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 2173 results

1051. Proper 26

Psalm 127:1-5, Ruth 4:1-12

Bulletin Aid

Theme: Small human events in God's great plan Exegetical Note The key idea in this selection is that people behaving righteously in small events of everyday human concerns can become unwitting but crucial agents in God's unfolding salvation history. Ruth's earlier faithfulness to Naomi in adopting God and Israel as her own, and Boaz' graciousness toward Naomi in providing her a next of kin, work together to establish the line of none other than Israel's greatest king, David. Call to Worship Leader: Unless ...

1052. Lent 3

John 4:1-26

Bulletin Aid

C. David Godshall

Pastor: There are times when your very loving graciousness condemns us, Lord God. Assistant: There were those of the Hebrew people who were scared to leave slavery in Egypt, for there they at least knew what to expect. People: There are times we are afraid to strike out in lives of faith for fear of what it may require of us, of what it may lead us to. Pastor: There are times when we forget the lessons to be gained from the experience of others living in relationship with you. Assistant: Although you cared ...

1053. Rejoice At The News Of Jesus' Birth

Luke 1:39-45

Bulletin Aid

H. Burnham Kirkland

Call To Worship All the world rejoices at the news of Jesus' coming. To those who believe the infant born in Bethlehem is truly Immanuel -- God With Us -- the news brings us not only joy but a sense of awesome responsibility. Come, let us rejoice together as well as rededicating ourselves to be faithful followers of Jesus, the Son of God. Collect Heavenly Father, our hearts are filled with gladness and gratitude that you have revealed yourself to us through your Son, Jesus Christ. As we celebrate his birth ...

1054. Gratitude For God's Mercy

1 Timothy 1:12-20

Bulletin Aid

H. Burnham Kirkland

Call To Worship To the eternal King, immortal and invisible, the only God -- to him be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Come, let us worship our God! Collect Eternal God, though you are invisible, you have made yourself known to us through your Son, Jesus Christ, who lived and walked among us. We lift our voices in thanksgiving for this revelation of yourself, and for the assurance we have through Christ's death and resurrection that our sins are forgiven. All honor and glory be yours, O God, now ...

1055. You Cannot Serve Two Masters

Luke 16:1-15

Bulletin Aid

H. Burnham Kirkland

Call To Worship Jesus taught us that you cannot serve two masters. If you try, you will hate one and love the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Come, let us worship the Lord God, our Master and our Friend. Collect O God, you created the world and all that is in it, and it was good. You entrusted your creation to us, but we have not been faithful stewards. Greed, the desire for power, and the wish to control others have caused us to create problems rather than solve them. May this time of worship ...

1056. God Hears Our Prayers

Luke 18:1-8

Bulletin Aid

H. Burnham Kirkland

Call To Worship Leader: Your Word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path. People: I will keep my solemn promise to obey your just instructions. Leader: Accept my prayer of thanks, O Lord, People: and teach me your commands. Leader: Your commandments are my eternal possession; they are the joy of my heart. People: I have decided to obey your laws until the day I die. Collect Lord, speak to us again through the parables of your Son, Jesus Christ. Open our minds and hearts to a better understanding of ...

1057. What Is Success?

Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

Erma Bombeck wrote, "I can't remember the name of the man who spoke at my high school commencement, but I remember what he said. He told us the future of the world rested on our shoulders and he charged us with finding our destiny and fulfilling it. He went on to say we alone must cure disease, hunger and poverty throughout the world, and above all, we must find success. "I glanced over at Jack, the class deficient who couldn't even find his parents after they parked the car, and I got an uneasy feeling. ...

1058. Come Away And Rest A While

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship One: The Lord Jesus calls us to rest a while. All: This same Lord leads us into active ministry in the world. One: Come, gather in this sanctuary from the world's ways. All: This is a sanctuary of service and prayer. Collect God of time, timeless Creator, we struggle with distractions, priorities, and the peace that eludes us. Calm our hearts with your Spirit, cleanse our minds with your living word, call us as Lord to join you as living sacrifices perfected in your love. In our gathering ...

