In some places it's just too hot to think about cooking and eating a big meal until well after the sun has slid below the horizon. Families who have kids running a hundred different directions - to day-camps, to the pool or the lake, to friends' houses - can't seem to get everyone collected back home for a meal until the evening is well advanced. But maybe we can all stand to wait for dinner a ...

522. Salvation Includes Social Justice

Jeremiah 23:1-8

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

On this last Sunday of the Church Year (we call it Christ the King Sunday) our attention is directed to the reign of Christ — to his glorious reign which has already begun with the resurrection on Easter. It is a Sunday to think about salvation, because where Christ reigns salvation is effected. These themes are especially evident in our First Lesson. Jeremiah conducted his ministry in Judah (the Southern Kingdom of the Hebrews ruled by David’s heirs and centered in the great capital of Jerusalem) in ...

523. Fathers in Their Generation

Psalm 103:13

Sermon

Mark Trotter

Father's Day sermon This is the third Sunday in June. I am usually not here on this Sunday, because it is during this week that the sessions of the Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in this region are held. They are continuing today at the University of Redlands. But I have been away for several weeks on vacation prior to this week, so I thought it would be prudent for me to show up here. Besides that, as you have heard, this is Choir Recognition Sunday, and I wanted to be here also for that ...

524. How the Lord has Covered the Daughter of Zion

Lamentations 2:1-22

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

The Lord Is Like an Enemy: 2:1 Alef. The opening word (How) invites the reader to contemplate the extent of Judah’s destruction. It also strikes a tone of lament over that same suffering. One can hear a note of disbelief that God would bring such a horrific judgment on his people. Indeed, it is total as expressed by the fact that the cloud of his anger has engulfed all of the Daughter of Zion. The expression Daughter of Zion is an intimate way of referring to Jerusalem by its most sacred space and then ...

525. The Constant God in a Changing World

Psalm 48:1, 9-14

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

In Berlin, Germany, after World War II, there stood a church in the center of the city with nothing left but the Gothic arch which framed the main door. Over the arch were these words from Luke 21: “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words remain forever true." I would like to talk about that today. The author of Psalm 48 was enthralled with the strength and beauty of Jerusalem. Her towers seemed immovable; her citadels appeared immutable; her temple looked like nothing less than something immortal. ...

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