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 1051 to 1075 of 4959 results

1051. When Too Much Can Be Too Little

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... poorest 20 percent consume about two percent of resources. (Editorial by Director of Green Cross Fred Krueger in Green Cross, 1, Fall 1995.) Jesus taught all would-be followers to relinquish the love of "things," the desire for "stuff" that fills our hearts with an insatiable desire for more and controls the mainsprings of our lives. In his concluding remarks on overconsumption, John Paul II warned: Simplicity, moderation and discipline, as well as a spirit of sacrifice, must become part of everyday life ...

1052. Tremendous Trifles

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... part of the problem. Children are dependent upon parents, a community and a culture to teach them right from wrong. When we fail to accomplish that basic feat we leave them stranded in a moral wasteland with nothing except their own wants and desires. We are teaching our children Every time we endorse violence as a form of cheap entertainment. Every time we accept grasping greed as striving for success. Every time we depersonalize the poor and hungry and homeless by making them into statistics. Every time ...

1053. James 1:17-27

James 1:17-27

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... , of measuring up to God's righteous standards. The list of popular vices in verse 21 reveals just a few of the human frailties that corrupt our sense of anger, rendering it less than righteous. Our best hope then is to turn with "meekness" (a highly desirable Christian characteristic) to the "implanted" word which has come into us through the preaching of the gospel. If one only turns to the word and obeys it, James promises that it has "the power to save your souls." Turning to the implanted word is not a ...

1054. Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-19

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-19

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... homeland is commonplace in Greek literature and in the later concepts of "sojourning" developed in Hellenistic Judaism. Abraham and the other faithful did not themselves realize the promises, but saw from afar that the promise of the earthly Israel was not in vain, because in death their deepest heart's desire was fulfilled. Their faith led them to the heavenly city - not the earthly Jerusalem, a conclusion that clarifies the author's intentions in verse 10. Because of the abiding faithfulness of those ...

1055. 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... is, his journey to death. There is no hint of fear or foreboding in these words, though Paul does not here voice any great desire for a martyred end. Rather, this is a quiet acceptance of a natural process which will separate his spirit from his body. But as ... already had a "first defense." If this is the case, we may see Paul's urgent urgings to Timothy as evidence of his desire for Timothy to reach him before his second, and presumably final, trial. As a Roman citizen, and as a pharisaic scholar trained to ...

1056. Philippians 3:4b-14

Philippians 3:4b-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... lives of all believers, replacing the death-grip of sin with the lifeline of Christ. This is the miraculous "gain" that Paul now realizes, and to which all other "gains" pale in comparison. But Paul couples the believer's access to this "power" with a desire to share in Christ's sufferings, even "becoming like him in his death." Some have suggested that Paul's words here should be understood as referring to an inward transformation. In such a reading, the old self is so perfectly united with Christ that its ...

1057. James 1:17-27

James 1:17-27

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

1058. Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-19

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-19

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

1059. Philippians 3:17-4:1

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of the Epicurean and hedonist stripe. Others see here a reference to the Judaizers and their strict observance of dietary laws. Most, however, recognize "the belly" as a reference to the time-honored metaphor of the belly as the locus of fleshly and carnal desire. These cravings, Paul appears to argue, have become as a god before whom one bows as a slave (see Romans 16:18). Some have also suggested that Paul, working with "belly" as a metaphor, extends the allusion in his expression "their glory is in ...

1060. Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... has no such freedom. To the eternal God of the universe, "lost" doesn't mean the inability to locate the object of desire. Nothing is lost to God on a physical level: God is present in all places at all times. When something is lost to God, it means that it is ... cut off from the relationship God so desires to have with it. And here's the rub it is not merely misplaced, it is hiding. It is one thing for my son to ...

1061. Philippians 3:4b-14

Philippians 3:4b-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... would be that Paul "treated as loss." This does a better job communicating that Paul's "loss" is no longer anything he "suffers" because the gain of Christ is so great. In verse 10, Paul reveals that his zeal for the Law has been replaced by his great desire to be with Christ. This willingness to participate in suffering, even in Christ's death, is part of what Paul sees as his call to ministry. It is part of being a servant of Christ. Only by becoming a servant like Christ can believers hope to obtain full ...

1062. Philippians 3:4b-14

Philippians 3:4b-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of a Christian life. In verse 12 Paul humbly admits that, like all Christians, he too is a work "in progress." Despite all his zeal and all his good works, Paul has not yet "reached the goal" or obtained the perfection of unity in Christ he so desires. Though Paul confidently asserts that "Christ Jesus has made me his own" (as a baptized member of the Body of Christ), he also acknowledges that he has a long way to go before he achieves his goal of fully knowing the power of the resurrected Christ. Reaching ...

1063. Mark 10:17-31

Mark 10:17-31

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... klerononea literally means "to receive by lot." Jewish tradition understood Israel's chosenness as entirely a condition of receiving God's lot. Thus eternal life was truly a divinely bestowed gift, a free inheritance, determined by that lot. The "eternal life" this man desires is part of an eschatological, not just a salvational, question. Essentially this man is asking Jesus, "What must I do in the resurrection from the dead so that eternal life will be my lot?" (also see Daniel 12:2). Instead of directly ...

1064. 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... up the strength of the body of Christ in Thessalonia. Although most modern translations break up his direct prayer in verse 11, in the original Greek text, verses 11 and 12 are combined into a single sentence. The first phrase of Paul's prayer expresses his desire that God would make it possible for him to return to Thessalonia for a second visit. The sense of the plea to "direct our way" is for the divine to remove the obstacles that threaten to make such a journey impossible. The second clause of Paul ...

