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 1426 to 1450 of 2173 results

1426. Getting The Facts

1 Corinthians 15:3

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A scale and some packages of different sizes and weights. Good morning, children. How are you on this beautiful day? Have you ever played the game called "Telephone"? Someone whispers to you and you whisper it to someone else and by the time it gets to the end of the line it sounds very funny because it is different from when it was first said. That's the way rumors begin and what you hear may not always be true. When St. Paul preached he hardly ever whispered and his preaching was always based on ...

1427. Remember Toward the Future John M. Cobb

Exodus 12:1-30

Sermon

... "This day shall be for you a memorial day,2 and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generation you shall observe it as an ordinance forever." (v. 14) Dear friends, Today, beginning this week, we here in Canada have a most special week, and that is because tomorrow is a special holiday, namely "Heritage Day." And by that is meant that day, or week, where one remembers especially his or her national or ethnic heritage.... It is, indeed, interesting the way that we have these ...

1428. At Table With The Lord

Drama

Production Notes The drama may be presented either as a reader's theater presentation, with all parts read, or as a dramatic presentation with parts memorized. If produced as reader's theater, be certain that all parts are read with animation, in a mood appropriate in each case to capture the character of the person and the part. If offered as a dramatic presentation, characters may want to consider costumes and some simple props and staging. At those places where action is suggested (such as Jesus washing ...

1429. Christians Die Well

Acts 7:54--8:1a

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a murmuring against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "it is not desirable that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ...

1430. Let’s Climb a Mountain

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

James W. Robinson

How would you like to climb a mountain? Right now. Too tired? Completely exhausted after a week of commuting to the office or working around the house? What if you could take the hike without leaving your seat? Don’t scoff! It can be done. No leg work is required. All you need do is exercise your imagination. So, off we go, up the Sermon on the Mount, crossing the ridge to a lookout that offers us a view of the loftiest peaks of the Mount. Those peaks have a name. Collectively, they are known as the ...

1431. Broken Hydrants

Jeremiah 17:19-27

Sermon

King Duncan

At the corner of East 179th Street and Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio, there stand two fire hydrants. On one corner, standing in cracked concrete, is an old hydrant, faded and rusty. Litter and weeds crowd around its base, all but obscuring a black band painted around its middle. On the opposite corner there is a newer hydrant. The concrete is whole and solid. The paint is fresh. And when disaster strikes, the fire fighters will attach their hoses to it, rather than its forlorn-looking cousin across the ...

1432. Temptation Island

Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

King Duncan

Dr. David Jeremiah tells about a suburban neighborhood in which several residents were extremely upset at the reckless and fast driving that was occurring in their quiet subdivision. They organized a petition drive and demanded that the police patrol the area with greater frequency and penalize drivers who ignored the speed limits. The police obliged and immediately ticketed five drivers who ignored the speed limits. All of them were fuming at the fines they received. It seems, however, that all five of ...

1433. The Devil Is a Liar

John 8:42-47

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

I once heard of a preacher in Chicago who advertised three sermons on the devil. The titles of the sermons were grammatically strange, but guaranteed to get attention: “Who, the devil, he is,” “What, the devil, he does,” and “How, the devil, he does it.” I am not trying to emulate that preacher, but only trying to make some sense out of Jesus’ dialogue with His audience in the 8th chapter of John. You recall that immediately after Jesus told His listeners that “The truth will make you free,” they protested ...

1434. The Gift of Newness

2 Corinthians 5:17-20

Sermon

James McCormick

What picture pops into your mind when someone says the word, “church”? Is it a picture that quickens your pulse and stirs your blood? Or, is it a picture more likely to encourage a snooze? Is it characterized more by excitement and adventure? Or more by dullness and predictability? If we are talking about the first century church, those questions are easy to answer. Those first century Christians became so excited about their message that onlookers accused them of being drunk. They became so energetic ...

