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 1001 to 1025 of 4962 results

1001. For One Who Worked With Disturbed Children

2 Corinthians 12:11-21

Eulogy

William Luoma

Grace Enough This service was for a woman in her thirties who committed suicide. She was a wife and the mother of one child, and a church member. She had a career as a nurse, working with disturbed children. Dear friends in Christ: In God's wise providence, none of us can see very far ahead. The future is always unknown. No one could have foreseen the kind of summons that brought us here for a funeral service for Jackie today. By now, Bob, you know that you do not have to bear this grief alone. Your family ...

1002. I Can Have Anything?

John 14:5-14

Sermon

King Duncan

It is said that Gen. George Patton had great respect for Army Chaplains. He always had them at staff meetings when important decisions were to be made. He was always calling on the Chaplains to "get a hot line to God!" During the Battle of the Bulge when the weather was so terrible, Gen. Patton ordered the Chaplain to write a prayer that would change the weather. The resulting prayer went something like this, "Restrain these immoderate storms, [O Lord], grant us fair weather for battle, graciously hearken ...

1003. No One Over 12 Inches Wide Need Apply

Luke 13:22-30

Sermon

King Duncan

Pastor Jonathan Romig tells about a place he likes to go caving near his home town of Estes Park, Colorado. Someone has defined caving as the art of safely moving through a natural cave to a destination and returning to the surface without hurting yourself or the cave. Caving is also known, of course, as spelunking. Many people find caving challenging and enjoyable. However, it is definitely not for those who suffer from claustrophobia. The place Pastor Romig tells about is a mountain in Colorado called ...

1004. Mourning for the One They Pierced

Zechariah 12:10-14

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

12:9–11 This next section is laden with grief. The root “mourn” (spd) occurs five times in as many verses (12:10–14). Yet this mourning is God’s good gift, a necessary accompaniment to repentance (see also Joel 2:12; Isa. 22:12). This blessing will enable the people of Jerusalem to turn back to God. While God sets out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem (v. 9), God will transform the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem (vv. 10–14). Then the Lord will provide them with the means to ...

1005. Whoever Would Have Thought?

Mark 4:26-29, Mark 4:30-34

Sermon

King Duncan

There comes a time in everyone's life when they are just about at wit's end. Teachers have certainly experienced this. Helen Mrosla remembers teaching a ninth grade class "new math" a number of years ago. Her students were working hard, but she could tell that they just didn't understand the new concepts. And they were growing more frustrated and edgy with each passing class. Then one Friday afternoon Helen decided to depart from her lesson plan. She instructed each student to list each person's name in ...

1006. Day One: a New Beginning

Genesis 1:1-5

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

Well I don't know about you, but I took down my Christmas tree on New Year's Day. I rallied the troops and my family and I did what we have come to call "de-Christmasing." The ornaments are removed from the tree, wrapped carefully, and placed in their boxes. The lights come off the tree and are placed under the basement stairs where they go. The angel on top of the tree, a gift from a member of my first parish, comes off last and is lovingly wrapped and placed in a box as well. Then comes the garland ...

1007. Decoding the Da Vinci Code (Part One - Exploring the Fiction)

1 Timothy 1:4

Sermon

James Merritt

I don't watch a whole lot of television, but one of my favorite shows is CSI. CSI is one murder mystery after another that uses state-of-the-art technology and forensical analysis to find out "Who Done It?" I have yet to see a show that does not absolutely fascinate me with what science and technology can do. That is why I can understand why The Da Vinci Code would appeal to so many people regardless of its religious content, because it is a murder mystery. The victim is the curator of The Louvre Museum in ...

1008. What We Have Is A Communication Problem

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

King Duncan

A woman dialed the number of what she thought was the local record shop. A man answered. She asked, "Do you have 10 little fingers and 10 little toes in Alabama?" The man had no idea she was talking about a song. He said, "No, but I do have a wife and 15 kids in Louisiana." She asked, "Is that a record?" He said, "I don't know if it is a record or not, but it sure is above average." (1) One of the favorite devices of comedians is that of garbled communication. An Italian gentleman was trying to learn ...

