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 1726 to 1750 of 2415 results

1726. Enemies of the Cross

Philippians 3:17 - 4:1

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... any other way than by serving our own self-interest. On the one hand the libertine tries to "save" himself through all sorts of self-indulgence. On the other hand, the moralist tries to "save" himself through all sorts of discipline. They do it with a passion that betrays its ultimate source: the empty and searching heart that feels compelled to have a life that counts. There is no escaping the sense that they must, that they have to do something or else they will disappear into oblivion. Paul would say in ...

1727. The Blood of The Lamb and The Voice of The Shepherd

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

Who is Jesus? How are we to understand him? In the novel, The Brothers K, David James Duncan tells the story of the Chance family, a family of four boys, two girls, an agnostic father, and a mother of passionate fundamentalist faith. They all have very different ideas about who Jesus is. One of the boys, Kincaid, describes how each family member tries to make sense of Jesus and religion: It's strange the way everybody has their own pet notion about Jesus, and nobody's pet notion seems to ...

1728. The Assurance of Things Hoped For

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... least some of them wanted to go back to their old faith. Maybe they just weren't as diligent as they once had been. In any case, they are in danger of drifting away. The author of Hebrews remains a mystery to us, but he was passionate about bringing the church back to a strong, vibrant faith. The author of Hebrews was a brilliant person who had studied deeply. He draws on the Greek translation of the Old Testament, philosophy, and Jewish traditions to convince his readers to maintain their faith. Before we ...

1729. God as a Consuming Fire

Hebrews 12:18-29

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... not seem a pleasant image, but it may be what we need to hear. Let us take seriously the images of God's judgment in scripture. Let us learn from them. Let us always balance these images with images of God's mercy. In Hebrews, the author passionately describes Jesus as one who became human to understand us, show us the way, and to redeem us. That is a God of love. A woman preparing for the ministry once wrote to her supervising pastor in the candidacy process. She exuberantly exclaimed that she was "head ...

1730. A New Resolve

Philippians 4:1, 4-9

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

... to land a plane with a blown engine is not mid-air. The time for a married couple to figure out how to fight fairly is not in the middle of the argument. The time for the young adult to figure out their sexuality is not in the moment of passion. Paul is saying that the time for the Christian to decide how to respond in crisis is not when you are overcome by pain, grief, and doubt. Resolve right now how you will act, respond, and speak while you are still in the simulator. To be sure, real life is ...

1731. The Call of God

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... , Samuel, Amos, Isaiah, and Ezekiel could point to a precise moment in their journey when God called them to be prophets ... ones who announced God's actions and words. Preaching, announcing God's presence, word, direction comes first from a person who has a passion for what matters in life spiritually. When God calls a person to preach, he gives them the necessary gifts to preach and expects him/her to prepare as if eternity were at stake ... and it is for the hearers. Jerry Vines wrote, "Men prepare ser ...

1732. Lessons From a Hurricane

Jeremiah 17:5-10

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... Barclay[4] To be "a saint" to live from the inside out means that we will: * listen to God's directions, * enjoy the fellowship of God, * master the world and not allow the world to master you, * move steadily toward God, * conform to God's character, * be passionate for Christ, * receive the power of the Holy Spirit to conquer the ravages of sin, and * radiate the love of Christ to others. To exist in life's hurricanes is to exist in Christ! III. Examine The Heart In The Hurricanes Of Life (Jeremiah 17:10 ...

1733. At Points of Dispair

1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a

Sermon

Stephen P. McCutchan

... on Mount Carmel. And when they had all built altars to their gods — sex, wealth, power, hate, selfishness — Elijah also built an altar to his God. After the other priests had tried futilely to get their gods to show themselves, after all the other passions of life had failed to satisfy the hunger of the soul, Elijah called on God to accept his sacrifice and fire came down from heaven and consumed his sacrifice. It was a great victory for Elijah, but then it happened. Jezebel was furious at Elijah ...

