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 1301 to 1325 of 2415 results

1301. The Big Temptation

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... plans and believe that we are in charge of our lives. Therefore if our plans are cancelled, then we think our life has come to an end. Just like Peter. That is the source of the scene at Caesarea Philippi. The teaching ministry of Jesus is over. The Passion is about to begin. Jesus announces to the disciples that he is about to go to Jerusalem, to suffer and to die. That interrupts Peter's plans. Peter planned on a glorious career in Galilee. So Peter turns to Jesus, and says, "God forbid that this should ...

1302. The Light of the World

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... that Christ has gone into the depths of our life to give us new life. He did that throughout all of his ministry, for he lived the life that you and I must live. But we look at the last week of his life, the week that is called his passion, to see that he descended into the darkest recesses of human existence. The prophet Isaiah said of the Messiah that he was "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." In that one week Jesus knew all of those things that we will know at some time. And because he ...

1303. The Sin of Being Less

Colossians 3:1-14

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... they just weren't doing it. They probably couldn't believe it. They were living the kind of life that they lived when they thought they were in bondage to supernatural powers. They kept doing those things that messed up their lives. Paul lists them: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is also idolatry. The classical way of listing the sins is to put them in two categories: the sins of the flesh and the sins of the spirit. Those are called the sins of the flesh. He is saying to the ...

1304. This Is Not Rocket Science

Acts 2:1-8

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... on experiencing this change in individual lives. You must experience God's grace in your life, and it ought to make a difference in your life. But there is an equal emphasis on the fruit of that experience. That is to say, the evidence of changed lives is a passion to change the world, to make a difference in this world. It is not a testimony of the power of God for there to be a giant revival in a city to change individual lives, unless there is a consequent reform of social life in that city. If that ...

1305. This Nation, Under God

2 Samuel 7:1-9

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... 's disintegration, ending with the rebellion of his son, Abaslom, against his father, and then the death of Abaslom, and David crying in lament, "O Abaslom, Abaslom, my son, my son, would that I had died instead of you." It's all there. All the passion and adventure, the tenderness and tragedy of the human drama, written with literary skill that is rarely matched, over 3000 years ago. So it is both one of the earliest written histories, and one of the classics of literature. You ought to read it if you ...

1306. When to Be Extravagant

John 12:1-8

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... with these scurrilous remarks about his honesty. John says Judas was a thief. But a case could be made that Judas was just the opposite. He is not dishonest, or a thief, or a scoundrel. He is a thoroughly righteous, upright man, passionately devoted to what is today called "Zionism," restoring the Jewish homeland. In those days Zionism was an underground guerrilla movement, trying to defeat militarily the Roman occupation army. Judas was probably one of them. Probably one of those wanting to overthrow the ...

1307. When to Hold On

II Timothy 3:14-4:5

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... saved the Church from the collapse of the Roman Empire by turning to the tradition. Luther lifted the Church out of the collapse of the Middle Ages by turning to the tradition. Wesley revived the Church in England from apathy by returning to the passion of the tradition. In our century the European church survived the madness of wars and oppression by holding on to the tradition. "Hold on to what you have received." Then it says this. "Remember from whom you have received it." There is a fascinating ...

1308. Epiphany 5

Matthew 5:17-20, Matthew 5:13-16, 1 Corinthians 2:6-16, 1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5, Isaiah 58:1-14

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... cultic practices, without practical helpfulness to the neighbor, does not bring God's blessings. When we put our religious devotions into sharing with the less fortunate, we open ourselves to God's presence and blessings. 2. Loose (v. 6). The Bible has a passion for liberty. God wants his people to be free. True believers will fulfill this will of God by loosing people from their bondages. People are bound to sin, to oppression, and to slavery. Poverty is a bondage. God's people will relieve this economic ...

