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 51 to 75 of 87 results

51. The King and I

Isaiah 6:1-9

Sermon

James Merritt

... , of grand tradition, ran a series of Letters to the Editor on the subject, "What is wrong with the world?" This stimulated great interest over an extended period and received many inquiries. Many highly respected people wrote their views which were duly printed and avidly read by thousands of people. But one day a letter appeared from the great Christian philosopher, G. K. Chesterton. Here's what he wrote: To the Editor, The Times of London You ask what is wrong with the world. I am - Yours sincerely, G ...

52. Wednesday: The Way Of The Cross: Oooh, That Smell

John 12:1-11

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... it all. They won the regional tournament and advanced to the national tournament in Missouri. A number of the students went to Missouri to cheer the team on to victory and one of the most beloved professors went too. Mr. Smith taught Gospels, and was an avid fan of the basketball team. The team made it to the championship game, and lost in overtime by one point. It was a tough and devastating loss, especially for the Seniors. After the game, Mr. Smith went into the locker room, and saw Coach Wallingford and ...

53. The Power of a Personal Commitment

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... how that principle was severely tested in our own household several years ago. When our boys were young, we were fortunate to be in churches that had vibrant ministries for teenagers including choirs, sports, and youth groups. Our younger son, Brad, was also an avid football player. One spring Brad discovered that U.K. football camp happened to be the same week as summer youth choir tour. The double booking resulted in family conflict and a final showdown in which I said, “We keep the commitments we make ...

54. Can Teach, Can Do

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

Robert J. Elder

... particularly in regard to health, was in those days categorized as some form of demon possession. If one had a headache, there wasn't much to do about it except pray that it would go away. Today, by contrast, at any suggestion of a headache, even an avid, Bible-thumping, ready to condemn heads of state to hell and thousands of innocents to tsunamis on a moment's notice bad news preacher won't necessarily fall down in prayer for relief from a demon, but very likely will reach for the aspirin bottle first and ...

55. The Serpent

John 3:14-21

Sermon

John Smylie

... , is a different story. While serving as a consultant for the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming, I had the opportunity to visit the northeastern part of the state. There was a new golf course being built around Sundance, Wyoming, and the local cleric who was also an avid golfer wanted to show me the new course. As we drove across the new asphalt road, near the top of the course, we saw a large diamondback rattlesnake sunning itself. My friend stopped the car to give us a closer look. I was more than satisfied ...

56. The Faithfulness of God

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... them up in your bird book. There were some gulls as well. Remember how the gulls used to fly off to meet the fishing boats returning to harbor? They seemed to know which boats were gutting fish and which were not. "I used to wish you were not such an avid fisherman, Arthur. I was often lonely. Some days the ladies would josh with me and say they were golf widows but that I was a fishing widow." Mrs. Dowson began to weep, the tears running down her cheeks. "I saw you even less at home those days. It wasn't ...

57. Memorization of the Bible

Illustration

Jack Kuhatschek

... to have memorized the Old Testament in Hebrew! Needless to say, the astonished professor asked for a demonstration. A few days later they sat together in the man's home. "Where shall we begin?" asked the man. "Psalm 1," replied my professor, who was an avid student of the psalms. Beginning with Psalm 1:1, the man began to recite from memory, while my professor followed along in his Hebrew Bible. For two hours the man continued word for word without a mistake as the professor sat in stunned silence. When ...

58. Deer Hunting With The wife

Humor Illustration

It was Saturday morning as Jake, an avid hunter, woke up raring to go bag the first deer of the season. He walks down to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, and to his surprise he finds his wife, Alice, sitting there, fully dressed in camouflage. Jake asks her, "What are you up to?" Alice smiles, " ...

59. But First...

Luke 9:57-62

Sermon

King Duncan

... Indians win the World Series and The Cleveland Cavaliers win the NBA title.” The Genie thought about this for a moment . . . and jumped back into the bottle. It’s hard to be a sports fan. One man tells about his father who, he says, is an avid football fan. During a recent season his team got off to a poor start. Almost every Sunday afternoon Dad sat depressed, ranting at the TV screen. One day, after shouts of disgust, silence fell. Puzzled, his wife went into the living room to find him quietly ...

