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 1776 to 1800 of 1838 results

1776. Holy Extravagance

Mark 14:3-9

Sermon

Will Willimon

... a good deal of throwing frisbees. They sing, write poetry, acquire new wardrobes and hairstyles, cry, shout, dance. They are subject to the wildest, most extreme shifts of mood. A careless line in a letter from their beloved throws them into bitter depression. A momentary glance from the object of their affection hurls them into the ionosphere. That's the way love is—excessive. The starry-eyed teenager, the dozen red roses (now what good does that do anybody?), kissing (hygenically questionable)—all ...

1777. Good Sex

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

Will Willimon

... and anguish. You know the story. You know the story because you and I live it. The tragic results of our culture’s subjugation of women are all around us in the battered wives, and unfulfilled lives, and anger of so many. The bitter harvest of male domination is felt in the loneliness, the uncertainty, and the attenuated humanity of many men. Sex, which should have been joy and delight, become a daily battle waged with weapons of manipulation, seduction, coercion, violence, and perversity. Like so many ...

1778. We Wobble, but We Don't Fall Down

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1

Sermon

King Duncan

... there was a young Canadian athlete named Terry Fox who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer. Terry was only 18 years old when doctors had to amputate one of his legs above the knee. If you were in Terry’s shoes, would you be bitter? Worried? Hopeless? Instead of giving in to his emotions, Terry determined that he would learn to live a full life with his prosthetic leg. Terry set a goal of running across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He called it his Marathon of Hope. His ...

1779. Lazarus, Arise!

John 11:1-44

Sermon

Will Willimon

... in which everybody rises. No matter whether they meet him in Lent or on Easter, whenever Jesus gets to the cemetery, the dead rise. Well, Martha tells her sister, "Jesus is here and he's asking for you. You might as well come out." Mary comes out and says bitterly, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." But Jesus doesn't reply. He is just as angry and upset about Lazarus' death as Mary. Being Jesus doesn't keep him from being angry over death and he lets Mary vent her anger because he ...

1780. Hope Rises

Mark 9:30-37, 42

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... , “hope floats.” Our lives as we reach adulthood and onward are filled with aspirations and challenges, experiences and pain that drags us downward and discourages us from believing in beauty, love, kindness, and forgiveness. Before you know it, we can become bitter and cautious about others and guarded about ourselves. But in Jesus, we have hope for new beginnings, new life, new innocence, and always new resurrections. For Jesus is Lord of Resurrection. Today, let’s take a moment to pray that God ...

1781. Going Into Labor

Mark 13:1-8

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... temple would be nothing but ruins, they understandably wanted to know what signs to expect so they would know such a cataclysmic thing was about to happen! Today’s passage is set in the fateful week between the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, and his bitter crucifixion. He would receive the praise of the crowds, but also their scorn. It’s a week of despair, but also a week of wonder, because there is no denying that the temple of Jerusalem was a thing of wonder! Yet Jesus told his disciples a ...

1782. When Good People Pray

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... in the Australian bush country in the first half of the twentieth century, Sister Kenny developed a new and successful approach for treating victims of a disease that crippled many young people back then called polio. Her method, which was bitterly contested at the time within the medical community, differed from the conventional medical practice of the time. The conventional practice, referred to as “splinting,” called for placing affected limbs in plaster casts, a practice that was not only quite ...

1783. Big Boys Do Cry

Joel 2:1-2,12-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... you away.” Then Peter begins to call down curses, and he swears to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:69-75). Yes, it’s all right to shed tears over your sins. Now the world does not know of such tears. We live in a time when you don’t cry over your sins, you sell them to a publisher. Or you go on Oprah and ...

1784. Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley

Luke 19:28-40 · Philippians 2:5-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” But it is more than the sting of death that Jesus has overcome. It is the sting of shame, the sting of humiliation, the sting of rejection. So, your life is filled with hurt and bitterness and disappointment? He understands. He cares. He offers a new beginning. He offers a light that overcomes the darkness. As we celebrate this Palm Sunday—as we celebrate the joyful procession and the cheering crowds—let’s acknowledge that Jesus’ life was not always ...

1785. The Limping Body Of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sermon

Mary Austin

... down and eat together, and the math wizards couldn’t be bothered with food. The extroverts thought the introverts should just speak up and say what’s on their minds, and the introverts wished the extroverts would just shut up. Into the midst of these bitter feelings and flying words, Paul sends this letter, trying to make peace. He wrote to this one congregation, but his letter applies to every congregation I’ve ever known. He’s talking about how the people of God are to treat each other when they ...

1786. Revolutionary Rules For Living

Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... right time to act (Habakkuk 2:3). Realize that our obstacles build our character and our hope (Romans 5:2-4). Gather the saints of God around you to give you strength, courage, understanding, and wisdom (Revelation 6:9-11). The person who said, “Patience is a bitter plant that produces sweet fruit” was right. Ask God today for the patience you need to overcome the hurts, pain, or obstacle that you are going through today! Conclusion If Jesus is a revolutionary, can his followers be anything less? Amen.

1787. When What You Signed Up For...

Acts 16:9-15

Sermon

King Duncan

... faith. We have to leave them in God’s hands and trust God’s goodness. God’s ways are higher than our ways, and God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts. If you are waiting around for God to answer that question, “Why?” you can end up bitter and find yourself withdrawing from God. But if you change the question to “What are you trying to teach me through this, Lord?” you remain open to God’s will and to God working in and through you. So, this is the question Anne Graham Lotz has learned ...