1435. Lent 4

Numbers 21:4-9, Ephesians 2:1-10, John 3:1-21

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Numbers 21:4-9 The people of Israel are fed up with the hardships of wilderness wandering. They grumble and complain about their food. This constitutes rebellion against God's and Moses' leadership. Their disobedience results in their being bitten by poisonous snakes. Realizing their sin, they ask Moses to pray that God will remove the serpents. He does not remove them, but he provides a cure a mere look at a raised bronze serpent. God provides a means of healing from the ...

1436. Proper 5

Galatians 1:11-24, 1 Kings 17:7-24, Psalm 146:1-10, Luke 7:11-17

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 146 First Lesson—The "bottomless barrel" is a sign of God’s providence to the widow and the prophet who is her guest. 1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24) Second Lesson—Paul defends the authenticity of his gospel as being truly a revelation of God. Galatians 1:11-24 Gospel—Another resuscitation of a widow’s son gives the people a reason to have hope that another prophet like Elijah has come. Luke 7:11-17 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also ...

1437. Proper 26

Joshua 3:7-17, Psalm 107:1-43, Matthew 23:1-39, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter - Psalms 107:1-7 First Lesson - Joshua leads the people of Israel through the Jordan River to the promised land. Joshua 3:7-17 Second Lesson - Paul also uses a masculine analogy to explain his fatherly discipline of the church in Thessalonica. 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 Gospel - Jesus chides the Pharisees for not practicing what they preach. Matthew 23:1-12 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. Leader: Receive God's message, not ...

1438. Third Sunday in Advent

Psalm 145:5-10 or Luke 1:47-55, Isaiah 35:1-10, Matthew 11:1-19, James 5:7-12

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 146:5-10 or Luke 1:47-55 First Lesson—God's People will be gathered with great joy from times of grief and uncertainty. Isaiah 35:1-6, 10 Second Lesson—As the farmer must patiently wait for passing seasons so the sufferer must be patient in anticipation of final relief. James 5:7-10 Gospel—Jesus reassures John the Baptist that truly Messianic ministry is happening and pays high tribute to John's role in the tradition of Elijah the prophet. Matthew 11:2-11 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The ...

1439. History Hangs in the Balance

Luke 23:1-49

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

One would be hard pressed to find a historical event with so many ramifications equal to these words from Saint Luke's Gospel. In fact, for the devout Christian there is no other! It is a moment when the universe seems to come to a standstill and the angels watch in troubled awe. You and I observe from afar, indeed, a great distance. Unless we figuratively or literally read the passage on our knees, we are not apt to catch this sublime, serious moment. Yes, and our appreciation may very well remain at ...

1440. Pastoral Prayer

Illustration

Brett Blair

D-Day for WWII was June 6, 1944 — the day on which the Battle of Normandy began — commencing the Western Allied effort to liberate mainland Europe from Nazi occupation during World War II. President Roosevelt composed a prayer and delivered it on the radio that evening. What follows is the full text of that address: My Fellow Americans, Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and ...

1441. The Five-a-Day Rule

John 20:24-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

By now all last week’s hard-boiled eggs have been transformed into egg salad and consumed. Right? Of course, it goes without saying that the contents of all those Easter baskets have disappeared, except, of course, the nasty black jelly beans. On this Sunday the spiritual and sugar high of Easter Sunday is wearing off. Hence the colloquial designation of this week as “Low Sunday.” After the “high” of Easter, we come back to the everydayness of life. It is when we are most “low” in energy, in desire, in ...

1442. Are You a King?

2 Samuel 23:1-7

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

Are you the king of the Jews? We are familiar with that question, which is asked of Jesus in the passion story. Everyone in those days knew what a king was! We are not talking here about best sport, or Miss Congeniality — we are talking kings! When Alexander the Great was the greatest king of the then-known world, he decided to conquer all of Asia Minor. Darius, the King of Persia, the only other ruler that could claim super-power status, sued for peace, saying to Alexander: "Let's you and me just divide ...

