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 5000 results

51. What Do You Want to Know?

Matthew 9:9-13

Illustration

Brett Blair

... , but they knew what it meant when you associated with the wrong kid, especially John, that red-haired pimply-faced nerd that no one ever sat with at lunch. One day, Homer learned that weird John knew a lot about rockets. More than anything else, Homer Hickam wanted to learn rocketry, and now he was faced with a dilemma - would he follow his interest and publicly talk to John? Or would he do what all the others expected, and avoid John like a plague? The scene is the lunchroom with Homer is walking over to ...

52. Just a Housewife Who Wanted To Know God

Mark 9:2-9

Illustration

Candice Hannigan

... who has sold more than 3 million copies of her "Prayers That Avail Much" book series, began her faith journey years ago when she was a homemaker on the verge of taking her life. "I had a problem with depression and had come to the place where I didn't want to live," recalled Copeland. As she was sitting at her kitchen table, a light flooded the room and she knew that it was God. "My yellow kitchen became a yellow I'd never seen before. The grass outside was a green I'd never seen before," said Copeland." It ...

53. I Want to Live Forever

Mark 10:17-31

Illustration

Ozzie Smith

A commercial where a man is rummaging through garbage finds a lamp and rubs it, and a genie pops up. And the genie says, "You have three wishes." And the man said, "OK, I want all the money in the world." And, BOOM, all the money appears. The man is covered with money. He said, "OK, you have two more wishes." The man said, "OK, now I want all the women in the world." And, BOOM, all of the women in the world are there around the man. So he has all of the money and all of the women. And, finally, the ...

54. We Want to Be in Charge

Luke 9:57-62

Illustration

Maurice A. Fetty

... religious leader in print, use his words to buttress their biases. But let Jesus come alive, and you have unpredictable demands. He then is in control. He is the teacher and we are the students. He the master, we the servants. But we don't like that. We want to be in charge. We like to be the chiefs, not the Indians, and call the shots. Jesus may cause us discomfort and inconvenience. He might pin us to the wall on our discomfort and inconvenience. He might pin us to the wall in our selfishness and hardness ...

55. Who Wants to Be Your Brother?

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... is in hell. He doesn’t have five brothers. He really has six brothers and doesn’t know it. For Jesus It is not enough for the rich to “visit” the poor and ladle out charity. Jesus wants us to be in a relationship with the poor, to make a Lazarus our brother. Jesus wants Dives to be in a loving, compassionate relationship with Lazarus, just as he had with his own blood siblings. Lazarus should not have been some “charity” project. Lazarus should have been “Dives” sixth brother, even, as his ...

56. Everything You Ever Wanted

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

... single need. After awhile he said, “If I could just have the variety of some refusal.” That didn’t happen. He continued to get everything he wanted. Finally, one day, in an unheavenly manner, he shouted, “I want something that I cannot have without earning it!” His attendant said, “That is not possible here.” “In that case,” the man responded, “I don’t want to be here. I much prefer to go to hell.” The attendant asked, “Where do you think you are?” Think about it. Hell is where ...

57. NO HELP WANTED

Drama

... " looking. She doesn’t take it] Isn’t that lovely. [Sees the briefcase] Aha, you’ve already got another bag. I told you you’d pick things up traveling! Woman: I’m not going anywhere. Man 1: Now, with his one, you’ll have room for everything you want. Here. [Sticks the suitcase into her hand] There! I hope that’ll help. I’m most honored to have been of assistance. Good luck to you. Have a safe and pleasant journey. [Exits] Woman: [Stays where she is] Man 4: [Enters] Can I get you a taxi, lady ...

58. We Want Freedom

Matthew 4:1-11

Illustration

Barbara Brokhoff

... clear conscience, freedom from fear of death, and above all, freedom from the terrors of the judgment day. A teen-age boy told his parents he was going to run away from home. "Listen," he said, "I'm leaving home. There is nothing you can do to stop me. I want excitement, adventure, beautiful women, money, and fun. I'll never find it here, so I'm leaving. Just don't try to stop me!" As he headed for the door, his father leaped up and ran toward him. "Dad," the boy said firmly, "you heard what I said. Don't ...

