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 1526 to 1550 of 2173 results

1526. Jesus Is the Recipe for Eternal Life

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Scientists tell us that if you take six molecules of carbon dioxide and combine it with twelve molecules of water, then add light, the result will be one molecule of glucose sugar, six molecules of oxygen, and six molecules of water. This process, known as photosynthesis, makes the world as we know it possible. Carbon dioxide, which is exhaled by all mammals, is converted into oxygen which allows us to breathe. Plants, which use this photosynthesis process, make our world possible. But, photosynthesis ...

1527. Our Prayers Are Our Thanksgiving

1 Timothy 2:1-7

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands — one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands — one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. How many of us memorized these words as part of our morning classroom ritual in elementary school? Probably most folks gathered here. Some of us still recite ...

1528. Minding Your Heart

Mark 6:30-44

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

The church is the Body of Christ, and as such it has many organs. This week we consider how best the church can achieve a healthy balance between head, hand and heart. The Hopi Indians have a tradition that contrasts "head knowledge" with "heart knowledge - a tradition that respects the strengths of both ways of knowing. Western culture has been less equal handed, for while it has recognized the existence of other ways of examining the world, it has steadfastly relegated any deviations from "head knowledge ...

1529. FaithRace

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

There is no excuse for not running the race of life. Christians need no longer fear that their lives are going nowhere - like some kind of hamster-wheel marathon. Christians are called to join the faithrace, where the "finish" line is just the beginning of our life in Christ. Paul chose his words carefully when he proclaimed to his long-time companion Timothy that he had fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith. But today, one is reluctant to reinforce the athletic imagery. In medieval ...

1530. Philippians 3:17-4:1

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Paul's letter to the Philippians reveals the unique, close relationship between the apostle and this congregation. While Philippians is Paul's most famous "imprisonment letter," his tone betrays neither frustration not anxiety. Although he cannot personally be with the Philippians, the rapport between these believers and the apostle is so congenial that he speaks to them in supreme confidence that they both will understand his words and act accordingly. Paul and the Philippians had worked closely together ...

1531. Philippians 3:4b-14

Philippians 3:4b-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Just who Paul is arguing against in the beginning of Philippians 3 has been rich fodder for many scholarly debates. There is no indisputable evidence identifying these opponents. Still, some logical and probable extrapolations can be made. Paul's derogatory reference to these opponents in verse 2 as "dogs" strongly suggests they are Gentiles, not Jews. These Gentiles have apparently adopted the rite of circumcision, possibly as a semi-magical initiation ritual. Obviously this group understands neither ...

1532. 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

After Paul and his teammates Silvanus and Timothy were expelled from Thessalonia, the apostle worried over the new community there like some anxious parent. Paul's fear had its basis not just in the usual vicissitudes of human nature, but in the disturbing reports of persecution these new Christians had already been forced to endure. It is against this anxious backdrop that Paul receives Timothy's uplifting news, his Thessalonian brothers and sisters have remained strong under stress. In verse 9, Paul uses ...

1533. Growing Up Is More Than Showing Up

1 John 2:12-14

Sermon

James Merritt

Warren Wiersbe is one of the most popular and well known Bible teachers in all of the world. He once made this incredible statement: "After over forty years of ministry, I am convinced that spiritual immaturity is the number one problem in our churches." [1] I heard a story of a little boy who fell out of bed in the middle of the night. When his mother rushed to his room to ask him what happened, he said, "I don't know. I guess I stayed too close to where I got in." So many Christians do that with their ...

1534. When the Bills Come Due

1 Timothy 6:6-10

Sermon

James Merritt

Our Extreme Home Makeover is going according to plan, but there is one little matter we have not yet discussed. How are we going to finance the project? When the bills come due, can we finance this project without going into bankruptcy? The answer to that question is very easy. It all depends on whether or not we have managed our money properly. That is exactly what we are going to be talking about today - managing money. How many of you feel like the former pro golfer from Georgia, Doug Sanders, who said ...

1535. It’s Time to Grow Up

Ephesians 4:14-15

Sermon

James Merritt

I want you to listen again to two lines in this song. Between who you are and who you could be Between how it is and how it should be If that tension is in your life, I am going to dare you to move. I am going to dare you to move to the next level of spiritual growth in your life – to move from where you are now to where you could be on the road to both spiritual life and spiritual maturity. What I want to say to many of you today is something that we all tell our kids (or one day you will tell your kids) ...

1536. Get Real

John 15:1-11, 16

Sermon

James Merritt

Her name is Deborah Ricketts. If you ever go to the movies, you will often see her handiwork though you will never see her. She is never listed in the credits, although she ought to get credit for a lot of what you see in the movies. What is her job? She is an independent researcher for the film industry. For anyone who wants their movie to be truly authentic, not fake, the movie to be accurate and the facts to be reliable, all you have to do is send your script and a sizeable check to this former ...

1537. Holy Extravagance

John 12:1-8

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

In our spiritual voyages, surprises — sometimes outlandishly — come to us. We scratch our heads and wonder if what we are experiencing is fact or fiction. It may or may not be a time of inspiration. However, it may be one of instruction, as we view it in retrospect. You and I are to remember that every occurrence may very well be a teaching event. Mary's act near the time of Jesus' crucifixion is a scene mostly outside of our expectations and predictions. It catches us off guard and the same may have been ...

1538. The Promise that Won’t Be Broken

2 Timothy 1:1-14

Sermon

Clayton A. Lord

Paul was sitting in prison with every reason to be discouraged. He was just days away from his execution at the hands of Emperor Nero. He was isolated and treated like a man to be scorned, unlike his earlier stints in jail. The Emperor Nero had blamed the Christians for the great fire that destroyed the city of Rome. For the first time they were subjected to terrible persecution and citizens from every corner of the empire turned against them. Christians were burned as living torches to light the emperor's ...