60. Distracted by Disappointment

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

King Duncan

... way things turned out. That can happen. You lose hope, you discard your dreams, and you are blinded to the good things that still surround you. Pastor and author Leith Anderson, as a boy, grew up outside of New York City. During those years he was an avid fan of the old Brooklyn Dodgers. One day his father took him to a World Series game between the Dodgers and the Yankees. Anderson was so excited, and he just knew the Dodgers would trounce the Yankees. Unfortunately, the Dodgers never got on base, and his ...

61. Trust

John 4:43-54

Sermon

James Merritt

... scrubwoman, a maid, and could not afford very much. They lived a very threadbare existence. This little boy had to stay home all day long just crawling around the house while his mother worked to make a living. This little boy, whose name was Michael, was a very avid reader. When his mother would come in and put the newspapers on the floor, he would read every line of those newspapers while his mother would be off at work. One day he read in the newspaper of a doctor from Vienna by the name of Dr. Lorenz ...

62. An Announcement for a New Year

Galatians 3:26--4:7

Sermon

King Duncan

... poetic license, but it captures the general idea. Another scientist who has written extensively on time is Stephen Hawking, the brilliant physicist. In fact, he wrote a book titled A Brief History of Time. It amuses me that Hawking, an amazing intellect, is an avid fan of the cartoon show, The Simpsons, and has made appearances on the show. He likes to attend table readings of The Simpsons the cartoon equivalent of a dress rehearsal. One day Hawking was upwards of thirty minutes late to the rehearsal. As ...

63. TGFGF - Good Friday

John 18:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... Lawrence tells about one such man. His name is Ed Dobson. Ed was once the pastor of a 5,000-member megachurch. His sermons were broadcast to surrounding communities. “He wrote books and articles. He led 20 trips to Israel. He was an avid hiker, runner, golfer, and soccer player. But that was all before he found out he was dying.” You see, Ed is suffering from that terrible disease called ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), popularly known a Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Over time, the disease destroys ...

64. Priorities

Luke 12:35-48, Luke 12:22-34

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... bring encouragement than the more familiar and distant accounts because it will represent the experience of the immediate church family. Nature: The Birds Our Teachers, by John Stott. Besides being a renowned Christian leader, scholar, and cleric, John Stott (1921–2011) was an avid birdwatcher. In this book he notes that Jesus himself told us to be birdwatchers (see Matt. 6:26; cf. Luke 12:24) and to learn from them. Stott quotes Martin Luther: “We have as many teachers and preachers as there are little ...

65. The Advice of Hushai and Ahithophel

2 Sam 16:15–17:29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... before daybreak. Convinced that Absalom will lose the war with David and that he and the other leading rebels will be put to death for treason, Ahithophel decides to commit suicide (17:23–29). It is a tragic end for one whose counsel has been sought so avidly. His death is a sign to Absalom and his followers that their cause is doomed. Meanwhile, David heads for the city of Mahanaim, north of the Jabbok River, the same city that Ish-Bosheth used as his capital (2:8). By this point Absalom has brought a ...

66. Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues

1 Corinthians 14:1-25

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... to God for it; moreover, he is vigorous in his practice. This report might lead the reader to expect Paul to place a high value on tongues, but as he clearly indicates, he prefers the value of prophecy in the church. 14:19 Despite the avid tongue speaking that Paul reported in verse 18, he now enters an all-important qualification: But in the church. Although Paul did engage in speaking in tongues, he says in church he preferred that which makes clear sense to others. From these statements one infers ...

67. Some Things I've Learned Since I Knew It All

Mark 4:26-34

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... follow his ways. That's why we pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil," or as another translation puts it, "Save us from the great ordeal (the ultimate suffering of God being silent) and deliver us from the evil one."1 Life is a mystery. An avid reader once said, "I always read the last lines of a mystery story before I read the story." When asked why, she said, "I want to know how the mystery is going to end before I begin it." As Christians, we know how the mystery of life will end ...

