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 101 to 125 of 171 results

101. I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

John 16:17-33

Sermon

James McCormick

... beg your pardon; I never promised you a rose garden.” I encountered those words again a few years ago when they appeared as the unofficial slogan of the emerging nation of Israel. When Jews migrated to Israel and were asked to settle in “kibbutzim” in parched desert frontiers, they were reminded of the arduous task ahead by the signs posted all around the settlements. The signs read: “We never promised you a rose garden.” More recently I have seen the words again as the title of a book and a movie ...

102. Can These Bones Live?

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Sermon

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... 53:8-9). She has lost her land, her temple, her davidic king, her covenant, and her relationship with her God. The forces of death have overwhelmed her, and now her exiles are without the possibility of life, like long-dry bones, scattered aimlessly about a parched and desolate valley. No human help can restore her. She is beyond all hope. Ezekiel therefore hears the enigmatic question asked him by God, “Son of man, can these bones live?” (v. 3). It is a question that can confront us, too, can it not ...

103. Such a Transformation!

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... thought, for in 53:1, the unknown speakers in far-off nations and exalted circles take up the speech. “Who would have believed such a transformation?” they ask (53:1). From his birth on, the servant’s whole life was marred by suffering. He was weak and parched, like a plant growing up out of dry ground. He had no beauty about him, because beauty signifies blessing from God, and the servant did not seem to be blessed. No one regarded him as important (v. 2). He was a man subjected to blows and scorned ...

104. No Fear

Psalm 23:4

Sermon

James Merritt

... he would do that is this. As the snow would begin to melt off of the mountaintops, it would give fresh water and fresh grass where the sheep could eat and drink. So the shepherd would lead the sheep from the lowlands which were now barren and parched by the summer’s sun, and take them up to where it was cooler and better. The shepherd would guide the sheep through the valley and up to the mountaintop where they could drink that fresh water and eat that green grass. The reason why the shepherd always ...

105. The Marks Of A Spiritual Counterfeit

Jude 1:12-13

Sermon

James Merritt

... , the last several Sundays it’s been raining.” The preacher said, “Well, it’s dry down at the church.” The man said, “Yes, and that’s another reason why I don’t come.” There are so many churches today, where dry preachers are feeding sawdust sermons to parched lips that need to be drinking from the water of the Word of God. People are hungry, and they need hot bread baked in the oven of the Word of God. People are thirsty, and they need the living water that flows from the fountain of the ...

106. Preparing the Way, Preparing Our Hearts

John 1:1-18

Illustration

Scott Hoezee

... into the soil of this world, then John was to be the one who did the hard work of plowing the soil to get ready for that planting. John would be the one who would sink down his plow blade into human hearts that were the spiritual equivalent of a parched field whose dirt had long ago hardened into something resembling concrete. If Jesus was God's divine Visitor to this world, then John was the one who was sent to prepare the way. Because God knew and John the Baptist knew: how the visit of God's Son would be ...

107. Jonah 3:1-5, 10

Jonah 3:1-5, 10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... city, these sinful Gentiles who exist outside the special covenant with the Lord which the Hebrews proudly claim, respond with an urgency, authenticity, and unanimity that is remarkable. The Ninevites, while appearing to be entrenched in their corrupt ways, were actually parched yet fertile soil for the redeeming word of God. It took only the feeble, watery preaching of a reluctant prophet such as Jonah to cause this spiritually slumbering city to burst into the full flower of repentance. In verse 10 Jonah ...

108. Mark 13:24-32

Mark 13:24-32

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... over the rule of the terrible multi-horned beast of his vision was indeed a message of great joy. For both the exiled Jewish population and the later Christians of the first century, as well as for us today, the apocalyptic dream gives hope for the future and waters the parched hopes of all people.

