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 1164 results

876. The Monster Under Megan's Bed

John 6:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

A child saved the day for Jesus. Could it be that our children save the day for us? Is it time for us to sit at the feet of our children? Meet a 5-year-old girl named Megan. Like many kids her age for generations before her, Megan was terrified of a monster that lived under her bed. What to do? But unlike any previous generation before her, Megan did something about the monster under her bed. She sat down at her computer and used a software package for children to tell her story about how scary the monster ...

877. A Message To You from God

John 1:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

Bill called his parents to wish them a happy New Year, and his dad answered the phone. “Well, Dad, what’s your New Year’s resolution?” Bill asked him. “To make your mother as happy as I can all year,” Dad answered. When mom got on the phone, Bill said, “What’s your resolution, Mom?” She answered, “To see that your dad keeps his New Year’s resolution.” (1) Welcome on this first Sunday of a New Year. Our topic for today is communication—an important topic in the family, in the workplace, even in the church, ...

878. The Pure In Heart

Sermon

John A. Terry

Psalm 42Matthew 5:1-12 Purity of heart is a common thead throughout scripture. The first of the Ten Commandments says: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Deuteronomy 5:7). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (Matthew 6:24). "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For ...

879. The Pure In Heart

Psalm 42:1-11

Sermon

John A. Terry

Purity of heart is a common thead throughout scripture. The first of the Ten Commandments says: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Deuteronomy 5:7). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (Matthew 6:24). "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and ...

880. Advent 2

Matthew 3:1-12, Isaiah 11:1-16, Romans 14:1--15:13

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Isaiah 11:1-10 This text is related to Isaiah 9:1-6. "The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light" (Isaiah 9:3a). In their original context, both passages are believed to be coronation Psalms for God's Anointed One, the king. It is possible that Isaiah composed today's lesson for the coronation of King Hezekiah. Though a king was held to be a direct link between the people and their God, the prophet realized that the righteous rule envisioned in this passage was ...

881. A Moment Of Decision

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

John A. Stroman

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. -- Mark 1:9 Experiences have the effect of changing the direction of our lives. These experiences are so casual they are frightening. They are critical experiences because they are life-changing. Albert Schweitzer casually walked into a library and sat down at a table to study. He picked up a magazine that someone had failed to return to the rack. It was a publication of the London Missionary Society. As he thumbed ...

882. Go ... Be the Church ... Do the Gospel

Sermon

The hearers’ level of expectation is especially high on given occasions, such as a congregational anniversary. The dangers for the sermon are many; the victories few. Through the skillful interweaving of congregational history, the Church’s history, biblical history, the history of persons, and a knowledge and sensitivity of worship - always with the hearers in mind - this sermon forges a victory for the hearers. The sermon focuses the hearers where the focus is to be - on the Lord of the Church and the ...

883. Christmas and the Condensed Bible

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

I must confess that I am not a great fan of Reader’s Digest, but in a strange way, the magazine is partly responsible for my being in the United Methodist ministry. You see, during the late 1940’s and 1950’s, the “red-baiting” era of the late Sen. Joseph McCarthy, Reader’s Digest published an article titled “Methodism’s Pink Fringe.” The article purported to show that Methodists were, in reality, Communists, because they believed in such radical things as civil rights and world peace. Having recently ...

884. Through The Eye Of The Needle

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." It is sayings like this that shatter any notions we have of Jesus being simply another Mr. Nice Guy. These are tough words. They have been a flashpoint for controversy in the church for centuries. They have ignited heated debates about the role of money in the Christian life. These tough words of Jesus have usually provoked two kinds of reactions. One interprets Jesus' words to mean that you ...