1065. Philippians 4:4-7

Philippians 4:4-7

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... , for the conviction that the Lord was soon to return was central to the thought of Paul and other early Christian leaders. It may help to recall at this point that Paul's letter to the Philippians was written from a prison cell. His greatest desire, to continue traveling and preaching the gospel in new and distant places, was apparently a lost cause. He sat old and ill in a jail, only able to write letters of encouragement and counsel to those he had already reached. The Philippian community itself was ...

1066. Said the Night Wind….

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... to be truly alive. Over time, we are overwhelmed. So we turn off our receptors, or maybe they become so overloaded they burn up. The way we survive is being unaffected. The problem with shutting down and turning off is that we deny ourselves what we desire and need most: to feel truly alive. To be saved from the tomb of our self-made numbness and the isolation that results. Then something happens like Christmas Eve night. Here. With the music and the silence. The light and the darkness. Family and strangers ...

1067. Epiphany 6

2 Kings 5:1-27, 1 Corinthians 9:1-27, Mark 1:40-45

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... cure for spiritual leprosy. Outline: How to come clean to God – a. Realize the need for cleansing "a leper" v. 40. b. Desire to be clean "beseeching ... kneeling" v. 40. c. Accept the cleansing "be clean" v. 41. 1. Jesus' willingness to cleanse based on ... that God is eager and able to help and heal people with their needs, even as dreadful as leprosy was. Since God is love, he desires our welfare. He wants us to be healthy and happy. It is not God's reluctance to help us; it is our unwillingness to ...

1068. Proper 17

James 1:19-27, Song of Songs 2:1-17, Mark 7:1-23

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... Of course, "son" is meant generically as male and female. Not only males need wisdom! 2. Cry (v. 3). Wisdom does not come easily. The person wanting it must have an intense desire for it. He must want it desperately to the point one could say one could not live without it. To get wisdom we must "cry out," "seek" and "search" for it. This desire calls for the total person to want wisdom: "ear," "hear" and "voice." Why want wisdom? Because God is wisdom. To have wisdom is to have God. 3. Gives (v. 6). It is ...

1069. Proper 23

Job 23:1--24:25, Hebrews 4:1-13, Hebrews 4:14-5:10, Mark 10:17-31

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... Jesus "good." As Jesus pointed out to him, only God is good. We kneel before a holy presence. Isn't it sad that some churches make no provision for people to kneel before God? Moreover, kneeling expresses intensity of desire. We get down on our knees to beg for mercy. The young ruler expressed his intense desire for eternal life by falling on his knees. 2. Good (v. 18). The youth called Jesus a "good teacher." Jesus did not accept flattery. He reminded him that only God is good. Did he mean to say that he ...

1070. 2 Corinthians 7:3-15

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the individual’s own ability to give and the convictions of their heart. It is the generosity of spirit, not the plumpness of the pocketbook, which determines the “acceptability” of the gift. Paul counsels the Corinthians that it is the “willingness,” or the “desire” to give, that brings favor in God’s eyes. But what also is divinely required, Paul continues, is a kind of “equality” within the Body of Christ. In verses 13-14 Paul argues that the goal of this collection is to help bring ...

1071. Seventh Sunday of Easter

1 John 5:1-12, Acts 1:12-26, Psalm 1:1-6, John 17:6-19

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... to our sick and care for the aged in hospitals and nursing homes. Especially bless those are in hospices that their dying may be completed with the least suffering and with spiritual comfort from chaplains and staff. Heavenly Father, we believe that you have granted the desire of your Holy Son Jesus, that those whom you have given him should be with him where he now is. We rejoice for those who are beyond our present sight but who see the glory of the ascended Christ, which has been his, with your love ...

1072. Can The Church Count On Me?

1 Chronicles 29:3

Sermon

James Merritt

... 's house that he loved it and that raises three questions that I would like you to answer today. I. Can The Church Count On My Affection? This is a very fascinating story that we are reading. David had a desire in his heart to build a house for God. It was a very legitimate, noble and honorable desire. God in His sovereign will and purpose did not want David to build the house. He wanted David's son, Solomon, to build the house. At that time, David was still the King of Israel and he could have pouted. He ...

1073. The Spirit of Cross Pointe

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Sermon

James Merritt

... Verse 22a "…that I might win the weak." Verse 22b "… that I might by all means save some." I am going to make a statement that I am going to repeat several times in this message and hopefully we will all "get it." Paul had a desire to break down barriers and to build bridges in order to reach the unbeliever for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is pretty obvious he had what my good friend, Zig Ziglar, calls "A Winning Attitude." Without compromising biblical truth or moral convictions, Paul was willing to ...

1074. Don’t Tempt Me—But If You Do I’m Ready

1 Corinthians 10:13

Sermon

James Merritt

... you except such as is common to man." (v.13) I want you to understand what I mean by temptation. One man gave this definition which is as good as any I've read. He said, "Temptation is the devil trying to get you to fulfill a natural God-given desire or drive in the wrong way." Now everyone who has ever lived has been tempted. But that does not mean that we are all tempted in the same way because we're not. Temptation affects different people in different ways. Not everyone is tempted by the same thing in ...

1075. Fish Bait

Mark 1:17, 1 Corinthians 15:2-4

Sermon

James Merritt

... to be sure you have eternal life is to receive God's forgiveness for your sins by trusting Christ as your Savior. IV. Express Your Desire For Christ To Be The Lord Of Your Life Romans 10: 9 says, "If you say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe ... things you have to do to become a Christian - receive God's forgiveness for your sins by trusting Christ as your Savior and express your desire for Christ to be the Lord of your life. Once you know what you need to know and when you do what you need to ...

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