109. John 4:5-42

John 4:5-42

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... . Rabbis of Jesus' day referred to the Torah as living water. But both possible meanings Jesus implies go beyond the Law. The living water Jesus offers the woman at the well is not just promise, but fulfillment. The Law can be broken, leaving us parched. But Jesus' revelation is eternally fresh and flowing. The Spirit of God can never dry up. Unknowingly the woman hits upon this truth when she sarcastically asks Jesus if he is greater than Jacob (v.12). But her reference to the overflowing bounty of Jacob ...

110. Bound to Earth, Destined for Heaven

Genesis 9:1-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... in our time and place. Sing a new creation growing life-trees by the Father’s stream. Go and teach, send justice flowing, quench dry souls, compose a dream. Sing amens, alive and agile, answ’ring God’s creating song. Baptize peoples, parched and fragile, in the Name that makes us strong. Text: James Hart Brumm @ 2000 Wayne Leupold Editions. First heard at Baccalaureate Service, Princeton Theological Seminary, Nassau Presbyterian Church, 16 May 2008, 3pm Jesus committed his life and his death to the ...

111. RSVP—By Invitation Only

Luke 14:15-24

Sermon

James Merritt

... hundreds of his beloved chocolate chip cookies. He began to think to himself, "Am I in Heaven? Am I dreaming? Am I hallucinating? Can this really be? Mustering one great final effort he threw himself toward the table, landing on his knees in a ruffled posture. His parched lips parted; the wondrous taste of that hot chocolate chip cookie was almost in his mouth; he could almost feel himself coming back to life. That aged and withered hand shakily made its way to a cookie at the edge of the table. Just as he ...

112. Like a Tree Planted

Jeremiah 17:5-10

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... scenes. Our lives have begun with the never-ending story of salvation well in progress. Water shortages wreak havoc with flora and fauna alike. We have all seen the telltale signs of drought: brown lawns, cracked ground, dying crops, withered trees, parched wildlife. All these are signs that life is slowly being drained from creation. Sometimes not even sprinklers or irrigation systems can alleviate the damage of dry weather, with its scorching, blistering sun. But where rivers run through the land, life ...

113. Cross Eyed: Focus

Mark 1:9-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Wasn't the rain last week great? It did so much to refresh the parched ground. It was great but I've got to tell you that it almost caused me to be in an accident. You see, the rain made me lose my focus. You know how it is when you're driving and the first drops hit your windshield. It's not enough ...

114. Future Perfect

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... called 911. Ashley Smith knows, the Risen Christ is with us. He was right there in that apartment guiding her, strengthening her, speaking through her. The Risen Christ IS with us. Conclusion In Southern California we have Death Valley. A 140 mile long sun-parched gorge. Temperatures reach 134 degrees. Less than two and a half inches of rain fall a year. Any water quickly evaporates. This year Death Valley received a record six inches of rain. Suddenly, this bone-dry desert came to life. Seeds which had ...

115. Time to Get Wet

Revelation 22:1-6

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... in order to make a truly new creation available to a truly redeemed humanity. So if the gift of Christ is to offer us living water; if the redeemed community of faith is always standing ankle deep in living water: why are we so parched? When churches were small inside, they were open to the outside. Baptisms happened on the banks of running rivers. The community got wet together. Those who were immersed and those who watched from the shore drank deep and were satisfied. In the Catholic Church tradition ...

116. The Real Thirst Quencher

Revelation 22:1-6

Sermon

King Duncan

... About 72 hours after he had fallen into the water, four Pakistani fishermen found Joey Mora. He was treading water in his sleep, clinging to a makeshift floatation device made from his trousers. He was delirious. His tongue was dry and cracked and his throat parched. About two years later, Mora spoke with Stone Philips on NBC Dateline and told his incredible story. He said it was God who kept him struggling to survive. The most excruciating thing of all? The one thought that took over his body and pounded ...

117. The Darkness Where God Was

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... upon the clouds; His name is the Lord, exult before him! Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God gives the desolate a home to dwell in; He leads out the prisoners to prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a parched land. O God, when thou didst go forth before thy people, When thou didst march through the wilderness, The earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain, at the presence of God; Yon Sinai quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel. (68:4-8) Verses ...

