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 151 to 175 of 1164 results

151. Hell under Fire

Matthew 5:22; 28-30

Sermon

James Merritt

We are in a middle of a series that we have entitled "The War of the Worlds" and today the series is really going to heat up (no pun intended!) What we are talking about is the war of the world views. Remember, every person has a world view; a lens through which they see the world they live in, the life they live and it is the guide they use to make the crucial decisions about how they are going to live and what they are going to believe. There are basically only two world views the Christian world view ...

152. Hallelujah! Come On, Get Happy

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

David G. Rogne

At the entrance to Disneyland is a sign that reads: "Disneyland — the happiest place on earth." Millions of people have come from all over the world to visit and partake of the happiness it was designed to create. Happiness is something that humans seek naturally. We are all on a pleasure hunt. We Americans even wrote the pursuit of happiness into our constitutional rights. Yet the more earnestly we pursue happiness, the more elusive it becomes. June Callwood, in her article "One Sure Way to Happiness" ( ...

153. Come and See

Luke 2:1-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

“Our hearts are forever restless until they find their rest in God." A brilliant, articulate university professor made that statement more than 1,600 years ago. In September of this year, a cover story in Newsweek magazine on “Spirituality in America" came to this conclusion. “There is a hunger in the human heart for a transcendent experience of God." It's Christmas Eve. The bars are closed; churches are open. Whether or not it is clear to you, you have found your way to church because you are spiritually ...

154. No Place Like Home

Psalm 128:1-6

Sermon

James Merritt

The year was 1852, and if you had been standing on the street corner of Washington, D.C., as this funeral procession made its way down the street, you would have been extremely impressed. First of all, you would have seen standing on that same street with you, with his head bowed, his hat removed, and tears in his eyes, the President of the United States. Next to him you would have seen his cabinet, most of congress, and dignitaries from Berlin, London, Tokyo, and Africa. The crowds lined the streets by ...

155. Hot Air or the Holy Spirit?

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

There was a big spring festival in Jerusalem that day. It may have been similar to Dogwood Days in Atlanta, the Strawberry Festival in Dayton, or Mule Day in Columbia, Tennessee. This agricultural festival was called the “Feast of Weeks" and it took place every spring on Pentecost, 50 days after the Jewish Passover. Jews scattered throughout the world returned to Jerusalem for the celebration designed to emphasize the goodness of God. As people do at community festivals, everyone was having a good time — ...

156. The Great I Am

John 14:5-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

It happened in an instant. From top of the mountain to bottom of the heap--literally, the bottom of a heap. Joe Kay was a high school golden boy. All conference basketball star. Senior Valedictorian scholastic star. Lead saxophone musical star. Joe Kay was headed to Stanford after graduation. On the night of February 6, 2004, he was leading the basketball victory of Tucson High School against their arch rivals. A glorious last moment slam dunk by Joe and the game was won. It was the perfect pinnacle of his ...

157. A Day For All the Saints

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

When Dr. Gerhard Frost, much beloved and saintly retired professor of Luther Northwestern Seminary, died quite suddenly, in less than three weeks, in May, 1987, he did have time to plan his funeral service with his wife and pastor. Hymns to be sung included: "O Day Full of Grace," "Jesus, Priceless Treasure," "O Bread of Life from Heaven," and "In Thee is Gladness." The Lessons were from 1 Corinthians 15, Romans 8, Job 19, and John 17 - some of his favorite biblical passages. Dr. Alvin Rogness, president ...

158. The Irrational Season

Romans 14:1--15:13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

One brief, sunny morning a woman looked out her living room window and was amazed to discover a dead mule on her lawn. Immediately she called the sanitation department and asked them to remove the carcass. But by the time the work-crew arrived, she had changed her mind. She gave the men $100.00 each, instructing them to carry the mule upstairs and to deposit it in the bathtub. After they had dutifully followed her instructions, one of the workers asked why she wanted the dead mule in her bathtub. She said ...

