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 876 to 900 of 1245 results

876. There Will Be Light

Isaiah 2:1-5

Sermon

King Duncan

... for food or firewood, but no one came out during the daylight hours. Finally, on April 12, 1943, after receiving news that the Germans had retreated, the cave dwellers emerged from underground to see the sun for the first time in almost a year. (2) How eagerly those cave dwellers awaited being able to leave the darkness and walk in the light. When Isaiah writes in chapter nine, verse two: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light ...

877. WWE Raw, Jesus Style

Luke 6:17-26, Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... Purgatory prisoner. Those with few relatives would simply draw up lists of historical figures they liked and hoped to chalk up heavenly credit to liberate them. This kind of incentive for church attendance is questionable, though it did work. But the eagerness of living generations to stay connected to past generations, both in prayers and in practices, is admirable. For medieval Christians, the dead were still an active part of the living, and past generations still had something to offer the present ...

878. How Jesus Saw

Lk 19:1-10

Illustration

King Duncan

... , and always will." It is both interesting and encouraging to notice how Jesus treated people whether it be the woman of the streets or the tax collector in the tree. He saw something no one else could see. That is the first thing we need to see. Jesus was more eager to see Zacchaeus than Zacchaeus was to see him.

879. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... or “disorder” may sound strange to twenty-first century ears. But in the first century world of the Thessalonians there were several possible reasons for a “non-work ethic” to exist. Many commentators suggest that it was an overly anxious, eagerly anticipated, eschatological expectation that led some members of the Christian community to find physical labor a waste of time. Convinced that the eschatological end was imminent there were some who chose to simply “wait for it,” putting their lives ...

880. Without Warning

Matthew 24:36-51

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

... . When Mt. St. Helen's exploded back in 1980, not one volcanologist expected the monstrous, nuclear-type blast that flattened the mountainside, the landscape, and the entire ecosystem inside the blast-zone. The scientists were waiting for, even eagerly anticipating, an eruption. They anticipated something powerful and dangerous, but expected a plottable trajectory, a comprehensible movement and growth. When instead the mountain exploded with unimagined force of fire and rush of wind, no one was prepared for ...

881. Jesus the Sin Stealer

John 1:29-34

Illustration

Michael L. Cobbler

... spring day long ago, when my mother had made my favorite lunch for school. It was a small container of chocolate milk, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. I went off to Public School 129, but a block and a half away, eager for the morning to pass so I could sink my teeth into one of those delicious cookies, but as I turned from Stuyvesant Ave on to Quincy Street I was face to face with Junebug, the bully of the block. "Gimmie that lunch, punk!" he said. "But, Junebug ...

882. A Light in the Darkness

Mt 5:13-20

Illustration

King Duncan

... a childhood accident. In nineteenth-century France, when this young man lived, blind children had little help and few hopes. But then a kindly priest, Father Jacques Palluy, took an interest in the lad. He was amazed at the boy's intelligence and eagerness to learn. With his parents 'permission, Father Palluy enrolled the boy in the Royal Institute of Blind Youth in Paris. Thrust into a new and frightening environment, the boy was lonely and depressed. In time, however, he found friendship and encouragement ...

883. Distract the Christians!

Illustration

Ray Osborne

... crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause." It was quite a convention in the end. And the evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and rush here and there. Has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the JUDGE.

884. 1 Peter 2: 2-10

1 Peter 1:13-2:3

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... . Some are new, some familiar, all designed to describe the remarkable new reality that is available to all because of the work accomplished by Jesus the Christ. The first image created by Peter’s pen transforms an image of weakness into an image of eager new beginnings. Unlike Paul’s use of “milk” as a metaphor for the diet of spiritually immature believers (1 Corinthians 3:1-3; Hebrews 5:12-14), Peter uses an infants instinctually strong desire for milk as a template to illustrate the natural urge ...

885. Resolutions for a New Year

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... The list could go on and on. But if we are giving ourselves some good direction for the coming year, perhaps it would again be helpful to note what Paul talks about as he continues his letter. The apostle says, "You do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed" (1 Corinthians 1:7). Well, if we have been given spiritual gifts, we know where they came from ... from God! Okay, how does that become a New Year's resolution? First of all, there is something in Paul's ...

886. The Living Advent Wreath (Love: Pink Candle of the Stars)

Luke 1:26-38

Drama

Frank Ramirez

... that he exists. Guide: They have faith. Pilgrim: Is faith enough? Guide: And what did I tell you? Pilgrim: That faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the proof of things not seen. Guide: Exactly. And what of hope? Pilgrim: That through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. Guide: Very good. Pilgrim: If that is good enough for you, then why is it not good enough for my king and our people? My king was lying ill in his bed, certain that the world is dying, the world is ...

887. Learning Humility

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

... of people. It takes a special sailor to qualify as a Navy Seal. This man told about sharing his military exploits with his grandson's kindergarten class. This former Seal regaled the children with his war stories. After he finished, hands shot up all over the classroom. The kids were eager to ask questions. He called on one little girl who asked, "So, can you balance a ball on the end of your nose?" Sometimes learning humility can be painful.

888. A Whole City at The Door

Mark 1:29-39

Sermon

Robert J. Elder

... the message. Signs meant to serve the message, not the other way around. Jesus fed his own ministry by retreating to quiet places to pray and reflect. He did not become a hyperventilating television preacher pursuing a non-stop popular ministry. His own disciples seemed eager enough for him to do this, but Jesus knew the focus of his ministry. It included healing and doing good, but healing and doing good did not exhaust the purpose of his ministry. Likely, if we take our cue from him, it should not totally ...

