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 726 to 750 of 3108 results

726. From Empty Nets to Full Lives

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

J. Ellsworth Kalas

It's funny what experiences and phrases will stay with you from childhood. I still remember a line from a song which apparently was popular, for at least a short period of time, in my early childhood. It was a half-funny, half-pathetic little lament from someone who felt rejected and unsuccessful. As I recall, each verse ended with the phrase, "I guess I'll go eat worms." Most of us can understand the mood of the song, if not the dietary remedy. Every one of us feels like a failure at one time or another. ...

727. Say What?

1 John 3:5-6

Sermon

Rick Brand

Say what? Saint Paul never thought he got to the place where the power of sin was completely gone in his life. Saint Augustine never preached that once you received the power of Christ into your life all sin was gone. Martin Luther, from whom we get all these Reformation slogans, preached "always sinner; always justified." So what does this mean? "Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who ...

728. The Only Way to Fly

2 Timothy 3:15-17

Sermon

James Merritt

Whenever I think about the last day of JFK, two words will always stick with me: "Graveyard spiral." From all indications it was a graveyard spiral that took the life of John F. Kennedy, Jr. The graveyard spiral is a series of ever-tightening turns that corkscrew a plane toward earth. It is the leading danger when new pilots leave clear weather for clouds or darkness. An inexperienced pilot will lose his bearings and the plane will begin to turn without his even knowing it. By the time the force of gravity ...

729. Happy Marriage...It's All About Choices

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

James W. Moore

The power mower broke down and wouldn’t run… and the grass in the front yard was getting totally out of hand. The wife was embarrassed about the way the lawn looked… so she began hinting to her husband that it was time to get the power mower fixed. But, somehow her hints didn’t work. The message never sank in. Finally, she thought of a clever way to make her point: When her husband arrived home one day, he found her seated in the tall grass on the front lawn fussily snipping away (one blade of grass at a ...

730. Step Into The Vision

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

I remember reading once about a group of troops who were waiting for both reinforcements and supplies. Things weren't desperate but they were getting close. They'd radioed headquarters several times and were finally given these instructions. "Troops and supplies are currently being deployed. Suggest you procure a pair of binoculars, go out on the roof and keep your ears to the ground." I've loved binoculars ever since I was a kid. Early in our marriage, I had to have a pair. They weren't very powerful but ...

731. Chosen

John 15:9-17

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Have you ever thought about the company you keep? Who you hang with? The people you associate with? Most of us don't. Our parents did or do when we're teenagers. Who you are associated with, who you're friends are, sometimes says a lot about who you are. Sometimes who you choose as friends says a lot about your own reputation. In the movie Shanghai Noon (which is rated PG-13) Jackie Chan plays Chon Wang, a Chinese imperial guard who is on a mission to save a kidnapped Chinese princess in the Old West. He ...

732. The Sign of Jonah

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Story Lectionary: Hebrew Scriptures for Post Resurrection Week Two: The Book of Jonah (you will find a complete image exegesis of the Story of Jonah in Giving Blood by Leonard Sweet. Reading this exegesis first will help in your image exegesis of the post resurrection text for this week regarding Peter known as Simon bar Jonah) The Song of Jonah Psalm 51 Psalm 139 Acts Chapter 10: The Story of Peter’s Conversion of the Gentiles The Gospel of John: Jesus’ Seaside Appearance and the Call of Peter Jesus ...

733. The Healer

Matthew 4:23-25, Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18) “I am the Lord, who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26) Prop: stethoscope [Hold up the stethoscope.] How is your heart? [Have a volunteer come up. Listen to the heartbeat. Put the stethoscope to the mic.] What do you hear? [Allow people to listen to the beating heart.] Listen to that. That’s the sound of a living heart. It’s the sound of a heart alive in Jesus. When your heart is synchronized with Jesus, it will be alive in ways that ...

