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 2101 to 2125 of 5000 results

2101. Building Your Home on the Rock

Matthew 7:24-27

Sermon

James Merritt

... is full of houses that do not have a home within them. But a house and a home do have something in common. Both their destiny and their durability depends on their foundation. It is one thing to build a good-looking house, it's another thing to build a long-lasting home. The key to building a home that will last forever is to build that home on the rock. Jesus closed out the greatest sermon ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount, by telling a story of two men who each built a home. One home lasted through a ...

2102. Till Death Do Us Part

Matthew 19:1-9

Sermon

James Merritt

... a resounding "yes!" Getting a divorce today is far different from getting a divorce yesterday. There was a time in America when the big question facing a judge, adjudicating a divorce, was whether a marriage had indeed collapsed. Most states used to require long separations to prove that a divorce was warranted. Even then states called on judges to decide which partner caused the rift and to specify a reason such as adultery or "mental cruelty." Then in 1970, California became the first state to abandon the ...

2103. How to Deal with Friends, Foes, and Fools

Proverbs 27:6

Sermon

James Merritt

... learned and improved with practice. If you will teach your children a few things early in life, it will carry them a long way in interpersonal relationships. Eye contact when you talk to people look them in the eye. A smiling face it takes seventy- ... what you want to hear, but he will always tell you what you need to hear. In the short run it may hurt you, but in the long run it will help you. If you would like to measure a relationship to determine whether or not it really qualifies as a friendship, here are ...

2104. America: You Are Too Young to Die

Psalm 80:1-19

Sermon

James Merritt

... on God, and because of this she bore bitter fruit. a. There Was No Response to Her Supplication "O Lord God of hosts, how long will You be angry against the prayer of Your people?" (v.4) Oh, they were praying, but God was not listening. Do you know that ... us, O Lord God of hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved."(v.19) The word restore literally means "to turn." As long as our back is to God, we will never see His face shine. Notice it was not that God's back was turned toward them, their ...

2105. God, Elvis, and O.J. Simpson

Psalm 139

Sermon

James Merritt

... knows every word you say. It has been said that every day the average articulate man speaks enough words to fill a good size volume, and in the course of a lifetime enough words to make enough books to fill a college library. I'm sure most of us have long forgotten most of the words we have said. But Jesus said, "Every idle word that men speak will be accounted for on the day of judgment." God knows whether or not O. J. Simpson is lying, and one day, if necessary, the truth will come out. d. God Knows Your ...

2106. The Sin of Silence

1 John 1:9-10

Sermon

James Merritt

... a rock of greed here, Father, I can't budge it. Do you see that tree of guilt over there near that fence? Its roots are too long and too deep. May I show you some dry soil over here too that's just too hard for any seed?" What God does, through His ... store. There were no clues, and detectives admitted the case would have never been solved if Crocker had not made his confession. Not long after that murder on October 6, 1979, Crocker realized he had to make serious changes in his life. He got off of drugs and ...

2107. Castaway

2 Corinthians 5:18-21

Sermon

James Merritt

... devoted to the birth of the subject; there will be a little longer section devoted to the youth of the subject; there will be a long section devoted to the adult life of the subject; and then a very short section on the death of the subject. As you know ... the island of sin and you can be reconciled to God. At Stanford University there is a golden spike. That spike is six inches long, it weighs 18 ounces, and in 1869 it was valued at roughly $350. But that spike represents what some engineers to this day call ...

2108. The Secret of Self-Esteem

Ephesians 1:1-6

Sermon

James Merritt

... with a passenger who was extremely rude and demanding. A United flight had just been cancelled and this one agent was re-booking a long line of travelers who were very upset and inconvenienced. Suddenly, an angry passenger pushed his way to the front of the line, stood before ... we need. The problem is we don't realize that we have it and can get it anytime that we want it. I read a story a long time ago about a man who took an ocean voyage and it took about all the money that he had to buy the ticket for that ...

