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 1201 to 1225 of 5000 results

1201. Anything Better Than the Golden Rule?

Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

William G. Carter

... Do good to those who hate you,” for you wish their hate to be transformed. “Bless those who curse you. Give to those who beg. Turn the other cheek. Do unto others as you wish they would do unto you.” But there is no automatic connection. If you love your enemies, or act kindly to those who hate you, curse you, and harm you, there is no assurance your enemies will be kind to you. What is missing in the Golden Rule is a means to handle those occasions when the community breaks down, when people cease to ...

1202. All I Want for Christmas is a Savior

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

James W. Moore

... need help, we all have clay feet. We all need to face up to ourselves. We all need to be converted from selfishness to love, or to put it more dramatically, we all need a Savior! Well, this is the good news we celebrate at Christmas. Two thousand years ... can lift us above anything that threatens to defeat us. He showed us in a manger and He showed us on the cross that His love is the most powerful thing in the world... and that if we believe in Him and trust Him, nothing can defeat us. Christmas comes around ...

1203. A Very Special Man

Luke 2:22-40

Sermon

King Duncan

... and John the Baptist and proclaim that he is the Christ. Not because of his appearance. Not even because of what he taught though he was the greatest teacher who ever lived. But because of who he was Son of God the very embodiment of unconditional love the love you and I need to live out in our world as well. 1. (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1995), pp. 139-140. 2. HOSPITALITY. 3. THE JESUS I NEVER KNEW (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995) , p. 16. 4. Quoted in NEWSWEEK. Cited in GROUP, May/June ...

1204. Resuscitating An Iguana

Ephesians 2:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... than being compared to an iguana. The point is that there is nothing that you and I have done to merit God's grace, God's love, God's salvation. "For by grace you have been saved," writes Paul, "and this is not your doing; it is the gift of God ” not the ... a little thought for others, those little acts of silence, of look and thought, of word and deed. These are the very drops of love that make our religious life burn with so much light. "Do not search for Jesus in far off lands," she concludes, "He is not ...

1205. A Pre-christmas Faith

Jeremiah 33:1-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... , "If Christians have caste differences also, I might as well remain Hindu." So sad. By the way, how are you doing so far? Your faith is pre-Christmas if all you do is obey the law and no more. Your faith is pre-Christmas if you love only those people who love you. FINALLY, YOUR FAITH IS PRE-CHRISTMAS IF IT HAS NEVER MADE THAT VITAL MOVE FROM YOUR LIPS TO YOUR HEART. We get disturbed because Christmas has been so captured by our culture that it has almost lost its religious significance, but that is true to ...

1206. From Timid To Terrific

2 Timothy 1:6-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... cower behind an unlocked door. So he is giving young Timothy some important advice-advice that many of us need as well. Let’s consider that advice for a few moments. St. Paul says that God didn’t give us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind. Let’s consider these in reverse order. THE FIRST ANTIDOTE FOR FEAR IS A SOUND MIND. That is, there are some real fears in life, but the fears that cripple most are those that exist only in our own imagination. I like the story about ...

1207. Confused But Not Forgotten

Genesis 21:8-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... . You would have thought that Sarah would have been grateful for having a son in her old age. Instead she was so eaten up by jealousy that she wanted Hagar and Ishmael out of her life forever. Sometimes Life Is Unfair, But Because of God's Love, We Are Able to Overcome. There was a bitter rivalry between Sarah and Hagar. Abraham was either unable or unwilling to intervene to solve the problem. In the midst of a celebration these negative feelings erupted in Sarah as she watched her son playing with Ishmael ...

1208. The Difference Between God And Santa

Mark 13:32-37

Sermon

King Duncan

... is not enough for God. "While we were yet sinners," writes St. Paul, "Christ died for us." Our righteousness is as filthy rags, says Isaiah. Clean living has its reward, but it will never make us right with God. Only one thing can do that and that is the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ. So, let our children watch for Santa. You and I will look for the return of Christ. As we begin our Advent celebration we would do well to ponder the words of an unknown author titled 'Why Jesus Is Better Than Santa ...