734. Wrong by Association, Right by Jesus

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

Lori Wagner

It’s cool to be cool. Everyone loves to feel they are part of something bigger than themselves, part of something amazing, part of a great project, a fantastic mission, an exciting team, a member of the “cool” crowd. We feel good when we sense a shared identity with others, especially one that makes us feel appreciated, wanted, engaged, or valued. But what happens when others in our lives think our “cool” is not so hot? What does it mean when the “cool” crowd turns out to be the “wrong crowd,” at least in ...

735. Why the Greatest?

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

The late film critic Roger Ebert once said there was a great reason many critics considered “Citizen Kane” the best movie of all time. For one thing, it really is a fantastic film. Director Orson Welles combined a compelling story with a great script and creative use of pioneering techniques for filming and editing. But he also pointed out that once you pick the greatest of anything you can stop arguing about whether something new is the greatest and focus on a new film’s merits on its own terms. He had a ...

736. I Love You — If You Know What I Mean

1 John 3:16-24

Sermon

John B. Jamison

The young couple sat together and they gazed into each other’s eyes. One leaned toward the other, but the other hesitated and leaned away. “But, I love you,” the first spoke, “C’mon, it’s okay; you know I love you.” The parent looked into the child’s eyes and said, “You understand that I did that because I love you?” The child held their swollen cheek and tried to nod. “And because I love you so much, it is my responsibility to teach you the difference between right and wrong.” The child tried to nod again ...

737. All In God's Time

Luke 24:44-53

Sermon

Lori Wagner

In our contemporary society in which information lies immediately at our fingertips or even at our voice command and we can instantly communicate our wishes in a variety of ways, we humans have become more and more…impatient. This quickly leads to frustration that our needs and desires are not being met. Impatience then causes stress, often making us feel more…impatient. How do we break this unhealthy cycle? And it is unhealthy. Stress caused by impatience can cause a variety of emotional, mental, and ...

738. Unusual, To Say The Least!

Amos 7:1-9, Amos 7:10-17

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

When I was a 19-year-old kid-preacher, I was trying to preach my first revival in a small, north Missouri town. It was an eight-day revival, and I had literally worked for months trying to get the ten required sermons together. God had wonderfully blessed the series, crowds came (perhaps because there was nothing else much doing in the town and also because they had never seen a 19-year-old preacher, particularly of the "girl" type), decisions were made for Christ, and a lot of people were inspired. The ...

739. The Agony And The Ecstasy Of The Family

Mark 3:20-35

Sermon

Ron Lavin

Jesus experienced conflict in his family. In today's text we hear that his family was so upset by what they saw he was doing and heard he was saying, that they decided to "take charge of him" because they thought "he was out of his mind" (Mark 3:21). Later in our story we hear that Jesus' family arrived while he was debating with the religious leaders about Satan, the prince of demons. Someone told him that his mother and brothers were there. Jesus responded, "My true family members are those who do the ...

740. The Fear Of Taking The Plunge

Luke 12:35-48

Sermon

Richard Patt

In a lengthy paragraph just before this text Jesus told the disciples to relax and enjoy life as it comes to them. Many of the phrases in that speech have become legendary: "... do not be anxious about your life ... which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his span of life? ... Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin...." In short Jesus was coaxing the disciples with the appeal, "Let go, and let God." But after saying all that, Jesus realized that such appeals scare most of ...

741. Discrimination

Galatians 3:28

Children's Sermon

Teresa L. Major

Object: A bag of candy or stickers. (Something that can be used as a small gift. Make sure you have enough for everyone.) You'll have to think on your feet for this one. The attributes or characteristics you use in this lesson will have to be chosen quickly, depending on the children present. Lesson: God made everyone and we hurt God when we judge others unfairly because of things they can't help. Hmm, let me look you over this morning. Here, you don't have blonde hair, you can have a present. (Give ...

742. Yes, But How?

Sermon

Lee Griess

Luke 13:1-9 A friend of mine tells a story about a man who borrowed a book from an acquaintance. As he read through it, he was intrigued to find parts of the book underlined with the letters YBH written in the margin. When he returned the book to the owner, he asked what the YBH meant. The owner replied that the underlined paragraphs were sections of the book that he basically agreed with. They gave him hints on how to improve himself and pointed out truths that he wished to incorporate into his life. ...

