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 1751 to 1775 of 2173 results

1751. A Mother's Love -- A Godly Passion

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon

Glenn E. Ludwig

"What is God like?" There probably isn't anyone here who hasn't struggled with that question. Theologians file it under "the nature of God" controversy. We all seek to know and understand this God that we worship and pray to and sing praises of. And we all know, at least in an academic sense, that our minds are incapable of comprehending God. Biblical images give us clues, however, about the nature of God. The image for today from our gospel text may unnerve some, and be a source of delight for others. But ...

1752. With All The Saints

Isaiah 25:1-12

Sermon

John A. Stroman

Isaiah 25 is a remarkable passage for All Saints' Sunday. It begins with an outburst of praise for what God has done and for what God will do. An unidentified city -- strong, oppressive and hostile -- will be destroyed and never rebuilt. Amid the destruction God protects and cares for the poor and the needy. Once this evil city and its ruthless inhabitants have been destroyed and vanish, another city will rise on Mount Zion where God will invite all people to a magnificent feast. God will wipe away all ...

1753. Thankful Living

Joel 2:18-27

Sermon

John A. Stroman

Joel informs the people of Judah that God has willed that humankind should have abundant life. This abundant life is characterized by good relationships with others, with all of God's creation, as well as the land and all its creatures. He points out that this abundant life of relationships is possible by first having a harmonious relationship with God. The prophet warns Judah if they desert God, making God unnecessary, and turn to other sources for life, then Judah is faced with hopelessness and the ...

1754. Miracles Seven and Eight: Healing An Issue Of Blood & Healing The Rulers Daughter

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon Aid

Harold H. Lentz

BACKGROUND MATERIAL Jesus' performance of miracles was now assuming a rapid pace. Great crowds now came to meet him wherever he went, and they brought with them their sick and lame to have the Master apply his healing powers. Here Jesus sets out, in response to a plea from one of the rulers of the synagogue, who asks him to come to his home to heal a sick daughter; on the way, still another miracle comes to pass. The interruption was unusual. A miracle was performed without a request. A woman who had ...

1755. When God Steps Out Of Shadows

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

William L. Self

Our daughter-in-law designs stage sets for the German theatre. I had always taken this sort of thing for granted until she came into our family. Through Birgit, I was exposed to the subtleties of mood and nuance, of color and properties, of fabric and dimension, and how it all blends with the writer and director to bring the audience to a special point. After seeing one production of a deeply moving play, the writer and director came from the wings to interact with the audience. Their purpose was to ...

1756. Living Our Lives On The Edge

Leviticus 19:1-37

Sermon

Paul E. Robinson

In the course of my growing up I was in a great variety of clubs and groups. But no club had as stringent and compelling rules, and no club demanded daily attention to its guidelines for behavior and action quite as much as a particular club which met in our home. It met usually three times a day, and the meetings were always at meal time. I'm talking about The Clean Plate Club! Now just in case there is someone here who missed out on membership in this exclusive club and therefore is uninformed as to its ...

1757. Two Sons: A Parable

Matthew 21:28-32, Matthew 21:23-27

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

In the current vernacular people speak of those who "talk the talk" in contrast to those who "walk the walk." Those who "talk the talk" are persons who recognize a problem and analyze the situation. They may rant and rave about the difficulties and the need for change. They make accusations against those whom they believe to be responsible for the situation. But they do not move to action to do anything about it nor do they assume responsibility themselves for the existence of the problem when they may be ...

1758. Two-and-a-Half Cheers For Hypocrites

Matthew 6:1-2, Matthew 6:5-6, Matthew 6:16

Sermon

Thomas Long

It is difficult to find anyone who has a kind word to say about hypocrites. Nobody likes a hypocrite; no one wants to be around one; the last thing one would want to be called is a hypocrite. Hypocrites are, by definition, deceptive, two-faced and treacherous. If discovered, hypocritical politicians are defeated at the polls, hypocritical friends get dropped and hypocritical preachers lose the trusting ears of their congregations. It may well be that our age is particularly tough on hypocrisy. In some ways ...

