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 2176 to 2200 of 4961 results

2176. Struggling with Sin

Romans 7:7-25

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

We noted in section 14 that chapters 6–7 are something of a theological entrenchment on Paul’s part designed to defend his gospel against three objections. In 6:1–14 he contended against a misunderstanding of 5:20 (“where sin increased, grace increased all the more”), which would argue that if grace increases with sin, why not sin all the more? In 6:15–7:6 he answered a second objection that freedom from the law leads to moral anarchy. Now in the present section (7:7–25) we hear his final defense, in which ...

2177. The Signs Of Salvation

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

Theodore F. Schneider

Would that we could know what Zacchaeus was thinking as he ran ahead of the crowd that day in Jericho! What would he have known or believed about the Galilean preacher? What did he think of the crowds that thronged the streets of Jericho, straining to glimpse the teacher as he journeyed toward Jerusalem? Could he have remembered that more than 500 years earlier Isaiah had promised there would be a day like this? Probably not. Zacchaeus had other problems. To begin with, he was a short man. He had spent ...

2178. See the Light, Be the Light

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

Johnny Dean

You have come today, as most of you regularly do, to worship God. You’ve come to pray, to hear the reading of Scripture, to sing songs of praise, and to be reassured by the presence of your neighbor. But there may be an additional reason many of you have come today, one that you may or may not be aware of: curiosity. What hymns will we sing today? Will they be the old standards the church has been singing for a thousand years or will the preacher or the choir director try to make us learn one that was ...

2179. It Is Really Something New by Dr. Frank Bateman Stanger

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2, Acts 17:16-34

Sermon

Leonard Mann

The six of us ministers during this special series have been given a very demanding assignment. There is nothing more exacting than to try to tell the meaning of something. Certainly it is not easy to verbalize accurately a meaning. I remember shortly before I left the last local church which I served as pastor that one of the young adults, a very attractive, intelligent, spiritually sensitive lady said to me, "Before you leave our church, will you tell us again what it means to live a sanctified life?" ...

2180. Envision: The Great Commission

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

James Merritt

I am absolutely convinced after having lived my life to this point, that there is nothing more powerful than a vision. Every great institution, every great invention, every great innovation known to the human race has been the result of somebody’s vision. This past month we have asked you to envision a church filled with followers of Christ, who give everything they have and everything they are to doing three things 24/7: Love God, Serve Others, sharing Jesus. It all begins with loving God. We have learned ...

2181. Extreme Humility

John 13:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

I want to begin with a serious question: How accurate would you be if someone asked you to evaluate yourself? For example, if you were asked to describe your athletic ability, or your appearance, or your intellect--how would you rate yourself? I ask that because a survey of nearly two hundred sociologists found that about a hundred of them, about one-half, expected to become one of the ten leading sociologists of their time. Obviously this is a mathematical impossibility for 100 of them to be among the top ...

2182. The Dynamics of Doubt

Sermon

Ron Lavin

On the evening of the great first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you ...

2183. Pack Up Your Troubles

James 4:13-17

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

In 1942, a man named Felix Powell sat down to a piano to play an old tune. He had every right to play it. He had written it himself. It had been tremendously popular in both World Wars. He was playing and singing it now. What's the use of worrying? It never was worthwhile.So pack up your troubles in your old kit bag, And smile, smile, smile. When Felix Powell finished his song, he walked in his bedroom, took out a revolver, put it to his head, and shot himself. He could write a song about not worrying, and ...

2184. Being More than Civil

1 Corinthians 1:1-9, 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Sermon

Mark Trotter

The trial of a president is a terrible thing for a country to endure. We can be grateful that in the Senate, at least, the proceedings have been conducted in a more civil manner than we have been subjected to over the last several years. Although we have been told that just underneath the surface, in the Senate as well, there are deep divisions and the same partisan acrimony that has characterized the investigation and the impeachment. There has always been division in the world. In our own society, in ...