1009. “Blessed Is the One Whose Transgressions Are Forgiven”

Psalm 32:1-11

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: The story of saving grace begins with the confession of a repentant heart and climaxes with joyful witness in the congregation of God’s people. Understanding the Text Psalm 32 is generally classified as an individual psalm of thanksgiving, a genre that incorporates the report of a crisis and the account of deliverance as an accomplished fact.[1] The crisis (32:3–4) is nondescript and could stem from a physical, psychological, political, or spiritual trauma, or all of the above. In this psalm the ...

1010. You're Going To Have A Baby!

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

During a pastoral call, a three-year-old boy climbed in the lap of a pastor and whispered confidentially, "I know a secret!" The pastor asked, "Will you tell me your secret?" "Yes," the little fellow giggled delightedly, "but you mustn't tell my mamma." When the pastor promised not to tell, the boy continued, "My mamma's going to the hospital to have a baby. But don't tell her. Me and Daddy want her to be surprised!" Would you be surprised if someone told you that you were going to have a baby? The men and ...

1011. On Having The Right Attitude

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

King Duncan

Some of you may be campers. Summertime means adventures in the great outdoors. One thing I've discovered is that camping isn't for everyone. Reed Glenn of the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colorado compiled a list of comments received by the US Forest Service from back packers and campers: "Too many bugs and leeches and spiders," wrote one unhappy camper. "Please spray the wilderness to rid the area of these pests." Another wrote, "A McDonald's would be nice at trail head." And one more adventurer wrote, "The ...

1012. How Does One Follow Jesus During The Threat Of War?

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

George Johnson

It has been difficult for me to decide what sermon I should preach today. I had planned to preach on the lectionary text in Acts which is assigned for this Sunday. That story of Peter and Cornelius has been occupying my thoughts for several days, and I had a pretty good idea of how the sermon would be developed. But the present historical crisis has been capturing the attention of us all. My sense of call as a pastor has urged me to set aside the sermon on Peter and Cornelius and speak about following ...

1013. How Have We Made It This Far?

Acts 1:6-14

Sermon

King Duncan

Charles Killian, a Professor at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky has described a mythical modern worship service like this: Pastor: “Praise the Lord!” Congregation: “Hallelujah!” Pastor: “Will everyone please turn on their tablet, PC, iPad, smart phone, and Kindle Bibles to First Corinthians 13:13. And please switch on your Bluetooth to download the sermon.” [There is a pause.] “Now, let us pray committing this week into God’s hands. Open your Apps, BBM, Twitter and Facebook, and chat with ...

1014. Have You Gone Far Enough?

Mark 8:27-30

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

When I was in divinity school some student had written graffiti on the bathroom wall. And I've never forgotten the humor of it. It went something like this: "And Jesus spake unto Peter saying 'Who do men say that I am?' And Peter answered, 'Thou art, according to Paul Tillich, the very ground of our being. Thou art Emmanuel Kant's deontological categorical imperative. Thou art the man of the Eschaton, the ultimately determinative one!' And Jesus looked at Peter and saith, 'What?' " Seriously, in the text, ...

1015. When You're Dreaming One Thing And Living Another

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

King Duncan

Imagine a computer programming class. A young man and a young woman are facing each other working at computers. The computers, of course, sit back to back. A few minutes into the class, the young woman leaves the room; whereupon the young man reaches between their computers and switches the inputs for the keyboards. The young woman comes back and starts typing. Immediately gets a distressed look on her face. She calls the teacher over and explains that no matter what she types, nothing happens. The teacher ...

1016. On Having The Right Credentials

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

Humorist Robert Orben says that when he was in grade school, he was told if he wanted to get a good job he had to graduate from high school. So he went to high school. When he was in high school, he was told that to get a good job he had to go to college. So he went to college. When he was just about to graduate, he was told everybody had a bachelor's degree, and to get a really good job, he had to get a master's degree. So he got his master's. Then he was told that a master's degree would take him only so ...