2109. Just a Closer Walk With Thee

James 4:8

Sermon

James Merritt

... the world, and keeps me from the study of God's Word. It leads me in the paths of failing to attend the evening worship services and doing nothing in the kingdom of God. Yea, though I live to be a hundred, I shall keep on viewing my TV as long as it will work, for it is my closest companion. Its sounds and its picture they comfort me. It presents entertainment before me and keeps me from doing important things with my family. It fills my head with ideas which differ from those set forth in the Word of God ...

2110. Come On Baby, Light My Fire

Matthew 3:11-12

Sermon

James Merritt

... School class that was having a party. The teacher asked all of the children to come dressed as a Bible character. Well, one little boy came dressed in a shepherd's outfit with a slingshot, and he said, "I'm David." Another little boy came wearing a wig with long hair and sponges underneath his shirt and his arms and chest, making him look big and strong, and said, "I'm Samson." One little girl came in with nothing but a sheet over her head with the eyes cut out. The teacher said, "Who are you?" She said ...

2111. Gospel Partners

Philippians 1:3-5

Sermon

James Merritt

... intelligence, nothing to do with your skills or your aptitude. You may right now be one of those people who are trapped working in a job you don't even like. Well, did you know you can still have an impact for the kingdom of God that will last long after you're gone. The fact is, everyone has an opportunity to be a partner in a ministry greater than they are; that can impact people they will never know, and go to places they will never see. With every opportunity comes a responsibility. You not only have an ...

2112. The Most Exciting Moment of Your Life

1 Cor 5:1-13, Rev 21:1-27, Rev 6:1-17, Heb 12:14-29, Rev 22:7-21, Phil 1:12-30

Sermon

James Merritt

... man, seasickness never killed anybody." The man said, "Don't tell me that. It's the hope of dying that's kept me alive this long." One of the worst things we can do sometimes for people who are desperately ill is to pray for God to keep them here. In ... those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?' And a white robe was given ...

2113. Power in the Pulpit

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

James Merritt

... . It is not popular for the pulpiteer today to paint in colors of black and white; people prefer a subtle gray. I read the tragic story not long ago of an 18 year old young man named Kevin Farr. He had just been bowling with his brother, and as they parted ways, he said, "Tell ... through legislative creed, And yet you fail to understand, That God is what we need. 10 God is what we need. As long as we need God we will need power in the pulpit and the power of the pulpit. 1. "Washington's Farewell Address," ...

2114. Why You Should Manage Your Time

Psalm 118:24

Sermon

James Merritt

... to raise. Is that right?” He said, “That’s right.” The man said, “Doc, will that make me live longer and be happy?” The doctor said, “No, but it will be the longest six months you’ve ever lived.” Well, all time really is short though it may seem long. But we need to make the most of the time that we have. So I want to close with this thought. Have you ever considered the fact that if you’re not a Christian; if you have never trusted Jesus Christ; if you’ve never been born again, the ...

2115. A Time for Penance and a Time for Partridge

Ps 100, Col 2:1-7

Sermon

... that comes at the end of a bitter harvest and yet finds something sweet to celebrate." "For the first time in a long time," she writes, "we are now pilgrims, finding ourselves stripped down to bare essentials and a single carry-on bag to sustain ... put her casket into the wagon. After which a cousin approached me in the hall. Struggling to get out a word, she told me about 20 long years outside the church. No faith. No worship. No nothing. "I used to sit in the pew and daydream," she said. "Today, I sat in the ...

2116. And the Angel Said to Harry Potter

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

... I mean. I was a boy who had to pedal my bicycle to school every day with a violin case on my handlebars. Which pretty much says it all. I don't need to tell you Harry's story. You can read (or see) it yourself. It's not long into the movie that we learn that Harry's parents are dead….killed by a giant wizard named Voldemort…. who, sometime previous, crossed over from the good side to the dark side (this sounds religious already). Voldemort almost got Harry when he got his folks, which explains why Harry ...