159. A Man of the Moment

Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon

Stan Purdum

Do you remember the movie 1988 movie, Twins? It was comedy that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito as, of all things, twin brothers. Even if you know nothing about the plot of the movie, the mental picture of those two actors standing side-by-side as twins is itself pretty funny. The setup for the move is that the brothers are the result of an experiment to grow a perfect man, who is the Schwarzenegger character, named Julius. But in the course of manipulating his genes when he's in the ...

160. On Loneliness

Sermon

Gregory J. Johanson

HENRY CLOSE’S (see biographical note preceding A New Perspective) sermon On Loneliness grew out of discussions with people in alcoholic rehabilitation programs. In it he deals with the subject of loneliness, an emotion the well-known American psychiatrist Harry Stack Sullivan used to say was the only motivating force in people stronger than anxiety that could move them toward facing the possibility of pain and growth. People have used many different symbols or figures of speech to express their sometimes ...

161. Justified By What?

Romans 3:19-28

Sermon

King Duncan

Florence Littauer was speaking at a Church Growth Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Florence was winning the crowd with her great sense of humor and anecdotes of everyday life. She told one delightful story about a speaking engagement during which she was focusing on the sinfulness of humankind and the need for God's grace. Spontaneously, Florence asked, "Does anyone here know what grace means?" A 7yearold girl on the front row, all decked out in a white dress, stood up and raised her hand. "I know, Miss ...

162. Christ's Passion Portraits

Isaiah 50:1-11

Sermon

Paul Hegele

The task before us that afternoon was simple enough. The newly remodeled church lounge had a wall which needed a picture; everyone agreed it should be a portrait of Christ. The question was - what should Jesus look like? Five hundred years before Christ's birth, Isaiah had predicted he would have "no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him." Except for the unnerving remark, the Bible never mentions Jesus' appearance. So, which of the scores of paintings ...

163. The Proof Is in the Pudding

Exodus 17:1-7

Sermon

David J. Kalas

It is an incongruous scene: a multitude in the desert. The desert is supposed to be desolate, barren, devoid of life. There may be the occasional sturdy breed of plant, animal, or insect that can survive the inhospitable environment, but little else. Rivers and lakes may teem with fish; the forests are full of birds and wildlife; the fields and prairies are home to countless animals; the desert is a mostly unpopulated expanse that lacks almost everything necessary to sustain life. And yet, as our camera ...

164. When God Says "Go"

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Sermon

Several years ago Alvar Persson was elected mayor of Grove City, Minnesota. It was an unusual election, partly because of the size of the victory - Persson garnered eighty percent of the vote - partly because Persson is a Lutheran minister and not a politician, but mostly because Persson wasn't even running for office. No one was. Next to the word Mayor on the ballot was a blank space. Only write-in votes could be cast. Of the eleven people whose names were written in, Persson was the clear choice - 202 ...

165. The Hillside and the Basket

John 6:1-15

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

There is a certain rock known as a geode. From the outside it is but a dull-looking stone. Yet crack it open and one discovers a breathtaking array of crystals in a hollow core. I feel like I'm holding an uncracked geode in my hands when I look at a Bible text. I know there is a powerful blessing in the passage. It must simply be opened to the light by preaching. So to the text, the story of the feeding of the multitudes, we now turn. There Was a Need! Our text begins with a human need. Jesus had been ...

166. Our Souls Will Never Be Hungry Again

John 6:25-59

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

Theme: We bow in humble belief because the sign Jesus gives is his life on the cross. With this bread, our souls will never be hungry again. Greeting Leader: Jesus said, "Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life." People:: Jesus, teach us the difference. Leader: "I am the bread of life," Jesus said. "Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." People: Jesus, give us this bread always. Prayer Father who gives true ...

167. Flatliners

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

Richard A. Wing

What would happen if on this Sunday we were to come to Jesus and ask, "Tell us flat-out what you're about?" Jesus might, on this particular day, say, "I have come to give comfort to the uncomfortable and to make uncomfortable those who have comfort." He has a way of flattening things out. Jesus is a flatliner. What if we were to ask that question of the entire Bible? "Don't give me the six-week course. Just give me a compendium of that battered and complex book. What does it look like?" He would have to ...