1309. Lent 3

Exodus 17:1-7, Romans 5:1-11, John 4:1-26, John 4:27-38, John 4:39-42

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... way of trusting God: God is with us - word, sacraments, spirit, answered prayer. Epistle: Romans 5:1-11 1. The Joy Of Lent (5:1-11). Need: Joy of Lent? Is it not a time of solemnity and a sharing of the sorrows of Jesus as he goes through the Passion? In this passage Paul deals with the cross and yet three times he refers to "rejoicing." Since Jesus refers to "the third day," he, too, could endure the cross with a sense of joy in the knowledge of a victorious ending. It is a joy but not in the sense ...

1310. Lent 4

John 9:35-41, John 9:13-34, John 9:1-12, 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... word of the Introit, Laetare, meaning to "rejoice." It was also known as "Refreshment Sunday" because of the Gospel lesson of the feeding of the 5,000. The second half of Lent begins in a lighter mood in preparation for the depth of sorrow coming in the Passion. Today's three Lessons harmonize on the theme of light, vision, and insight. Samuel is given the insight to see that of all the sons of Jesse, David was the one to be king. Jesus brought spiritual vision to the man healed by blindness. Paul exhorts ...

1311. Proper 10

Genesis 25:19-34, Isaiah 55:1-13, Romans 8:1-17, Romans 8:18-27, Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... are people who have the Spirit of Christ and thereby know they are God's children. In chapter 8 Paul speaks of life in the Spirit. The divine principle of the Christian faith is the Spirit. Before Christ we lived in the "flesh," a life of evil passions. After Christ we live in and by the Spirit. One cannot be a Christian without the Spirit (v. 9). The Spirit is indispensable for being and living as a Christian. The Spirit leads to a life of righteousness and causes us to have resurrection from the dead ...

1312. Road Rage

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

... - that only we matter. John tells us that God is even able to turn stones into faithful people. In God's imagination, everyone matters. In God's sovereignty, everyone belongs at the kingdom table. And in God's economy, everyone will be judged - judged as to how passionate we are about seeking justice for all. As amused as I was by the recent anti-SUV campaign, I know in my heart that John the Baptist would have approved. I think the answer to the question, "What would Jesus drive?" is clear. The answer is ...

1313. Vital Vulnerability

Luke 2:8-20, Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

... night the baby you hold in your arms is God. Now as you open your eyes, as you come back to this warm womb of worship, let us think for a minute about the utter absurdity of it all. God — as a baby. Mighty, majestic God, powerful, passionate God, omnipotent, omniscient God — as a baby. God — giving up all the grandeur — coming down — here — crawling inside our skin — vital but vulnerable — resting in our arms. How can this be? It is a mystery. But it is God’s mystery, and it is God’s ...

1314. Demonstrating the Divine

John 1:10-18

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

... of the Word who becomes flesh? Yes, some of us weigh too heavily in the direction of truth. But, my friends, others of us weigh far too heavily in the direction of grace. In an effort to be open-minded and open-hearted, in our passion to be inclusive and welcoming, we have made God's grace gooey. The truth embodied in the Living Word has become emaciated. Rather than becoming an alternative community embodying an alternative vision, we have become a rubber stamp for the confused and chaotic world around ...

1315. Visions and Voices

Matthew 17:1-9

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

... she do? After an intense wrestling match, Sister John chooses the operation. Why? With great reluctance, she denies herself, for the health and well-being of the larger, convent community. And sure enough the debilitating pain disappears. But so, too, does the exquisite passion - those intimate, ecstatic encounters with God. She goes back to the ordered, plodding life of the community where she is but one of many, serving God in the mundane moments of daily discipleship. I'm not sure I could have made that ...

1316. Sharing the Pain of Others

Matthew 26:14-27:66

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... of God, might have been the straw that broke the camel’s back. He forgave sins and claimed to be God’s Son. The Jewish religious leaders found Jesus highly dangerous and, thus, they resorted to extreme means to solve their problem. The passion narratives are presented by all four evangelists. The cruel and outrageous punishment to which Jesus of Nazareth was subjected is beyond comprehension in modern society. While people debate both sides of the issue of capital punishment, we as a society have chosen ...