2185. Anxiety Alert – The Fear of the Future

Matthew 6:34

Sermon

James Merritt

Ever since 9/11 we have instituted in this country the Homeland Security Advisory System. Though you haven't memorized it, I am sure you are familiar with it. It looks like this. [Put on Screen]. These levels are assigned based on information gathered by our intelligence agencies to help us be prepared for potential terror attacks in the future. Whether you know it or not, you use this same system every day of your life to chart your level of anxiety. Follow this scenario and chart your "anxiety alert ...

2186. Getting to a Teachable Moment

Mark 15:1-15

Sermon

Craig MacCreary

I spent part of a recent Sunday talking with a public school teacher who was quickly coming to the end of her rope. Talented, dedicated, one of the good people, she found herself with the class from hell and her life coming apart at the seams. We were well beyond being a non-anxious, fully individuated, differentiated presence. In short, we were at critical mess rather than critical mass. I have taught enough confirmation classes and have had experiences in the classroom in other forums to identify with ...

2187. Warnings and Exhortations for Jerusalem and Judah

Zephaniah 1:1-3, Zephaniah 1:4-13, Zephaniah 1:14--2:3

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

1:1 Whereas Nahum and Habakkuk have rather nonstandard introductions, the introduction to Zephaniah follows the pattern of other prophetic books; it is especially close to that of Hosea. First, its editors describe the book as a whole as The word of the LORD. The word dabar can signify a section of a discourse such as a sentence, but it commonly signifies a complete discourse of some kind, such as a message or command or promise or statement (cf. 2:5). Thus little stretch would be involved in describing a ...

2188. How Do We Forgive?

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

King Duncan

An elderly man wandering on a lonely beach found a magic lamp. Naturally he rubbed the lamp and a genie appeared. The genie told the old man he would grant him any wish. The man thought for a while and said, “My brother and I had a fight 20 years ago and we haven’t spoken since. My wish is that he would finally forgive me.” The genie clapped his hands, a bright light shot across the sky, and then he said, “Your wish has been granted.” Then the genie said, “You know, most men would have asked for wealth and ...

2189. Nothing but the Blood

1 John 1:7

Sermon

James Merritt

The greatest evangelist of the Twentieth Century, without question, was Billy Graham. The greatest evangelist before him of the Nineteenth Century undoubtedly was Dwight L. Moody. Both shared a common trait. They were criticized because of a particular subject they preached about. When Billy Graham was getting started, a professor from Cornell University wrote him a letter and said, "Mr. Graham, you have great talent, and you have what it takes to be a successful minister. But if you want to continue to be ...

2190. Instructions to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:1-16

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

The False Teachings Censured Because of the content of 3:14–16—the statement of purpose climaxed by the hymn—it is easy to think of chapter 3 as bringing us to some kind of conclusion, or major break, in the middle of the letter. But to view 3:14–16 that way is to miss the very close tie between chapter 4 and what has preceded. Paul is about to elaborate in some detail upon the two matters expressed in the charge in chapter 1: the nature of the errors of the false teachers (4:1–5; cf. 1:3–11, 19–20) and ...

2191. All Saints' Sunday

Jn 11:32-44 · Mt 5:1-12 · Isa 25:6-9 · Rev 7:9-17; 21:1-6 · Ps 24

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Isaiah 25:6-9 Through his prophet, the Lord promises to make a joyous feast for his people on Mt. Zion, replete with rich food and wine. God will remove the pall of gloom and sorrow by destroying death and personally wiping away the tears from the eyes of his people. Epistle: Revelation 21:1-6a John's vision of the new heaven and new earth, predicted by Isaiah (65:17; 66:22). The sea, symbolic of unrest and turbulence, is no more. The new Jerusalem descends from heaven, with all ...

2192. A Long Obedience In The Same Direction

Luke 22:39-46

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

A few weeks ago, I mentioned a preacher- writer I have recently discovered. His name is Eugene H. Peterson, and he has served Christ the King United Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland for 27 years. He has a book on the Psalms of Ascents -- Psalms 120 - 134 which he titled, A LONG OBEDIENCE IN THE SAME DIRECTION. He got that phrase from Friedrich Nietzsche. This was Nietzsche's word: "The essential thing in heaven and earth is...that there should be a long obedience in the same direction; thereby, ...

