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 1101 to 1125 of 4959 results

1101. Star-spangled Justice

Isaiah 1:1, 10-20

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

... its way into radical obedience to God's command, "Love your neighbor." "Come now, let's reason together," says the Lord. ("Let's argue it out" is the NRSV translation.) "If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land." God desires to bless us, just as God desired to bless Isaiah and his people, and, through us all, to bless the world. But, before that can happen, we must bless God. We must bless God through our words and prayers and hymns of praise; and we must bless God in the words we ...

1102. Plenty Good Room

John 14:1-4

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... we human beings are the only organisms on earth that are restless. Have you ever thought about that? All other forms of life are happy or content as what they are and where they are. But we human beings are restless. Rather than our desires being satisfied, our desires increase as they are fed. We are hungry for eternity. Nicos Conzenzokis, the great novelist who wrote that charming novel, Zorba the Greek, and other books such as To a Dancing God and The Last Temptation, expressed in his own earthy way. He ...

1103. The Perfect Gift

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... , isn’t it? Remember what I said earlier – an appropriate gift reflects a double purpose: first to reveal the capacities and the affections of the person giving it. Jesus is God’s gift to us. And that gift reveals the affection God has for us. God’s desire is for a life with us in living relationship so that we may live with him happily ever after. He could have ordered us to love him and to obey him, but he wants only our voluntary devotion and service. He could have appeared to us in resplendent ...

1104. Every Day God Enables

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... is that this is all temporary. That sounds foolish to some, but we're only here for a short time compared to spending eternity with Christ. Scripture says Jesus is preparing that place for us right now, so that where He is we can be also. That's God's desire for us. So, Every Day, God Enables us to Practice our faith so that we CAN live in this world but not of it. II. Enables Us to Persevere A. Second, Every Day God Enables Us To Persevere. Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart ...

1105. Leap Of Faith

John 8:12

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... up because pretty soon he'll be driving." I think the Dwayne Williams, Charles Barker T-Mobile ad illustrates that point and the effect of giving into temptation perfectly. (CLIP) In James 1:14-16 we read, "One is tempted by one's own desire, being lured and enticed by it; then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death. Do not be deceived, my beloved." In other words, you don't want to be in devil's "Fave Five." B. NFL Hasselbeck Over ...

1106. Living In The Spirit Of Peace

Galatians 5:22-25, Colossians 3:14-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... living and loving unconditionally. But what is this Peace Paul was talking about? I. World Peace A. I'm pretty sure Paul wasn't talking about the same kind of Peace which the Miss America or Miss USA contestants always seem to tack on as a codicil to their desires for the world. "I'd like to become filthy rich, marry a famous actor, rock star or politician. I'd like to teach the world to play Rachmaninov on Jews harp and oh, yeah and I'd like World Peace." The peace described there and the peace which the ...

1107. Walking First Class

2 Corinthians 3:12-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... to buy $3 worth of God, please. (2) God wants more than weeders and waders. Jesus didn't die on the cross so we could sort of give our lives to Him. Or become just a little bit of a Christian. III. Walkers A. God's desire for us is to become walkers. God's desire is that walk first class lives, seeking to become more and more like Christ every day. Walkers are those are folks who are truly trying to live the faith. These are the folks who are attempting to be "transformed into the same image from one degree ...

1108. Like a Venomous Snake

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... is a category of vices called sloth. You may remember that in the Odyssey Odysseus and his crew arrived at the island of the lotus‑eaters. The inhabitants of this island ate the seeds of the lotus plant. Eating these seeds drained the crew of all desire to do anything but lie around. Some of them ate the seeds and promptly forgot about their homes and families. They had fought the seas, the monsters and the elements they were never more alive than then. Now they didn’t want to exert themselves. Their ...

1109. Gideon: One Giant Leap

Judges 6:11-16

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... have been developed around it, then it will be worth the price of admission. I'm talking about the movie Evan Almighty that opens up on Friday. Evan could be Gideon. He's as reluctant and unsure of himself as Gideon. But his desire is to "change the world" and is God's desire, too. And this movie fits right into the message of this passage. God chooses the least likely, ordinary people and fills them with extraordinary faith so they can do extraordinary things. Let me ask you this. How would you like to do ...

1110. Choosing The Right Gift

John 1:1-14

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... at the needs of others. You see, so much of the time we stayed cooped up in the country of "Me" that we never see past our own troubles, our own needs and desires to see the people in our lives, communities and world whose needs are greater than ours. Most of us have walled ourselves into this country of "Me" with brick after brick of desire and want held together with the mortar of all the memories of life, both the good and the bad. Occasionally some of that mortar crumbles and we can look out and see the ...

1111. Gratitude Not Platitudes

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... to just take time to give thanks to God. Sometimes it seems like we don't have any trouble coming up with a list of needs and desires but it's usually harder for us to come up with a list of things for which we are grateful. Well, I ran across a short list ... life. God has already given us the greatest and most costly gift possible. His Son and our Salvation. As a consequence, all God desires is a thankful heart. One that is "striving first for the kingdom of God and God's righteousness" B. Jon Kitna, current ...

1112. The Miss, The Kiss, The Mess, The Rest

2 Samuel 11:1-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... and stepped out on a ledge to get better pictures. Unfortunately, he took one step too far, the ledge gave way and he plummeted to his death. We underestimate the power of temptation over us. We think we can always get back. That's what David did. Just one little desire. One step over the line, then jump back. He could have said NO!. He could have said, "I'm God's man, God's king and God's people don't act like that." He could have turned away from the window. Instead, he stepped over the line and the ...

