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 701 to 725 of 3108 results

701. God’s Most Troubling Promise

Romans 8:28

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you ever noticed that life is full of challenges? Have you noticed that, sooner or later, all of us are going to have some pretty steep mountains to climb? I heard about a woman named Jill whose car was unreliable. She called her friend John for a ride every time her car broke down. One day John got yet another one of those calls. “What happened this time?” he asked. “My brakes went out,” Jill said. “Can you come and get me?” “Where are you?” John asked. “I’m in the drugstore,” Jill responded. “And ...

702. Who Is Isaiah’s Servant?

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Sermon

Ken Lentz

A man had three small children, all three old enough to enjoy the activities of Halloween. A coworker at the office of the father volunteered to visit his home on trick or treat night and bring sweets for the kids. The father's colleague appeared at the door dressed up as "the little green man," with an ugly green face and long, knotted, twisted hands protruding from a long coat that effectively disguised the identity of Daddy's friend. At the appearance of the mysterious stranger in the entryway of the ...

703. In the Mood for Murder

Matthew 5:21-26

Sermon

King Duncan

Some of you can remember back in the 1970s when mood rings were a big fad (sort of like the pet rock). They were especially popular with young girls. The theory behind the mood ring was that body heat fluctuates with the emotional state of the wearer . . . and the ring was attuned to the body’s temperature. None of this was ever established scientifically, of course, but, like most fads, it provided some fun for people especially for comedians and cartoonists. For example, in a 1976 Peanuts comic strip, ...

704. The Knot: Tied

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sermon

James Merritt

There are two topics a pastor can talk about that are guaranteed to generate emails, letters, phone calls, discussion, and debate. Those topics are money and marriage. I knew that this series we are doing on marriage would generate a lot of interest, reveal a lot of anguish, and strike a lot of nerves. There is an old joke about marriage that goes like this: “Marriage is like a deck of cards. In the beginning all you need is two hearts and a diamond. At the end you wish you had a club and a spade!” ...

705. Welcome Home

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

James Merritt

A picture is worth a thousand words. Sometimes they should be because certain pictures can leave you speechless. I have often thought that if my house were burning down and I could only grab a few things as I ran out the door, I would bypass the jewelry, the clothes, and any furniture. I would take some pictures because pictures matter to me. And they matter to us all. We’ve now entered what might be called “The age of the snapshot.” 82% of Americans say they take pictures with their cell phones, up from a ...

706. Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem

Nehemiah 2:1-10

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

The Assignment of the Mission: 2:1–3 For some reason, Nehemiah had to wait four months after receiving the bad news about Jerusalem, before his chance came to present his case to the king. Verse 1 describes the procedure for serving the wine: servants brought it into the royal presence and Nehemiah poured it, probably after sampling it to check for poison. Evidently he had hidden his grief while on duty, but this time it showed—perhaps on purpose—and attracted the king’s attention. His concerned question ...

707. Two Baskets of Figs

Jeremiah 24:1-10

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

Good Figs, Bad Figs: The next six chapters are written in prose. In this first revelation, Jeremiah receives further divine insight concerning Judah and its future. The time period is likely soon after the exile of Jehoiachin and some of the leading citizens of Judah in 597 B.C. (24:1), but certainly before the final exile of 587/86 B.C. God describes his people with two images, those who went into exile (the good figs) and those who stayed in Judah (the bad figs). The text only mentions that the vision ...

708. Zophar’s Final Words for Job

Job 20:1-29

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

Big Idea: Zophar insists that God always punishes the wicked. Understanding the Text In Job 20, Zophar speaks to Job for his second and final time, because in the third cycle Zophar chooses not to answer him. So this chapter constitutes Zophar’s final answer to his friend. Numerous times he alludes to details in Job’s previous speeches, often trying to turn Job’s words against him, but in particular Zophar responds indignantly to Job’s reproof in 19:28–29. However, he dismisses what Job says rather than ...