2117. This Feels Like Where I Came In

Mark 13:1-8

Sermon

... occasion) it needs to be reined in by power as much as it needs to be redeemed by love. Sin makes people do awful stuff. Some of which is very hurtful stuff. And while there is none of that awful, hurtful stuff that can't be forgiven in the long run, there is some of it that must be opposed in the short run. Especially when it is blatant. Especially when it is deviant. And especially when it is on-goingly unrepentant. Second, I believe that "evil" is an applicable word in this debate. I cringed when Ronald ...

2118. An All-Night Wrestling Match

Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... approval of people, there will be a deep discontent in our souls. The wrestling match will continue. Victory comes when we surrender, when we allow the living Christ to be our ultimate leader. There could be persons here today who have been wrestling for a long time. This could be the day when you terminate that internal struggle, by allowing Jesus Christ to be Lord of your life. The late Tom Murray was a great Bible teacher at Christ Church and at numerous other local churches. We miss him very much. When ...

2119. Stop Fuming, Start Forgiving!

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... the past three years her mother had suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. One day when Amy visited her, she said, “Amy, something is wrong with my mind. I feel like I can’t remember many things, even what I did yesterday. I can’t remember what happened a long time ago, but somehow I know I did something to hurt you.” Amy started to say, “O not really. Don’t worry,” but her mother continued, “I did terrible things. But now I can’t remember what…and I just want to tell you…I hope you can ...

2120. Prime The Pump!

Luke 17:1-10

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... to activate God’s grace and power. When we act on faith instead of fear; God’s grace and power are always near. When you drive east on I-40 through the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, you pass through two tunnels. Each is about ½ mile long, right through the side of mountains. I’m always awed by the brilliance of the engineers who designed those tunnels. How were they carved out of the solid rock? I’m sure that dynamite was the key. Sticks of dynamite were well placed and then ignited by ...

2121. Mary, Did You Know?

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... be called the Son of the Most High…his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:32) In the days of Jesus, it was common knowledge that the Messiah would be a descendent of King David. Mary knew that her baby would be the one all Jews had waited for so long. HERE IS ANOTHER THING MARY KNEW—THAT THE NAME OF HER BABY WOULD BE JESUS AND THAT HE WOULD SAVE PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS. She actually learned this from her fiancé, Joseph. In a dream, an angel had said to him, “You are to give him the name Jesus, because ...

2122. Is Jesus The Only Way?

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... that claim of Jesus even more blatant when he said, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Lots of Americans almost wallow in tolerance. They feel that as long as a person is sincere about his religious beliefs, it doesn’t matter what he believes. But isn’t it strange that they apply this logic to faith but not to any other area of their lives? They want the pilot flying their next commercial flight to be right ...

2123. I Believe In God The Father Almighty

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... of God? Of course not. We are like beginners at the game of chess. We have learned a few moves in a simple three-dimensional model. But we cannot conceive of what it would be like to play a million games simultaneously in a million dimensions. (7) God told Isaiah long ago, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Is. 55:9) Here is the third lesson from the first line of the Creed: OUR GOD IS A BLEND OF POWER AND GRACE. If God ...

2124. Stumbling in Darkness, Looking for Light

Isaiah 9:1-7, John 1:5

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... : Some say that ever 'gainst that season comes Wherein our Savior's birth is celebrated, The bird of dawning singeth all night long: And then, they say, no spirit dare stir abroad; Then no planet strikes, nor witch hath power to charm, So hallow'd ... the darkness, the foreboding, the fear of Hamlet's day—even then, "'gainst the season of sorrow...the bird of dawning singeth all night long." Those who stumble in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwell in the land of deep darkness, on them the light ...

2125. God Knows....Me!

Psalm 8:1-9

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... think that God loves me. The story is told of the young man who went to see his aging mother, stricken with Alzheimer's. She had long since lost touch with those around her. He walked in and said, "Mother do you know who I am?" No response. A second time he ... 1791 while George Washington was still president, and lived to be 101. They called her "Blind Granny" because she had been blind as long as anyone could remember. Burnham says he remembers she was sitting in a large chair and she called him to her side, ...

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