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 376 results

151. On Not Losing Heart

2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Eulogy

Edward Inabinet

... the truth of Paul''s words. She saw so much more of life with the joys and hardships than many of us will ever see. She never lost heart. She loved life because she lived in love--the love of family, friends and her God, and with her humor, her keen insight and her love she communicated the presence of God and His life to all who knew her. She didn''t fear the future because she was at peace with herself and the Lord. She knew how to live in time because she truly lived in eternity and with eternal ...

152. Jesus and the Divorced Evangelist

John 4:1-26

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... she wanted herself. All she knew is that she was searching for something deeper in life than mere human love, as good and as important as that is. Is it too much to say that she was searching for the love of God? Perhaps this is what sparked her keen interest in theological questions. Whatever the reason, the men in her life had walked out on her, one after another, until one day, by a well, she met this strange Man from Galilee who actually treated her as a person instead of as a thing. And Jesus says to ...

153. To Who Can We Go?

John 6:60-71

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... impermanence. The late playwright Tennessee Williams was brutally frank about this in his introduction to “the Rose Tattoo.” He wrote: Whether or not we admit it to ourselves, we are all haunted by a truly awful sense of impermanence. I have always had a particularly keen sense of this at New York cocktail parties, and that is perhaps why I drink the martinis almost as fast as I can snatch them from the tray …the moment after the phone has been hung up, the hand reaches for the scratch pad and scrawls ...

154. Food for the Fed-up

John 6:25-59

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... in His spirit. Years ago a Presbyterian teacher of preaching named James T. Cleland wrote of a childhood remembrance of the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion. As a small child he said that he always looked forward to it with a sense of keen expectation and hope. This hope had been kindled because of a childish misunderstanding of one of the minister’s words during the service. About halfway through the service the minister would announce, “During the singing of the Communion hymn, the elders will bring ...

155. What Do You Want Me to Do for You?

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... him on the way.” (10:52) One gets the impression that this was the real message which Mark meant to convey. The following. That’s what it is all about. Following Jesus “on the way.” This man may have been physically blind, but his spiritual sight was keen. And so he had the right answer when Jesus asked, for the second time in the tenth chapter of Mark’s Gospel, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus asked for his sight. And then he followed Jesus. III. MY OBSERVATION IS THAT CHRIST ...

156. Please, Don't Let me Jabez Anyone Else (Part 5)

1 Chronicles 4:1-23

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... ," cried the youth, as he fell to the ground, soon to die. "You knew what I was when you picked me up," said the snake, as it slithered away. Jesus taught us to pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Jesus had keen insight into the human condition. Under certain conditions our potential for wrongdoing can overwhelm our desire to do what is right and good. We need Almighty God’s help to keep us from experiencing those kinds of conditions. This is one of the most important insights ...

157. The Lord's Prayer: Hallowed be Thy Name

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... walked up to the altar, took one of the candles and lit a cigarette. Dr. Craddock then shared these thoughts: Was it only tobacco? Was it only fire? In 1831, the distinguished French statesman and philosopher, Alexis de Tocqueville, made his way to America. He was a keen observer of what was happening in the life of this new land. He was later to write an account of his trip to America. He wrote these words: "I sought for the greatness of America in her fertile fields, farms, and forests--but it was not ...

158. A Rod And A Staff

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... . Death is not the house--but only the porch, not the goal--but the passage to it." (2) The believer''s ultimate assurance in facing and understanding the reality of death is God. Cecil B. DeMille, the famous motion picture producer, was a man of great talents and keen insights. He liked to go off by himself at times to think out a problem. One such time, he was in a canoe on a lake in Maine where he spent a whole afternoon allowing the canoe to drift quietly while he thought about his problem. The canoe ...

