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 2401 to 2425 of 4961 results

2401. Getting Out Of Our Own Way

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

Roger G. Talbott

I'd like to ask you to relax for a moment about the clothes that you are wearing. Think about how your clothes say something about who you are: your gender, your age, your economic status, maybe even how you feel about yourself. As you think about that, imagine yourself in quite different clothes. Note that your real self would not change. Even if you were wearing Eskimo clothes or Arabian clothes, you would still be who you are, so your real self is not your clothes. Therefore, you are not your clothes." ...

2402. Through the Eyes of an Eagle (Introduction)

John 20:24-31

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

I suppose that if a vote were taken as to which of the Four Gospels is the most popular, among those who know that there are four Gospels, the vote would be overwhelmingly in favor of the Fourth gospel: the Gospel According to St. John. This is somewhat strange, in light of the fact that the Fourth Gospel is by far the most difficult of them all. Indeed, it even had a hard time getting into the canon of the New Testament in the first place. It was considered suspect by the conservatives of the early Church ...

2403. Reflections On A Calling (ten-year Anniversary Sermon)

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

One of my heroes is Bishop Gerald Kennedy. He was the Bishop in Southern California who extended me the invitation to join his conference when we were under such great pressure in Mississippi back in 1964. I spent ten wonderful years under his leadership there in Southern California. He's one of the greatest preachers, I believe, on this century. He was fond of telling about the Anglican Bishop who defined a sermon in this fashion: "A sermon is what a preacher will travel across the continent to deliver, ...

2404. A Fool’s Tools

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

It was a ghastly scene. All the faces looked the same, all the bodies had the same blob-like shapelessness, there was no color (only a kind of gray), and whenever there was movement it was uniform ... very uniform ... reminiscent of what we know today as the prisoner’s shuffle. There was no variation ... no difference ... no anything. Just a huge, uniform nothingness. The air was hot, stale, and motionless. And as you watched this display of almost-life, you had the impression that somewhere in the past it ...

2405. Batman: Driven By Guilt or Grace?

Romans 5:1-11; 8:1-2; Luke 18:9-16

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Romans 5:1-11 (NRSV) [1] Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, [2] through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. [3] And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, [4] and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, [5] and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts ...

2406. When We Are Tempted

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Pastor John Jewell tells about a 20/20 episode sometime back in which some children of about four years of age were forced to deal with the ancient scourge of temptation. They were left alone in a room. Sitting in front of them was two or three M&Ms. They were told they could have a whole package of M&Ms if they would wait five minutes for a bell to ring before devouring the two or three M&Ms in front of them. The struggle of temptation was recorded through a two way mirror. The result was hilarious, says ...

2407. The Door Is Open

John 10:1-21

Sermon

James Merritt

I remember it like it happened yesterday and it was almost 37 years ago. I put my hand on a door handle that would lead into a worship center. In that worship center, a crowd had gathered to see me tie the knot with a young lady, named Teresa, which I had only known for 6 months. I knew if I walked through that door I was walking into a life-long commitment of who I was going to spend the rest of my life with - for better or for worse, in sickness or in health, for richer or poorer. Not long after that I ...

2408. Jesus Talks with a Samaritan Woman

John 4:1-26, John 4:27-38, John 4:39-42

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

The transition begun in 3:22 is continued in 4:1–4. Jesus moves from Jerusalem to the Judean countryside and from there to Galilee by way of Samaria. The intervening material (3:23–36) enables the reader to make sense of this cumbersome introduction to chapter 4. That Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John (v. 1) has already been intimated in 3:26. That the Pharisees noticed this is suggested by the fact that John’s disciples seem to have been reminded of it by a Jew (3:25). What has not ...

2409. Eliphaz's Second Speech to Job

Job 15:1-35

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

Sin Prompts Your Mouth The “second dialogue cycle” begins here as we return to the argument of Eliphaz, from whom we last heard in chapters 4 and 5. There Eliphaz operated from the assumption that humans are “born to trouble” (5:7) and therefore “reap” what they “sow” (4:8). It is impossible for “a mortal to be righteous before God.” Since even God’s servants, the angels, are untrustworthy, “how much more” are humans subject to “error” (4:18–19). As a result, Job must deserve his suffering. His only hope ...

2410. The Disciples Rejoin Jesus

John 4:27-38, John 4:1-26, John 4:39-42

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

2411. The True Story Wins

Matthew 28:11-15

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Prop: a stone or rock, some scissors, and paper; a basket of stones or rocks that can be handed out Participation: During the sermon, all can participate using the hand motions of “rock, paper, scissors” Are you a liar? That might be a question asked of you if you live in the mountains of West Virginia, where the art of storytelling is called “lying.” It is every artist’s desire to become a “great liar.” To be a great “liar” meant that you could not only write a crafty short story, but you could “tell” the ...

2412. Do You Believe In Peace? - Memorial Day

Ephesians 2:11-22

Sermon

Erskine White

For He is our peace, who has made us both one. (Ephesians 2:14) If I asked the question, "Do you believe in peace?" everyone of us would say, "yes." Everyone wants peace and everyone believes that real peace would be a blessing to the earth. But if I asked, "Do you believe that peace is possible and that war can be abolished?" many of us would be inclined to say "no," and we could certainly be excused for having our doubts. Someone has calculated that between 1500 B.C. and 1860 A.D., a period of roughly 3, ...

2413. Loved People, Love People

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Richard A. Jensen

"Remember who you are, Dick," my Dad would say. "You are a Jensen. You have a family name to live up to." I did not get that speech too often when I was young. I got it often enough, however. It usually came at very strategic times like when I went out on my first date, or got the family car, or left home for the first time. "Remember who you are." My Dad believed, and I think he was right, that he and Mom had instilled certain values in me. Most families have such values. When I went out on my own I was ...

