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 1 to 25 of 1838 results

1. Bitterness: How to Overcome What You Undergo

Hebrews 12:14-15

Sermon

James Merritt

... thing to the prophets, they did the same thing to Jesus, and they're going to do the same thing to you. Then we can be bitter because of the wrong that is done to us. But again Jesus said in Mt. 5:38-39, "You have heard that it was said, ‘An ... used to smile, he used to be happy, and he used to be a good friend. But the man I looked at that day was so bitter that when he talked his lips quivered, and his face reddened, and his hands shook with anger. After twenty minutes of listening to him, rather than ...

2. How To Get Better When You're Bitter

Exodus 15:22-27

Sermon

James Merritt

... they are griping about the rain. You see, when trials and troubles come, and they are going to come, one of two things is always going to happen. As a matter of fact, only one of two things can happen. You will either get better or you will get bitter. Now bitterness may become a stage you go through, but it must never become a state you live in. God was testing them and they had failed the test, and failed miserably. They were like the young man I heard about one time who came in to see his professor after ...

3. Bitter-Sweet Recollections

Isaiah 50:1-11

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... Eighty pounds? Ten pounds?" The preacher answered, "Tell me, if you laid a four-hundred-pound weight on a corpse, would it feel the load?" "No, because it’s dead," replied the youth. The preacher replied, "That spirit, too, is dead which feels no load of sin." It is bitter, bitter gall as we stand around his cross, by faith re-living his time on earth with us. Maybe we say, as we do when other loved ones die, "He was so young." "He was struck down in the prime of life." "Such a shame!" "Too bad!" "I wish ...

4. No Room for Bitterness

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Bulletin Aid

Dallas A. Brauninger

... truth. Leader: Be angry but do not sin. Women: Resolve your anger before sunset. Leader: Do not make room for the devil. Men: Give up stealing. Leader: Let only talk useful for building up come out of your mouth. Men: Put away all bitterness, wrath, wrangling, slander, and malice. People: Be kind to one another. Leader: Be tenderhearted. People: Forgive one another. All: Live in love as Christ loved us. Collect We are here, O God, because we want to lead better lives, engage in clean, right relationships ...

5. Better Not Bitter

Psalm 100:1-5

Illustration

... the question: why me? Dr. Jim Moore, pastor of St. Luke's UMC in Houston wrote a book entitled "You Can Grow Bitter or You Can Grow Better". He writes that he got the idea for the title from a young woman who once came ... am going to be able to get along without him," she sobbed. "But I do know one thing. I can either get bitter or I can get better." One way that we can get better rather than bitter is to develop a thankful heart. We must learn to be grateful to the Lord with whom we shall spend eternity. Our ...

6. Better Not Bitter

Luke 17:11-19

Illustration

7. Better Not Bitter

Matthew 6:25-33

Illustration

... the question: why me? Dr. Jim Moore, pastor of St. Luke's UMC in Houston wrote a book entitled "You Can Grow Bitter or You Can Grow Better." He writes that he got the idea for the title from a young woman who once came ... am going to be able to get along without him," she sobbed. "But I do know one thing. I can either get bitter or I can get better." One way that we can get better rather than bitter is to develop a thankful heart. We must learn to be grateful to the Lord with whom we shall spend eternity. Our ...

8. Bitter Waters

Exodus 15:22-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... . 5:44 KJV). Paul declares that these events occurred as examples so that God’s people through the centuries would learn not to set their hearts on evil things (1 Cor. 10:1–13). 15:22-27 · In the desert, three days without water is a crisis. The bitter water the Israelites find fits well with the salinity of the swampy area north of the Gulf of Suez. God’s response is to show Moses a tree (NIV “piece of wood”) to cast into the waters in order to restore them. The Hebrew word translated “showed ...