1539. Like a Tree Planted

Jeremiah 17:5-10

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

You have probably never thought seriously about tiptoeing through the treetops, but there is a place where you can do that very thing. A lush Brazilian rainforest is home to a spectacular "canopy walk." Tiptoeing through the tops of several hundred different kinds of trees, you will observe creation from an entirely different perspective. You can look a golden-headed lion tamarin in the eye as it jumps from tree to tree. You will see termite nests the size of pumpkins, hanging from rubber trees that are ...

1540. Every Day God Enables

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

I remember reading a book of letters from children to their pastor. One of them read: "Dear Preacher, I'd like to bring my dog to church on Sunday. She is only a mutt, but she is a good Christian. Love, Sissy. PS I'm sorry I can't leave more money in the offering plate on Sunday, but my Daddy won't give me a raise in my allowance. Maybe you could give a sermon about a raise in my allowance. It would help the church get more money." I like that little girl. I'll bet she's going someplace in her life. Not ...

1541. Choosing The Right Gift

John 1:1-14

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Here we are. Christmas Eve, Eve. In the past month we've spent who knows how many hours shopping for just the right gift for friends, family, our Tree of Angels children. I'll bet all the crowds of shoppers are starting to make you a little nuts. As you wade through the crowds to get that one last item, does your mouth go a little dry? As you stand in the express line with your four items while the person in from of you as at least forty do you start to twitch all over? When you hear "Grandma Got Run Over ...

1542. The Challenge, The Call, The Cure

Matthew 9:9-13

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

The 1999 movie October Sky, is the true story of Homer Hickam, Jr., who rose from a gloomy West Virginia coal mining town with not much hope of a future to become a NASA engineer. Homer's mind and imagination is completely captured by the launch of Sputnik. All of a sudden he is fascinated by rockets. There's a scene early on in the movie when Homer is thinking about talking to Quentin, the school nerd and his best friend, Roy Lee says: "You can't be seen with him Homer. He's a weirdo." As Homer gets up to ...

1543. Assurance: The Privilage of All Believers

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

One of my favorite writers is Loren Eiseley. He is an anthropologist and naturalist who can blend scientific knowledge and imaginative vision, and record his findings with the perception of a painter, the words of a poet, and the heart of a prophet. I share one of his stories in his own words, because the way he puts words together is powerful and inspiring. “The sound that awoke me was the outraged cries of the nestling’s parents, who flew helplessly in circles about the clearing. (A raven had raided ...

1544. Who Will Cast the First Stone?

John 7:45--8:11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

There is a down home story about a small town veterinarian who had invented an instrument with which, he boasted, even a child could administer a capsule to a horse, no matter how unruly or reluctant the horse might be. One summer the vet went to county fair to demonstrate his new invention. They couldn’t find anyone who would permit his horse to be a part of the experiment, but they did find a mule, and soon a crowd had gathered to watch. Undaunted, the veterinarian inserted a long glass tube into the ...

1545. There Is a Price for Everything

Matthew 13:44-46

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Have you ever had something backfire on you, making you feel as though you had spit into the wind? Leo Buscaglia tells about a man who was driving his car on a narrow, winding country road. He came to a hairpin curve and accidentally crossed the center dividing line a bit. A woman driving in the opposite way had to swerve to avoid hitting him. As they passed, she yelled out her window, “Pig!” Why that - that so-and-so the man thought. Instantaneously, he shouted back, “Sow! Then he rounded the curve and ...

1546. Lessons from Rephidim - Being the Lord's Intercessor

Exodus 17:8-16

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Last Sunday we began to talk about Lessons from Rephidim. We said there were three lessons. One, being the Lord’s instrument; two, being the Lord’s intercessor; and, three, being inter dependent with the Lord’s people. We considered only the first lesson last Sunday. Today, we want to look at the other two. Our scripture story is a dramatic one. It was Israel’s first battle. They met the Amalekites at Rephidim. Joshua commanded the forces of Israel, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up on the mountain to pray ...

1547. The New Road

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Robert Frost is one of my favorite poets. Among his finest words are these: “I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged into a wood, and I I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." Here we are at the threshold of a brand new year. It's not hard to find a seat on the Sunday after Christmas. The crowds have gone home, but like wise men from the East we have come to worship Christ the new-born King. For us, Christmas did not come to pass ...

1548. The Compassionate Christ

Mark 1:40-45

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

My mother and father-in-law were country music singers before there was country music. With guitar in hand and harmony in their heart, they traveled the hills of Owen County singing at revivals and Sunday dinners on the grounds. One of my favorites was a little ditty that went like this: Your roses may have thorns, but don't forget, Your thorns may have some roses too. The Lord of great compassion loves you yet, And He will never fail to see you through. It is the Lord of great compassion that I would like ...

1549. From Pride to Humility

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Our son Brad was a better-than-average high school football player. He played on a team that was always in contention for a state championship. His name or picture was often splashed on the Saturday morning sports page of the Lexington Leader. I've never believed kids learn much from fatherly lectures so, I always tried to communicate values through often repeated, pithy, little statements. Every Friday, before Brad went to his high school football game, I shared the words of Proverbs 16:18 — Pride goes ...

1550. Are We There Yet?

James 5:7-10

Sermon

John N. Brittain

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" It's not just children of a certain age who ask that question, although they certainly do. I've been on a number of trips in the past few years with delayed flights, missed connections, and lost luggage, where I've been the one asking the question. Leading up to Christmas (or a birthday or wedding or trip to Disney World) the question becomes one of time rather than distance: "Is it here yet?" On such occasions, we give advice that sounds very much like that in James 5 ...

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