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 1451 to 1475 of 2415 results

1451. Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... 's conclusion to Jesus' triumph over the Devil's temptations is more ominous than in either Mark or Matthew. Instead of disappearing without comment, the Devil departs only "until an opportune time." This moment arrives in 22:3, when Satan returns to enter Judas Iscariot and begin the cycle of passion events.

1452. Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)

Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... faiths respect my commitment to my faith. It is disturbing that a fellow clergyperson is so hesitant to declare his loyalties and so willing to blend in as just another staff member. The apostle Paul never did anything half-way. He lived out his faith passionately whether he was persecuting or praising Christianity. Either way, he was not afraid to show his colors, even if it meant death. What about us? Are we willing to die? Are we willing to show our colors? Kathy Haley That Blindfold Thing Jesus keeps ...

1453. Acts 19:1-7

Acts 19:1-22

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... v.6). There is no second-class, second-generation distinctions in the life of the Holy Spirit. With full pentecostal power these disciples immediately begin to “speak with tongues and prophesied.” Paul’s laying on of hands and the power, presence and passion it brings is similar in authority to that displayed by Peter (and John) as they laid hands on the Samaritan converts. Luke’s text testifies to the apostolic authority of Paul as being on equal footing with that of Jesus’ original disciples ...

1454. 1 Corinthians 1:10-18

1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... before his days on earth ended. From Ephesus where he worked and preached for more than two years, Paul reached back to the Corinthian community, the distance between them more one of miles than minds. Protecting and pastoring his flock remained Paul's passion even when he had moved on to develop new congregations. Paul doesn't beat around the bush. In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 he immediately confronts his community with its most consuming challenge - to overcome dissension and division in order to present a ...

1455. Matthew 10:40-42

Matthew 10:40-42

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... person," extends this relational logic once again. Matthew's reference to a righteous person may very well have the same connotation for his community as the term martyr. Matthew makes several references to Jesus as an "innocent" or "righteous" man during the Passion events. Chapter 10 in Matthew's Gospel is filled with the violent imagery of what believers may expect at the hands of others. Thus, it seems reasonable to believe that by "righteous" Matthew means those who demonstrate their loyalty to God ...

1456. Ephesians 2:1-10

Ephesians 2:1-10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the essential core and character of all those who are spiritually dead to God and slaves to this world's evil ruler. Membership in this fallen population was hardly select. Indeed "all of us once lived" as captives to evil, living for "the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath" (v.3). This is not some prudish condemnation of sexual appetites and physical pleasures. With both body and mind completely indulged, the human spirit was wantonly ...

1457. Mark 14:1-15:47

Mark 14:1-15:47

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

From the traditional, extensive gospel reading this Palm/Passion Sunday, we settled on that portion that tells of Peter's denial of Jesus (14:66-72), his darkest moment as a disciple. Many scholars believe that Mark's description of Peter's utter failure of nerve and spirit on the night of Jesus' arrest may be some of the ...

1458. Mark 1:14-20

Mark 1:14-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... fact, Mark’s gospel reads almost like the “Cliff Notes” version of Jesus’ life. And yet, so skillful is Mark’s compressed compilation that every storied moment, every key metaphor and every essential message of Jesus’ mission are portrayed with power and passion. Because Mark’s narrative offers slimmer pickings of detail than the other gospels, it is all the more significant when he does provide particulars of time and place. In the opening words of today’s gospel text Mark begins the story ...

1459. The Heart of the Matter

Psalm 51:1-19

Sermon

King Duncan

... the crucifixion. It was the words: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do,” which broke him. “I stopped,” he said. “I was stabbed to the heart as if pierced with a five‑inch nail. Shall I call it the love of Christ? Shall I call it his compassion? I do not know what to call it. I only know that I believed and my hardness of heart was changed.” Later when the jailer came to lead Ishii to the scaffold, he found not the surly brute that he had expected to find, but a radiant man, for ...

1460. Remember Me

Luke 22:7-38, John 13:18-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... Bless Our Family.” The quilt was made by Irwin’s grandmother, who pieced it together at the turn of the century, before she married. Irwin first laid eyes on the quilt years ago, and until he saw it, he knew nothing of his grandmother’s passions or creative talents. “She had put on the quilt all the things she liked . . . If it were not for the quilt, her great-grandkids would only have known her name,” says Irwin, “and that she spent all her time cleaning, cooking, darning socks, ironing things ...

1461. God’s Tattoos

Isaiah 49:8-26

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... your way, truth, and life too.” Jesus says, “Remember me, so that was is, so that the past becomes present.” Jesus told us to remember what we don’t want to remember about him: what Mel Gibson so vividly and horrifically depicted in “The Passion of Christ.” Jesus commanded us, “Do this in remembrance of me. Remember what was done to me. Remember my suffering and the dying. Remember my experience of God-forsakenness.” IV. God’s Covenant with Us A key word in Jesus’ institution of the meal ...

1462. Bound to Earth, Destined for Heaven

Genesis 9:1-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... used the metaphor of the volcano for resurrection: Easter morning is the first eruption of a volcano which reveals the divine fire burning in the innermost bowels of the earth, a fire which continues to burn and overflow with its healing powers and presence and passion. The Lenten season looks forward to Easter. But we should never lose sight of the ground we cover on the way. We walk the earth. Holy Saturday, like every Jewish Sabbath, should be kept holy. How do we keep Holy Saturday “holy?” By living ...

1463. The Miracle Fruit

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to stop trusting what it sees and hears because nothing makes sense. Cognitive dissonance can obscure the truth. Cognitive dissonance makes what is false and wrong appear to be right and true. When Jesus made his public announcement, his first of three passion predictions in Mark’s gospel, Peter couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was suffering from cognitive dissonance. Peter had just answered Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?” with his right-on declaration: “You are the Messiah ...