118. Prayer Loosens Up the Heart

Luke 11:1-13

Illustration

William R. Long

... of cultivation. In order to work the soil, one must break up the hardened dirt clods, water the ground, free it from weeds and then plant a crop. Prayer is the way to "loosen up" the heart. During the natural course of our lives the "earth of our hearts" becomes parched, weed-infested and hard as flint. Unless we take care to break it up to run our fingers again through the rich soil that we know is there, our lives become as destitute and as desiccated as a desert.

119. Why Did You Bring Us Out of Egypt?

Exodus 17:1-7

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... needs before meeting the needs of others. From the news, to television, to film, and back again we hear and see the story of the rugged individualist who trusts no one and does whatever it takes to get what he wants or thinks he needs. Our spirits are parched by the lack of community and the trust that makes such joinings possible. We hunger for a vision and a direction, and yet are unable to move because we are unable to trust. What happens, we ask, if we trust someone and they betray us? What happens if ...

120. Are We There Yet?

James 5:7-10

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... you. (James 4:7-8, 10) So what we are about now, our growth in Christlikeness, the fruit which is growing, is important. But if the farmer had no hope for the rains, all the plowing and planting and weeding would be futile, and watching over the parched land would be foolish. The "early and late [rain]" is a standard Old Testament image of God's promised and continuing faithfulness (Jeremiah 5:24; Joel 2:23). Because of God's faithfulness there is no doubt about how appropriate it is to be patient. God has ...

121. There Will Be Singing

Isaiah 35:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... the carolers without even going to the trouble of opening our front door. (3) Today’s prophecy from Isaiah tells us that when the Messiah comes, there will be singing. There are few passages as joyful as Isaiah 35. Isaiah writes, “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory ...

122. Easter 3

Psalm 116:1-19, Luke 24:13-35, Acts 2:14a, 36-41, 1 Peter 1:17-23

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

... you breathed a man. In the desert you ran streams of water; beyond a flood you raised dry land. All: Nothing is beyond your comprehending; no one is beyond your care. Leader: Fruit of the earth, fruit of the vine, your holy manna comes to our parched hearts —thirsting for companionship, hungry to be made whole. All: Nothing is beyond your comprehending; no one is beyond your care. Leader: On a journey to many villages you opened for us the scriptures, so that gathered here at (fill in the name of your ...

123. Lent 5

Psalm 130:1-8, Ezekiel 37:1-14, John 11:1-45, Romans 8:6-11

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

... , break open all of our tombs and speak to us, that we may live. In the name of Christ. All: Amen. Offertory Prayer Leader: Poverty or affluence, age or youth, All: we have known the dry valley. As we lift these gifts before you we lift our parched and aching hearts, that in this meal you would speak our name, and we would live anew. Amen. Sending Leader: Lazarus, come out, he says. Lazarus, _______, ______, _____, _____, (fill in the names) come out and live — that you may be my witnesses. May this word ...

124. Full Body Scans or Re-spect Spectacles

Romans 13:8-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... with each person he encountered. He looked at the earnest, yet wealthy young man, and immediately saw his love for money overwhelmed everything else in his life. Yet Jesus loved him. He looked into the cheating heart of the woman at the well and discerned the parched condition of her soul. Yet Jesus loved her. He looked with the eyes of everyone he met, and he saw in us all the neediness of a child, a sponge for attention and nurture and encouragement. Yet Jesus loved children above all. To put on Christ ...

125. A New Creation

John 4:1-26

Illustration

Robert E. Coleman

Once there was a man on a train going across the desert in Arizona. He was the only person in the car who had not pulled down the window shades to keep out the glare of the hot sun on the parched earth. In contrast to the other passengers, he kept looking out his window, and seemed actually to enjoy the dismal scene. After a while the curious man seated across the aisle, asked, "Sir, what do you see in that wasteland that makes you smile?" "Oh," he replied," I'm in ...

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