159. What a Difference a Day Makes

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... there grinning smugly. He thinks he has the victory in hand. He is pointing at the chessboard with an evil leer and he is gloating. As you look at the painting, you can almost hear the devil shouting: "Checkmate! Game''s over! I win!" However, a person with a keen eye who knows the game of chess can see that the match is not over at all. As a matter of fact, just a few years ago, an internationally famous chess player was admiring the painting when all of a sudden he lunged forward and exclaimed: "Wait a ...

160. Waiting

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Brett Blair

... how God’s people have waited throughout the ages: I First I would like to look at waiting in the Old Testament. Long before Jesus walked on earth the people of God, the Jews, were told that a great savior was to come. The New Testament writers were keenly aware of the Old Testament references. There are dozens of references to the Messiah in the Old Testament. Look at them with me: - Matthew (1:21-23) says the virgin conception of Jesus is found in Isaiah 7:14 - John (7:42) says his birth in Bethlehem is ...

161. Chosen

John 15:1-17

Sermon

David G. Rogne

... , in effect, the first one to be chosen. What agony it was, however, when others were doing the choosing. As an uncoordinated youngster, with very little to offer toward the team's success, I was likely to be chosen last, and the humiliation was keenly felt. Perhaps the disciples of Jesus experienced similar anguish when they contemplated the task that was before them following the death of Jesus. It must have been helpful to look back to that last meal they shared with Jesus before his death, and remember ...

162. Congratulations, You've Made the Team

1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Sermon

Fredrick R. Harm

Perhaps you remember, in high school or college, trying out for the varsity or junior varsity baseball, track, tennis, or football team. The competition was keen, you tried your level best, and finally the tryouts were concluded. A day or so later the bulletin board in the athletic department told the story. You stood there, and you read the list of those who made the team. Either your name was there or it was conspicuously absent. ...

163. Confession And Supplication

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... should die without Christ? The moving and challenging and judging thing came as Tim told me the story, then asked, almost pleading, “Dr. Dunham, what can we do that that sort of thing will not happen again?” Now that’s supplication. When we feel so keenly, even though the feeling may be helplessness, when we care so deeply, that we sorrow for, that we brood with, that we anguish over the condition of others and our world. That’s supplication. And people and the world are perishing for the want of ...

164. Loving The Jesus Way

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... McQuirter showed an admirable side of himself in a brief anecdote which he wrote, and it was published in the newspaper. He said it was easy enough to get puffed up about being the Governor of the State of Tennessee, but luckily, Tennesseans have a keen ability to keep "greatness" in perspective. Then he told about an experience he had after the last gubernatorial election. He went down to his rural hometown of Dresden. In a store on the main street, an elderly gentleman accosted him. "Ned?, Ned?, is that ...

165. At Home In The Daylight

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... . He is one of the most sensitive persons I know...sensitive to a fault, really. Not the least cause for the mess he was in was his inability to say no to anyone -- or to make a decision for fear of hurting another. Believe it or not, he was keenly sensitive about his relationship to God. We never had a session that he did not talk about that relationship. Forgiveness was a big issue with him. So he was a guilt-ridden person. When he confessed his adultery to me, he wanted to know how he would ever overcome ...

166. If Only -- In Spite Of

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... ? "It would be true to life if the second time Paul received an answer that went something like this: 'I hear what you are saying, Paul, but let me remind you that it takes both sunshine and rain to make one of my rainbows. You are a keen observer of the human condition. You know that people tend to live merely in the service of their own success. Those who know something about prosperity and pleasure become hard and shallow, those whose prosperity has been mixed with adversity can be kind and gracious. And ...

167. Who Loves More?

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little. We would do well to ponder the thought. If we are not loving much—if something is getting in the way of our loving others as we might, and should—maybe our sense of forgiveness is not keen enough. If we knew how much we are forgiven, would we love more? Let’s be honest. We can understand Simon’s shock, can’t we? What is the nature of forgiveness anyway? Is it more than condoning sin? Try to put yourself in Simon’s place. Can we ...

