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 2301 to 2325 of 4959 results

2301. Zacchaeus

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

Brett Blair

... of short stature, could not see for the press of the crowd. So he climbed into a tree to get a better view. His inaccessibility to Jesus was more than literal, it was also symbolic. It is hard to know what drove Zacchaeus to turn on his kinsmen. Desire for power, love of money, revenge upon Jewish leadership, or just plain greed. He could have been blocked in so many ways. But we are blocked not only by our own sinful behavior but by the social prejudices against us. Let me as you. Has anyone ever misjudged ...

2302. I ... Oh ... U

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

... , I suspect every one of us would have one by now. There is probably no more common international pastime. But the fact that it is common doesn’t make it healthy. In his book entitled I’m OK, You’re OK, Dr. T. A. Harris comments that the desired level of individual well-being has not been reached when our own self-esteem is dependent upon belittling others. Harris feels genuine individual well-being has only been reached when we can say both "I’m OK" and "You’re OK". In the aftermath of the Attica ...

2303. Train Whistle In The Night

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

... worshipers naturally took it as their religious obligation to be as much as possible. The priests of the new religion accommodated their followers by devising imaginative methods to produce goods and services in unprecedented quantities. And the desire to have was satisfied as never before. The followers developed a strong worship pattern of buying, consuming, disposing, and buying more. The religious formula appeared to be working perfectly - worshiper attendance remained high, the first commandment was ...

2304. Advance into Europe

Acts 15:36-41

Sermon Aid

CSS

... young man named Timothy, whose mother had become a believer. Timothy’s father was Greek, perhaps a part of that same Greek congregation of pantheists that had mistaken Paul and Barnabas for gods on their first visit to the city. Maybe Timothy had a desire to travel as a missionary; or perhaps Paul talked him into it. At any rate, Timothy had a good reputation among the Christians both at Lystra and Iconium. Paul was gratified to recruit such a young and energetic traveling companion. We do not know ...

2305. Revival at Corinth

Acts 18:1-17

Sermon Aid

CSS

... to the mystery about the sense of urgency that drove him back to Judea. Paul was evidently alone when he went on from Ephesus. Certainly Luke was not with him, for the report of what happens on the rest of this trip is sketchy and incomplete. Maybe Paul desired privacy as he completed the ritual fulfillment of the vow. Among those he left behind at Ephesus were Aquila and Priscilla, both of whom were well able to take care of themselves and to earn their living in a strange city. While it may have been mere ...

2306. Paul in Chains

Acts 21:27-36

Sermon Aid

CSS

... to move in and out of the temple without attracting special attention - and he would also be effectively prevented from making public speeches. Why Paul agreed to this kind of legalistic charade is hard to fathom, but his willingness to do so shows his desire to be conciliatory and to keep the peace. He was indeed going the second mile, because the elders told Paul to pay the expenses for the four other men! Large offerings and thank-offerings were required as part of the purification program and it must ...

2307. "I appeal to Caesar!"

Acts 24:1-27, Acts 25:1-12

Sermon Aid

CSS

... down from Jerusalem to testify - something Lysias had no intention of doing. The usual formula for carrying over such a case was stamped "amplius" on Roman documents. It meant that more evidence or more investigation was required. Behind the action of Felix was a desire to compromise. He did not want to offend the Jews needlessly, but he was convinced that Paul was not guilty of any punishable offense. The absence of Lysias offered a handy way out without the need to render a definite decision. Though the ...

2308. I Want a Raise

Illustration

Several months ago, from the pulpit, I announced to the congregation that I wanted a raise. They thought me rather forward and concluded this was no place to speak of salary. Then I continued. I told them I wanted a raise in their devotion to Jesus, a raise in their prayers for others, a raise in their praise to God. Our Lord desires and deserves a raise in our commitment to Him.

2309. Duty's Stern Command

Illustration

Atlanta’s Oglethorpe University has these words penned by Dr. Thornwell Jacobs, over the entrance to the university library: "Ask of me what wilt the gold thy heart desires The place where rubies flame and diamonds light their fires But e’er thy hand has grasped my treasures passing rare Bend low thine ear, I would with thee this secret share. Ask not for wealth, nor fame, nor ease, nor sceptered rod. Choose duty’s stern command to toil for man and God."

2310. It Isn’t Fair!

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

... gracious craziness, there need to be curbs and protections. Without knowledge of a God who says "Yes!" to a negative offspring, it becomes of critical importance that the human population be protected from itself. Hence, lawcourts are desirable. Policemen. Prisons. Laws. The threat of punishment. Fair treatment within limits: Even judges recognize fair treatment sometimes would destroy the people whom they’re sentencing, and we approve when they make sentencing "elastic" and compassionate. And Christians ...

2311. Let’s Face It

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

Michael L. Sherer

... live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. He promised that. We can believe it. We can die at any time if necessary. Martin Luther King, Jr., said on the night before he died, speaking to a crowded room of followers, "Longevity is a thing much to be desired. I’d like to live a long, long time, but if I don’t, I’m ready to meet God ... because mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord ..." "Lord strengthen me, that I may dread The grave as little as my bed ..." As Jesus’ followers ...

2312. Candlelighting and Prayer

Isaiah 9:1-7

Bulletin Aid

Thomas A. Pilgrim

... Father, who is the great creator of all that is and who dared to bend low in the coming of thy Son Jesus Christ, we bow before thee today. We rejoice in the glad tidings of the Savior's birth. And we pray that we would be protected from the desire to get over Christmas and pack Jesus neatly up and put him away until next year, for Christmas is not even a week old and some of us are weary with it already. Protect us, O God, from such weary living. Put a new song of joy in our hearts ...