889. Jesus at Home

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

Robert J. Elder

... home in front of a television camera, I believe Jesus was at home in the same way in Capernaum, where his ministry drew people almost effortlessly. "He was at home." Most scholars in their commentaries barely even pause at this verse in their eagerness to talk about the rest of the story: the healing, the controversy the healing occasioned, the folks who brought the paralyzed man and lowered him through the roof, the man himself, the authorities and their quibbling about the language of forgiveness, and so ...

890. Speaking Peace

John 20:19-31

Sermon

John Smylie

... with one another; they needed to talk, to grieve, to share their silence together. Then more rumors. The women said they'd seen him. John believed them; he saw the empty grave clothes. Others said they heard his body had been stolen and the officials would be very eager to find someone upon which to place the blame. Perhaps it was best for them to remain huddled away behind closed and locked doors, best to keep a very low profile. When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of ...

891. When The Baker Becomes the Bread!

John 6:51-58

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... has become the bread. Not only is he the living bread and already paid for, he is the ready bread, willing to accomplish his mission: "I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me" (John 6:38). How eager is Jesus to do the Father's will? We find that answer not here but in Gethsemane's garden, where in agony he concedes to the Father, "Not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42). From the beginning to the end of his life on earth, Jesus set ...

892. Spiritual Gifts: God’s Gift of Fulfillment

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

... say that they enjoy their job. Why? The same reason the animals in the forest were miserable. There is a mismatch between their work and their gifts. In 1 Corinthians 1 Paul writes to the young Christians, "... you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly await for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ ... he is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship...." Paul writes here as he does in 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4, and elsewhere that the key to living a life of fulfillment ...

893. Life in The Spirit

Romans 8:22-27

Sermon

Gibson “Nibs” Stroupe

... . It has many verses that we know by heart. For instance, verse 18: "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us." Or the verse that follows it: "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God." And then there are the powerful closing words of the chapter that are often read at funerals: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come ...

894. The Tongue Is Mightier than the Sword

James 3:1-12

Sermon

Thomas Lentz

... self-confidence. Parents are often quick to correct and punish misbehavior and forget to affirm positive behavior. Some bosses communicate with employees only when they are pointing out mistakes and fail to compliment important accomplishments. We are often all too eager to discuss someone's faults or failings. People's reputations can be destroyed. When the opportunity to talk about someone else arises, it is helpful to ask yourself, why do I want this person to know this information? Can I honestly ...

895. The Home Court Advantage

Romans 12:9-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... Jesus into our midst and to the cross and out of the tomb — gives Christians a “home court advantage” anywhere we go. Our “team spirit” is Holy Spirit inspired. Paul declares that a Christian community is “aglow” in the spirit, zealously eager to serve the Lord. Such a “team spirit,” inspired by passion, doesn’t even require a home court to have the “advantage.” Good thing. Because genuine Christian team spirit has rarely had the “home court” advantage. Not in the centuries ...

896. God Enjoys AND Enjoins Us

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... quote is this one. Anyone want to guess what it is? “Ninety percent of life is just showing up.” But Woody Allen is famously wrong. Ninety percent of life is what we do AFTER we show up. Why do we want to believe Allen’s computations so badly? We eagerly embrace Woody’s calculus because it takes us off the hook for all but ten percent of our lifetime of screw-ups, fall-flats, and melt-downs. It is easy to just “be there.” It is much harder to be there for the long haul, the hard times, the ...

897. Just Showing Up

Matt. 20:1-16; 22:1-14

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

... famous quote is this one. Anyone want to guess what it is? "Ninety percent of life is just showing up." But Woody Allen is famously wrong. Ninety percent of life is what we do AFTER we show up. Why do we want to believe Allen's computations so badly? We eagerly embrace Woody's calculus because it takes us off the hook for all but ten percent of our lifetime of screw-ups, fall-flats, and melt-downs. It is easy to just "be there." It is much harder to be there for the long haul, the hard times, the big ...

898. The Difference Between Getting and Giving

John 1:1-18

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

... and wondered if this beggar person knew the difference between giving and getting. Beggar: I’ll teach you the difference between getting and giving my friend. Just give me your wallet. Hee hee. Narrator: The old man was taken aback by the eagerness of this new would-be tutor. Old Man: No, no, I’ll figure this out with someone else. Thank you anyway for your kind offer. Beggar: Oh, the munificence and beneficence and pecuniary philanthropies of the human species. (walks off) Narrator: Shortly after ...

899. The Last Compact

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Sermon

Ken Lentz

... forgiveness. If Jeremiah's vision gave hope to those in captivity in Babylon, how much more is the boundless hope that fills our hearts and lights the path of our journey to the kingdom beyond the dark cross of Golgotha? In hope we enter the final week before Passion Sunday, eager to see the light at the end of his "way of sorrows." Amen. 1. C. S. Lewis, The Joyful Christian (New York: Touchstone, 1977), p. 214.

900. From Emptiness to Fullness

Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

... . "And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment (our lives are not without consequence), so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him" (Hebrews 9:27-28). That is our hope — to be redeemed and set free — to live with trust in God and in God's promise. So, we sing with the psalmist, Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord ...

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