1734. When God Measures The Church

Amos 7:7-17

Sermon

Stephen P. McCutchan

... of the story. A man fell among robbers and was left by the side of the road. Along came a priest and a Levite who both passed him by on the other side. Then came a Samaritan, who didn't belong to the faith. This Samaritan outsider had compassion and went out of his way and at great expense to care for the wounded man. This story, on a personal level, was similar to Amos' declaration on a national level. The message was essentially the same. Our fate depends upon our understanding that God does have a ...

1735. What God Expects From Worship

Isaiah 1:1, 10-20

Sermon

Chrysanne Timm

... to keep the righteousness and holiness of the Lord in the forefront of the people's minds and hearts. They were established to continually remind God's people of his ready provision and faithfulness. They were intended to remind the people of the Lord's passion for justice and care for the suffering. These sacrifices were meant to restore people to community when they sinned against one another and to reconcile them to the Lord when they forgot his purposes in favor of their own. So why did the Lord no ...

1736. The ABC's of Grief

Lamentations 1:1-6

Sermon

Chrysanne Timm

... to dancing, and sorrow will be transformed into joy. Our God is deeply and fully acquainted with grief. God's own heart broke when his Son Jesus suffered and died upon the cross at Calvary. But ultimately God is a God of life, whose love and compassion conquer the grave and grant new and eternal life. May you and those with whom you share the joys and sorrows of life know the peace of a God who promises relationship where there has been abandonment and healing for broken spirits. And may you know with ...

1737. When We Are Uncertain about The Future

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... time to hear the sermon about Ananias and Sapphira. Do you remember that story? In the book of Acts we’re told how Ananias and Sapphira lied about their offering and were struck dead because of it. Going home this little boy prayed fervently and passionately for forgiveness for spending his offering on candy. He stayed up all night chanting, “I love Jesus, I love Jesus,” in hopes that this would convince God to spare his life. (9) It is sad that our faith, rather than giving us comfort, can sometimes ...

1738. Collections or Connections?

Luke 24:1-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... words. Remembering brings the women to faith in the risen Lord. It is because of that sudden faith, not any angelic directive, that the women race out of the tomb and back to the disciples and “all the rest” who had heard Jesus’ passion predictions. The women tell them also to “remember.” But having not seen the empty tomb or encountered the angelic visitors, the rest of Jesus’ community discounts the women’s words as “an idle tale” (NRSV). That is a deceptively kind translation. The term ...

1739. Between a Rock and a Hard Rock Thrower

Galatians 1:11-24

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... is even one theory that Peter and Paul may have been buried together in the same grave at Rome. (See Walter Lowrie, Peter and Paul at Rome [New York: Oxford University Press, 1940]). But besides sharing death and perhaps burial in common, as well as a passion for Jesus, Peter and Paul were almost opposites. And this is in more ways than looks — if iconography gives us any clue, Peter is tall, stout and bushy-haired and Paul is small, thin and balding. Peter was “blue collar” all the way. He was a ...

1740. Wake Up Call

Romans 13:8-14

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... called to thank them I cried.”[1] During Advent our focus is on living as the light of Christ, diligently working to help other people. We need to remember whose birthday we are preparing to celebrate — not our own but Jesus’. Jesus certainly had a passion for helping other people. We strive to be like Jesus in all we say and do. “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ” reminds us of our baptisms and our profession of faith. Elsewhere Paul states, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed ...

1741. Waiting for Christmas

James 5:7-12

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... turn against one another. Our disagreements with our family or church members can escalate into harsh words spoken resulting in strained and broken relationships. There are times when we allow our differences to become mountains instead of remaining molehills. Passionately James writes, “Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged.” Perhaps the real test of faith is endurance. Can we continue to live out our faith without becoming discouraged and turning against one ...

1742. The Light Has Come

Ephesians 3:1-13

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... s amazing grace in his own life. As a result of his encounter Paul understood his new mission as bringing the gospel to the Gentiles and “to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things.” Paul passionately embraces this new direction in his life, even though he knew it would not be easy. There were times when the other apostles stood in opposition to him. At other times physical harm came to Paul because he proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ. In ...