1443. Paul Opposes Peter

Galatians 2:11-21

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

2:11 Paul continues to present his relationship with the Jerusalem Christians to the Galatians. In the next verses he recounts an incident with Peter that occurred at Antioch. It is almost certain that the Galatians had already heard of this incident, for before describing it Paul declares the sides in the case (Paul opposed Peter to his face) and pronounces the verdict (Peter was in the wrong). But it seems that the Galatians have understood this incident from a different perspective—one in which Peter, ...

1444. The Woman, the Son, and the Dragon

Revelation 12:1--13:1a

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: God protects Jesus Christ and the messianic community against satanic attack. Understanding the Text As well as being the start of a new major section, Revelation 12 stands as the theological heart of the book because it shows why the church faces spiritual hostility in this world and how God provides the victory. Revelation 12:1–14:20 forms a grand interlude detailing the cosmic conflict between God and the forces of evil, as well as God’s vindication of his people and judgment of the ...

1445. Balaam’s First Three Oracles

Num 23:1–24:14

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: God’s will is to bless his people. Understanding the Text Balak king of Moab hires the sorcerer Balaam to curse Israel (Num. 22). Yahweh informs Balaam that Israel is blessed, not cursed (Num. 22:12), and that trying to curse Israel will place Balaam himself under God’s judgment (Num. 22:22–38). Nevertheless, God allows Balaam to go to Balak on condition that he say nothing other than what God will tell him (Num. 22:20, 35). What follows are three oracles. Three times the angel of the Lord has ...

1446. “You Have Given Me the Heritage of Those Who Fear Your Name”

Psalm 61:1-8

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: In prayer we are led to God our Rock, and to a higher plane of faith and trust. Understanding the Text Psalm 61 is an individual lament.1The reader is not informed about the problem, except that it is evidently, like the occasion for Psalms 42–43, related to the psalmist’s “foe” (61:3b). Not generally included in the royal psalms, it nevertheless contains the beautiful prayer on the king’s behalf in verses 6–7, or a prayer prayed by the king. A backward glance at Psalm 60 and a forward glance at ...

1447. Giving and Receiving

Matthew 14:22-33

Sermon

Tom Garrison

A wise person, according to Sam Keen, the author of Fire in the Belly, is one who knows what time it is in his or her life; that is, they have a sense of the appropriate which enables them to know what to do amid a baffling array of options. Keen tells of going one summer to visit relatives who lived in the tidewater area of Virginia, where there are many little bays adjoining the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the old-timers there warned him about the peculiar dangers of swimming in that area, particularly at ...

1448. Mary: The Handmaiden of the Lord

Luke 1:38-45

Sermon

Charley Reeb

This morning I want to tell you how to get blessed by God. We all want God to bless us. This morning I am going to tell how to get that done. How many of you want to be blessed by God? Me too! Now when I say blessed I am not talking about the prosperity, name and claim it gospel that’s popular. I am not talking about saying a prayer and having a million dollars in cash show up in a briefcase at your doorstep. When I say bless I am talking about God showing up in your life in a way that transforms you. I am ...

1449. Mutual Submission

Ephesians 5:22-33

Sermon

Will Willimon

Today, Orientation Sunday, we welcome Freshmen to Duke. Orientation, that's when you learn the "in's and out's" of life here, when you get oriented to expectations of the university. A big part of Orientation is the acquisition of a new vocabulary. Every new place has its own language, its own special words. If you are new, you are learning the meaning of such verbal mysteries as ASDU, the Black and Blue Room, Grosschem. Soon, with a little practice, you'll be able to converse like a native! Each ...

1450. Against All Odds

Luke 14:25-33

Sermon

Lori Wagner

In 2009, Simon Sinek came out with both a TED talk and book that changed the way business leaders looked at how to motivate their employees to support the company’s vision and work together toward company goals. They wanted to encourage company loyalty in a world in which job change had become common and wanted to ensure that their employees had the company’s best interests in mind. They also wanted to cultivate a loyal customer base, encourage others to try their brand, and cultivate new groups of buyers ...

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