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 851 to 875 of 1245 results

851. Luke 10:1-11; 16-20

Luke 11:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... elephant’s eye.” If you planted early and had warm spring weather you might already be harvesting lettuce, cucumbers, onions, and those upside-down tomatoes you see on tv. And even if you’re still waiting for your plants to produce, every optimistic gardener eagerly envisions the anticipated bounty that is to come. No matter what you are growing or how much you enjoy the “gardening,” we always have one eye looking forward to the final harvest. As he is just starting out on the journey portion of ...

852. The Resurrection and Life

John 11:32-44

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... and what do you find? A door slammed in your face and a sound of bolting on the inside. After that, silence." Is God ever late? Linda was one of the brightest young people in my Confirmation class that year. She was an excellent student, an eager learner, a bright personality that filled the whole room. During the course of confirmation her mother became ill, seriously ill. We prayed for her in class. We even held a healing service for her in the Chapel of the hospital. Linda especially prayed earnestly for ...

853. Holy Waste

Mark 14:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... a cruse. She seems to cradle it in her hands with tender care, and you get the feeling that what she has is precious. She walks directly to Jesus, kneels down beside Him. She hesitates – she seems to be indecisive – but then with an irresistible burst of eagerness, she broke the narrow neck off the cruse — and she poured the contents of it on his head. And what was it that she poured upon the head of Jesus? It was an ointment of pure nard strange words to us – but reading the scripture, we know ...

854. Luke 12:13-21

Luke 12:13-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... dimwitted dipstick who has no idea they are in the presence of greatness. Things weren’t any different in the first century. As Jesus appeared before a crowd of “thousands” (Luke 12:1), he spoke first to his disciples — with the multitude eagerly eavesdropping. After hearing Jesus encouraging his closest followers to stand firm in their faith even in the face of persecution, to trust their lives to the sovereignty of God, to fear nothing in this life but God, the crowd’s first response appears ...

855. The Real Real Estate

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... walk on it. You can build on it. Real estate is never worth nothing. Even with “underwater” mortgages – that’s when the house isn’t worth as much as the money owed on it the property still has value. That’s why the bank will eagerly take it back. But for the people whose names are on the bottom line of an “underwater” mortgage, what seemed like their best, most reliable investment, is suddenly worth nothing to them. Nevertheless the message of today’s gospel lesson is clear. Real estate is ...

856. Faithful Servants

Luke 12:32-40

Illustration

Mickey Anders

... . Faithful servants are ones whose sleeves are always pushed up. They are the kind of people whose powder is always dry, whose bags are always packed, whose pilot light is always lit. Their toes and knuckles are on the starting line waiting for the pistol. So eager are they to be onto the next piece of the Kingdom's business that they never get around to unrolling their cuffs. They rarely light on a chair, much less settle in for a nap between jobs… Faithful servants are more than ready. They are the ...

857. Exactly How Wide Is It?

Luke 13:22-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... to learn and to grow. The concept of the narrow door is present in every worthwhile task in life. The only place in our society where we expect to have gain with no pain is the life of faith! We have turned God into a doting Grandparent who is eager to bestow all kinds of blessings on us and demand very little from us in return. “Make every effort,” says Jesus, “to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.” Those are strong words. Jesus tells ...

858. A Salvation Army Parade

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

Lee Griess

... in today's world. It was that way in the beginning and it is the same today: twelve disciples with Jesus. And when he asked them to go into the village and find the donkey colt, they went — not as a bunch of tag-a-longs, but as eager followers — not as sometimes servers but as his constant companions. And even though they would sleep when they were told to stay awake, deny him when he needed their loyalty, flee when they were in danger, and even doubt his rising when they were told, they were still ...

859. Hunger and Politics

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... the best mix for the human spirit. Let him be rich and weary, that at least, If goodness lead him not, yet weariness May toss him to my breast. Herbert saw well that the strong talents and marvelous abilities of humankind would make us like impatient children, eager to strike out on our own and find our self-made destinies. Only if God would hold back a sense of full satisfaction from our souls would we search our way back home. This remains a perennial theological paradox: It is the creative act of God ...

860. Why Is God Unfair?

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... tragic price. So if we run Jesus' scenario backward, from the point of view of deathbed conversions of criminals and the like, we find the values he espouses even more maddening. More than that, Jesus seems to reward laziness. Some of the folks in his story came early, eager for work and looking for a job. Why should so much attention be paid to the latecomers who couldn't even get up on time in the morning? But if God is going to reward bad behavior, what is the point of trying hard? Why live as if morals ...

861. A Honeymoon at Church Camp: A Real Homecoming

Jeremiah 31:7-14

Sermon

Tony Everett

... sleep in the warmth of their honeymoon cabin. Wally sadly remained at the old, dry, farm well, mourning the loss of his lucky fifty-cent coin. Once again, Wally's mournful moaning grew louder and louder. Once again, Rachael arose from sleep and came to Wally's side. Eagerly, Wally exclaimed, "You changed your mind. What a relief. I had given up hope. Are you going to go down there and get my/our lucky coin?" "I told you before, Wally, it's just not worth it. Look at that dark, slimy mess down there," said ...

862. Aprons or Bibs

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Sermon

Tony Everett

... had led God's people out of Egyptian bondage through the wilderness. The promised land was in sight. Their instruction in faith was complete. God's "buffet table" was visible just across the Jordan River. The people were ready to don their bibs. They were eager to stop gazing and begin grazing. They were ready to change their identity from "losers" to "choosers." However, their choice was not as simple as deciding whether to select meatloaf or fried chicken. Their choice was truly a matter of life and death ...

