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 2326 to 2350 of 3108 results
Sermon
George Johnson
Almost everyone who has been brought up in the church has heard of the "taxes to Caesar" story. "Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar?" they asked Jesus. Allegiance to the empire and to God is the issue. Jesus' patriotism is being called into question. I want to talk to you about when patriotism becomes an idol. The setting is important. It was toward the end of Jesus' ministry, just before his death. His vision was focused. He was going to Jerusalem. There he would be confronted with life and death issues. ...
Sermon
Steven Burt
A while ago I attended a wedding at a Roman Catholic church on suburban Long Island. I had never been there before, and when I drove into the parking lot and saw the church, I was stunned. It was huge, almost twice as big as the high school I attended, where our graduating class consisted of 76 students. Inside it was more of the same. The sanctuary was like a small cathedral and it awed me. It could seat between 1,500 and 2,000 comfortably, and the 125 who came for the wedding were swallowed up in it. The ...
Sermon
James Garrett
Columnist Erma Bombeck tells of a Supermom who is perfection itself. She did everything right: kept a perfect home; kept her husband happy. Always had a copy of Bishop Fulton Sheen’s latest book on the coffee table, and answered the door pregnant when the priest came by. One day, I asked her how she did it, and she said, “I emulate the Blessed Virgin Mary,” and I said, “Marge, it’s a little bit late for that.” She said, “Very well, I’ll tell you. Every evening, when the children are bathed and tucked into ...
Sermon
Carlyle Fielding Stewart
There is something strange and paradoxical about the faith of Christians, and many people struggle to understand how we can celebrate the life of someone who died on a cross; someone who didn't fit the conventional criteria of success; someone who brought good and joy to the world, yet was executed by the very people to whom he brought goodness. How could God take someone who was penniless and make us wealthy; someone who was homeless and provide us with a many-roomed mansion in our Father's house? What a ...
Drama
Timothy W. Ayers
Topic: Responsibility of knowing Christ, salvation, temptation, evangelism Characters: One male or female, a devil, and an angel, the same sex as the lead character Scene: Moody, dark lighting Devil: Confused again? Let me help you. Angel: Stop it, you're the one who confuses him all the time. He needs to make a decision about this thing and he needs to do it soon. Devil: I don't know if he needs to do it or not. I mean, there's plenty of time and no decision is OK. Angel: Wrong, no decision is the same as ...
2331. Nothing Is Impossible
Exodus 13:17--14:31
Sermon
Walter Kimbrough
A marvelous story is told by the synoptic gospel writers about a boy who was possessed by an evil spirit. His father was concerned sufficiently enough to seek help for the boy in a time when all help had failed. The boy was brought to the disciples of Jesus with the request for healing, but they were powerless and confused. The father did not give up hope in the quest of healing for his son. So, with an insistent spirit he saw Jesus and reported on the condition of his son with the declaration of the ...
Sermon
Walter Kimbrough
Have you ever wondered whether God was really present in your life? Times were hard and seemingly your misery was endless. You worked long and hard everyday and yet the need was always greater than your means. The pay raises never quite measured up to the escalation in the cost of living. You made more, were taxed more, but had less to spend. Then you cried, God where are you? The poem titled Footprints tells the story of a person on a long journey. Sometimes joy was felt along the way; things went well in ...
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 ...
Sermon
Ron Lavin
What comes to your mind when I say the word "forecasting"? The weather man? The predictor of tomorrow's heat, cold, rain, humidity? Probably so. In the Bible, the forecaster is God's prophet. He tells us what is going to happen in the future based on the reality of the present. True prophecy involves both forth-telling and foretelling. Jeremiah tells forth and foretells by giving us previews of coming attractions. What comes to your mind when I say, "previews of coming attractions"? Perhaps you think of ...
Sermon
Ron Lavin
In the time of John the Baptist, most of the people were not getting the point. There was political corruption with Herod, religious corruption with Annas and Caiaphas, the high priests, and confusion among the general populace. It was the time right before the Messiah would appear, so John the Baptist and a small remnant of followers echoed prophetic words at the Jordan River. To the superficially interested who heard his preaching, John warned, "You brood of vipers (Luke 3:7, J B Phillips)." "You snakes ...
Sermon Aid
Paul N. Frank
We have gathered here this day to witness a marriage. We will hear the promises that this man and woman will make to one another. They will be making a commitment. They will promise to love one another; to be faithful to one another; to be true to one another during good times as well as during bad times. The only thing that can break this commitment is death. Does this sound frightening? Why in the world would anyone want to make such a commitment? No one knows what the future may hold. How can anyone ...
Sermon
Robert Beringer
Charlie Brown isn't the only one who asks, "What's Christmas all about?" Real people also ask that same question. Several years ago there was an exchange student from Indonesia, spending his first December in America. The crowds of shoppers in the stores, the Santa Clauses, the bright lights, the trees, the manger scenes, the parties, and the growing sense of excitement and revelry - it was all more than a little confusing to him. Then one night as he satwatching television with his host family, the ...
Sermon
Erskine White
Texts: Luke 24:1-12; 1 Corinthians 15:12-22 If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and all your faith is in vain.(1 Corinthians 15:14) When Jesus was asked to heal a boy who had suffered seizures since his birth, our Lord said to the boy's father, "All things are possible to those who believe." And the boy's father said to Jesus, "I believe; help Thou my unbelief" (Mark 9:23-24). I wonder how many of us want to say those words as we come to the empty tomb this Easter morning: "Lord, ...
