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 5000 results

1526. The Unforgivable Sin

Mark 3:20-30

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... prince of demons. It’s not quite like saying that he’s crazy, something like it, but not quite. It’s more like saying he’s duped. He may not realize what he’s doing, but he’s doing the devil’s work. So the scene is set and Mark wants us to make up our mind. Where would you be in this scene? Would 9 be inside with those who listened with open minds and eager hearts? Or would we be outside with those who say, “He is beside himself.” Where would you be? Those questions suggest this side path ...

1527. Doing Our Best

Romans 12: 1-13

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... The thing I loved about Dragnet was the matter-0f-fact sergeant, who regardless of the circumstances, always turned out well at the end. It was a simpler day. We could look a person straight in the eye and say, “Just the facts, Ma'am, just the facts. I just want the facts." Let me share some facts with you. It is a fact that we need $4.1 million to fund the ministries of this congregation for 2002. The facts are: this is 10% more than it was last year. The facts are: that 10% is going almost completely to ...

1528. Finding Answers to Family Feuds

Genesis 25: 21-34

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... ever talk to one another? The good thing about the Bible is it just tells it like it is. Tom Watson Jr., who for many years was the CEO of IBM writes, I always felt like the black sheep in my family. My brother lived up to what my Dad wanted. I never did. He graduated from Yale, played ball, related to people with the greatest of charm and ease. I had none of those social skills. I never felt I measured up nor found the approval of my father. Roberta Bondi, a professor at Emory, has written a book, Healing ...

1529. Will I Really Live Forever?

John 11:18-27, 39-45

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... In hell, they were still trying to do it themselves! You see, my friends, temporal deeds take on eternal dimensions when you do it for others. The last time I checked, the final exam has only one question on it. Did you do it for the least of these? I want to tell you, the least of these are not very beautiful people, most of the time. The least of these are not very thankful people, most of the time. The least of these are not very deserving people, most of the time. It is only when you transform the least ...

1530. Deciding To Excel In Everything

II Corinthians 8:1-7, 11-12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... of their own and my heart is deeply sorrowful, where can I go but to the Lord in prayer? Prayer is at the heart of who we are and it must permeate everything that we think, all that we do, and all that we believe. More than anything else, I want us to be known as a praying people. Surely that is what the world expects from us. From the last two Septembers, if we didn’t learn anything else, we ought to know that the world still expects the Church to be a “place of prayer for all people.” How ...

1531. Getting in S.H.A.P.E. for Ministry

Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... ? So in this great volunteer state of Tennessee, I am on a recruiting mission for people who are interested and willing and wanting to play on God’s team for the good of the world. I ask you rather directly and straight forwardly, are you willing ... to her, “I cannot begin to understand what you have experienced today, but I know someone who knows exactly what you feel and I want to bring her to you.” That’s exactly what I did. Have you taken your troubles and transformed them into tools of ministry for ...

1532. Why Am I A United Methodist?

I Timothy 1:12-17

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... , at least my grandson does. I can say to him, “Why don’t I buy you the chicken McNuggets and the fries and I’ll take you out and buy you a real toy on the way home?” He screams at the top of his voice and says, “No, I want a happy meal!” We are not selling food. We are marketing happiness. The problem with a happy meal is that the happiness soon wears off. As we get older our happy meals get more expensive and it still wears off. Saturday after Saturday I conduct weddings. I say teasingly to ...

1533. Foundations are Critical

Matthew 7:24-27

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... say, “Last night we had the first gathering of our construction crew. Several participants are not in any church. We are excited about this 40-day opportunity to grow in our faith.” To God be the glory for the things that are happening in our very midst. When Jesus wanted to drive home a truth, He told a story. A certain man had two sons, a certain farmer went out to sow seeds, a merchant sold everything to purchase a pearl of great price. So it should come as no great surprise to us that this Son of a ...