2313. Changing the "Too Much Syndrome"

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

David M. Oliver

... to find freedom to resist and overcome the "too much syndrome." In the quietness, we name those things that have received too much of our time, attention, and energy (pause). Grant us grace to enter into the holy, joyous liberty and balance which you desire for our lives. We ask, Lord, that this Christmas you would create within us a humble awe, an excited openness, a willing obedience, and an abundant rejoicing, such as that which characterized the ones who came to pay homage to the Christ Child. Touch ...

2314. Mary's Revolutionary Song (Sermon Series No. 3)

Luke 1:39-56

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... components. He is proud of each strand of his racial heritage. Jesus delights in flipping the social order on its head, elevating the humble and putting down the pompous. Today, across this country, there are two contrary movements occurring. One is a desire to isolate from all that is negative. The negative is usually associated with the poor and the black. The isolationists want to keep their schools, neighborhoods, and government as undefiled by the poor, and black, and Hispanic as possible. The attitude ...

2315. Naming the Divine Baby

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... fish, built tables, and attended parties. He was tempted. He wept and felt despair. Why is that important? Because if Jesus really experienced our humanness, then he can understand us thoroughly. Bishop Earl Hunt recalls that as a boy of about ten, he had an intense desire to have a record player. This was over 60 years ago when record players were rather primitive by today’s standards. One day he found a second-hand model in a downtown store for only $5.00. Of course, those were Depression days when $5 ...

2316. The Blessing Of Bondage

Genesis 2:4-25, Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... . Then we are promised freedom from pain by Tylenol, Excedrin, Bayer, and others. Other products play on our desperation for freedom by telling us we can be free from "ring-around-the-collar," and Lysol sets us free from germs. Our songs plaintively cry out our supreme desires in the refrains, "I want to be free" and "I did it my way." We want freedom to sleep at night with a clear conscience, freedom from fear of death, and above all, freedom from the terrors of the judgment day. A teen-age boy told his ...

2317. Returning: Real or Ruse?

Hosea 5:1-15

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... is, what have you done for me lately?" Such is the ingratitude of those who only make a ruse of repentance. The kind of repentance that is only wily subterfuge won’t do! God won’t accept it. God’s love, mercy, and grace are unlimited, but our desire for his grace must at least be honest and sincere. We can’t pass over our sinning so lightly. This attitude is reminiscent of St. Augustine who prayed, "Lord, forgive my sins - but not yet!" It is said that another time he prayed, "Lord, forgive my sins ...

2318. What Do You See?

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken ...

2319. Christians Die Well

Acts 7:54--8:1a

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a murmuring against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "it is not desirable that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves ...

2320. Sinners Anonymous

Matthew 9:9-13

Sermon

Dennis Kastens

... the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." "Why does Jesus eat with sinners?" The Pharisees first asked the question, but in this case, they speak for all of us. "Is Christ unaware of what he is doing? Doesn’t it ...

2321. Echoes of Eternity

Matthew 10:24-32

Sermon

Dennis Kastens

... into many a secular and short-sighted life before, and he can do so again - also in your life! He can do this for everyone who truly wants to have that treasure which moths and rust do not consume and where thieves cannot break into and steal. He desires for us the treasure of eternal life in heaven, a treasure with blessings already in this life from him who has promised, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is fixed on Thee." (Isaiah 26:3) This encouragement should impel us to draw daily upon ...

2322. The Stiller of Storms

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

Dennis Kastens

... Jesus could walk on the water, he could also. But we are told, "when he saw the wind, he was afraid." Then he began to sink and had to call on Jesus for help. What a picture Peter is of all of us. At times we, too, desire to push ahead without the Lord and bluster and swagger our way through some experience. How quickly, however, because our human resources are limited, we lose our cocksureness in this world. How quickly we can become overwhelmed by the impossibilities. How often courage turns to cowardice ...

2323. Scenes From a Marriage

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

Craig Erickson

... frank at times. They are articulate about their deepest needs, fears, and disappointments - so articulate, in fact, that one wonders who will be left to pick up the pieces. The genius of Bergman’s screenplay lies in his ability to show how otherwise desirable virtues can be destructive to human relationships. Open communication? Sure. That’s what you want in a marriage. But in Bergman’s film, it provokes a defensive hostility that causes the marriage to unravel. How about "being in touch with one’s ...

2324. Have This Mind

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Craig Erickson

... destroy the creatures of God?" Implied in this renunciation are those tremendously powerful forces that are hurtful to human society and to God (including racism, militarism, consumerism, sexism, bigotry, and wanton disregard for the environment). 3. "Do you renounce all sinful desires that draw you from the love Of God?” Evil corrupts the personal life as well, tempting us to give in to hatred, back-biting, jealousy, envy, strife, dissension, lust, self-pity. These are the forces of evil that threaten to ...

2325. Looking For God?

Isaiah 55:1-13

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... God. To know God is to find him and to find him is to seek him. Thus, in our text, Isaiah says, "Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near." Before you and I seek the Lord, there must be a hunger and desire to know and have God, as the Psalmist yearns, "As a heart longs for flowing streams, so longs my soul for them, O God. My soul thirsts for the living God." With that longing for God, we begin our search. Who Seeks Whom? You may rightly ask, "Why seek the ...

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