1788. The Lonely Prophet

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

Sermon

King Duncan

... Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” Loneliness has turned into fear which, in turn, has turned into bitterness against God. Can you relate to Elijah’s struggle? Many of us are trapped in the same place as Elijah and we’ve never really confronted it. How did this happen? And what can we learn from Elijah’s story to protect us from discouragement and ...

1789. Ordinary Sin

Luke 22:28-34, 54-60

Sermon

Will Willimon

Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, ''Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times, '' and he wept bitterly. '' Measured by mere numbers, the Final Solution of the Nazis' was not unique. Stalin killed more, so did Mao. The Hutus slaughtered a larger proportion of their own in a shorter time, as did the Khmer Rouge. The British took out the whole Tasmanian race; not one is left. Where ...

1790. How to Pray

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... his disciples, and us, to just ask God to provide for our daily needs, to forgive our sins, and to shield us from temptation. With this prayer, Jesus is saying, “Let go of your external pressures—like worrying about food or shelter—and your internal conflicts—like bitterness and temptations—and trust that the God who loves you is working in your life.” There is an old story of a man who needed to send a letter from his remote camp to the neighboring village, so he asked his son to make the trip ...

1791. Where Are the Nine?

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... be admitted into the camp and into normal society. All ten had been healed, but only one returned to thank Jesus. In keeping with Luke’s emphasis upon the universality of the gospel, he has the one returning, a Samaritan. The Jews and the Samaritans were bitter enemies; the common cause that brought them together was the fact that they all were lepers. It may seem strange to us that Jesus would send a Samaritan to a Jewish priest in order to be certified that he was cleansed from leprosy. Fred Craddock ...

1792. The Most Important Question

Acts 10:34-43

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”(Luke 5:20-21 NRSV). We also see that Jesus claimed to forgive sins. He claimed to have the power to wipe away all those things in life that put us in the dark; those things that make us bitter and render us unable to experience joy. He claimed to have the power to set us free from those things in life that enslave us. Have you ever wanted a second chance? Have you ever wanted a new beginning? Jesus claimed to have the power to give you a ...

1793. Why Doesn’t God Prove Himself To Doubters?

2 Peter 1:16-21

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... no longer went about with him.” So there were doubts, struggles, and questions by many -- and some decided not to follow Jesus anymore. Sometimes doubts can do that to people. They allow their doubt to take over their lives, and they stop believing in God. They become bitter about the church and religion. And that is where you may be today -- and that’s okay. God still believes in you even if you don’t believe in him. But notice what happens next in the text: So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also ...

1794. Sola Fide

1 Peter 1:3-9

Sermon

Dr. Ronald Love

... the rock of the group, the rock had a fault line in it. This is best recalled when we remember that Peter denied knowing Jesus three times in the garden during Jesus’ trial. When Peter realized what he had done he was deeply shamed, and wept bitterly. But it was Peter who was the first disciple that Jesus appeared to after his resurrection. And on that seashore next to the morning breakfast being roasted on an open fire, Peter was asked by Jesus three times to reaffirm his faith, which Peter readily did ...

1795. Trusting God When You've Been Hurt

Genesis 45:1-28

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.” (emphasis mine) But God . . . I could be bitter and broken, but God has given me hope. I could be angry or anxious, but God has given me peace. I could be alienated and alone, but God has shown me love. Where in your life can you say, “My troubles could have destroyed me, but God . . .”? In his ...

1796. The Gift of Forgiveness

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... has given us; it is a gift that we are to pass on to others. Is there resentment in your heart toward someone you were once close to—perhaps someone in your own family? Or a close friend? Why not free yourself from that anger, that bitterness, with God’s help today? Take the weight off of your shoulders and be set free. 1. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1991). pp. 185-186. 2. Ray Pritchard, https://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/forgiveness-healing-the-hurt-we-never-deserved/. 3. Bring ’Em Back Alive ...

1797. The Paradox of the Yoke

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... will, their sense of life’s purpose and its encompassing relational and communal love. They criticized John for his asceticism and Jesus for his abundance. Nothing can make them happy. They are burdened to the gills with a heavy spirit, laden with envy, bitterness, and cynicism. Rather than admonishing them for their ornery spirits, Jesus calls to them to let go of their need for control, and to follow him instead. It’s one of Jesus’ most compassionate and merciful gestures toward the very people who ...

1798. Weeds

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sermon

William G. Carter

... . We should be humble and modest in our belief we can eliminate those things. But we shouldn’t use that as an excuse for cynicism and inaction. I take away the sense we have to make these efforts knowing they are hard. We cannot swing from naïve idealism to bitter realism.”21 I was thinking about all of this while I was mowing my heavily weed-filled lawn. It gave me a lot to think about. It was a hot day, so when I was finished, I asked the Lord if he wanted to join me for a cup of ...

1799. A Violent Week

Mark 14:1-2 · Luke 22:14-23:56

Sermon

Will Willimon

... as something of polished silver rather than blood-soaked wood, that I am numb to the horror of the violence done to Jesus. Even more tragic is that I am numb to the violence of those who follow Jesus. Let us read this story with bitter recognition that, in countless ways, we contemporary Christians have traded places with those Roman and Jewish officials, so bent on the capital punishment of Jesus. We Christians have come a long way since the Gospel of Mark was written, so adept are we now at justifying ...

1800. The Contestant

Matthew 14:22-33

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Everyone loves a good duel! At least in the movies we do. Our hero goes up against a worthy foe, and we hold our breath while the opponents or contestants raise their swords, commence, and fight to the bitter end. The “dual” usually comes about in order to defend someone’s honor –whether one’s own, a friend’s, or a maiden’s. In the end, we hope that our hero will win, and honor will be restored. When we think about contestants today, however, we rarely think about ...

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