1534. Engaging the Master Designer

Psalm 139: 1-18

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... say something like, “Lord, I am weak but you are strong. Sometimes it’s even hard for me to hang on. But, O Lord, I don’t want to let this trouble go to waste. Redeem it by your grace. Fill it with your mercy. Work it and weave it, mold it and make it ... , William Cullen Bryant, was pondering the future of his life as he walked on a December day through Massachusetts in search of a job. He wanted to be a poet, but felt compelled by the need to make a living to try law. As he walked along he saw a wild ...

1535. Crying Out of the Depths

Psalm 130:1-8

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... out of ten they will ask me to read the 23rd Psalm. When we “walk through the valley of the shadow of death," we want to be reminded that God is with us. Martin Luther, who often fought with devils while reforming the Church, considered Psalm 130 his ... waiting a long time for a child to come home, a marriage to be better, a break to come at work, a healing to happen. I just want to say: keep hope alive. In God's time, He makes all things beautiful in His time. “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord ...

1536. The Kingdom for Which We Long

Matthew 13:31-35, Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:47-52

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... of religion. But there is something about the Christ who dares to come to us in the midst of our own lives and say, ‘I want it all. I want all of you.’ Let me tell you today, it’s worth the price. The kingdom of God cannot come until our kingdom goes. Somewhere ... is done on earth as it is in heaven. The things, Good Lord, that we pray for, give us the courage to work for. Do you want to know the secret of fruitful life? Find where God is—that is where you need to be. Find what God is doing in this ...

1537. The Bread We Daily Need

Luke 11:1-10

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... for us to ask for help? My children say they hate to buy me Christmas presents. “We never know what to buy you,” they say. “If he wants anything he goes out and buys it for himself, so he has no need for anything that we can get for him.” If it were a ... for the moment. Are you willing to live day by day? That’s tough for me. Lord, would you take care of the next thirty years. I want to know how it’s going to be when I’m ninety, if I get to live that long. But that’s not the prayer. Give us ...

1538. Finding the Courage to Believe

John 20:24-31

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... the Lord Jesus Christ. Receive him as your Lord and Savior. Become what he has created you to be. Believe, receive, become. Is that too much to ask? Isn't it about time you found the courage to believe? Would you pray this prayer with me? Dear Jesus, I want to believe in you and in the power of your resurrection. I long to experience your healing presence in the wounded places of my life. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. Now take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to thee. Take my moments and my days ...

1539. Checking Out the Scene

John 1:35-42

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... ? I don’t know for sure, but I know they were changed in that conversation. What if the same Christ came to you and me and dared to say, “Come and see.” Check it out; give it a chance. It could mean life to you. So for seven days I want to invite you to do three things. 1. STOP Charles Kuralt said, “It does no harm just once in a while to acknowledge that the whole world is not in flames, that there are people in this country besides politicians, entertainers, and criminals. I don’t know about you ...

1540. The Dynamics of Being a Dad

Ephesians 6:1-4, Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... has done better than you have.” It sort of reminds me of what my speech teacher said once upon a time. There are just some people who are born in the objective case. I don’t know if you have found that to be true or not but what I want you to realize today is how powerful your words are and how damaging they can be. By contrast, Dove award singer Twila Paris credits her parents for giving her a sense of self-worth and confidence. They always answered my question of “Do you think I can do it?” with ...

1541. The Forgiving Christ

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... the local paper which read “Paco, meet me at the town square, noon Tuesday, all is forgiven. Dad." Of course, Madrid is full of boys named Paco. At the appointed time, eight hundred young men showed up at the town square hoping to meet a forgiving father. If you want to be forgiven, get up. B. Take your mat! Carry the thing that has been carrying you all of these years. Take it up, you have power now you never dreamed of before. All suffering is not a result of sin. There is another principal that is true ...

1542. Embracing Christ—The Light of the World

John 8:12-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... the steps. That's when Edison assembled his staff and started working on another light bulb. When it was finished Edison called the same assistant to carry it upstairs to the testing room. That's what Jesus Christ does for us; he gives us a second chance. In fact, He wants us to keep coming back until we get it right. No matter how many times we keep coming back, He gives us grace and that's what grace is all about. He is the light of life; He came to shine on you. No wonder we call grace amazing. We ...

