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 1251 to 1275 of 3108 results

1251. The Nearness Of A Faraway God

Isaiah 40:12-18

Sermon

Erskine White

To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with Him? (Isaiah 40:18) O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder,Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,Thy power throughout the universe displayed,Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee,How great Thou art, How great Thou art!(Stuart K. Hine) The man who wrote that gospel song stretched his mind and expanded his vision until he had at least some conception of the majesty of God. He used words like ...

1252. The Unity Of The Church

Ephesians 4:1-16

Sermon

Erskine White

There is one body and one Spirit, ... one Lord, one faith, one baptism ... (Ephesians 4:4) A man named Stephen was walking alone one night, out by the bridge which crosses the river on the outskirts of town. As he came up to the bridge, though, he saw a man standing on it as if he were ready to jump off. It was a long way down to the river - jumping would mean certain death. Stephen decided he would try to stop this suicide. He figured that if they started talking and found something they had in common, ...

1253. Wedding: Together...Till Death Us Do Part

Sermon Aid

John M. Braaten

(Name) and (name), the word overwhelming was made for a day like today. No words will ever be able to describe how you feel. Yet the closeness you feel toward your Lord and toward each other on this day is only the beginning of a lifetime of surprises, and gifts, and joys, God has in store for you. Knowing this, we, your family, relatives, and friends, have gathered to celebrate this momentous and sacred event with you. We are here to assure you of our affection and to undergird you with our prayers. In ...

1254. Here Comes God's Helper

John 16:5-16, John 7:25-44

Children's Sermon

Object: your breath. Lesson: If I do not go the Helper will not come to you. (v. 7, TEV, Common); Jesus [talked] about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were going to receive. (v. 39, TEV) Boys and girls, does anybody remember what happened to Jesus after he was finished teaching his disciples? (Let them answer. Some will say he was crucified and raised. Push farther, so that they remember he taught them even after that.) That's right. After Jesus was finished with his ministry, he went back to ...

1255. Epiphany 4

Psalm 71:1-24, 1 Corinthians 14:1-25, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, Jeremiah 1:1-19, Luke 4:14-30

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The birth story, with the visit of the magi, and the baptism of our Lord, at the beginning of the season, and the Transfiguration story, at the conclusion of Epiphany in many lectionaries, combine to enclose the other Sundays of Epiphany in a period of time when the manifestation/ministry of Jesus are celebrated in worship and preaching. Each Sunday, some aspect of Jesus' Epiphany in his teaching and/or his miraculous works/signs is put before the people of God to confirm the faith of ...

1256. The Story Of The Scandalized Neighbors

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

John M. Braaten

I don't know what this world is coming to. It seems to me that parents don't do as good a job raising their kids as they used to. Consider my neighbor. His punk kid ran off with a wad of money last year. A couple of days ago he came back looking like death warmed over and what are they doing? They're throwing a party for him. From what I've heard they are going to spend a bundle on it. Sounds like the affair will be bigger than a wedding bash. If you ask me it's scandalous, celebrating as though he was a ...

1257. The Interview

Matthew 9:35-38, Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

Larry Goodpaster

The young woman squirmed uncomfortably in the cushioned chair to which she had been directed by the receptionist. Not only was she nervous about the impending job interview, but the shuttle service which had provided transportation from the airport to this office building had been the worst of her life. The others who had been on the van seemed as upset as she was -- and just as captive. Now, because of the traffic, and because that driver had not known which building was hers, she was late for her ...

1258. The Invitation

Drama

Timothy W. Ayers

Topic: Inviting others, evangelism, encouragement, caring Characters: Three women on the phone Scene: A table will be set up with a phone on it. Characters 2 and 3 will have their backs to the congregation. Each character's original spot will be marked with tape with her number on it. As the characters rotate, they move to the next spot in a counterclockwise circle. #1 will be standing next to the phone as the lights come up. When she finishes her lines the three move in a counterclockwise way until #2 is ...