1759. The Way, The Truth, And The Life Style

John 14:5-14

Sermon

Thomas Long

I was amused the other day to pick up a newspaper in a faraway town and to read a feature article about a minor official in the local county government. A reporter had interviewed the deputy assistant director of the water authority or some similar civil servant, and the resulting article included a number of fairly predictable and humdrum quotes about some recent changes in the water system, the official's selfless commitment to public service, his goal of improved water quality and the like. What was so ...

1760. Fools For The Sake Of Christ

1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Sermon

John N. Brittain

April 9, 1996, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia delivered an address in Mississippi on religion and public life, a topic which has gotten a lot of attention the past few years, particularly since the publication of Stephen L. Carter's book The Culture of Disbelief. In the course of that speech Justice Scalia quoted from the apostle Paul's letter to the Corinthians where he says that we Christians are sometimes called to be "fools for Christ's sake" or, in the NRSV, "fools for the sake of Christ." ...

1761. It's Part Of The Plan

Drama

Karren Boehr

Theme: Forgiveness This drama centers on the relationship between Joseph, Pharaoh's second in command, and Joseph's brothers who many years before sold him into slavery, bringing home the struggle and the immeasurable reward of forgiveness. Setting: Joseph faces his brothers as they come to Egypt to buy grain. Dialogue takes place in two different areas, left and right of stage Characters:JOSEPH: A strong man who carries himself with authoritySERVANT: Joseph's servant RUEBEN: Joseph's brotherJUDAH: Joseph' ...

1762. Moving At The Speed Of Light: Nazareth: Family Ties

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Sermon

Frank Luchsinger

When I was a child and my mother started thinking out loud about "going home," she meant driving to Grandma's house a thousand miles away. This trip from Ohio to Nebraska with two parents, five children, and sometimes a dog did not happen in our unairconditioned family sedan without considerable planning and effort. Just packing the car strained family cordiality and tested my father's training as an engineer. His plan was always the same: Be on the road shortly after midnight and drive all night so that ...

1763. Making A Difference

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

There is a movement under way today -- almost underground -- that is designed to help young people. It's a movement championed by mothers concerned about the challenges facing children and youth these days. Moms In Touch International began almost fifteen years ago when two Canadian mothers decided to get together with some friends to pray for their children entering junior high school. Today there are Moms in Touch groups in every state, and representatives in about 45 foreign countries. "It's a real ...

1764. The Face Of God

Isaiah 55:1-13

Sermon

Steve Burt

Here we're dealing with the story of Jacob at the Jabbok River Crossing, an incident in which he wrestles all night and secures a blessing. It's a strange incident, isn't it? We've got something which occurred a thousand or more years before Jesus' time, something reminiscent of superstitions and primitive religions: a man wrestling for a blessing with a creature that must escape before the light of day, like a vampire or a werewolf. This is a strange portion of the Bible to have to deal with. Maybe it ...

1765. Deadly Sins - A Matter Of Sutton's Law

Romans 7:14-25

Sermon

R. Curtis Fussell

You have said it before and I have, too, to a friend, your husband or wife: "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that. I'm just not myself today." And then maybe you have heard it said: "He's not really a bad boy; he's just trying to find himself." Or perhaps you have used this expression: "He's not human, he's an animal." Perhaps also you have said this about your boss: "He thinks he's God Almighty."1 All these expressions describe the contradiction that plagues all of us -- that I am not, you are not, what ...

1766. Children

Sermon

Jerry Eckert

Comment: Sometimes you can prepare a story sermon which reflects a lot of your own experience. And it becomes natural for you to play yourself while making the point of the sermon. The following reflected a lot of my experiences as a young father. Fortunately, my wife did not die, as does the wife of the main character here. But I was quite a disappointment to my colleagues because of how much part I took in household matters and child care. As of this writing, I am the wife my spouse always wanted! I ...