2193. A Rod For The Back Of Fools

Proverbs 25:1-28

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

The book of Proverbs is a book of wisdom, a collection of pithy expressions of practical advise. As I am contending in the theme for this sermon series, it is a compendium of guidance for daily living. Because it is a book of wisdom, it shouldn't surprise us that a lot is said about fools and foolishness. The word fool as singular or plural appears at least fifty five times in the book, and foolish or foolishness at least twenty one times. In this 26th chapter from which we have read our text, fool and ...

2194. The Seven Delightful Blessings of the Word of God in the Believer's Life

Psalm 119:169-176

Sermon

Michael Milton

On the Fourth of July we went to Washington, D.C., and while there, we watched the fireworks. I love fireworks anywhere, but I especially loved these because the finale was spectacular! This section of Psalm 119 is the finale! It is a veritable fireworks of blessings that come to us through the Word of God, the Bible. Taw Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word! Let my plea come before you; deliver me according to your word. My lips will pour forth praise, for you ...

2195. Framing Values – Part Two

Daniel 1:1-21

Sermon

James Merritt

We are continuing to make progress on our Extreme Home Makeover as you can see and the framing is coming right along. Last week we talked about framing values for your children. Today, I want to talk about framing values for your teenagers. Have you listened to teenagers talk recently? I want to be honest and tell you that I suffer from TLD - Teenage Language Deficiency. If you have listened to your teenager talk lately, you know that their favorite word now is "like". I counted up one time and Joshua, my ...

2196. Warning Against False Teachers of the Law

1 Timothy 1:1-11

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

Salutation The letter begins with the standard form of salutation found in almost all the letters from the Greco-Roman period. Where such a letter in our time would have begun, “Dear Timothy,” and concluded something like, “Your affectionate father in Christ, Paul,” ancient letters began with the name of the writer, followed by the addressee and a greeting. Usually these were terse: “Paul, to Timothy, greetings.” Such a terse greeting may be found in Paul’s earliest existing letter (1 Thessalonians), but ...

2197. Possessions and Choice in the New Kingdom Community

Mark 10:17-31

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

Big Idea: This section is about choices and the effects emanating from them. The wealthy man chooses his possessions and therefore will be “last” in God’s kingdom. Those disciples who choose to “leave everything” will be made first, blessed now and vindicated for all eternity. Understanding the Text Wives and children (10:1–16) had very little social status, and Jesus elevated their place in God’s new community. Now he turns to rich and poor. The rich man, though with high moral standards, chooses the ...

2198. The New Heaven and New Earth

Revelation 21:1-27

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: God will live with his people in the new creation. Understanding the Text The final vision of Revelation (21:1–22:5) highlights the primary goal and theme of the entire book and all of Scripture: God’s presence among his people in the new creation. From the time sin and death intruded upon God’s good creation, God purposed to defeat his enemies and live among his people in a new garden city. This final vision of Revelation represents the fulfillment of the promises to those who overcome (Rev. 2–3 ...

2199. Proper 7 & Pentecost 5

Jeremiah 20:7-18, Psalm 69:1-36, Psalm 91:1-16, Genesis 28:10-22

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE Only the name of this Sunday, the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, gives any theological clue from the church year; the church is moving eschatologically and continues to anticipate the last times and the return of Christ. The Pentecost cycle/season is roughly one-fifth completed today, so there's a long way to go, as well as a long time to wait for the eschaton. The business of the church continues to be proclaiming "the Lord's death" - in worship, preaching, witnessing, and working - until ...

2200. As Good As God

Leviticus 19:1-37

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

The Lord said to Moses, "Say to all the congregation of the people of Israel, You shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy. You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. You shall not go up and down as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand forth against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord. You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason with your neighbor ...

Showing results