1209. So Who Needs A Shepherd?

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... in the hot port, there, everywhere, allowing man to have his will of Him, but that was an easy rational step compared with this that God had taken, to put Himself at the mercy of men who hardly knew the meaning of the word. How desperately God must love, he thought with shame.” (Greene: Graham, The Heart of the Matter, New York: The Viking Press, 1948, p. 235) Exactly! Our forebears in the faith put it in an old Gospel song: But none of the ransomed ever knew How deep were the waters crossed; Nor how dark ...

1210. O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Isaiah 1:1-31

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... Jesus coming to give hope to those who think it's over, and feel there is no place to turn. That kind of mood is not hard to come by today. All around us -- and certainly all over the world, there are people who are bereft of home, food, freedom, love, a job and any sense of security -- they think they have no where to go and no place to turn. "Is not the promise of hope more a cruelty than a comfort to the mother in the Sudan who can feed her child only once a day and chooses to ...

1211. Proper 8

Genesis 22:1-19, 2 Kings 4:8-37, Romans 6:1-14, Romans 6:15-23, Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... . 2. Family dissension (vv. 35-37). Jesus says it is a matter of priorities. Who shall come first in your life? Whom do we love the best? Does Jesus come before spouse, child, or parent? Jesus demands that he come first, even ahead of the family. If members of ... , and other church projects. Then we dropped the practice because we believed we ought to be faithful and render service for the love of Christ alone. But we are rethinking this old practice of rewards. It is human to desire a reward for good work. It ...

1212. The Offense of Grace

Matthew 5:43-48, Matthew 5:38-42

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

... quite another for us to do the same. After all, we live in the real world, and we must be practical, cautious, and sensible. Loving our enemies and turning the other cheek is dangerous business - foolhardy and contrary to our best interests. No, we need to be right, to ... us - grace. He gives us the benefit of the doubt, the gift of a second chance, the lavish and generous blessing of unconditional love. And then Jesus asks us to do the same - to take the risk, to make the decision, yes, to follow him. He asks ...

1213. The CatWalk Church and the CrossLove Church

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... the night at a bar or nightclub in 29 years around the world." Of course not everyone's commitment to crosslove will lead them to literally heft about a big hunk of wood. Geese fly in rhythm, but not in unison. Abiding in – the sacramental lay-down love Christ has offered to all his disciples frees us from the dreary, duck-like sameness we can so easily acquiesce in. I think my soul is a tame, old duck, Dabbling about in the barnyard muck, Fat and lazy, with useless wings; But sometimes when the north ...

1214. Have You Heard the News?

Ephesians 2:1-7

Sermon

James Merritt

... , she took one look at the monitor, read the message, let out a tremendous scream, and fell to the floor in a dead faint. Her family rushed into the room and saw this note on the screen: Dearest wife: Just got checked in. Everything prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Your loving husband P. S. It sure is hot down here! I am afraid the way most people will treat Easter; they really have not heard the news. Now Easter is both about bad news, but it is also about good news. In Eph. 2:1-7 we have, what I call ...

1215. Romans 13:9-21

Romans 13:8-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Christians to do their utmost to live “peaceably” and not dismiss those dishing out hatred, even as Jesus blessed the “peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9). That hard directive backdrops Paul’s final admonitions. Living in peace, according to the mandates of authentic love, leaves no room for personal “vengeance.” The dishing out of vengeance, of righteous wrath, is God's prerogative alone. Whether the divine wrath may be experienced in part during this age, or whether God's vengeance will not be played ...

1216. Final Instructions

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... pastor describes the coming of Christ's kingdom today like this: The Kingdom It's a long way off but inside there are different things going on ... Festivals at which the poor man is king and the consumptive is healed; Mirrors in which the blind man looks and love looks back at him; Industry for mending bent bones and minds fractured by life. It's a long way off, but to get there takes no time at all and admission is free ... If you will but purge yourself of desire and present yourself With your needs only ...