863. I Love a Parade

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... for us to try to go deeper as we pass out the palm fronds and celebrate today. This is why as we ponder the heart of Jesus on the road into Jerusalem, I am moved to wonder about the story beneath the story for us as a people. We are eager enough today to be those Palm Sunday people, aren't we? As I say, I love a parade. We spend hours decorating the sanctuary and preparing the music, just for this moment, right? Some of us, though, and I include myself here, don't really want to go beyond this ...

864. Righteous!

Romans 1:16-17; 3:22b-31

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... right time. Alex felt better. Uncle Herbert put his arm around Alex. That arm felt so strong and so good. "Hey, Alex. I have an idea. Do you like to watch the trains come in at the railroad station?" Sniffling, with his voice a little broken, Alex spoke quietly but eagerly, "Yes, I do. But I can never seem to get anyone to take me down there." "Well, how about you and me, Alex? How about you and me hang out this afternoon down at the station and watch the trains come in? How about it, Alex? Just you and me ...

865. God’s Doing

Philippians 1:21-30

Sermon

Larry Lange

... if the Galatians had finally understood the freedom of the gospel, and he wondered if they had finally repudiated those visiting preachers who had been so anxious to define righteousness as obedience to religious rules. It's easy to understand the apostle Paul's exhaustion, his eagerness to depart and be with Christ. And if the greatest evangelist of all time felt this way, who are we to judge Don for feeling the same way? But that's only half of what the apostle Paul felt after he had been dragged to Rome ...

866. Just a Crazy Story

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Larry Lange

... way he could pretend he was angry with the way God ran the world. God would see right through that, Zack thought. "That's right. I would," God said. Zack slowly lifted his head up off his kitchen table. He'd fallen asleep there after beer number seven. He was eager to see if God really was right there in his kitchen with him or if he was still drunk, because the voice he was hearing sounded exactly like the voice of God in the movie. Zack had to lift his head up slowly, because it felt like a planet that ...

867. The World According to Paul

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... say. Paul and Silvanus had first visited the synagogue in Thessalonica in an attempt to persuade the Jewish listeners to believe in Christ crucified (Acts 17). Some Jews did believe, but most of the new converts were Greek, including influential women. The Thessalonians' eagerness to move from idolatry to faith in the one true God is a courageous social and religious step to take. Paul is impressed by their willingness to change. Paul's letter to the Thessalonians is in many ways a tribute to friendship ...

868. The Challenge of Discipleship

Luke 14:25-33

Illustration

Mickey Anders

... 's which said, "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful." The ad was signed by Sir Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic explorer. Amazingly, the ad drew thousands of respondents, eager to sacrifice everything for the prospect of meaningful adventure. Which approach do we take in the church today? Do we make discipleship easy or challenging? Well, our text today leaves no doubt about the method Jesus took. Instead of giving ...

People are hungry to give their lives to something more important than themselves. It is a fact of life, not only that everything costs us something, but that, in our better moments, we are even eager to pay the cost.

Will Willimon

870. Help Me, I'm Lost

Luke 15:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... to the sinners and the tax collectors who were also in the audience as Jesus taught. They did not know that there is no such thing as spiritual superiority in the kingdom of God. We are all sinners saved by grace. The second thing we need to see is the eagerness of the shepherd and the woman to find that which was lost. The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine sheep in the open country and goes after the lost sheep until he finds it and when he does, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he ...

871. Shrewdness in Business

Luke 16:1-15

Illustration

King Duncan

... spool of thread. Thus, the whole transaction was forgotten by the time the executives of this large chain started to notice crowds of people shopping at Neckerman's. Soon the reason became apparent. It was the spools of thread the large chain had purchased so eagerly from this young upstart. As German housewives finished their spools of thread, a piece of paper that had been wrapped about the spool under the thread fluttered out. It read like this: IF YOU HAD BOUGHT THIS THREAD AT NECKERMAN'S, IT WOULD HAVE ...

872. Here I Am

Hebrews 12:18-29

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... undivided attention, but were worthy of being shared with others. I've always wondered if that's how we would react to God if God were to speak in the same way today. Would we all stop, become quiet, and pay attention to God's calling? Would we want to eagerly share what we have heard from God with others? I'm sure everybody's initial reaction is, "Well, of course! After all, it's God." But I wonder about the reality our response. How many times has God spoken to us and we didn't hear? How many sunsets have ...

873. On Your Mark, Get Set . . .

Mark 13:1-8, 32-33

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... the first walk in space be successful? Would we really reach the moon? Would they make it back? Would a human being really walk on the surface of the moon? We didn't know, but we kept our fingers crossed and our eyes glued to the TV. We listened eagerly for each progress report. Our teachers assured us we were watching history being made right before our very eyes. and they were right. It was a time of suspense and anticipation. We know what that feels like don't we as we wait for the Fellowship Complex to ...

874. It's Just A Little Thing

Mark 12:38-44

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... officer who stopped to have his shoes shined by a poor Indian boy on the street. He said the boy launched into his task with such enthusiasm and vigor that the man was utterly amazed. Instead of an ordinary, slipshod performance with an all-too-eager outstretched hand for a tip, the boy worked diligently until the leather sparkled with a beautiful shine. The officer asked, "Why are you taking so much time to polish my boots?" The young boy told the officer, "Well, sir, last week Jesus came into my heart ...

875. Fast Forward Faith

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... to see again. With only a word, Jesus transforms this blind beggar from this "son of the unclean" to a "son of honor." This "beloved son of God" restores this "son of honor's" sight and place in society. And this "son of honor" then becomes an eager follower. He experiences a "FAST FORWARD FAITH." Why? Because he had FAITH ENOUGH TO ASK, FAITH ENOUGH TO BELIEVE AND FAITH ENOUGH TO FOLLOW. I. Faith Enough To Ask Bartimaeus had faith enough to ask. Some of the people in the crowd thought Bartimaeus was rather ...

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