59. The Father Who Wanted His Son To Succeed

1 Kings 2:1-12

Sermon

Alton F. Wedel

... of loving. One Last Chance The Word today is not from Dr. Spock on child psychology or health, but from the Holy Scriptures and a paragraph of history we may be inclined to overlook. It’s the story of a father who wanted his son to succeed - in this case, King David, who not only wanted Solomon, his son, to succeed him on the throne of Israel, but to prosper, too, in everything he did, whichever way he turned. This was David’s one last chance to pass his heritage along, to stamp his last impression on ...

60. Hey! I Want To Believe!

John 20:24-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... missing when a significant occasion happened in the life of the Christian community. After all, he was one of the twelve selected by Jesus to be his disciples. A good guess would be that Thomas' heavy heart was responsible for his absence. Some people in times of grief want to be alone. Maybe Thomas sought out his own family after the crucifixion. Maybe he felt he would find more comfort there than with the ten disciples who were left. We could not blame him if this were a time of crisis. It was for all the ...

61. Man, Give Me Some Bread: I Want To See God

John 6:25-59

Sermon

King Duncan

... see God. And so did the people who came to see Jesus. Certainly they were impressed with his works of healing. And they were mystified when he multiplied the loaves and the fishes. But still their hearts yearned for something more than bread and circuses. They wanted to find the Messiah. They wanted to know that there is a loving God who rules over creation. In one of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books there is a story told by a doctor. It is about a five-year-old girl named Mary who had suffered a stroke ...

62. So, You Want To Know . . .

John 13:31-38

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

... don't have time to grow an apple tree, so we just throw the seeds away. When we throw the seeds away, they die and they aren't good for anything anymore, but when we plant the seeds, they grow into something big and beautiful, like an apple tree (may want to use suggested fruits that the children mentioned). Love can be like a seed, too. You can throw a seed away and let it die, or you can plant it and watch it grow into something wonderful. In the same way, sometimes we choose to throw away our love, too ...

63. We Want Proof

John 20:24-31

Illustration

Scott Hoezee

... evidence that the formation of the cosmos required the hand of a Creator God. It's not just that we want to meet evolutionary and atheist scientists on their own turf--most folks also quietly hanker for something tangible that can bolster the confidence they have ... in their faith. Over and again we find ourselves wanting more. Jesus himself knows that faith is both a blessing and a miracle. That's why he says in verse 29 that ...

64. It's What We All Want

Illustration

Keith Wagner

... , the father said, "Melinda, you have the tape recorder, and you know how to turn it on!" The little girl looked up at her father with her big eyes and said, plaintively, "Yes, daddy, but I can't sit on its lap!" Of course, what she really wanted was love. That is what we all want, and we never outgrow our need for it. To be valued, to be cared about, to be loved with a love without strings, a love that will always be there for us; I tell you, that is a foundation for our families that is strong enough ...

65. What Jesus Wants for Chrismas (Part 1)

Isaiah 35:1-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... are two entries on Jesus' Christmas wish list. And what is first on Jesus' Christmas list? For Christmas 1995, Jesus wants Christmas back - the true miracle of Christmas brought alive again. Some of those clear-eyed cultural critics we call poets ... with joy. Jesus doesn't come to bring us "stuff." Jesus comes to stuff us with healing and wholeness and abundant life. What Jesus wants for Christmas is for us to realize that with the birth of the Christ child, the Lord has ransomed our exiled souls and redeems ...

66. So You Want To Go To Bethlehem, Do You?

Luke 3:1-6

Illustration

Johnny Dean

... has changed, and even old familiar places don't seem the same any more. So maybe we could use alittle help in finding our way back to Bethlehem this year. That is, if you still want to go. If we were to ask any of the writers of the gospels how to get to Bethlehem, I think we might be surprised by their answer. "So you want to go to Bethlehem, do you? Tell you what to do: go on out to the desert, outside of the relatively safe confines of Jerusalem. Keep going till you get to the Jordan River. You ...