1259. Make Suggestions to God?

Matthew 21:33-46

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A library shelf of great books. Good morning, boys and girls. How does God feel when no one seems to pay any attention to him? That is an important question. Have you ever talked to someone and thought that they weren't listening? (Let them answer.) This is the question that Jesus talked about today in our Bible lesson. I brought along some books to help us see how God might feel about people whom he trusted with his love and who no longer listen or share their lives with him. We are not going to ...

1260. The Hard-Boiled Egg Story

John 14:20

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A hard-boiled egg. Good morning, boys and girls. I have a problem today and I hope you will be able to help me. My problem is that I have a lesson to teach you and I find that it is a hard one to explain. The Bible says that Jesus is in the Father, that you are in Jesus, and that Jesus is in you. In other words, when you believe in God and that his Son Jesus Christ died for your sins, you are together. That is a wonderful thing to know, but how can I show you what it means? You know that you are ...

1261. Led By The Shepherd

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

Decisions, decisions. Life is full of decisions. In fact, a number of philosophers and psychologists tell us that the decisions we make (or our behavior) largely make us who we are. Life is nothing but decisions. How do we make them in a Christian manner? We Christians believe that by his resurrection on Easter, Christ has given us new life (1 Peter 1:3). You have been given a new life! Now that we have that new life, how does it affect the way in which we make decisions? At least two of our Bible lessons ...

1262. Wedding: Love and Fear

1 John 4:1-6

Sermon Aid

Charles E. Wolfe

The verb or the noun ‘‘love” occurs in twenty-six of the 105 verses of First John. In all cases, it is the familiar root agape. The leading idea is that God is love by nature and that he revealed this by sending Christ into the world. (4:9) We are not love by nature, and therefore God loved us first. The measure of this love was the death of Christ on our behalf (3:16) and therefore the Father could call us children. (3:1) This makes possible our own response of love and so if we abide in love, we abide in ...

1263. Coming Back Down

Matthew 17:1-13

Sermon

John Jamison

I have visited some places I really wish I could have stayed. If it were my choice I would still be there right now. As much as I like it here, I would rather be there. There is a tent, set on a hill at the top of a 1,500-foot cliff overlooking the Jordan Valley in southern Israel. When the sun comes up in the morning it breaks over the mountains a few miles to the east and literally shatters the darkness around you. The winds sail up the face of the cliff from the valley below and almost make you believe ...

1264. James the Lesser · A Small Man for a Big Job

Matthew 10:1-3

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: Symbol of James How many of you know what it is like to be the smallest one in the group? Did any of you have friends who are bigger, or big brothers and sisters so that it seems like you are always the smallest one around? If you know what it feels like to be the smallest one in a crowd, you will know what one of the disciples of Jesus felt like. His name was James and he had a brother Matthew, who was also a disciple. His mother and another brother were also followers of Jesus but they were not ...

1265. Step Six - Willingness

Jn 5:2-9a · Heb 4:14-16 · Is 1:12-20

Sermon

John A. Terry

Step six: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. Here is Isaiah, whom we saw in last week's text being so awed by God's presence, so totally aware of his uncleanness before God. His was a majestic experience of worship. In this morning's text God speaks through Isaiah, questioning the validity of the people's worship. The local Chamber of Commerce recently came out with a listing of the best of Gwinnett. It listed the best pizza, the best athlete, the best country road. And ...

1266. Do What Is Right

2 Thessalonians 3:13

Children's Sermon

Tim Carpenter

Exegetical Aim: To demonstrate that we should not be weary in doing what is right. Props: Three stuffed animals that you will use as puppets (two alike and one a dog, e.g., two toy birds and a toy dog), a wallet, and a piece of candy. Lesson: [Introduce the two puppets as John and Joe. All through the story have them talk and walk as needed.] I want to tell you a story about John and Joe. They were brothers who wanted to go for a walk. Their mother told them that if they were good, they could have a piece ...