1543. Giving Up Our Comfortable Customs

Luke 12:35-48

Illustration

Carveth Mitchell

... the manners of the court. He sadly shook his head and lowered his eyes. "No, Sire," he said. "I would be too uncomfortable. It would pull me out of my comfortable customs. It would be too hard to live up to. It would take too much of me." "If you want to do something for me, give me a plot of ground, a farm, a house of my own; but to live in your palace, eat at your table, be your son-in-law - this is too much." So he declined it. You see - he ...

1544. A Shepherd's Story

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

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... choice, you understand. First, I have to stay awake all night. Then, there's counting the sheep to make sure one or two haven't wandered off. Thieves are always a problem. Wild animals, now that's what really scares me. I don't want them to get the sheep, but I sure don't want them to get me. None of us could get by without sheep. Where else would we get the wool, the meat, the skins, even the horns? If sheep are that important, surely we shepherds are important, too, right? I guess that as long as people ...

1545. Those Who Most Need a Blessing

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... translation, but it makes what Jesus is talking about sound like a place. The dominion of heaven is as much a time as it is a place. The dominion of heaven is the time and place where God will restore the creation, making the creation what God wants it to be. In the restored creation, sin, death, and evil will be vanquished, so that God's creatures can thrive in harmony and peace. Jesus' ministry brought the dominion of heaven near. We cannot follow Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount unless we are ...

1546. Faith to Follow

John 3:1-17

Sermon

Lee Griess

... our fear of where that may lead us, that's spiritual adventure. When we talk to someone about our faith, in spite of our fear of what they may think of us because of it, that's spiritual adventure. When we think enough about God to want to be in worship in spite of the inconvenience it may cause us, that's spiritual adventure. Those are the times when we leave the smooth, paved road, when we abandon the boring residential streets for the adventure of unmarked trails — that's when faith becomes real ...

1547. Fido’s Dilemma

Romans 6:1-11

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... We no longer have to live in fear of death and losing all. We no longer are in the grips of our sinful nature that always wants us to live in fear of death. We no longer are under the power of the evil one because we know that he has been defeated ... a dilemma for us. We have already died and risen with Christ. We are certain of our baptism. We know who we are. We may have wanted to keep it under our paw or firmly clenched in our jaws, but now the promise of that half pound USDA prime cut choice ground sirloin ...

1548. A Vision Vanished

Philippians 3:4-14

Sermon

Larry Lange

... the first time in many months. "Haven't seen you for a while, Arnie. What can we do for you?" Arnold glared at the bartender. Nobody could do anything for him. He didn't know what to think about anything. Had he seen Jesus or what? No one seemed to want to hear his story, so maybe it wasn't such a great story after all. Maybe it was just a story. Maybe he was just whacked — seeing stuff. "Glad to see you back, Arnie. We were getting worried about you. We thought you'd gone and joined a church and ...

1549. Symbols We Wear

James 2:14-26

Children's Sermon

Marti Kramer Suddarth

... ? You have to remember that it’s not what you wear, but what you do that identifies you. When you help someone or encourage that person, when you tell the truth, and when you do the right thing even when it’s hard, you are doing something that Jesus wants you to do. When people look at you, they won’t remember what you are wearing. They’ll remember that you showed Jesus’ love, and then they’ll know that you love him. James tells us that in the book of James. (Hold up the card stock printed with ...

1550. Silly Putty, Play-Doh and Potter's Clay

Jeremiah 18:1-11

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... my sweaters. It doesn't come out. B. So, what does Silly Putty have to do with our faith. Well, some folks are like this little toy. And you'd think that was a good thing. And it is, sort of. You see, Silly Putty is pliable, exactly what God wants with our lives. It can be shaped into ball so when troubles come we can bounce back. And when applied to the written word or the comics it will make an exact copy of what's there. And that would be a good thing, especially for Bible Study. Unfortunately, Silly ...

Showing results