1317. The Incomparable Christ

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... divide into two main categories - active religion and reactive religions. An active religion teaches that a person must do something to restore his relationship with God. Judaism warns we must obey the law. Hinduism persuades us to meditate, diet, and squelch passions. Islam bids us give alms to the poor, pray five times daily, and fight Allah's holy wars. "Do something!" religion bids. "Take the initiative. Reach out!" The other sort of religion is "reactive," and Christianity is its only representative ...

1318. Wondering Wonder

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of wondering. Children are used to not knowing all the answers, they're used to not knowing "why" and they're less worried about asking questions. Rachel Carson, who ushered in modern-day environmentalism with her crusading book Silent Spring, derived her passion for the natural world from her own experience and study of the stretch of Maine coastline she called home. She could write magnificently and movingly even about plankton, because she spent time observing the workings of nature close at hand. In her ...

1319. Celebrity Culture

Psalm 95:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... high-fat, low-nutrition idol-filler will leave us bloated and unsatisfied. We'll be hungry for something more in an hour or two. There's no divinely gifted rest for those who constantly search for the newest, the latest, the most trendy avenue for their passions and energies. We're created to be worshipers. The only question is what we will worship. We WILL worship something. This morning I invite you and your household to worship only one thing: the ONE TRUE GOD . . . and to worship God in spirit and in ...

1320. Taking Something Up for Lent

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... Sometimes, not often and never intentionally, the secular calendar and the sacred calendar mesh. The liturgical calendar has us in the midst of Lent. Lent is traditionally a time of fasting, prayer, reflection, and study, leading up to the solemn events of Passion week. Lent is usually associated with giving up something, making some small personal sacrifice in order to better understand the immense sacrifice made by the Son of God. But this is also a season of sacrifice for secular society as well. Bulging ...

1321. Yellow Lights

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... that they had been left behind to suffer with the world the tribulation. Little wonder that despair and dismay was nibbling away at the faith of these new Christians. Those fears left them to doubt the gospel that Paul had so eloquently and passionately shared with them, causing their sense of community and mission to shift and shake beneath their feet. The reassuring words offered in today's 2 Thessalonian letter are intended to confirm these Christians in the rightness of their path, to affirm for them ...

1322. That Is SO God!

Matthew 11:2-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... 's behalf "Are you the one who is to come?" Jesus discerns the doubt and hesitation behind this question. After all, Jesus' mission and message had been one of love and guidance. Jesus' works were acts of healing and forgiveness. John the Baptist had passionately preached about one who was to come who would judge with fire, burning up the chaff as he sorted through the wheat (Matthew 3:11-12). Where was this fire and fury? Where were Jesus' judgments and justice? Despite the heaven-opening experience at ...

1323. This Kiss

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... quest as having integrity in and of itself. Layers of Selfishness-that refuse to let in any information that might threaten our cultivated self-importance and undermine our self absorption. THIS KISS the one Paul offered to the confused Corinthians holds as much passion and power today as it did twenty centuries ago. THIS KISS · "Christ died for our sins," · "Christ was buried," · "Christ was raised on the third day." is the biggest smackeroo planet Earth has ever received or that you and I will ever get ...

1324. Trash Cans or Treasure Chests

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... Moses was a murderer, he recycled his rage and hatred and became the greatest leader in Israel's history. Jacob was a thief and a rogue. He recycled his cunning and became the father of the nation. David was an adulterer. He recycled his passion and became the greatest of the kings. Peter was a boastful, swearing fisherman. He recycled his pride and became the rock upon which Christ built his church. Mary Magdalene recycled her love and became a saint. Zaccheus, a tax collector recycled his miserliness and ...

1325. Your Cheatin' Heart

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... , and the whole universe became stable once more, as if the stretching out, the agony of the Cross, had in some way gotten into everything. "For me," Harrison continues, "He has gotten into everything. I see Him in the timely, unaffected gestures of friendship and in the unruly passions of human love; I see Him in the face of a doctor who serendipitously entered my life at a time when I thought I had no more life left. I saw Him once and will see Him forever in a dead teacher of mine, who rescued my injured ...

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