709. God's Righteous Judgment

Romans 2:1-16

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

The discussion of the guilt of humanity in 1:18ff. presupposes the Gentile world, that is, humanity without special revelation from God. The prominence given to homosexuality in 1:26–27 and the list of vices in 1:29–31 typify Jewish prejudice against “Gentile sinners,” as Paul once referred to them (Gal. 2:15). We noted how clearly 1:18–32 echoes the Jewish indictment of Gentiles from the Wisdom of Solomon (chs. 11–15). Gentiles could have known God from creation. “They live among his works,” says Wisdom ...

710. A Time to Get Angry

John 2:13-22

Sermon

King Duncan

In the spring of 1894, the Baltimore Orioles came to Boston to play the Boston Beaneaters. Yes, that is what they were called back then--the Boston Beaneaters. The game heated up when Boston third baseman Tommy “Foghorn” Tucker slid into third base and the legendary third baseman John McGraw of the Orioles kicked Tucker in the face. Within minutes all the players from both teams had joined in the brawl. The warfare quickly spread to the grandstands. Among the fans the conflict went from bad to worse. ...

711. A Prayer to a Good, Good Father

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Pastor Tom Rietveld tells an interesting true story about prayer. He says that when he was pastoring in Missouri his church needed approximately $10,000 beyond what they were able to give to close out the year. And so, Pastor Rietveld asked the church family and their church leaders to pray for that amount, specifically—$10,000. Unexpectantly, a few weeks before the end of the year, a gift came in the mail. It was for several shares of stock worth $5,000. Pastor Rietveld put out the word that God had ...

712. You Have a Story to Tell

John 9:1-41

Sermon

King Duncan

Here’s a story from the headlines that all of you will remember. In March 2019, the FBI announced the completion of “Operation Varsity Blues,” a nationwide scam in which wealthy parents paid outrageous bribes to get their children into prestigious colleges like Yale and Stanford. Fifty people were charged in the scandal, including parents, test administrators for the ACT and SAT, and college coaches who all collaborated in getting unqualified students admitted to big-name schools. In addition to the bribes ...

713. Fathers Need A Giant Sized Faith

1 Samuel 17:1, 4-11, 19-23, 32-49

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

A Sunday School teacher was telling the class the story of David and Goliath. He really got into it and told it with lots of gestures and movements and sound effects. He finished by telling how little David killed the giant Goliath with a rock from his sling. At the end of the story he asked the class what lesson they had learned. One of the little boys popped up and said: "Duck!" Goliath should have ducked. The story of David and Goliath is probably the best known story from the Old Testament. Kids love ...

714. Greed - Putting Things In Their Proper Perspective

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

R. Curtis Fussell

Mr. Jones had a job that gave him a comfortable income. He enjoyed fishing and motorhome camping. Every year or so he would buy a new combination fish and ski boat, not some little dinghy, but a really nice, fancy boat. Every couple of years Mr. Jones would buy a new motorhome camper. It was obvious that several other men in the neighborhood envied Mr. Jones and tried to keep up with his new toys. They too would buy and sell boats and campers. It was obvious that keeping up with Mr. Jones was a priority in ...

715. The Wisemen

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Jerry Eckert

I hate it when Christmas is over. There's so much good music, such tasty foods, so much color and warmth. And presents! I love presents! I wish we celebrated all twelve days of Christmas. I could be dissuaded from that last enthusiasm if it meant that I would be given all the presents from that funny Christmas carol: 22 turtle doves 30 French hens 36 calling birds 40 gold rings 42 geese a'laying 42 swans a'swimming 40 maids a'milking 36 ladies dancing 30 lords a'leaping 22 pipers piping 12 drummers ...

716. Celebrating Eucharistic Time

Mark 14:12-26

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

Time is an asset and a liability. Call your attorney, physician, or clergy, and the first thing they do is block out a space on their calendar for you. Go to church or a meeting and you see people looking at their watches or waiting for the hourly chime. You take time off to be with the family or to golf and, before you know it, it’s time to do the next thing. Time keeps rolling like the waters in a stream. Time is an asset and a liability. We have the choice of taking it for granted letting it pass ...