1113. Celebrating Generosity

Mark 12:38-44

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... we have which does not come from God. God is our Creator. We are the created. God knows our needs just like parents know their children's needs. Remembering this helps us focus our thoughts and our lives upon God. A life focused upon God is exactly what God most desires for each of us. Not because God is an old meany who doesn't want us to have any fun. But simply because a life focused on God gives life joy, meaning, purpose and quality. Jesus compared the widow's gift with the gifts of the rich and the ...

1114. Under His Wings

Luke 13:31-35

Illustration

Brett Blair

... sung? They are the songs found in the book Psalms. Psalm 17, 36, 57, 61, 63, and 91 speak of the protective wings of God. So when Jesus expressed his desire to comfort Jerusalem he used an image widely understood, “I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gather’s her chicks under her wings.” But Jesus’ desires go unfulfilled for Jerusalem was “unwilling,” Jesus said, to receive the shelter he offered. But let us not miss a significant point being advanced here: In the Psalms it ...

1115. Philippians 3:4b-14

Philippians 3:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... “somehow” he will be able to stay the course of faith throughout his life, even to his own death, so that he may share in Christ’s resurrection. Paul concludes by admitting he knows that he has a long road ahead of him in this desire to “conform” to Christ’s sufferings. Because faith-in-action is what now defines Paul’s life, he uses the athletic imagery of a footrace to describe the challenges he will continue to face. Paul’s whole being is focused on a great “goal,” the “heavenly ...

1116. The Challenge, The Call, The Cure

Matthew 9:9-13

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. [13] Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." The Pharisees sounded just like Homer's best friend ... of the prodigal son. But God's love is deeper and closer when we feel broken and abandoned because God's heart breaks for us. And God desires for us to be healed and whole and back home with Christ where we belong. When we are in need of healing, God is ready to ...

1117. Reviewing Our Hungers (Series: Questioning Our Values)

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... fat, bring sexy back into your relationship, and learn how to be happier in five minutes. When I posed this question on our new blog site, one anonymous person made this entry. “I am embarrassed to say it, but I am full of myself, my needs, my feelings, my desires.” Hundreds of us could say that. Jesus had a better idea. He says it well in Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after me, let them deny themselves, and take up their cross daily, and follow me.” Life is not about us. To think otherwise is to ...

1118. Human Porcupines

John 17:20-26

Illustration

Randy Smith

... freeze to death in our loneliness." As humans we have been created with the need for companionship. It's fascinating how Adam, when He enjoyed sinless fellowship with His Creator, still had a desire for one of his own kind (Gen. 2:20). God has created institutions such as marriage and family and church to meet these needs for human intimacy and belonging…. Jesus was well aware ... help we as sinners need in this area. He also knew how an ununified church would fail to bring Him the glory He so much desires.

1119. To Live in Joy

Revelation 1:1-3

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... persons, a long way from the Father’s House, some having forgotten where the house is, some even having forgotten that there is a house, prodigal persons have been brought home again. At least the road back has been opened. And our desire to be connected with God, a desire that can never be achieved from our side of things, has been established from the other side. This is what Paul was talking about when he said, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself or, as that marvelous paraphrase of ...

1120. A Guide for Growth

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... can change our hearts. Until we recognize our sinfulness and accept the grace of Christ as the answer to our predicament, like Adam and Eve also, we are outside of Eden. The heart of the Christian experience is to confront our own sinfulness and to desperately desire deliverance from it. It is the Christian walk to stay aware of our sinful nature, and to keep increasingly sensitive to the fact that what is good in us comes only through the grace of Jesus Christ - his righteousness in us, growing as fruit of ...

1121. Freedom to Set Free

Galatians 4:21-31

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... Keith Miller speaks to us here. He shares with us the snares of the Christian pilgrimage, along with the growth and development that have come from his earnest quest. With refreshing honesty he confessed to being victimized by his false concept and his unconscious desire for consistency. This new discovery for me he said is that the Christian Church is not trumpet corps – but an orchestra; that we are not all supposed to sound alike because each of us is a different shaped instrument. God had given us our ...

1122. Assurance: The Privilage of All Believers

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... to rage in the life of the Christian : “For the good that I would I do not and the evil that I would not, that I do - 0 wretched man that I am.” In Galatians 5:17, Paul puts it this way: “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would.” When he writes to the believers in Corinth, those whom he designates as “sanctified in Christ Jesus” (I Corinthians 1:2) Paul ...

1123. Who Will Cast the First Stone?

John 7:45--8:11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... of a lie he told you? Have you participated in keeping alive a morsel of destructive gossip? Could it be that keeping alive that destructive word is an effort on your part to pay back that person for something they did to you? Or unrecognized desire to hurt someone else because you have been hurt? Have you secretly delighted in the misfortune of another? Maybe delighted is too strong a word – Have you had that smiling feeling – while he or she got what they deserved? Are you still bearing a grudge ...

1124. The Ministry of Unbinding

John 11:38-44

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... the love that Jesus wants to share with them. And by our love, we will demonstrate the fact that God loves them. Here is another set of grave clothes that bind many people – the dominating desire to please, to be what others want them to be. How often do we parents press our children into the mold of our design and desire? A lot of the time it is unconscious. I’ve worked hard against this in my own family. Knowing the natural pressures our children are under as preacher’s kids, Jerry and I may have ...

1125. There Is a Price for Everything

Matthew 13:44-46

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... , caring parent or child, without it costing. You can’t be a genuine friend to another person without some price being exacted. The cost includes time given in attention to others, energy spent for the other’s well being, sacrifice of our wants and desires for the health and wholeness of the other. Emotional involvement that often tears us to pieces. There is a price for relationship. Tagor, the poet of India, tells a memorable story from his own life which illustrates this. His servant did not come to ...

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