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 2001 to 2025 of 4961 results

2001. The Good News about Marriage

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

A man laid his purchases on the check-out counter. Among those purchases was a large birthday card. On it was printed, “To my wonderful wife.” The clerk said, “You’ve chosen our biggest and prettiest card.” The man nodded sadly and replied, “Yep, but one day late.” Oops, somebody’s in trouble. But every married person knows that a good marriage takes work. “Marriages don’t last,” comedian Rita Rudner once said. “When I meet a guy, the first question I ask myself is: Is this the man I want my children to ...

2002. God's Righteous Judgment

Romans 2:1-16

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

The discussion of the guilt of humanity in 1:18ff. presupposes the Gentile world, that is, humanity without special revelation from God. The prominence given to homosexuality in 1:26–27 and the list of vices in 1:29–31 typify Jewish prejudice against “Gentile sinners,” as Paul once referred to them (Gal. 2:15). We noted how clearly 1:18–32 echoes the Jewish indictment of Gentiles from the Wisdom of Solomon (chs. 11–15). Gentiles could have known God from creation. “They live among his works,” says Wisdom ...

2003. Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry

1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Sermon

James McCormick

From the time Patricia and I first came to Big Canoe, almost four years ago, every day I have thought to myself, “What a rare privilege it is to live in this place, and especially to be a part of the faith community that is Big Canoe Chapel. So many people - so many rich histories - so many varied faith traditions! What a privilege to be here!” At the same time, every day I have thought to myself, “It is difficult to live graciously in the midst of so much diversity. We have to work at that every day!” ...

2004. Star Witness

John 1:35-51

Sermon

James Merritt

One of my favorite movies is "The Untouchables." Elliott Ness is the hero, Al Capone is the villain. The entire picture is a portrayal of how Ness is trying to nail Capone and send him to prison. Capone seems to thwart him at every turn until Ness discovers the one person who can put him away—his bookkeeper. The climatic scene in the train station is one of the most exciting I have ever seen, as the mob is trying to get the bookkeeper out of town while Ness is trying to stop them; and he succeeds only ...

2005. I Don’t Like My Options

2 Kings 5:1-17

Sermon

James Merritt

Think about two words: options and decisions. One gives rise to the other. Options are diverse, decisions are difficult. An option only has power when it becomes a decision. The reason why I want you to understand these two words is because basically that is what life is all about. It is amazing to see how one decision can change a life, a family, a nation, and a world. Some unknown people through the years made a decision choosing among options that have radically changed your life to this very present ...

2006. Choose Life

Exodus 20:13

Sermon

James Merritt

If you ever travel to Florida on vacation you don't have to look very long until you will see license plates with the message "Choose Life." Several years ago, Marion County Commissioner, Randy Harris, was driving behind a vehicle with a specialty license plate, when he envisioned a Choose Life specialty license plate. It took a while for this to finally get through the legislature and for a republican governor to sign it into law. When it was approved, the license plate took off. Since November of 1999, ...

2007. When It's Time To Unite

I Corinthians 1:10-17

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

He drew a circle that shut me out, a heretic, a rebel, a thing to flout, but love and I had a wit to win, we drew a circle that took him in. I would like to complete this series of sermons on human relationships by talking about Christian unity. One bread, one body, one cup of blessing which we bless. Come…to the table. Come to the table, we need to talk. At the table, communication happens. People are drowning in information, but starving for communication. As one businessman said, “I don't understand. I ...

2008. God's Prescription for a Healthy Christian

Jude 1:17-21

Sermon

James Merritt

I heard a story one time about a young doctor just getting started in his first practice out in the country. This was back in the days when doctors made house calls. Late one night he got a call from a farmer who said, "Doctor, come quickly, my wife is seriously ill." Well, grabbing his little black bag he hurried out to the farm. The farmer met him on the steps, rushed him into the house, and upstairs into the bedroom where his wife lay sick. The doctor took a look at her, told the farmer to step outside ...