168. Surprised by God

Genesis 28:10-19a

Sermon

James L. Killen

We live in a culture that is increasingly secular. At its best, secularism is simply what we Americans call the separation of church and state. It is a practical way to keep people from having to live lives regimented by someone else's religious convictions and that keeps countries from being torn by conflicts between religious groups that all want to write the rules. There is a lot of history in our world that argues for the practicality of that kind of arrangement. As it has taken shape among us, however ...

169. Two Christmas Dinners

Luke 21:3-4

Drama

Matthew Powell

Cast Storyteller 1 Storyteller 2 Snuffy Pete Mr. Cabot Waitress Nurse (Waitress and Nurse could be played by the same actor) (The Storytellers are seated at stage left and stage right. In the center of the stage are two small benches. Mr. Cabot, Waitress, and Nurse sit upstage, facing away from the audience until they "enter." Snuffy Pete is seated on the right bench, with stomach extended, looking stuffed and uncomfortable) Storyteller 1: Snuffy Pete took his seat on the second bench as you enter Union ...

170. Feeding The 5000

John 6:1-15, John 6:16-24

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

Theme: If the miracles are only signs pointing to Christ, how much greater he must be than these astounding miracles. Truly, the one before whom we bow is beyond human comprehension. GREETING Leader: With just five barley loaves and two fish, Jesus fed the crowd of five thousand people. Congregation: O God, feeding five thousand was nothing. Every day Jesus feeds millions with the living bread of his body. Leader: After the five thousand ate, the disciples gathered up more fragments than there were loaves ...

171. The Burglar's Christmas

Luke 15:22-24

Drama

Matthew Powell

Cast Narrator 1 Narrator 2 Young Man Will Mother Father (Narrators are seated on stools or chairs at stage right and stage left. Mother and Father are sitting on a bench or chairs up stage facing away from the audience. There is an unoccupied chair or stool in center stage. Will and Young Man are standing at center stage slightly down from the unoccupied chair) Narrator 1: Two very shabby-looking young men stood at the corner, looking despondently at the carriages that whirled by. Narrator 2: It was ...

172. Dynamic Preaching January 2024 Sermons

Sermon

King Duncan

[Note: While King Duncan is enjoying a well deserved retirement we are going back to his earliest sermons and renewing them. The newly modernized sermon is shown first and below, for reference sake, is the old sermon. We will continue this updating throughout the year bringing fresh takes on King's best sermons.] Original Title: Preparing for a Royal Visit New Title: Getting Ready Mark 1:1-8 January 7, 2024 (Baptism of the Lord) A little boy attended his first symphony concert. He was excited by the ...

173. Sentimental Slaves

Exodus 16:2-15

Sermon

David J. Kalas

Let me ask you to do a little remembering today. I don't know specifically what it is that I'm asking you to remember: that will vary with each individual. In general, though, here is the assignment: I want you to remember "the good old days." What comes to mind when you hear that phrase? What time? What place? What period of your life and experience first occurs to you when you hear a reference to "the good old days"? When our oldest daughter was just five years old, she was sitting with my wife and me ...

174. Is There Life After Christmas?

Luke 2:21-40, Isaiah 12:1-6

Sermon

Erskine White

"This child is destined ... to be a sign that is opposed, so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed." (Luke 2:34b) During his tenure as head football coach at the University of Arkansas, Lou Holtz once had his team play a bowl game on Christmas Day. When a reporter asked him how he felt about playing football on this day, rather than being at home with his family, Coach Holtz was honest and to the point. "Frankly, I’d rather be doing this," he said. "Once you’ve been to church, had dinner and ...

175. Getting Ready for the Passover

Luke 22:7-38, Luke 22:1-6

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: It is at Passover time that Jesus is to die, and he is determined to have a last Passover meal with his disciples before his death occurrs. Understanding the Text In 21:37–38 Luke rounds off the account of Jesus’s teaching in the temple courtyard, which began at 20:1. With the mention of the Passover in 22:1 the long-anticipated climax of the story (see 9:22, 31, 44, 51; 13:31–35; 18:31–33) begins, as these verses relate the plotting of the Jerusalem authorities, the fateful decision of Judas ...

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