67. I Want to Truly Experience God

John 6:51-58

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

... you ever bitten into a big piece of lemon? How did it taste? Let's try it. Ooooweee! That's awful! I sure don't want to do that again. Here's another question: have you ever drunk lemonade? Did you like it? I've got some lemonade right here. Let ... lemon. Life can be hard sometimes, bitter and yucky like a lemon. But it doesn't have to be that way. In the Bible, Jesus says that He wants us to have better lives. If we have Jesus in our lives and live the way He lived, then our lives can be so much happier and ...

68. The Phrase We Never Want to Hear

John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... call from a man who said that King’s house would be bombed in three days if they didn’t get out of town. Fear filled Dr. King as he thought about the danger facing him and his family if he continued to follow God’s calling. He wanted to run away. He wanted to give up. He began praying to God and confessing his fear and his weakness. And he said he sensed an inner voice saying, “Martin Luther, stand up for righteousness. Stand up for justice. Stand up for truth. And lo, I will be with you, even until ...

69. The Love God Wants

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

... precept serves to remind us all of what is truly important in living. Finer points of doctrine are important sometimes, but they are not the main thing. The main thing in living a life after the way of Jesus is to embody the love which God wants of us, for God and for neighbor. These twin towers of religious law as Jesus summarized them suggest also that the religious life has both inward and outward dimensions. Almost twenty-five years ago, Elizabeth O’Conner wrote a book about the life and ministry of ...

70. I Want a Raise

Illustration

Several months ago, from the pulpit, I announced to the congregation that I wanted a raise. They thought me rather forward and concluded this was no place to speak of salary. Then I continued. I told them I wanted a raise in their devotion to Jesus, a raise in their prayers for others, a raise in their praise to God. Our Lord desires and deserves a raise in our commitment to Him.

71. Do You Really Want to Dive?

Illustration

Leslie Bush

... until she’s a few years older." "She’s big enough now," Mom returned. To me she said, "If you wait until the water’s perfectly warm or until you’re perfectly ready, you’ll be waiting forever. You’ve got a chance now. Do you really want to dive?" "I want to dive, mom." "Good! I know you can." I crouched back into position and took a deep breath. "Tuck your head more," advised mom. I tucked, and, with painful effort, forced my legs to throw my body off the wall, head-first into the cold water. I ...

72. A Man Who Wanted to Burn a City

Luke 9:46-50

Sermon

R. Blaine Detrick

... under the transforming, redeeming influence of Jesus do we become the kind of persons we ought to be ... the kind of persons we were meant to be ... the kind of persons God intends us to be ... the kind of persons that (deep down inside) we ourselves really want to be. Jesus Trusted Him John was at the foot of the cross, with his arm around the shoulder of the mother of Jesus, offering her more comfort with his presence than millions of words could ever express. As Jesus looked down from the tree, he saw ...

73. Want To Sit At The Head Table?

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... of God." (6) In the same way Christ has given us a new dignity and a new name. Such dignity does not come from what we have, but by what we are ” those called by his name. Now we are to go out to give that same dignity to others. Want to sit at the head table? Then do it like he did it. Give more than you get. Humble yourself and serve others. 1. James Dent in Charleston, W.Va. Gazette, 12/9/91. 2. Donnie Radcliffe, SIMPLY BARBARA BUSH (Warner Books) 3. "Researchers' Dispute Over Who Gets Credit Delays ...

74. So, You Want To Know About Love?

John 13:31-38

Sermon

King Duncan

... me die. Please take out all these tubes. Please let me die.' So in the end the doctors did it and they let him die, and we all felt terrible." Dorothy, the sane member of The Golden Girls, asked, "Why should you feel terrible, if the man wanted to die?" "Well," said Rose earnestly, "we could never be sure, because in the very next bed was St. Olaf's meanest ventriloquist." (6) I told you it was a terrible story, but it is also illustrative. The second characteristic of Christ-like love appropriate to Mother ...

75. I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW...

Drama

Angela Akers

... week." Carmen: "Good job, honey. I''ve got some dinner waiting for you in the kitchen." Jamal: "Thanks Mom." (Pauses on the way to kitchen) "You know, you''re a real good cook." (Carmen is very surprised.) Carmen: "Well, thank you Jamal! What brought that on?" Jamal: "Nothing. I just wanted you to know that. (Jamal heads for the kitchen.) "You want anything?" Carmen: "No thanks." (Carmen smiles and starts to hum contentedly.)

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