1767. The Persecuted

Sermon

John A. Terry

Matthew 5:1-12John 15:12-27 Jack Cahill, an advertising executive from Kansas City, Missouri, has suggested new marketing techniques which can help to tap the appeal to popular blessings. Beginning with the Roman Catholic Church (24 percent of the U.S. market), he suggests a strategy of market segmentation, a clear positioning of the church identifying specific subgroups within the brand name. For the contemporary branch of the Roman Catholic Church, "the one that features hip priests, guitar playing, hand ...

1768. Bread In Our Baskets

John 6:25-59

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

After the Lord's miraculous multiplying of the two fish and the loaves of bread, the crowd had seen the disciples shove off for the farther shore. They knew there had been only one boat by the shore. They knew Jesus had not entered it with the disciples. Do you suppose some in the crowd said to one another, "Jesus missed the boat"? Those who wanted to make Jesus king might have said that and meant that he could have become a great deal more than he was. They didn't realize that no one ever was greater than ...

1769. Hate Evil

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

In the Holy Gospel appointed for today our Lord refers to the manner in which Moses "lifted up the serpent in the wilderness." The incident to which our Lord referred is narrated in the First Lesson. The occasion was the outburst of frustration when the Children of Israel had to backtrack from Mount Hor down to the Sea of Reeds to detour around Edom. The reason for the runaround was that the Edomites would not grant the Israelites a permit to pass through their land. Consequently, as the Israelites started ...

1770. The Persecuted

John 15:18-27

Sermon

John A. Terry

Jack Cahill, an advertising executive from Kansas City, Missouri, has suggested new marketing techniques which can help to tap the appeal to popular blessings. Beginning with the Roman Catholic Church (24 percent of the U.S. market), he suggests a strategy of market segmentation, a clear positioning of the church identifying specific subgroups within the brand name. For the contemporary branch of the Roman Catholic Church, "the one that features hip priests, guitar playing, hand shaking, hugging, and other ...

1771. Making the Mystery Work for You

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

It’s Trinity Sunday: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Enough said? Don’t leave me. I promise you, I won’t deliver a lecture expounding on what belongs only in the classroom for theologues. I do want to tell you a brief story. A man in a certain parish was only seen in church one Sunday a year. No, it was not Easter. It was Trinity. One leading lay person had restrained his curiosity year after year. He could not contain it any more. He approached the man and said, “I have noticed that ...

1772. Winners Losers

John 8:31-41

Sermon

Thomas Peterson

The world is filled with winners and losers. Jesus knew all about being a winner. So much so that he shows us how to win, no matter what. I say “no matter what” because in life we cannot, try as hard as we will, avoid loses, failures, accidents, mistreatments, and aging. So, to be a sure winner means that we must find a way of living life so that no matter what inevitable obstacles confront us, we manage to come out feeling right about ourselves and able to keep on with good spirit. To be able to do this ...

1773. From Mourning to Morning

2 Samuel 18:19--19:8

Sermon

Robert Noblett

It was a perfectly lovely day and we had no reason to suspect that it would be anything but a typically happy Saturday a day to run errands, wash the cars and anticipate an evening with friends. But that all changed when, around 1:30 p.m., a phone call came from my wife’s father in Cleveland indicating that her mother had unexpectedly died. A week earlier she had had a heart attack, but a full recuperation had been the prognosis, and so this word came as shock and radical disruption. Suddenly and without ...

1774. In Search of a Leader

Sermon

Robert Noblett

Anyone who has served on a nominating committee knows how crucial talented leadership is to any group, including the body of Christ. God, our story reminds us, shares that concern. God is unhappy with Saul’s leadership and sends Samuel on a mission to secure a replacement. Look Who Is Doing the Calling Perhaps the most salient features of this story is the fact that it is God who is doing the calling, with Samuel as his agent. Leaders in the church vary in their understanding of the call to ministry, but ...

1775. Music as Prescription

Sermon

Robert Noblett

Let’s suppose you have been feeling distressed and fatigued of late and this has manifested itself in some physical symptoms. You’ve been having headaches; your lower back has been aching; and there has been a great deal of tightness around your neck and shoulders. Off to your family physician you trek, and after she has examined you, this is what she says: ÔÔYou are suffering from unmitigated stress and I prescribe the following. Each morning when you arise and each evening before bedtime, listen for one ...

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