1217. The Last Parable

Mark 12:1-12

Sermon

James McCormick

... O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you, how often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you would not.” How sad! How tragically sad! All he wanted to do was to love them. All he wanted to do was to bring them back to the Father. All he wanted to do was to give them life at its best. That’s all he wanted, but they killed him for it. They nailed him to a cross between two thieves. Harry Emerson Fosdick ...

1218. Advent 2

Malachi 3:1-4, Luke 3:1-20, Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... Isaiah's prophecy (Isaiah 40:3-5) was sent to prepare the heart for Christ's advent. Outline: The highway of the heart a. The straight highway: righteousness v. 4c. b. The elevated highway: hope v. 5a. c. The level highway: humility v. 5b. d. The smooth highway: love v. 5d. 3. Why repent? (3:3). Need: The average person asks, "Why should I repent? I am happy as I am. I don't see any need to change my lifestyle." During this Advent season, a time for repentance as preparation for Christ's coming, people are ...

1219. Living In The Spirit Of Faithfulness

Galatians 5:22-25, Hebrews 10:23-24

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Hebrews 10:23-24 (NRSV) [23] Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful [24] And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, As we look at the whole idea of Living In the Spirit of Faithfulness, we have to begin at the beginning. We have to begin with God who is the ultimate example of Faithfulness. I. God's Faithfulness Years ago, before personal scanners and printers ...

1220. The Smell Of Smoke Still Lingers

John 21:1-19

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... barbecue that goes like this: "Give a man some barbecue and you'll feed him for a day. Teach a man to barbecue and you won't see him for the rest of the summer except when he comes in for more meat but you'll eat well." Personally, I love to grill. I think pretty much everything tastes better grilled. Steaks, chicken, sausage, you name it. But there's one thing that can be cooked on a gas grill but I think is really best and tastes better when cooked over charcoal. And that's a plain old hamburger. That ...

1221. Facetime and Facebook

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... as yourself. ‘ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40) Jesus, the human face of God, came to reveal the true face of God, the Creator of the cosmos. And the true face of God is the face of love. Perhaps the most celebrated physicist in thee world today is Stephen Hawking. Stephen Hawking's 1988 book A Brief History of Time starts this way: A well‑known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the ...

1222. Getting It, Together

Matthew 10:24-39

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... thing is to remember that we're in this together. Just as God reminded us through Christ, that we are not alone, that God loves us so much that God even knows the number of hairs on our head, so too, those moments when we bond with our ... everything that matters. But if we lose ourselves and put ourselves in Third place, then we will find the greatest treasure of all; God's love and we'll share it with our family because we're in this together. III. Getting It, Together And because we're in this together ...

1223. A Glimpse of God

Exodus 33:19-23

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... is ours. It’s ours because, the Lord, the Lord God, is merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Now He will not clear the guilty when your child puts his finger into the fire, it will be burned. No matter how much you love him, you cannot banish the burn, but you can forgive him. You can tell him that, even though he disobeyed you by playing with fire, now that he is sorry for his disobedience, you will forgive him and not hold it against him anymore, It is, thus that ...

1224. Always with Us

John 14:15-21

Sermon

Lee Griess

... is predicted and the pain of the cross awaits them all. And in the midst of this uncertain gathering, Jesus reaches out to them in love. Listen again to what he says in various verses. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. In just a ... is Christ's gift to us and the promise to all the faithful. The Holy Spirit sends us forth then as messengers of God's love to the poor, the unemployed, the young and the elderly, the sick and rejected, the unhappy, the sorrowful, the lonely and the dying. Who ...

1225. Testing, Testing

Matthew 22:34-46

Sermon

Chris Ewing

... around us, until our hearts beat to God's pulse ... until, as the prophet Mohammed said, we become "the hearing by which [God] hears, the sight by which he sees and the hand with which he grasps and the foot with which he walks."5 Until we become the love that God is. As you pay attention to the testing situations in which you find yourself, as you pay attention to God and to others and to your own being and needs, as you hold all of these in honest and attentive compassion, you will find something amazing ...

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