1464. Wesley's Rule of Conduct

John 12:20-36

Illustration

Brett Blair

John Wesley wrote to his people called Methodist the following Rule of Conduct: Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can. This is the meaning of the Passion. The crucifixion of Jesus is God's conduct; it is the rule for our lives as long as we shall live.

1465. No Time Left

John 12:20-36

Illustration

Brett Blair

... to be glorified. The hour has come. It was that moment when the last sand falls from the hourglass. No time left for the development of new disciples. No time left for miracles to convince the people. No time left for debates with the religious leaders. No time left, the passion has begun.

1466. What Have You Done for Me?

John 12:20-36

Illustration

George Bass

... of what he had done for Christ. He left the gallery at nightfall, but a new day was dawning for him. From that day on, he devoted his heart and soul, his life and his wealth - all that he had - to Christ, declaring, "I have but one passion; it is Jesus, Jesus only." The sight of the crucified One "high and lifted up" on the Tree made a sudden and permanent change in his life, and the resurrection bore fruit then and there in his heart and soul. Historical Note: Nikolaus Ludwig, Reichsgraf von Zinzendorf ...

1467. Greeks Seek Wisdom Not A Savior

John 12:20-36

Illustration

Brett Blair

... forth here. 1. Jesus knows that the Greeks "Seek Wisdom" and are only interested in debate and dialogue on theological philosophical issues of the day. Even if they are God Fearers they are perhaps noncommittal. Jesus draws a line in the sand now that this is Passion Week and, in effect says, the time for debating is over! Those who would be my disciples must lose their life and hate their life in this world in order to save it. Whoever serves me must follow me wherever I may go (verses 25- 26). Dialogue ...

1468. It's Not a Snuggie Love

Mark 15:1-15, Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... the portion of the cross Jesus, and Simon, were forced to carry themselves. Like arms extended before an embrace, the horizontal beam of the cross reaches out to others, across the world, an encircling equator of sacrifice and love. This Palm Sunday, this Passion Sunday, what will it be? What love will you live this week? A Snuggie-love? Or a Cross-love that demonstrates to the world cross-training, cross-bearing, and cross-over loving. And when someone demonstrates Cross-Love, and does something that shows ...

1469. Proper 12

Ephesians 3:14-21, John 6:16-24, John 6:1-15, 2 Samuel 11:1-27

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... . In this passage the Bread of Life provides bread miraculously for 5,000 people. It is John's version of the feeding of the 5,000. Some scholars see this passage as the institution of the Lord's supper which is omitted in John's history of the passion. In John's gospel the miracles are "signs" of Jesus' messiahship. In this case the people saw the miracle as a sign of the prophet who was promised. THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS Gospel: John 6:1-21 1. Signs (vv. 2, 14). In John the miracles are "signs." The signs ...

1470. Proper 26

Mark 12:28-34, Hebrews 9:11-28, Ruth 1:1-22

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... was purified. Since Christ, our consciences are purified that we may worship the living God. Gospel: Mark 12:28-34 Today's gospel ends the period of Jesus' answering questions. The public ministry comes to a climax with this final answer before the passion begins. A scribe honestly and sincerely asks Jesus which is the most important commandment. Jesus' answer is approved by the scribe who agrees that loving God and neighbor is far more important than ritual sacrifices. Jesus makes love of God and neighbor ...

1471. The Living Christ

Luke 24:36b-48

Illustration

Susan R. Andrews

... , when he lived with a Christian family in East India, that he changed his mind. In that household he discovered that the word rarely became flesh, that the teaching of Jesus rarely became the reality of Jesus. How "fleshy" is Jesus in our congregations? How persuasive is our teaching? How passionate is our preaching? How much do our hearts burn within us when the scriptures are opened to us? And how often do we recognize the stranger as the living Christ in our midst?

1472. Proper 4

2 Corinthians 4:1-18, 1 Samuel 3:1--4:1, Mark 2:23-3:6

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... with a withered hand needed healing. With anger at their hardened hearts in objecting to healing on the Sabbath, Jesus heals the man. Filled with hatred and anger, the Pharisees consult with the Herodians to plot Jesus' death. Already in 3:6 we begin the passion story. THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS Gospel: Mark 2:23--3:6 1. Sabbath (v. 23). In Hebrew the word "Sabbath" means "rest." For the Jews it fell on the seventh day of the week because God rested after six days of creation. Because Christ rose on the first ...

1473. Trust and Obey

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... cognitive ideal. Their “belief” is now fully embracing, gratefully leaning on, wholly trusting in, the risen Lord who stood before them. In fact, the word “truster” may be a better word than “believer.” Doubting disciples have been transformed into passionate “Trust and Obeyers.” Jesus’ first instructions to his Trusters-and-Obeyers is challenging. It is only the third day after his crucifixion. The Passover crowds are still milling about. Their own lives are in jeopardy as followers of ...

1474. Faith that Goes from Head to Heart

Numbers 11:4-35

Illustration

David Gallimore

... for His people. Moses said to Joshua, “I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” (Numbers 11:29). What is he wishing for? That faith would go from head to heart. That religion would go from duty to passion. That spirituality would go from one part of life to the very breath of life.

1475. A Shepherd's Love

John 10:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... measure if we are like sheep to him. A sheep is smelly, with an oily kind of dirt that lingers on anything it touches and soaks right through clothing to give an overall aroma long after you’ve come in. One old ewe that I hate with a passion, since she takes advantage of every unsuspecting moment to assert her authority, had trouble having her lamb. Would you believe we had to pen her up all the while she was trying to incapacitate us . . . and then rassle her down and sit on her head before we could ...

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