168. Don't Fade Out On the Amen and the Hallelujah

Revelation 19:1-10

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... . In all of his years – and even in his last years – he had a zest for life. Even though he was too blind to read during those last years, volunteer readers kept him up on current events. His mind was agile and alert. He had a keen perception and a way of getting at the heart of things – probing their meaning with clear insight. He was the bishop of the Methodist Church who was responsible for founding the Wesley Foundation Movement in United Methodism. There were many glowing tributes to him at his ...

169. What Are You Doing Here?

1 Kings 19:1-8, 1 Kings 19:9-18

Bulletin Aid

H. Burnham Kirkland

... on you, our Father in heaven. Forgive us, we pray, for our indifference, and with the help of your Holy Spirit may we turn from our sins and live more nearly like your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. Offertory Prayer God of justice and mercy, we are keenly aware of the multitudes that need our help. The task of aiding them seems so overwhelming when we consider our meager resources. Then we remember how Jesus fed the multitude, and we give thanks that our small gifts when used with those from other congregations ...

170. Children Of The Living God

Hosea 1:1-2:1

Bulletin Aid

H. Burnham Kirkland

... save those who honor him, People: and his saving presence will remain in our land. Collect O God, we come before you with joy, for we know that you are ever present with us and your love knows no bounds. We bow in contrition before you because we are keenly aware that we have not always loved and served you as we ought. We pray with thankful hearts because of all your blessings, and our lips sing your praises for the new life you have given us in Jesus Christ. Amen. Prayer Of Confession Lord, as we worship ...

171. The Way Up Is the Way Down

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

... out in our prayers and in our dreams. This is the craving for God that underlies and gives dignity to all our bodily appetites. God’s best gift is to make you ravenous for God. It’s all God has to give. How’s your appetite for God? Is it keen, or has it grown dull, satisfied by other things and perhaps by spiritual junk food. This is the good stuff, where the blessing is, now and later on. In God’s presence we discover a few things: that we have nothing to offer but vulnerability, that the tears we ...

172. The Heart of an Intimate Matter

Matthew 5:27-30

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

... order to fulfill it. Guilt is a good thing; it means you haven’t yet managed to numb your conscience totally. Shame is good; there is something wrong with me and you. Fear, even terror, is good; Jesus’ didn’t mind making an appeal to our keen sense of self-preservation. But trust in Christ and obedience are better yet, because they are the path to freedom and restored dignity in this most sensitive and intimate area. Thomas Brooks wrote, “Saving grace makes a man as willing to leave his lusts as a ...

173. The Tree That Didn't Get Trimmed

Romans 11:33-34

Drama

Matthew Powell

... was thick with trampled slush. Storyteller 2: As he lay among the broken boxes and fallen scraps of holly, thoughts came to him. He remembered Tree: the wintry sparkle of the woods, the big trees with crusts and clumps of silver snow on their broad boughs, the keen singing of the lonely wind. Storyteller 2: He remembered Tree: the strong, warm feeling of my roots reaching down into the safe earth. That is a good feeling. It means to a tree just what it means to humans to stretch their toes down toward the ...

174. Missing the Mark

1 Samuel 8:1-22

Sermon

Charles Allo

... moments in the past 80 years where each generation can remember the exact moment of their surroundings at the moment of occurrence. The attack at Pearl Harbor. The assassination of JFK. The attack of 911. My grandfather once shared with me how he keenly remembered everything about the moment when he heard that we were attacked at Pearl Harbor. How enraged he was, how he remembered, 60 years later, his thoughts, even his exact location and activities. My mom remembers exactly where she was, what she wore ...

175. Innercizing Your Shopping List

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... lives that mean the most to us. We're content with our backhand or resigned to our inability to parallel park because those are unimportant, peripheral parts of our lives (unless, of course, you're a tennis pro or a truck-driver). But we feel keenly our shortcomings in our parenting skills, or cringe at our inadequacies in professional arenas. Why? Because these are facets of our existence which we have struggled to perfect; these are aspects of our lives we have worked to bring to excellence. One of the ...

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