1059. Who Do You Put On?

Romans 13:8-14

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

A little young girl walked into the bathroom one day while Mom was putting on make-up and announced, "I'm going to look just like you mommy!" "Maybe, when you grow up," Mom told her. "No mommy, tomorrow. I just put on that 'Oil of Old Lady' you always use." (1) It's pretty obvious that we all get up in the morning, get cleaned up and put on clothes. On Sundays, out of reverence for God, we try to dress in our best. When we go tot work, we dress for success. If we're single going out on a date or even ...

1060. Easter 4

Psalm 23:1-6, John 10:11-18, Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 2:19-25

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Prayer Of The Day Leader: Gracious Father, you sent your Son so that we might have life and have it abundantly. May we seek such goodness in our lives and desire it for others, so that gathered as one flock, all people would find their rest in our great shepherd, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. All: Amen. Intercessory Prayers Begin each new petition with: Shepherd of our hearts ... Shepherd of our communities ... Shepherd of our nations ... Shepherd of our ...

1061. Epiphany 4, Ordinary Time 4

Psalm 15:1-5, Micah 6:1-8, Matthew 5:1-12, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Prayer Of Dedication/Gathering Leader: Our Lord Jesus calls each of us to a life of justice, kindness, and humility. We pray that in this hour before us our defenses would fall and your love would be set free within us. Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit, your mercy knows no end. All: Amen. Intercessory Prayers Use the hymn “Blest Are They” as the basis for intercessory prayer on this morning. Have as many petitions as there are verses. Speak the petitions over an instrumental interlude between verses, ...

1062. Epiphany 9, Ordinary Time 9

Deuteronomy 11:18-21, Psalm 31:1-5, Matthew 7:15-23

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Order For Confession And Forgiveness Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit. All: Amen. Silence for self-examination, repentance, and confession Leader: O Lord, O God of truth, All: we confess to you that we have been ashamed of the gospel and of the life of holiness to which you have called us. We confess that we have sought our own righteousness, not yours. We confess that we have desired to make others in our image and likeness, so that they would honor us and our ...

1063. Proper 16, Pentecost 14, Ordinary Time 21

Psalm 138:1-8, Isaiah 51:1-6, Matthew 16:13-20, Romans 12:1-8

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Prayer Of The Day Leader: Almighty God, fill the church with your power — the power of truth, the power of mercy, the power of love — that your glory might be known in every land, through Jesus Christ our Lord. All: Amen. Exhortation Omit the Offertory Prayer this morning and use the Romans 12 text as an exhortation preceding communion. Conclude with: Leader: Upon these lives, O Lord, rests the ministry of the gospel in this time. Bless each one through this holy meal, that your church would be faithful in ...

1064. Proper 18, Pentecost 16, Ordinary Time 23

Psalm 119:33-40, Ezekiel 33:7-11, Matthew 18:15-20, Romans 13:8-14

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Confession, Instruction, And Forgiveness Leader: Holy God, in whose name we gather, we ask you to give us life and to free us from the evil that causes us to hurt the ones you love. All: What is evil? What shape does it take in our sins? Leader: For every sinful act there is an outer dimension and an inner one. There is what our families, neighbors, and colleagues feel when we act inappropriately, and then there are the intentions, the motives, and the fears that lie deep in our hearts. All: God sees them ...

1065. The Great Inescapable Question of Eternity

Mark 8:27-38

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

Jeremy Bowen could not be more wrong and Bono could not be more right! Bowen, the presenter of a British Broadcasting Corporation documentary on Jesus Christ, said, "The important thing is not what Jesus was or what he wasn't — the important thing is what people believe him to have been. A massive world wide religion, numbering more than two billion people follows his memory — that's pretty remarkable, 2,000 years on."1 On the opposite end of the spectrum, Bono, lead singer of the rock group U2, asked if ...

1066. Divorce

Matthew 5:31-32

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

Sermon on the Mount: Kingdom Ethics and the Law: Matthew’s Gospel has a didactic purpose. Special emphasis is given to the message of Jesus. One of the distinct features of Matthew’s Gospel is that the teaching of Jesus is collected into five sections. The Sermon on the Mount (chaps. 5–7) is the first of these blocks. The others are Instructions to the Twelve (chap. 10), Parables of the Kingdom (chap. 13), Life in the Christian Community (chap. 18), and Eschatological Judgment (chaps. 23–25). Each block ...