885. All Saints' Sunday

Jn 11:32-44 · Mt 5:1-12 · Isa 25:6-9 · Rev 7:9-17; 21:1-6 · Ps 24

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Isaiah 25:6-9 Through his prophet, the Lord promises to make a joyous feast for his people on Mt. Zion, replete with rich food and wine. God will remove the pall of gloom and sorrow by destroying death and personally wiping away the tears from the eyes of his people. Epistle: Revelation 21:1-6a John's vision of the new heaven and new earth, predicted by Isaiah (65:17; 66:22). The sea, symbolic of unrest and turbulence, is no more. The new Jerusalem descends from heaven, with all ...

886. The Holy Trinity

Deuteronomy 4:32-40

Sermon

An idea keeps echoing through the Book of Deuteronomy: "Remember!" "Beware, lest you forget." The writer of Deuteronomy knew it isn't always easy to "remember," but also recognized its importance, so he kept emphasizing it. He knew how vital it is to recall our origins, to be aware of where we came from, to remember how we got where we are, and to keep, consciously, before us the recognition of vital things that allowed us to get here. J. Wallace Hamilton tells of a sensitive Jew who wrote a book called, " ...

887. Counting The Cost?

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

Warren Thomas Smith

"Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing ... she out of her poverty has put in everything she had ..." (vv. 43-44) It has been called the world’s greatest business transaction. A widow’s gift of two copper coins - perutas, the smallest of Jewish coinage, having the value of two cents, or less - will be remembered for all time. What is it about this familiar scene? It tugs the heart. Are we sorry for the woman? Oh, some like to dwell on sentimentality and ...

888. Famous Last Words

Deuteronomy 18:14-22

Sermon

William L. Self

Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible." -- Lord Kelvin, President, Royal Society, 1895 "This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." -- Western Union internal memo, 1876 "Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction." -- Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872 "Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value." -- Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole ...

889. Moving At The Speed Of Light

Ephesians 3:1-13

Sermon

Frank Luchsinger

At the end of Matthew's gospel, Jesus instructs his disciples: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Matthew 28:16-20). Once again, the Light is on the move. How does light move? Differently, depending on its courier. One can imagine a party of ...

890. Communion Is Realizing Forgiveness

Matthew 26:17-30

Sermon

And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." How do you normally react when someone offends you in some way? Perhaps they do something to embarrass you in public. Or maybe they humiliate you in front of your friends. How do you ...

891. Giving Dangerously

Malachi 3:6-18

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Next week is Consecration Sunday as you know. For several weeks you have been getting mail from First Presbyterian reminding you of the event. We have a special guest speaker coming - David Oyler, the Stated Clerk of our Lake Erie Presbytery - a celebration banquet following worship, all in all, a very exciting day. Our leaders are providing you the opportunity to estimate your giving for the coming year so they might wisely plan the mission and ministry of this growing church. Well, I am about to commit ...

892. Secretary to Saint Peter

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

MARK’S GOSPEL IS THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK IN THE WORLD! So says Prof. William Barclay of Scotland, the dean of New Testament Biblical commentators. Why? Because, says he, It is agreed by nearly everyone that Mark is the earliest of all the gospels, and is therefore the first life of Jesus that has come down to us. (Daily Study Bible, Phila: The Westminster Pres, 1956. P. xiii.) In other words, if there had been no Gospel of St. Mark there would have been no Gospels. Period. It is an intriguing thought. And ...

893. Keep the Stars in Your Eyes

Ephesians 1:3-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

In a culture where even the atheists claim to have a "spirituality," it's time for the church to soul out. Until March of 1997, the approaching Third Millennium sneaked up on us like some great, fun adventure. For intrepid entrepreneurs, the year 2000 promises huge sales in commemorative junk. Party planners have been plotting big New Year's Eve blowouts for years. Except for those nerdy computer types who are wringing their hands and predicting crash and burn for all computer systems that use just two ...

894. Holy Hocus-Pocus!

Mark 13:1-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

895. Hear the Vision?

1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20)

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

896. The One and Only Original Sin

1 Peter 3:18-22

Sermon

Leonard Sweet