68. Flying High

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

King Duncan

... simple ambition that drove Robin Williams, I am certain, but it is also true that ambition can make us or it can break us. A man named James Dodson in a book titled Final Rounds tells about the final months of his father’s life. They were both avid golfers, and when his father was diagnosed with a terminal illness, James took his dad to Scotland so they could play golf together on some of the world’s most celebrated courses. At one point, James’s dad asked him about his marriage and family. James’s ...

69. When God's Dream Captures Your Heart

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

Sermon

King Duncan

Writer Dan Miller in his book Wisdom Meets Passion tells of growing up in a conservative, rural family in Ohio. With no radio or TV in the house, Dan found his information in books. Consequently, he became an avid reader. However, when he was about twelve years old, something happened that would change his life dramatically. He was introduced to a phonograph recording [some of you will remember those] by a noted motivational speaker of the time named Earl Nightingale. The record was titled The Strangest ...

70. Win a Little, Lose a Bunch

Illustration

David Barrett

Several centuries ago one of the popes, an avid patron of the arts, is said to have surveyed the vast artistic riches he had amassed and to have gloated: "No longer can the church of Jesus Christ say, 'Silver and gold have I none."' And a subordinate replied, "But then neither can she now say, 'Rise up and walk."'

71. Grabbing the Bull by the Horns

Luke 9:11b-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... crowd was not really an option. Costco was nowhere in the area. Wal-Mart had not yet gone into the grocery business in that part of Judea. So what were they to do? It was a challenge, a challenge they were not prepared for. A young man who was an avid golfer was just teeing up for a round when an old man shuffled up to the tee and asked if he could join him. To the young man’s surprise, the old man was a skilled golfer, and the two men had a pretty competitive round. On the ninth fairway ...

72. Do you need a Pharisectomy?

Matthew 9:27-34, Matthew 9:35-38, Matthew 12:15-21, Matthew 12:22-37, Matthew 12:38-45, Matthew 12:46-50

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... crowd! The sheep are in the pasture, and both the shepherd and the wolf are calling to the sheep to follow! The Pharisees are orderly fellows. They follow 613 commandments, not to mention a huge assortment of supplemental rules and regulations that they avidly place upon all of the people in the community. These rules, from hand-washing to regulating different spoons for milk and meat, include some and exclude others. Do this at the right time. Do that in the right way. Pray certain prayers. Dress certain ...

73. Stargazers

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... that could expand one’s horizons, to shine in new ways in the world. The star is meant to develop the “potential to shine brightly.” Are you a dreamer? Like Walt Disney or those who attain the Sign of the Star, do you use your imagination avidly? Try new things? Push yourself to discover new abilities? See new things? Do new things? The prophets of the Hebrews ….at least many of them….were dreamers. The Jews themselves, at least many of them….were dreamers….wanting a new life, a new world, a ...

74. The Apothecary

Isaiah 40:1-31, Isaiah 61:1-11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... us….not just on or around us. And like a medicament, it heals us from within. Jesus is the great healer of the heart. He bestows / renews within us the holy “spirit” of God. The hymn that suggests Jesus as healer of “sin-sick” soul….is an avid one for this metaphor, as it is sin that drives us away from God, Jesus who restores our relationship with God….and puts us back into health (salve)……through His own salvation story! We are healed in a sense then by Jesus’ story….placed within us ...

75. The Pit of the Soul

Luke 9:1-9

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... drove him to his confession. He could not hide from the all-seeing eye of God but was forced to reveal his deed by his own guilty conscience. In our scriptures for today, Herod undergoes a similar experience to Poe’s narrator. Herod is actually an avid fan of John the Baptist. He admires him and frequently asks him for advice. However, Herod sins by divorcing his own wife and taking instead Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, for his own. John counsels Herod and informs him that he has done wrong ...

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