1067. Something is About to Happen!

John 1:1-14

Sermon

Charley Reeb

Tom Long tells of the time when he visited a Sunday school class and heard something he had never heard in church before. The topic for the day was quite simply, “Scandals in The Church.” The teacher mentioned all the tough times the church has endured throughout history. He spoke of the hypocrisy, the scandals, the persecution—the awful things that have been done in the name of the church and of God. As he was lecturing, a woman in the class raised her hand. When the teacher called on her, she asked, “ ...

1068. The Most Generous Gift

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

King Duncan

Fanny Brice, was a well-known comedian, singer, theater and film actress in the first half of the twentieth century. Her second husband was professional gambler Julius W. “Nicky” Arnstein who, unfortunately, fell into trouble with the law. According to one source when Arnstein finally went to jail, Fanny kept the truth from their children, telling them that their father was working in Paris. For Christmas, the children wrote their father, telling him that they wanted a pair of rabbits for Christmas. Fanny ...

1069. Where's the Magic?

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-12

Sermon

King Duncan

Billy Joe, a good old boy from the Deep South, stopped at a convenience store. There he ran into Ricardo, an old buddy from New York City. Billy Joe was a mischievous sort. When no one was looking he stole 3 candy bars from a store shelf. Walking out of the store he turned to Ricardo and bragged, “Ha! Did you see what this old Southern boy did? I stole three candy bars and got away with it. Man, I’m slick.” Ricardo wasn’t impressed. “That’s nothing. Let’s go back to that store and I’ll show you what slick ...

1070. Lost in the Wonder of God

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Visuals: Mountain scenes “Jesus wept” . . . over Jerusalem, not just over the Temple. Place matters. We've made non-places of our neighborhoods and "places" of our temples. I am a product of a “place,” a “place” called mountain culture. More specifically, my “place” is the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia, and the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York. That means I grew up with grits and gravy, pinto beans and stewed tomatoes, biscuits and apple butter. We ate supper, not dinner. And we said ...

1071. The Sweet Fragrance of Brokenness

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Prop: A mortar and pestle. Assorted spices (such as cinnamon sticks, cedar, aloe, pomegranate seeds, saffron). Pine nuts, garlic, basil, salt and olive oil (the ingredients for pesto). Rose petals. A rosary (you can find a true rosary online). Anointing oil (such as spikenard). Candles and/or incense (frankincense and/or myrrh). [You may want to have scents/fragrances in the sanctuary for your service, ie incense and candles. If desired, you may have roses on the altar and/or an olive tree standing nearby ...

1072. Moving On

Luke 6:12-16, Luke 9:1-9, Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Prop: dusty bowl This bowl hasn’t been used in a long time. You can tell, because it’s covered in dust. It hasn’t been touched, cleaned, moved, because it’s been here in this church on this shelf a very long time. [You could also refer to something in a glass case or anything that has sat around for a while.] It’s not being used in ministry or worship. It isn’t something that is used in healing people or baptizing them. It’s here on the shelf, gathering dust. This is perhaps one of the best metaphors we ...

1073. Here I Am

Luke 1:26-38, Luke 1:39-45, Luke 1:46-56

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Our deepest relationships are not defined by strength but by vulnerability.” --Rabbi Ari Kaiman Prop (Animation): youtube video [Show youtube video “Pass the Salt”] In the past, we laughed or sighed at the sight of a couple eating dinner with one of them reading the newspaper. It could have been a scene in the movies or an actual sighting in a restaurant—there’s always one person with a face in a newspaper, or one of them zoned out somewhere, leaving the other to dine alone in silence. Now, it’s become ...

1074. The Gardener

John 20:10-18

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7) “Now in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden.” (John 10:41) Prop: seeds This is the first Sunday after Easter. It is sometimes called “Low Sunday,” partly because of the low number of people historically attending church this day. It is sometimes celebrated as it was in the past as “Holy ...

1075. Masks Off!

John 7:25-45 and 8:11-59

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Soul, soul, an apple or two, If you haven't an apple, a pear will do, One for Peter, two for Paul, Three for the Man Who made us all. (Ancient English Begging Song for All Hallow Tide) In the early church holidays like Pentecost and Christmas and the Triduum of Maunday Thursday through Easter Sunday were not one-day events but three-day festivals. So was All Hallow Tide, three days of honoring those whose lives were lost in time of trial. All Hallow Eve was the start of this time of worship and prayer for ...

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