Eulogy
Arthur H. Kolsti
A Time For Thanksgiving This meditation was delivered at a memorial service for a young man of nineteen whose death was caused by cancer. The words of remembrance were delivered by an uncle, a sister, a close friend, and a neighbor/employer. These were prepared prior to the service and delivered to the pastor. The aim of the meditation was to bring everything together, provide a theological perspective, and seal the service with a word of hope. Thank you William, Susan, Adam, and Jonathan. You have, ...
Sermon
Brett Blair
Helen Keller, so brave and inspiring to us in her deafness and blindness, once wrote a magazine article entitled: "Three days to see." In that article she outlined what things she would like to see if she were granted just three days of sight. It was a powerful, thought provoking article. On the first day she said she wanted to see friends. Day two she would spend seeing nature. The third day she would spend in her home city of New York watching the busy city and the work day of the present. She concluded ...
2341. Water Boy
Exodus 2:11-25
Sermon
Justin Tull
Today’s scripture provides for many sermon possibilities. I could have dealt with Moses’ swift departure from Egypt and preached about running from our foes and our fears. I could have taken the second half of our story and played with the notion that here shepherds are not the honored guests of the Christ child but bullies who mistreat all seven of Reuel’s daughters. And a most tempting choice would have been to speak of the “spoils of hospitality.” Just for defending women’s rights, Moses is presented ...
Sermon
Justin Tull
The flame is a part of our biblical heritage, from the burning bush, to pillars of fire, to the flaming tongues of the Spirit at Pentecost. The flame is a part of our church tradition and biblical tradition. It symbolizes the Spirit of God that interacts with us in so many different ways. Today we take a look at Moses’ experience at the burning bush. From this account we may learn many things about ourselves and about the God we worship. Several years ago, Dr. Bill Power, professor of Old Testament at ...
2343. Thanksgiving
Ephesians 1:1
Sermon
Brett Blair
This morning I would like to hold up for you three different scenes. The strange thing about these scenarios is that when you first hear them you will be hard pressed to understand why I selected these stories to exemplify Thanksgiving. On the surface they will seem to be the antithesis of Thanksgiving. Yet, I am convinced that at the heart of these stories is the real Biblical understanding of what it means to be thankful. The first scene comes from the Old Testament. It is the familiar story of Job. Job ...
Children's Sermon
Brett Blair
Exegetical Aim: Jesus has "set his face to Jerusalem" and is determined to fulfill the will of God. The Disciples are asked to put their hand to the plow and not look back, i.e., to finish what has been started. Props: An ability to sing the ABC song. Lesson: I need your help this morning. Would you teach me the ABC song? (response) For some reason I just can't seem to learn it. How does it start? (response) When they start it, join in and when you get to "G" make it the interjection not the letter of the ...
Sermon
Steve Swanson
Jesus performed many miracles during his ministry. These miracles didn't really prove that he was the Son of God, but they certainly did draw crowds. The disciples who have relayed these stories to us through the Gospels were part of those crowds, sometimes as reporters, sometimes as witnesses. The disciples, for instance, didn't really see the water become wine. That happened in an outer hallway. They must have heard the details from the servants or from Mary. Other miracles they saw with their own eyes, ...
2346. Beasts, Saints and Chaos
Daniel 7:15-28, Daniel 7:1-14
Sermon
Paul W. F. Harms
"But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingly power and shall retain it for ever, for ever and ever." But we are not there yet; neither were the people of the text. Because they were not yet there and we are not yet there, we gather here to reflect that some are already there but the rest of us are not yet there. We have enough trouble without the troublesome word "saint" - "the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingly power and shall retain it for ever, for ever and ever." "But I'm no ...
2347. The Time Is Coming
Jeremiah 30:1--31:40
Sermon
Paul W. F. Harms
This prophecy does not have the sound and fury of many another. Here is a sweet, gentle breeze, refreshing, invigorating. Jeremiah in his own person is much like the tone of this prophecy. If you've read much of Jeremiah, it may surprise you to learn that he was of a shy, gentle disposition. He wanted people about him. He was affectionate. In this prophecy he is talking about a new law God will write in the heart. Spontaneity of obedience will come from deep inside rather than being imposed from the ...
Sermon
John P. Rossing
I know a couple who have on their wall a framed piece of needlework that someone gave them for a wedding gift. It has their names and their wedding date, and it says, "God gave us each other." I think many Christian couples believe that they were brought together by God's providence. People often feel the same way about their vocations, believing they have been led into a particular life's work by God. As a church, we trust that our plans and decisions are guided by God's spirit. But why would we think ...
Sermon
Brett Blair
The Christmas story begins in darkness. There was the darkness of oppression, for God's people were a conquered people. They were a beaten and a defeated people. There was the darkness of persecution. Indeed, it was a despised universal taxation that brought the participants in the story together on that fateful night. There was the darkness of disillusionment. There was an ever-increasing number who felt that violence, not faith, was the most effective path. Yes, on that first Christmas, the mood was one ...
Sermon
Johnny Dean
The final Episode of the Seinfeld show which aired at the end of the 1998 TV season received a lot of flack for being disappointing. Perhaps the reason so many were disappointed in the show is because it moralized. It wasn’t very funny; in fact, it was self deprecating. All of the characters receive a one year sentence for failing to help someone who was robbed. What happens is this: Jerry plays a comedian on the show and he has just received a contract from NBC to do a sitcom and the network is flying ...
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