717. Give Your Life To Someone

Mark 8:35

Children's Sermon

Object: a greeting card with a love note. Good morning, boys and girls. Do you like to receive mail? (Let them answer.) I like it too. Here is some mail that somebody sent to me. How would you like to get something like this in the mail? (Read the card to them.) This is really nice, isn't it? It tells me that somebody thinks I'm really special and that they're thinking about me, and maybe even that they love me. It's important to feel wanted and loved. Sometimes people love us and they forget to tell us. ...

718. Birthright Blues

Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon

Justin Tull

Do you have the “birthright blues?” Jane does. Listen to her story. Jane: I am so plain and dull that I never have any dates. Friend: Why don’t you go to a good beauty salon and get a different hairdo? Jane: Yes, but that costs too much money. Friend: Well, how about buying a magazine with some suggestions for different ways of setting it yourself? Jane: Yes, I tried that -- and my hair is too fine. It doesn’t hold a set. If I wear it in a bun, it at least looks neat. Friend: How about using makeup to ...

719. Waiting for Jesus

Romans 13:11b

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A driver's license. Good morning, boys and girls. A very happy day to you. This is the first Sunday in Advent, which means that we are now preparing for the coming of Jesus Christ into the world again. That's right, we are here this morning to pray and hope that Jesus will come again, and that when he does we will know that the perfect world that God has planned has happened. The Bible says that the coming of Jesus into our world is closer to happening now than when we first heard about Jesus. Let ...

720. Saving Sinners

Matthew 9:9-13

Sermon

"Jesus left that place, and as he walked along he saw a tax collector, named Matthew, sitting in his office. He said to him, 'Follow me.' And Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at his house, many tax collectors and outcasts came and joined him and his disciples at the table. Some Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, 'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and outcasts?' Jesus heard them and answered: 'People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who ...

721. Tears in Raniah

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

In my first year in seminary in Washington, D.C., I visited the Embassy of the Lithuanian Government in Exile. This government has not existed in Lithuania since 1940, when the Soviets invaded ostensibly to save that land from German invasion. In fact, however, Stalin had something else in mind. It was called degentrification, transporting masses of people from their homeland to another section of the Soviet Union, and then bringing other peoples, also degentrified, to settle in that land. I remember ...

722. Hungry People

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Every time I hear the story of the feeding of the five thousand, I am reminded of reading of a man packing a shipment of food for the poor people of Appalachia. He was separating beans from powdered milk, and canned vegetables from canned meats. Reaching into a box filled with various cans, he pulled out a little brown paper sack. Apparently one of the pupils had brought something different from the items on the suggested list. Out of the paper bag fell a peanut butter sandwich, an apple, and a cookie. ...

723. The Freedom in Forgiveness

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Forgiveness. Great word. Great concept. We believe in it. We love it. We live it. Right? Say AMEN! There was a man who loved dogs. He served as a speaker in various civic clubs to benefit the SPCA. He was known far and wide as a dog lover. One day his neighbor observed as he poured a new sidewalk from his house out to the street. About the time he smoothed out the last square foot of cement a large dog strayed across his sidewalk leaving footprints in his wake. The man muttered something under his breath ...

724. Pray Constantly

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

Two women met unexpectedly one day in the parking lot of a local bookstore. One had a great bundle of books in her arms. "What in the world are you doing," her friend asked, "opening your own bookstore?" "No," said the woman, "these are all books about prayer. All my life I have been hearing about the importance of prayer, so I finally decided to learn how to pray. I have bought fourteen books on the subject. And not only that, I have signed up for two courses in prayer, one at my church and one at a ...

725. Confession And Supplication

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

The text for our message this morning comes from the 4th chapter of Paul’s letter to the Church at Philippi, the 4th chapter, the 4th through the 7th verses. Hear the word of the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord always. "Again I say, rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance, the Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. And the piece of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and your ...

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