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 2415 results
2301. One Feisty Woman
Matthew 15:21-28
Sermon
Roy Howard
... to be one that presented him in a positive light. This one does not, at least not on the first glance. Perhaps, you’ll remember the film version of The Last Temptation of Christ. It was nearly as controversial as Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, but for different reasons. The film, and the novel, focus intensely on the humanity of Jesus, suggesting that Jesus, before accepting the cross of redemption, fantasized about being married, having children, and living out his days with his family in the ...
Sermon
Ron Love
... Savior, and by grace we will experience salvation. We will know what it means to be forgiven. But Paul then wrote if the Christmas story brings us to accept Jesus as our Savior then we must live, in Paul’s words, “to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly.” The moral power that brings us to salvation is the same moral power that changes how we live. We no longer attend the festivities of Sol Invictus, who was the Roman ...
2303. Your Wake-up Call
Philippians 3:1-11
Sermon
King Duncan
... about that for a moment as we return to the story of Paul. At one time, Paul proudly sought his own worthwhile goals. He describes himself as being zealous for God. “Zealous” isn’t a word we use much anymore. It means being “enthusiastic or passionate for a cause.” Paul wanted to honor God and his religious heritage as a member of the tribe of Benjamin. He demonstrated his commitment to these goals by carefully studying the Hebrew Law and by persecuting those Jews who didn’t strictly obey the ...
2304. Caesar or God?
Matthew 22:15-22
Sermon
King Duncan
... second home—an eight-bedroom mansion worth almost $2 million—so they could give more time and money to charities. Mark and Katharyn had been reading the book The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns, the president of World Vision. The book created in them a passion to contribute to international missions. As Mark Richt said, “You know what? I don't want to pour money into a home like that when I can use it for better things, for eternal things.” (7) Most of us don’t have a $2 million house to ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... ancient Israel, have deluded ourselves into thinking that sin is no big deal. We ignore its power to destroy health and home, to damage our witness and impede spiritual growth. We disregard its power to block our view of God and leave us slaves to our own passions. It was as a warning to us that Jesus taught, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). In other words, there is something about sin that coats the soul with grime and prevents us from seeing God. Rare are those ...
Humor
A mother was telling her young daughter of the passion and death of Jesus. She explained how people were upset with Jesus, how they wanted to punish him, how they crowned him with thorns, how they whipped him, how they forced him to carry a cross, and how finally, they nailed him to the cross and killed him. The little girl thought for a moment and then asked: "Mommy, why were they so hard on Him? Couldn't they have just sent Him to His room?"
Humor
The young man had been shuffling through the card racks for at least an hour. The clerk finally asked him if he needed any help. "I need something that expresses longing, devotion, passion, and undying love," the young man said. The clerk picked up a lacy Valentine that said, "To My One and Only Love." The young man's eyes lit up. "That's perfect! Give me four no, six of those!"
Humor
The wife of an Episcopal priest was in the hospital for minor surgery. He decided to stop to see her as one of his regular hospital visits. There he stood chatting with her in his clerical collar. Then, he gave her a long passionate kiss and left the room. The lady in the next bed stared in disbelief, then said to the wife, "You know, I've been a faithful Methodist all my life, but my pastor doesn't treat me like that at all."
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... between honored icon and self-elevated idol. What makes these figures so great? Often,it’s their penchant for winning, for showmanship, their sports acumen, or their simple image of coolness. Those who are GOATs appear successful. They are passionate “winners.” But they often too can be seen as viciously competitive, headstrong, defiant, and independent. Michael Jordan for example, while a sports hero, has also been called a “jerk” by his teammates. He’s been identified by many as frequently ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... to-do lists that help you reach those big goals. But goals are external measures of achievement. They center on our success or comfort. Purpose, however, is an internal motivating force that comes from our values, our principles, our unique skills and passions. Why does it matter whether you are goal-oriented versus purpose-driven? Achieving your goals may lead to success, but living with purpose leads to fulfillment and inner peace. Living with purpose means focusing your energies on matters that are more ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... frightening than to say he was a psychopath, because if ordinary people can—under the right conditions become monsters—which truly happened in Nazi Germany—then all of us are potentially susceptible. That is why we should be careful about how much passion we allow ourselves in taking up controversial causes. Ordinary people can become swept up into doing awful things by a demagogue with simple but mistaken beliefs. How do we explain how monsters are created? Is it something that comes from within or ...
Sermon
Richard Gribble
... death of sin to a life in Christ as a result of Jesus’ great act of humility. The people had lived a polytheistic existence, following the power of the world. Their day-to-day existence acknowledged nothing of the true God, but rather was guided by the passions and desires of the flesh. Yet, even when humanity was in the grasp of sin, Christ came among us, bringing the immeasurable riches of his love and allowing us to be saved by grace, not by what we do, but rather by the faith that we possess. Christ ...
2313. How Faithful Are We?
1 Corinthians 11:23-25
Sermon
Richard Gribble
... end, even after his death. This story serves as a good metaphor for today’s Scripture lesson from Saint Paul and equally importantly, the special time we enter as Christians who recall the great events of Salvation History, the Paschal Mystery, the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We recall that Holy Week began last Sunday when we heard about Jesus’ triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem. We also recall what Saint Paul wrote in his Letter to the Philippians that the greeting Jesus ...