2009. Dealing with Depression

1 Kings 19:9-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

One of the reasons I love the Bible is that it is not afraid of the truth, even the sometimes sordid truth about its heroes. Abraham was a liar. Jacob was a thief. Moses had a murderous temper. King David was an adulterer. Heroes of the faith, everyone of them, but the Bible refuses to gloss over their shortcomings. It shows them "warts and all." We find another "wart" in our lesson from I Kings - one of the greatest of the prophets - Elijah. To briefly recount the background of the story, three years ...

2010. Afraid of Sanity

Mark 5:1-20

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

In J. D. Salinger’s famous novel, The Catcher in the Rye, 15-year old Holden Caulfield says: “I can’t always pray when I feel like it. In the first place, I’m sort of an atheist.” (That would put a damper on prayer, wouldn’t it?) He goes on: “I like Jesus and all, but I don’t care too much for most of the other stuff in the Bible. Take the Disciples, for instance....They were all right after Jesus was dead and all, but while He was alive, they were about as much use to Him as a hole in the head. All they ...

2011. Loving Like God Loves

Matthew 5:43-48

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

Paul Stanley is Vice-President of the Navigators, a worldwide para-church ministry to students and the military. In 1967 he was a company commander in Vietnam; it was there that he took a risk and learned the meaning of Jesus’ words: “On one occasion after the enemy had withdrawn, Stanley came upon several soldiers surrounding a wounded Viet Cong. Shot through the lower leg, he was hostile, frightened, helpless. He threw mud and kicked with his one good leg when anyone came near. When Paul joined the ...

2012. Winners and Losers

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

King Duncan

Brett Blair tells a story about a man who had been driving all night and when morning came, he still had far to go. He decided he had to get some sleep. So he stopped at the next city he came to, found a city park, and pulled into a parking spot in the park so he could get an hour or two of sleep. It just so happened he had chosen a quiet place on a very popular jogging route. So just as he laid back and was starting to doze off, there was a knock on his window. He woke up. “Yes,” he said. “Excuse me, sir ...

2013. Checking The Vital Signs

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

It was Easter Sunday. One thousand, seven hundred fifty showed up for worship that day. Boy, was this place full! And it really felt good. We sang some of the same hymns as today. I gave the kids red Easter eggs and my sermon title was: “Don’t Be Alarmed.” The main idea was that Christ is alive and with us, so there need not be any event or situation in our lives here that should scare us. In addition, even at our death and the death of the people we love, we need not have any fear since Christ has come ...

2014. Stay in the Boat!

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Familiar story. Mark Twain refers to it in one of his books. He recalls a visit to the Holy Land and a stay in Capernaum. It was a moonlit night, so he decided to take his wife on a romantic boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Twain asked a man in a rowboat how much he would charge to take them out on the water. The man saw Twain's white suit, white shoes and white hat and supposed he was a rich Texan. So he said the cost would be twenty-five dollars. Twain walked away as he said, "Now I know why Jesus walked ...

2015. Needy People Please Apply

Acts 4:32-37

Sermon

King Duncan

An Arab prince once owned a beautiful horse--a horse that was the envy of all. One man in particular tried to buy the horse, but the prince refused to set a price. One day the prince was riding across the desert. He saw the body of a man lying in the path, apparently exhausted. The prince dismounted and put the unfortunate traveler on his horse. Immediately the traveler revived, straightened up, and rode off. It was the very man who had tried so often to buy the prince’s horse. Now he had obtained the ...

2016. Living for God

1 Peter 4:1-11

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

Live Wholly for God 4:1 What are the practical implications for Christians of Christ’s suffering and consequent triumph over death and the powers of evil? Recalling the opening of this section, back in 3:18, Peter reverts to the death of Christ. This is the example that believers should follow. They must turn their backs on the immoral practices of their pagan neighbors, formerly their own life-style, and wholeheartedly follow their Master by copying him. Christ suffered in his body, that is, he gave his ...

2017. Daniel’s Prayer

Daniel 9:1-19

Understanding Series

William Nelson

Daniel’s Prayer and the Seventy Weeks: Chapter 9 is unique for three reasons. First, it starts with Daniel reading a prophetic text rather than receiving a vision as in the surrounding chapters (chs. 7, 8, and 10). Second, the particular name of Israel’s God, Yahweh, is only found in this chapter (vv. 2, 4, 8, 10, 13, 14, 20). Third, most of the chapter is taken up with a prayer. Elsewhere, the author makes clear that Daniel believed in talking to God (2:18; 6:10), but only here does he record the lengthy ...

