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 1226 to 1250 of 5000 results

1226. Good and Mad

Luke 4:21-30

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... if I get over this, the old quarrel still stands." (3) There's a whole lot of difference between being "Good and Mad." And being "Mad and Good." Anybody can be "Good and Mad." Being "Mad and Good" is the work a Christian whose life is filled with the unconditional love of God through Christ. We're called, commissioned and challenged to be like Christ in all that we do. The only one who can control your anger is the one who controls your heart. If you're going to be mad, don't be "Good and Mad." Be "Mad and ...

1227. Back to Real Life

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... say to you on this Sunday after Christmas is this: We will only have the true spirit of Christmas when we understand that every child on this earth is ultimately our son, our daughter, our brother, our sister. It’s good that we take care of those we love. However, as people of faith, the babe in Bethlehem’s manger calls us to expand those borders, to understand that the good of every person on this earth is our concern. So, Christmas is over, but living for Jesus may just be getting started for some of ...

1228. The Living Advent Wreath (Trust: Purple Candle of the Magi)

Luke 2:8-20, Luke 2:1-7, Isaiah 61:1-11

Drama

Frank Ramirez

... waits. Pilgrim: So I am satisfied, even if there are no answers to a skeptical world, to a world at war. Perhaps some ills cannot be changed. Guide: So you are content to return, even without the fulfillment of your mission? Pilgrim: Surely faith, hope, and love are enough. Guide: Perhaps they are. Yet, there is persistence. Even against the sneer of a skeptical world. Pilgrim: So what sort of answers can we give to those who are not believers? Guide: First we must not give up on such people. “God does ...

1229. Little Ways to Show You Care

Illustration

Staff

... care. Make a homemade card with a picture of the two of you on the cover. Get ideas for a verse by spending a few minutes browsing through a card shop. Write a poem. It doesn't have to rhyme. Send a love letter listing the reasons "Why I love you so much." Pledge your love for a lifetime. Write it on calligraphy or design it on a desktop computer and print it out on parchment paper and have it framed. Plan a surprise lunch, complete with picnic basket, sparkling grape juice and goblets. Bake a giant cookie ...

1230. The Four Sacred Chords of Home

Mark 13:24-37

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... expertise, a Klout score of over 50 what if what we need to be truly “at home” is something different? What if “coming home” is the indwelling and ingathering of the presence of God? What if “coming home” is to be gift-wrapped in the God of love? In this week’s gospel text Jesus assures his disciples that after the hard times comes a holiday, that there will be a “welcome home” party. The triumphant return in “great power and glory” of the Son of Man ushers in a new era, ushers in the ...

1231. From Slave to Brother

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... could do with a runaway slave. The master could torture a slave, send him to work in the salt mines, or even have him crucified. Why would Paul send Onesimus back to such a possibility? Paul calls Onesimus his "heart," so he loved Onesimus. Why take such a risk with one you love? For Paul, sending Onesimus back to Philemon was an act of faith. Paul saw an opportunity for reconciliation, for Philemon to grow in his understanding of what it means to be a Christian. As Paul says in verse 14, "I preferred to ...

1232. Looking Down on God

John 13:1-17

Sermon

David O. Bales

... d do the same as he did. Jesus comes to wash our feet and we squirm away. When we talk about such lofty things as Jesus’ loving us, that’s fine; but, here he is shuffling over to us on his knees, not many clothes on either, and he’s reaching to ... says he’s our teacher as well as our Lord. Notice first, however, that what Jesus does for his students is a genuine act of love. He’s not just showing off. Martin Luther looked at ritual foot washing, where the king or pope or emperor washed the feet of a ...

1233. Learning to Live Like Jesus

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... , two geese drop out of formation and follow it to help and protect it. They have this goose’s back. They stand by each other in difficult times. (5) A church family is to study the life of Jesus, says St. Paul, and “to have the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,” he writes. “Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Can you imagine what our ...

1234. Thanksgiving and Prayer

Philemon 1:1-7

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... 1978), pp. 17–33. Paul’s Praise for Philemon 4–5 These verses draw attention to the individual Philemon in much the same way that Paul’s thanksgiving and prayer in Colossians focused upon the congregation (Col. 1:3–14). Paul’s gratitude for Philemon’s love for God’s people (v. 5) forms the basis of his request in verse 9; Paul affirms his fellowship with Philemon (v. 6) and, on that basis, requests Philemon to act kindly toward Onesimus (v. 17); as Philemon has cheered the hearts of all God ...

1235. A Woman Burdened with Guilt

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

King Duncan

... , therefore, go out and sin again.” Of course not--not if he is any man at all. Knowing the pain he has brought her and being more aware than ever of the faith she yet has in him, he will seek to be a better man, a more faithful and loving husband. So it is in our relationship with God. If you know yourself forgiven, truly forgiven, today will be a turning point in your life. The knowledge that we are forgiven frees us to make a new start. Knowing that we are forgiven also allows us to forgive others. If ...

1236. Elephants in the Room: Sexploitation

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.” You see, our bodies do not belong to us; they belong to God. When we act out in lust, we dishonor God and his love which lives inside us. We are to glorify God with our bodies. So maybe you are thinking, “Okay, I get it. But how am I to keep from having lustful thoughts? I can’t turn off my brain!” Well, Martin Luther gave the best advice about this. He said, “You ...

1237. Mission Possible!

John 1:43-51

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... out. Jesus is telling us today, “Stop looking up; look out! I’m out there, waiting on you to help me change people with my love. Be my witnesses. Stop looking up! Look out! I am out here in the world with those who are suffering and I need for you to ... beside him and yelling at the top of his lungs, “God is not a monster!” We are fond of quoting John 3:16, “For God so loved the world…” But the Bible also says in John 3:17 that God did not send Jesus to condemn the world but to save it! It ...