9. "The Bitterness Of Betrayal"

Mark 14:43-52, Psalm 55:1-23

Sermon

R. Sheldon MacKenzie

... of numbers, they had lacked the courage to arrest Jesus by daylight in the temple. Their bravery after dark with a paid guide was an empty cowardly charade. He was arrested by his own people. Just as he had been betrayed by his closest friends. The bitterness of betrayal was a significant part of his passion. In fact, some teachers have suggested that what took place in the orchard at night was more painful than all that took place before noon the next day! There was a tremendous lot behind the text which ...

10. Blossoms and Bitterness

Illustration

Misty Mowrey

... of green fruit the size of large nuts. He picked one and took a bite. "Bleagh!" he cried and threw it to the ground. "What a horrible taste! This tree is worthless. Its flowers are so fragile the wind blows them away, and its fruit is terrible and bitter. When winter comes, I'm cutting it down. But the tree took no notice of the man and continued to draw water from the ground and warmth from the sun and in late fall produced crisp red apples. Some of us see Christians with their early blossoms of happiness ...

11. Bitter Medicine

Illustration

King Duncan

In one of his dialogues, the Greek philosopher Plato described the predicament of a doctor who is prosecuted by a cook before a jury of children. The unfortunate doctor is accused of harming the children with bitter medicine and even surgery. The cook, on the other hand, has been indulging the children with a variety and abundance of sweets. Can you see the doctor’s predicament? The children much prefer the cook since their allegiance is to a diet of sweets rather than what is good for ...

12. Bitter Herbs, Sweet Remembrance

Exodus 12:1-14, Psalm 149:1-9

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship One: Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful. All: Let Israel be glad in its Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King. One: Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre. All: For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory. (based on Psalm 149:1-4) Collect Freedom from slavery, Lord, freedom from sin - your gifts are boundless. Lest we fail to remember we come ...

13. Doing Right When You Have Been Done Wrong

Ephesians 4:31-32

Sermon

James Merritt

... misusing you, you had better get into another line of work. I remember something Dr. Jerry Vines once said to me. He said, "James, whatever you do in the ministry you had better do for Jesus, because if you don't you're going to wind up being a bitter old man." Bitterness can follow you all the way to the grave. There is a true story I read recently about a ninety-four year old lady by the name of Hazel Von Jeschki. She was what used to be referred to as an "Old Maid" who never married. After her funeral ...

14. Shockproof

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

James Merritt

... , “What would you charge for just half a tumor?” No, you wouldn’t, because it doesn’t matter what it cost you want it all out. God expects the same thing of us. When we forgive, He wants all of that sin forgiven and He wants all of that bitterness removed. When we forgive we forgive fully. God forgives us finally. God keeps no records of past wrongs. When God cancels the debt he burns the note and that is exactly what God expects of us. We can’t be like the little brothers I heard about. Timmy and ...

15. Seder Service: The Passover Haggadah

Bulletin Aid

Robert L. Linder and Rabbi Sol Ester

... day of Nisan, the first day of Passover). One might infer "on that day" means in the daytime. But the verse continues: "I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt," namely in the evening, when the Matzah and Bitter Herbs are actually placed before you. In the beginning (before the days of Abraham), our forefathers were idol worshipers. God, however, called us to His service. For so we read in the Torah: "And Joshua said unto all the people, 'thus said the Lord, God of Israel ...

16. Lost Baggage: Losing Your Baggage

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

James Merritt

... at him and said, “John, I am sorry for the life that you have lived and I am sorry for the tragedies you’ve endured and for the junk you have had to go through, but I want you to hear me. If you go through life without getting this bitterness and this anger and this rage resolved in your heart you are either going to wind up doing something you regret or you are going to live a miserable life.” He said, “Yes, Pastor I know.” Then the pastor said this: “The only solution to your rage and to your ...

17. Breaking The Cycle - God’s Answer In Forgiveness

Genesis 45:3-11, 15

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... , or sometimes ignorant act. Inner torment will ride alongside us every day of our lives until we forgive. When we decide to disclose the problem to Christ, that is the beginning of forgiveness and healing. Paul had it right when he wrote: Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. — Ephesians 4:31-32 (NASB) II. God Helps Us ...