1267. The Crowing of a Rooster

Matthew 26:31-35, Matthew 26:69-75

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

I sat with a farm family a few weeks ago for the noonday meal. The scene outside the kitchen window was typical of rural eastern North Carolina. There were open fields where this particular farmer grew corn. Leftover husks lay where he had broken the land for spring planting. While we were eating, one family member called our attention to a flock of birds that had landed in the field out back. We all turned to look, and the area was covered with blackbirds. "I'll bet there are five thousand birds out there ...

1268. A House Or A Home?

Joshua 24:1-27

Sermon

R. E. Lybrand

"Now then," Joshua continued, "honor the Lord and serve him sincerely and faithfully. Get rid of the gods which your ancestors used to worship in Mesopotamia and in Egypt, and serve only the Lord. If you are not willing to serve him, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your ancestors worshiped in Mesopotamia or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living. As for my family and me, we will serve the Lord." A family moved to a new city where the father's company had transferred him. This ...

1269. The Other Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Brett Blair

In 1986 Henri Nouwen, a Dutch theologian and writer, toured St. Petersburg, Russia, the former Leningrad. While there he visited the famous Hermitage where he saw, among other things, Rembrandt’s painting of the Prodigal Son. The painting was in a hallway and received the natural light of a nearby window. Nouwen stood for two hours, mesmerized by this remarkable painting. As he stood there the sun changed, and at every change of the light’s angle he saw a different aspect of the painting revealed. He would ...

1270. Filled With God's Spirit

Acts 2:4

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: Some large containers with things to fill them: trash, candy, clothes, empty bottles, etc. Good morning to you and welcome to God's House. It really makes everyone feel good when God's house is filled and it makes us sad when it isn't filled. Jesus used to tell stories about how God wanted His Kingdom filled with people who wanted to believe and be a part of Him. Once he told a story about a great dinner that a king had prepared. The king invited all of his friends. But his friends made excuses and ...

1271. Working and Praying Go Together

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

"When Jesus heard the news, he left that place in a boat and went to a lonely place by himself. The people heard about it, left their towns, and followed him by land. Jesus got out of the boat, and when he saw the large crowd his heart was filled with pity for them, and he healed their sick. That evening his disciples came to him and said, 'It is already very late, and this is a lonely place. Send the people away and let them go to the villages and buy food for themselves.' 'They don't have to leave,' ...

1272. Exercising to be a Christian

1 Peter 5:10

Children's Sermon

Object: Some exercise equipment if available such as hand grips or jump rope or anything of that nature. Probably the most effective effort, though, would be to lead some exercises. You must divide the children into two groups. Good morning, boys and girls. How do you feel on this bright Sunday morning? Is everybody strong and healthy? Who doesn’t feel strong and wide awake on a beautiful day like this? (If there is anyone who says that he is not strong or wide awake take him immediately out of the group ...

1273. The Devil is a Mosquito Bite

Romans 8:1-17

Children's Sermon

Object: a mosquito bite. Good morning, boys and girls. There are certain things that I like about the summer and there are a few that I am not so happy about. Tell me some of the things that you like best about the summer. [Let them tell you about not having to go to school, being able to swim and play ball.] That's very good. Is there anything that you don't like about summer? That's a pretty hard question, because we always think about summer as being a time of fun and we all like fun. Let me tell you ...

1274. The Golden Gift

Drama

A Christmas play based on a scene from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo Program Notes Our play is based on an incident which comes early in one of Victor Hugo's greatest novels, Les Misérables - ("The Wretched Ones"). This book was published while Hugo was in exile in England in 1862. It was written as a social novel in which he made society itself the heavy in the piece. The novel was received with mixed reactions. One reviewer called it "his pernicious book." Another more charitably wrote: "It is ... the ...

1275. Seeking Hands

Psalm 141:1-10

Sermon

Hands are useful. They allow us to accomplish many things. Not only are they able to do, but they also help us communicate. All of us have probably been recipients of bad communications when people use their hands to make gestures that were less than complimentary. There are also good gestures - a gesture that says "hi," or a wave. In Brazil, if a mother beckons her child like this (palm up), the child understands that the mother is communicating for the child to come. But if she beckons the child like ...

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