743. Let It Go!

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

Elaine M. Ward

Long ago there was an ancient bell that was famous for its beautiful tone. It had been commissioned by the king. The king's advisors had told him that making a huge temple bell would secure the nation from foreign invasion. The specialist who cast the bell had produced several failures until he concluded that the only way to produce a great bell was to sacrifice a young maiden. Soldiers were sent to find and fetch such a young girl. Coming upon a poor mother in a farm village with her small daughter, they ...

744. The Elevator

Matthew 9:35-38, Matthew 10:1-42

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme: Christians are to proclaim the gospel to others, but aren't always faithful to do that. We miss the opportunities set before us. Summary: Sam and Nancy are in love. Both are Christians but haven't told the other. The elevator on which they are riding gets stuck and may crash. Here is an opportunity to tell the other but they miss it. Playing Time: 7 minutes Setting: An elevator in a high rise Props: None Costumes: Contemporary, casual Time: The present Cast: GEORGE SAM -- his friend WOMAN -- ...

745. Pentecost

John 20:19-23, Acts 2:1-13, Acts 2:14-41, Genesis 11:1-9, John 14:5-14, Romans 8:1-17

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Epistle: Acts 2:1-21 On Pentecost the Disciples receive the Holy Spirit and Peter explains the happening. Luke gives an account of the Spirit's coming upon the gathered Disciples in Jerusalem on Pentecost accompanied by a mighty wind and tongues of fire. Then the reaction of the crowd is given the Disciples are accused of being drunk. Peter responds by explaining the experience as fulfillment of Joel's prophecy that at the end of the era the Spirit would come to all. The overall purpose of the ...

746. Proper 22

Luke 17:1-10, Lamentations 1:1-22, 2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Lamentations 1:1-6 Lament for Jerusalem that lies in ruins. The series of seven lections is interrupted by a passage from Lamentations. In 586 B.C. Jerusalem was conquered and burned to the ground. The people were carried away to Babylon. Jerusalem now lies in ruins and is deserted. Along with the city, the holy temple is now a heap of ashes. The book of Lamentations is a collection of five poems moaning Jerusalem's end. It is appropriate that Lamentations is in this series from ...

747. Lust - To Discipline The Eye And The Heart

Matthew 5:27-30

Sermon

R. Curtis Fussell

Jesus and his disciples were in a foreign land, the land of Samaria. It had once been recognized as the birthplace and capital of the Jewish faith. It was in Samaria and at Shechem that God told Abraham that the land would belong to his descendants. But later the Israelites were defeated by the Assyrians, who then settled in the land and mixed with the population. So in Jesus' day the people of Israel viewed the Samaritans as half-breeds and false worshipers. Jesus' parable of the "good Samaritan" was a ...

748. It's Your Funeral

Matthew 21:28-32

Sermon

Roger G. Talbott

Today people in our society are less and less willing to completely leave things to the "experts." Patients insist that their doctors talk to them about the options for treatment and include the patient as a full partner in making the final decision. The computer software stores are full of programs that allow people to draft simple legal documents like wills and to keep financial records and fill out tax forms like an accountant. People are saying to doctors, "It's my body." They are saying to lawyers and ...

749. No Particular Place To Go

2 Samuel 11:1-27

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

It was the last week of summer when some boys who had spent the summer playing together became restless and bored. School would start the next week and they found themselves not knowing what to do, wearied from all the other summer activities that they had enjoyed. On a hot August afternoon the boys decided to play a round of pitch and putt at a local golf course. At least this would give them something different to do and keep them from complaining to their parents about how bored they were -- which was ...

750. What’s Inside Comes Out!

Mark 7:1-23

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

My subject is, “What is Inside You Has to Come Out!” Human behavior is very much like the natural order. We sow seeds, set plants, fertilize and attend our gardens. We enroll our children in school to educate their minds. Every day we learn morality, form habits, build character. At our tables we train our tastes for the foods we prefer. The Good News Bible version of the Gospel says: “what comes out of a person makes him unclean ... from the inside, from a person’s heart, come the evil ideas which lead ...

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