1017. One For All

Romans 5:12-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

The word “Catholic” comes from the Greek katholike, meaning “for all.” We all remember the great rallying cry of the French guards known as the “Musketeers”: “All for one, and one for all!” That loyalty tied the Musketeers together. The safety, the life, the fate, of each individual guardsman depended upon the actions of his fellow soldiers. “All for one, and one for all” wasn’t just a motto. It was a lifeline. In this week’s Romans text Paul reminds us that there are two sides to an “all for one” ...

1018. Not Having Seen Him, You Love Him

1 Peter 1:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

They took her father captive months before young Ann was ever born. He was a prisoner of war. For Ann, her father exists only in wrinkled snapshots and in the memories of her Mom and grandparents. Ann has never seen him facetoface, but she has heard about his smile, and his agility as a highschool halfback. She has heard that he was looking forward to her birth with great eagerness. The last thing he said to her Mom as the train pulled out of the station was, "Look after our child real well." To Ann her ...

1019. Could the Pharisees Have Been Irish?

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Sermon

King Duncan

Our Roman Catholic friends celebrate a feast day known as Corpus Christi (the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ). In some countries such as Ireland which is heavily Catholic, this is an important celebration. In many rural communities there is a Corpus Christi procession through the streets of the parish. Altar boys go ahead of the procession ringing bells to alert the faithful that the procession is coming near. People come out of their houses, kneel, and cross themselves as the Holy Eucharist passes ...

1020. What Are Spiritual Gifts For?

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sermon

Harold Warlick

A most important discovery has been made about trees. Derl Keefer[1] states that scientists have found that when the roots of two trees touch, there is a substance present that reduces competition. An unknown fungus helps link roots of various trees, including dissimilar species. In this way a whole forest can be incorporated together. With certain trees having access to nutrients, other trees access to water, and still other trees access to sunlight, possessing the means to cooperate with one another is ...

1021. Have a Very Messy Christmas!

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

John Jamison

I’ll tell you, this had to be something to see. The Jordan River is not a big river like many that we might think of. At its widest, you could still easily thrown a stone across it, and in many other places, you could just step from one side to the other. The wide and deeper spots usually became places where people would gather to fill their water jugs, wash clothes, bathe the children… or just escape from the heat and dryness of the land around the river. Most of the land was a wilderness; narrow paths ...

1022. To Have And To Hold (Your Tongue)

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Paul W. Kummer

There once was a Roman Catholic priest, an Episcopalian rector, a Presbyterian minister, and a Lutheran pastor who met together for lunch on a regular basis. One afternoon they got in a confessional mood and the minister suggested that they talk about their personal problems. The priest confessed that he was a compulsive gambler. The rector admitted that he had an obsession about attractive women. The minister hesitated, but then admitted that he was an alcoholic. Then all three turned to the Lutheran ...

1023. When “Vocation” and “Vacation” Are One

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

If you want to guarantee you will never win public office or be appointed to public service, just say these words: “America is no longer the greatest nation in the world.” It used to be the US led the world in almost any category you could think of. But in the past 50 years we’ve fallen to 7th in literacy, 27th in math, 22nd in science, 49th in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, 3rd in median household income, number four in labor force, number four in exports. I’ll stop there. You’ve got the ...

1024. Not One is Upright

Jeremiah 5:1-31

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

Poor and Great, All of Jerusalem Depraved (5:1-9): This oracle is a dialogue between Yahweh and Jeremiah. Yahweh first challenges Jeremiah to go out into Jerusalem to discover a single righteous person (5:1–2). Jeremiah then argues that the good people are among the leaders, not the poor who are in the streets. He is quickly disillusioned (5:3–6), and finally, on this basis, God proclaims that his coming judgment is just (5:7–9). 5:1–2 The challenge goes out, presumably to Jeremiah in the light of the ...

1025. My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?

Psalm 22:1-31

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

This is an extraordinary psalm that takes us to the extremes. Its haunting words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” were quoted by Jesus on the cross. It develops from an individual in the dust of death (v. 15) to universal acknowledgment of the kingdom of God. In the lament we read “all who see me mock me” (v. 7) and “all my bones are out of joint” (v. 14), but in the praise sections we hear, “All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!” (v. 23), “All the ends of the earth will . . . turn to the ...

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