1743. When God Does Something New

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

Argile Smith

... faith. He lived out Paul’s statement that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). From that moment, Luther’s work took on new meaning. For the next 25 years or so, he devoted himself to proclaiming what it meant to live by faith. His passion for his work got him into more than a little trouble, but he didn’t back down or recant. His devotion to God’s word prompted him to translate the entire Bible into the German language. Although he spent his life in the little town of Wittenberg, his ...

1744. Let Them Eat Cake

2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... in blood and doom. The losses logged on that physical front line are devastating and deadly. But there is also a second “front line” — a front line of no-fault words and diplomatic pledges. A front line of absolute principles and unswerving passions. That second front line has no clear-cut battlefront or set battlefield. A front line of true faithfulness has no geographical latitude or ideological longitude that pushes it “over the line.” In keeping with Jesus’ “what-do-you-more-than-others ...

1745. The Widow and the Unjust Judge

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... into praise; Stir me, till heart and will and mind, yea, all Is wholly Thine to use through all the days. Stir, till I learn to pray exceedingly; Stir, till I learn to wait expectantly. Stir me, oh, stir me, Lord, I care not how, But stir my heart in passion for the world, Stir me to give, to go, but most to pray; Stir till the blood‑red banner be unfurled O’er lands that still in darkness lie, O’er deserts where no cross is lifted high. Stir me, oh, stir me, Lord, Thy heart was stirred By love ...

1746. A Faith that Leaves a Legacy

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

King Duncan

... his life to God. His life was not being taken from him; he was laying it down. Ever since his conversion Paul had offered to God his money, his scholarship, his strength, his time, the vigor of his body, the acuteness of his mind, the devotion of his passionate heart. Only life itself was left to offer, and gladly Paul was going to lay life down.” (1) What a wonderful statement of commitment! It’s hard for us to even imagine such dedication. It’s hard to find a faith like that in our modern world. A ...

1747. Suffered under (Saint) Pontius Pilate

John 18:28-40

Sermon

David O. Bales

... from a leader. Do we want a leader who’ll die and who tells us we need to die to ourselves? Do we want a leader who’ll command us to love our enemies? This is a real command, and he’s talking about the enemies we hate with a passion. Yes, those enemies! Wouldn’t we rather have a leader who gives us even more than a financial stimulus or better rates to refinance our house? How about a leader who’ll represent our values and defend us from our enemies? If we’re going to have a king, how ...

1748. When Fishermen Don't Fish

Matthew 4:18-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... . We have so much to do as the body of Christ. Christ calls us to make a difference in this community. Christ wants us to show this community that we are a caring people because Christ is a caring Savior. Christ wants us to model compassion, forgiveness and a passion for righting the world’s wrongs. What does it say to them if we cannot get along with each other? When fishermen don’t fish, they fight. It’s also true that when fishermen don’t fish, they run away. There is a little story in Luke 22:56 ...

1749. What Difference Does it Make?

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Tony Everett

... guess what word most non-church members use to describe Christians? You are exactly right if you guessed “hypocrite.” We are indeed guilty of saying one thing and doing just the opposite. We are often guilty of speaking with sincerity and preaching with passion; yet acting as if we are more “religious” than anyone else. We behave without understanding the experience of others. It’s as if we are trapped in a tomb of our own making. Carl was a newly ordained pastor preparing for his first journey ...

1750. Hitting the Boss Key

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... , 2001), p. 72. 2. Nielsen, Susan, Oregonian, Sunday, August 20, 2006. Used by permission. www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1155938125234060.xml?oregonian?yedcsn&coll=7&thispage=3. 3. Wayne Brouwer, Wedding Homilies (Seven Worlds). 4. Rick Warren, http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/reigniting-your-passion-for-god-rick-warren-sermon-on-attitude-general-127082.asp. 5. Exploring the Gospels: Mark (Loizeaux Brothers: Neptune, New Jersey, 1990), p. 62. 6. From a sermon by Wayne Cordeiro.

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