2414. Keeping Our Souls

John 13:18-30

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

A seminary student (not one of you) preached his senior sermon in a homiletics class. When he got through, the professor gave him his critique. “John, I’ll give you an A- on the sermon. It was a good one. But I must give you an F on the title.” “An F?” said John. “I don’t understand. What’s wrong with my title?” “Well,” said the professor, “the title is one of the most important parts of the sermon. It should be so compelling and captivating that if a busload of people pass by your sign on Sunday morning, ...

2415. Why Being A Christian Has Worn You Down v1

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

A mild little boy, not known for being ugly or mean, was being chastised and about to be punished for pulling a little girl’s hair. His mother asked him, “Son, why did you do it? That’s just not like you.” “Mama,” he responded, “I just got tired of being good all the time.” It happens to all of us, doesn’t it? We get tired of being good. But it’s not just a periodic getting tired now and then – the truth is we get worn out – being Christian and practicing ministry wears us out. We talk about fatigue in all ...

2416. It's Tough to Be God

Exodus 32:1-33:6

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

It’s tough to be God. Does that thought shock you? It’s tough to be God. How do I know? Well, it’s tough to be a parent. Most of us could tell at least one story that would bring lumps in the rest of our throats, tears to our eyes, as we remember our own sleepless nights, our own painful experiences, seeking to be parents. And God is our parent, our eternal parent. That was Jesus’ favorite title for God, “Abba, Father” - Daddy. That’s really what Jesus called God Daddy. Now, if you think its tough rearing ...

2417. Eyes Fixed Upon the Goal

Philippians 3:8-14

Sermon

King Duncan

Paul W. Powell in his book, The Complete Disciple, describes a picture painted by a famous artist. It is a picture of a wagon train in the old West. Nighttime has fallen. The wagons have been circled for protection. In the center of the circle of wagons is a campfire and a group of rugged men are gathered around it. The wagon master, a muscular man with an uncut beard, has a map spread before him. On the map is a heavy black line which zigzags across the map showing the course they have taken to this point ...

2418. We've Got a Friend in High Places

1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28, Ephesians 1:15-23

Sermon

King Duncan

It was one of those events that you can never forget witnessing. A skyscraper was going up. Hundreds of people paused daily to glance up at it. One day they watched as a giant metal beam was raised to be placed high on the enormous steel skeleton of the skyscraper. And then something terrifying occurred. As the girder came near, a workman leaned out from the sixteenth floor to seize it. The spectators gasped as he lost his balance and fell. Fortunately, he was able to clutch the end of the giant beam that ...

2419. Lost in the Wonder of God

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Visuals: Mountain scenes “Jesus wept” . . . over Jerusalem, not just over the Temple. Place matters. We've made non-places of our neighborhoods and "places" of our temples. I am a product of a “place,” a “place” called mountain culture. More specifically, my “place” is the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia, and the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York. That means I grew up with grits and gravy, pinto beans and stewed tomatoes, biscuits and apple butter. We ate supper, not dinner. And we said ...

2420. When Your Church Provokes You

Matthew 13:1-23, Hebrews 10:19-39

Sermon

David E. Leininger

...And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. And now you know where the strange sermon title comes from. True enough, the church often DOES provoke us in the wrong way. You may have heard me tell of my father's response when, years ago, I asked him what the hardest part of being a minister was. I had posed the question just after he had ...

2421. Thank You, Siri...Oops!

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

King Duncan

There is an ancient legend about two angels who flew to earth to gather people’s prayers. Wherever people bowed in prayer--by their bedside at night, in a chapel, or on the side of a mountain--the angels stopped and gathered the prayers into their baskets. Before long the basket carried by one of the angels grew heavy with the weight of what he had collected, but that of the other remained almost empty. Maybe you can guess why one basket was full, while the other remained empty. Into the first basket were ...

2422. The Holy Spirit As The Dove Of Peace

Sermon

John A. Stroman

The symbol of the descending dove has meant for the Christian community both the coming of the Holy Spirit and the symbol of peace. As we have seen, the community of the Holy Spirit is a creative and diverse community, yet a community where peace prevails characterized by openness and freedom, as well as, togetherness and unity. The words in John 14 tie together the concept of both the coming of the Holy Spirit and Jesus' desire for peace. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my ...

2423. Perfect Strangers

Exodus 1:1-22

Sermon

Justin Tull

Today we leave the book of Genesis to begin the saga of Exodus. First we examine two stories: one about the plight of the Hebrew people following the death of Joseph and the other concerning the birth of Moses. Both are about strangers. One story entails slavery and suffering, the other compassion and adoption. One is about “imperfect strangers” who remain such. The other is about complete strangers who become very close as adopted child and mother. Story number one sets the scene with one short verse: “ ...

2424. Learning to Walk on the Water

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

"Take heart ... it is I ..." It was not the custom of Jesus to go about walking on water. When he wanted to cross a lake or stream, he normally got into a boat, as you and I would. When he walked, he usually walked on earth, as you and I do. But in Matthew 14:22-33 we have an exception. Here the story is told of a night when Jesus walked on the storm-driven waves of Galilee. Some of his disciples were out there in a boat, fearing for their very lives, many furlongs from land, beaten by the waves, the wind ...

2425. Reinforced With Joy

John 15:1-17

Sermon

O. Garfield Beckstrand, II

Last fall I was invited to a luncheon to hear an outstanding leader in the business world. I sat next to the president of one of our local industries. While we were visiting, stillness fell about our table as everyone there stopped talking and listened to our conversation. When the industrial leader realized this, he looked at the other men at the table and said, "I want to ask the pastor a question which I think we all want to know." Turning to me, he said, "Dr. Gar, why is it that there is so little joy ...

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