Sermon
Michael L. Sherer
... with authority. There was nothing compelling or persuasive in their message. And there was nothing to authenticate it. Why was Jesus different? We are told in today’s reading from Mark’s first chapter that Jesus spoke well — persuasively, impressively, passionately, in fact. But he married his words with actions that authenticated what he said. The phrase, “He speaks with authority,” appears twice in the reading. The first time, it comes after the teaching Jesus shares. The second time, it comes ...
2315. Fever Pitch
Mark 1:29-39
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... wanted a break from the relentless traveling. They hoped Jesus would put down roots at least for a while and build up some momentum in the people he had already touched. But Jesus was determined to keep on walking. Jesus’ urgency comes from the same kind of passion, drive, and initiative that drives us onward in the face of a pandemic, even though we desperately want to stop and take a breath. Deep in his heart, Jesus must have been aware of the scant time he had in order to fulfill his mission, the vast ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... a humorous story recently about an Episcopal priest whose wife was in the hospital for minor surgery. He decided to stop to see her as one of his regular hospital visits. There he stood chatting with her in his clerical collar. Then, he gave her a long passionate kiss and left the room. The lady in the next bed stared in disbelief, then said to the wife, “You know I’ve been a faithful Methodist all my life, but my pastor doesn’t treat me like that at all.” Such little misunderstandings in life make ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... noticed that the other boy studied only about fifteen minutes longer than he did. After that, Sir Walter Raleigh studied an extra twenty minutes every night. At the end of the year he was the number one student. (6) That’s what I mean by a radical commitment. A passion burned within Sir Walter Raleigh to give his very best. Now, let’s think about our commitment to Christ. You and I are not saved by our works, I want to make that clear. We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. Still I wonder if we will not ...
2318. Consuming Fire
Hebrews 12:18-29
Sermon
Will Willimon
... . Not much shaking going on. I don't need to plug up my ears to the words of a little god who talks just like me. The foundation of a Christian view of ethics, or politics, or anything else begins in worship, in the sometimes dark, passionate, scary, fiery tempest of God and people colliding on Sunday. "For our God is a consuming fire." This God is a real God, not some pale, idolatrous projection of our ego. I've seen this God make sophomores sick, cause otherwise rational philosophy majors to lose control ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... asking God to help her deal with her desire for possessions. I want to quote a couple of lines from this prayer: “My senses are tormented by the dazzling world of things. Lord, cool these fires of wanting. Help me to realize how futile is this passion for possessions.” She goes on to say in the prayer that recently one of her best friends died “in the midst of her possessions.” This friend and her husband had worked so hard to decorate their home with the finest furnishings and china and Oriental ...
2320. The Days Are Coming
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Sermon
King Duncan
... will come a day. You can count on it.” That was Jeremiah’s message more than 2000 years ago. And it is the church’s message still today. Jeremiah the prophet was a lonely man. He had a fire burning in his bones. Jeremiah had a passion for righteousness and justice. He announced the coming of One who would bring righteousness and justice into the world. That One is Christ. We are Christ’s disciples. On this first Sunday in Advent we need to ask, does righteousness and justice burn within us as well ...
2321. Joy on an Elephant
Philippians 4:4-7
Sermon
Mary Austin
... operations — enough for 6,000 people to see. She set up a non-profit devoted to elephant conservation. Disability, she says, is always like an elephant in the room, but it has also become a place where she feels at home. In embracing all of herself — energy, passion, and disability — she tapped into a deep, living joy within herself. On the way to her TED talk, she used her white cane, the symbol of the disability she tried to escape for so long — and guess what? It allowed her to avoid a lot of ...
Sermon
Mary Austin
... Titus. This is one of the shortest books in the Bible, and is almost never read in worship. But the writer has an unusual take on the gifts of Christmas. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might ...
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... they truly choose this path. For true discipleship, the true path of following Jesus, includes the path to the cross, persecution, and likely torture and martyrdom. Jesus isn’t trying to discourage them from following him. Quite the contrary. Jesus wants worthy, eager, passionate disciples. But he needs them to understand what they are taking on. Discipleship is not just a perk or favor but a commitment to do what it takes to expand the gospel through thick and thin, good and bad, easy and difficult. It ...
Sermon
Billy D. Strayhorn
... and peculiar people known as Christians. Not History - though has some history. Not "just the facts" as Sgt. Joe Friday would say - though it includes facts like genealogy and the census count in Numbers (I wonder who had to proof read that?) Not romance - but has passionate scenes in Song of songs. Contains poetry, letters and even hard to understand sections. Mark Twain said: "It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me. It is the parts that I do understand." It's our story ...
Sermon
Frank Ramirez
... will and feeling. What are our intentions? In Jesus’ day people believed in the Two Ways. There was a Good Way and a Bad Way, and we had the power to choose. Next we love with all our soul. The word for soul, nefesh, is where our passions and desires, our very being, lies. Third we love with all our strength. Literally the Hebrew words mean something like “very, very much.” Now in this passage Jesus is quoted as adding a phrase to the verse as it appears in Deuteronomy — “with all your mind.” In ...
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