1238. Pop Verses: Romans 8:28

Romans 8:28

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... with it. He is going to take what is ugly and make it beautiful.” How do I know? How do we know this is what Paul means? Take a look at what Paul says a few verses later: …In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. –Romans 8:37 God makes you a conqueror over things that are against you, right? If suffering is the will of God, why would God give you strength to conquer it! That wouldn’t make sense. By God’s power we are more than conquerors through suffering in life ...

1239. Joy as Our Hallmark

Sermon

George Reed

... , job loss, financial reversals, relationships that do not work out, and many other things come our way and they are not happy times. That is the nature of our existence. But at a deeper level the nature of our existence is to be held in the grace and love of God that cannot be defeated by any of these circumstances. It is learning to say with Saint Paul that we are content no matter what is happening. We can be quiet in worship because we are deep in contemplation or because we are so spiritually dead that ...

1240. The Sign of the Servant

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... the shadow of death looms), I will fear no evil, For you are with me Lord; Your rod and your staff (your yoke), they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; My cup overflows with your abundant love. Surely Your goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. THIS is what being in service to God looks like. THIS is what being yoked in followship with Jesus feels like. THIS is what Jesus ...

1241. It's Okay to Cry

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... before us and will continue to come after us, we vow to raise that child in the Christian faith. We teach, pray with, worship with, guide that child in their faith and understanding of Jesus until that child reaches an age of their own decision. But we never stop loving them. And when and if they fail, we mourn that failure greatly, as if it were our own. And we never lose hope that they will return to the fold. God our heavenly parent created us to learn, to grow, to choose, to try the world out on our ...

1242. Heart of a Pelican

Matthew 17:24-27, Exodus 30:11-16

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... all of us washed in the blood of our Messiah and Lord. We bear the DNA of God’s salvation gift in that blood covenant coursing through our veins. And our greatest gifts will be those that feed others with that same blood of Jesus. To offer a hand in love is the ultimate sacrifice. It means, we must put aside our fear, put aside our doubt, put aside our need for attention or for isolation. And to offer our hearts to a world of others. A wise person once said, our hearts belong to the one we are willing to ...

1243. Homecoming

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

Will Willimon

... do the same even for us. On the week after my mother died, I had a recurring dream. In my dream, I was back home again, the home designed and built by my mother, a house whose every inch she cherished, and whose ever corner spoke of her and her love of beauty. In my dream, I'd move from room to room and be surprised that all of her dispersed furniture was back in its original place. Every book was there, on the shelves, all perfectly remembered from childhood. I would awake and wonder why I kept having this ...

1244. For the Glory of Christ

John 12:20-33 · Hebrews 5:5-10

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... the model for the life of the Church. Paul refers to us as brothers and sisters in Christ. In Galatians Paul refers to us as "the family of faith." We're said to belong to the family of God. Peter in his first letter, chapter 2:17, writes: "Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God." In Matthew 12:50 Jesus says: "whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." B. I could go on and on with passages which refer to us as sons and daughters of God or the family ...

1245. The Joy of Being Found

Luke 15:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... character, our priorities, our desires, our values, our actions. The Bible says we become a new creation in Christ. So Katie had to go back to her daughter and explain that when we ask Jesus to come into our heart, we will explode . . . We will explode with more love for others, with more compassion and with more joy. (6) God takes joy in having a relationship with us. And having a relationship with God is the pathway to joy for us. It’s what we were made for. So, what’s standing in the way of us coming ...

1246. The One Thing That Would Make The Biggest Difference

Matthew 18:15-20

Sermon

Roger G. Talbott

... 't it make the person with whom you are trying to rebuild a relationship feel as if you are ganging up on him or her? Well, it can feel that way if your intent is to punish that person rather than rebuild the relationship. However, it can be a very loving thing to do if you believe two things about the other person. One thing is that the other person is not a bad person, and the other is that whatever it is that person is doing that is hurting your relationship is something which he or she doesn't really ...

1247. Wedding: Building A Marriage (for a couple fixing up a house)

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Bulletin Aid

Derl G. Keefer

... it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends... When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I ... this new marriage relationship with different histories, different ways of being in families, different personalities. In the context of your love for one another, those differences can be interesting and exciting. They can add a lot of spark to your ...

1248. No Honeymoon

Matthew 25:1-13

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

... married it doesn't make any difference, does it? REV. ANTON: There were certain promises made in the intimate act. RALPH: But we weren't married. What's the big deal? SANDRA: What am I supposed to do? RALPH: (RISING LOOKING AT HIS WATCH) You're young. Find someone who loves you. Hey, I look at it like this. We weren't married. So we were in a relationship. So what? So, I took a chance too, right? You could have gone off and found someone. I would be left. You take a chance, that's all. Hey, listen, I have ...

1249. He Shepherds Us!

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... did live and die for us. It is by his great sacrificial act that we know what he is like. We know the full extent of his love. There may be some things we do not know about him, but we know what he is like and what a price he had to pay ... we. Then if it dawns on us that other people do have the same problem, we may find some solace in that. The old saw is "Misery loves company." In reality, however, that is of little help. We may even see that other people have bigger problems than we. When that dawns on us, ...

1250. Proper 8

2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 2 Samuel 1:17-27, Mark 5:21-43

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... don't go to church. They are always talking about money." What an excuse! It's true that churches shouldn't be talking about money but they had better talk about giving because the Bible never tires of the subject. Our faith is founded on the self-giving love of God in Christ (v. 9). So let's talk about New Testament guidelines for giving. Many church leaders cite the tithe as one such guideline. I don't agree because the tithe is an Old Testament standard, based on legalism. Go ahead and tithe but not out ...

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