18. Dealing with Cantankerous People

Ephesians 4:30-5:2

Sermon

King Duncan

... of them are trash, no matter whether they publicly subscribe to this or that ethical doctrine or to none at all” (Veritas Reconsidered, p. 36). “Freud died friendless,” says Dr. Nicholi. “It is well known that he had broken with each of his followers. The end was bitter.” (2) How sad--to find little that was good in his fellow human beings--to consider most people trash. Freud, of course had a very dim view of religion. No wonder he didn’t find much good in people. I don’t want to sound like I ...

19. Naomi and Ruth

Ruth 1:1-22

Understanding Series

Michael S. Moore

... . The Canaanite myth of Aqhat uses a word, cognate to Hebrew sha’ar, that similarly describes the pain of bereavement. In this contemporary story, Aqhat is the son of Danil, a patriarchal character like Elimelech. Anat, the divine sister/wife of Baal, complains bitterly to El that Aqhat will not give her his magical bow and arrows (probably a coded symbol for the secret of eternal life). She becomes so enraged at him that she plots his doom, striking when Aqhat is “left alone (shar) in the mountains ...

20. Hope for People Who Are Angry

Ephesians 4:30-5:2

Sermon

King Duncan

... in his life is that he’s going through the Freedom Ink Tattoo removal program. They are helping him take the word HATE off of his hands as God has taken it out of his heart. (9) You and I are not white supremacists, but sometimes we let bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander enter our lives. We know such emotions are dangerous to our well-being and to the well-being of those around us. We need to pray for the ability to follow God’s example. Show kindness rather than anger, love rather than ...

21.

Drama

Betty Lynn Schwab

... herbs mean for Jesus? Reader 1: As Jesus ate his last supper with his disciples, he knew he would soon be betrayed by one of them and thus begin the bitter end of his earthly life: his trial, crucifixion and death. Child: What do the bitter herbs mean for us today? Reader 2: These herbs remind us of all people who suffer oppression by other people: children abused by adults, victims of crime and war, political prisoners young and old, employees exploited for executive bonuses, all people hurt by others ...

22. God Gives the Pharisees the Finger!

John 7:25-44, John 7:45--8:11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... me wanting. But do not allow me to go down into the pit. Instead, lift me up into your gracious arms. Purge my soul from sin and bitterness. Take away the stone that binds me. And etch your Name into the pure flesh of my heart, so that no matter where I go, or ... the accusers in her trial. The penalty for a guilty verdict would be stoning.*** Was the woman brought in to be tested by bitter waters? Or was she “caught in the act” as it says. There is no mention of the presence of the husband or his witnesses ...

23. Bittersweet

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... ingredients from her mother’s jars into a bowl and stirred up the mixture. Then she baked it. When the brownies came out, she gave one proudly to her father. As he bit into it, he realized immediately, she had left out the sugar. The chocolate was thick and bitter. He looked out at her excited face, as she watched him take a bite. And he didn’t have the heart to tell her. He took another bite, stored it in his cheek, and said sweetly, “Thank you Sonja! These are delicious!” When she ran out of sight ...

24. The Gospel of Marah

Exodus 15:22-27

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... our life. And Marah may be a condition of emptiness or loneliness or lack of meaning. No one has described the feeling better than the Psalmist, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” (Psalm. 42:5) It’s true, isn’t it? If you haven’t had sorrow or bitterness just hang around for awhile, your time will come. In life we come often to Marah, and we get to the point where we want to cry with Martin Luther, “I’m sick of life, if that is what you call it.” II Now note a second truth: God comes ...

25. A Few Remaining Tremors

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

James Merritt

... you stay focused on what other people have done to you, you will forget what you have done to God. If you sleep in a bed of bitterness, if you’ve got a stranglehold on a grudge you won’t let go of, you’ve made up your mind no matter what I or ... God has done for you. Here is what this ending illustrates. If you refuse to forgive, if you decide to sleep in the bed of bitterness the rest of your life, do you know who you are going to wind up hurting the most? You! Forgiveness primarily benefits the one who ...

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