2018. Praise to God for a Living Hope

1 Peter 1:1-12

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

Greetings to Readers 1:1 The writer introduces himself in a brief and modest manner. The Gospels all agree on the prominence of Peter, a born leader, impulsive, yet burning with love and enthusiasm. It was to him that Jesus said both the toughest and the choicest things. Whatever Peter’s faults, a cold heart was not one of them. His warm pastoral concern for others glows in his letters. Peter succinctly states his credentials by describing himself simply as an apostle, an accredited messenger, of Jesus ...

2019. Will the Real God Please Stand Up?

2 Corinthians 13:14

Sermon

James Merritt

I have been to Israel on many occasions and without question, one of the most impressive architectural sites is what is known as the Dome of the Rock. It is the masterpiece of Islamic architecture. It was erected in 691 A.D. to enshrine the rock where traditionally it has been held that Abraham sacrificed Isaac. To this day it is probably the most distinctive and beautiful monument in all of Jerusalem. If you look carefully, you'll notice the geometry of a dome supported by an octagon shaped building. It ...

2020. Repeat After Me

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

James Merritt

One thing a good teacher knows is that repetition is one of the best ways to teach, as well as one of the best ways to learn. If you think about it, we learn the alphabet by repetition, by saying the letters over and over. We learn how to count the same way. We learn the multiplication tables by repeating them over and over again until we could do them in our sleep. Paul begins this chapter by saying, "For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe." (3:1) Paul is about to ...

2021. The Biggest Prayer Ever Prayed Under Heaven

John 17:1-11

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

Come with me to Christ's last night on earth and the greatest prayer ever prayed under heaven! It is also the longest prayer we have from Jesus. As we read the gospel of John, we see Jesus' grace demonstrated in saving sinners. We see his compassionate heart as he brings healing to sick people and food to the hungry. We meet his power revealed in raising the dead. There is no more heartening book in all scripture than this gospel. Every chapter is given for our benefit. In this book we find the love of God ...

2022. The Priesthood Of All Believers

Exodus 19:1-25

Sermon

Walter Kimbrough

The priesthood of all believers is a topic highly talked about, but too rarely practiced. It has become no more than theological jargon with little or no meaning. Yet, we like Israel, are entitled to be a nation of priests. All of us, whether clergy or lay, share in an ordination by God to be priests. All persons who believe in Jesus the Christ are a part of this priestly nation. But, what constitutes a priest? How can I know whether I am a priest? The Bible dictionary informs us that, “The New Testament ...

2023. The Last Day of the Feast

John 7:45--8:11, John 8:12-30

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

Jesus’ third public announcement at the Feast of Tabernacles took place on the last and greatest day of the Feast (v. 37). It is perhaps the most remembered and certainly the most widely discussed saying in Jesus’ temple discourse if not in the entire Gospel. Of the nineteen articles on John 7 listed in the bibliography of Raymond Brown’s major commentary, seventeen deal with verses 37–39! (The Gospel According to John, AB 29A [New York: Doubleday, 1966], p. 331). This is attributable both to the intrinsic ...

2024. Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice

1 Samuel 15:1-35

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

Big Idea: The Lord gives greater priority to obedience than to religious formalism. Understanding the Text In this account the narrator’s pro-David/anti-Saul agenda continues to gain momentum. In chapter 13 Samuel announced that Saul would have no royal dynasty, placing the king on thin ice. Chapter 14 did nothing to ease our concerns about Saul, as he exhibited a preoccupation with his own honor and an obsession with religious formalism, particularly oaths. He was ready to execute his own son, and he ...

2025. Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

God’s Peculiar, Powerful Way This paragraph is crucial, both in the context of this particular letter and for the overall understanding of Paul’s theology. Here he delivers the heart and essence of the gospel he believed and proclaimed. Paul’s lines reveal that God works in a most peculiar way—first, God works in defiance of the standards of this world as they are understood or construed by humanity, and second, God’s work is powerful so that it incapacitates, reverses, even turns upside down the values of ...

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