Login / Signup

Anna Shirey

Pentecost Sale - Save $131!
Hold down Ctrl (Windows) / Command (Mac) for multiple selections (scroll list to see all options)

Children's sermon

CSSPlus

What the Heart Knows -- Luke 24:13-35 -- Anna Shirey -- Third Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
The Source of Living Water -- John 4:5-42 -- Anna Shirey -- Third Sunday in Lent - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
The Bravery of Sight -- John 9:1-41 -- Anna Shirey -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
Let Your Light Shine -- Matthew 5:13-20 -- Anna Shirey -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
Our Laser Beam Lives -- Matthew 5:21-37 -- Anna Shirey -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
Surprising Kindness -- Matthew 5:38-48 -- Anna Shirey -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
Seeing the Magic -- Matthew 17:1-9 -- Anna Shirey -- Transfiguration Sunday - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
Praying with Ashes -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Anna Shirey -- Ash Wednesday - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
Choices We Make -- Matthew 4:1-11 -- Anna Shirey -- First Sunday in Lent - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
Seeing Things Differently -- John 3:1-17 -- Anna Shirey -- Second Sunday in Lent - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
God Recycles! -- John 11:1-45 -- Anna Shirey -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
In the Breaking of Bread -- Matthew 26:14--27:66 -- Anna Shirey -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
Do It to Be It -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Anna Shirey -- Maundy Thursday - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
The Hardest Day -- John 18:1--19:42 -- Anna Shirey -- Good Friday - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
The Rest of the Story -- John 20:1-18 -- Anna Shirey -- Easter Day - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
Do You Trust Me? -- John 20:19-31 -- Anna Shirey -- Second Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
Good Shepherd Jesus -- John 10:1-10 -- Anna Shirey -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
In God's House -- John 14:1-14 -- Anna Shirey -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
Looking for Ghosts -- John 14:15-21 -- Anna Shirey -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
Eyes Open! -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Anna Shirey -- Ascension of the Lord - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
The Learning Curve -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- Anna Shirey -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
Strengthened to Serve -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Anna Shirey -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2013
First Thoughts
Increase Our Faith! -- Luke 17:5-10 -- Anna Shirey -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C -- 2013
First Thoughts
Who Has the Power? -- John 18:1--19:42 -- Anna Shirey -- Good Friday - C -- 2013
First Thoughts

Free Access

Our Laser Beam Lives -- Matthew 5:21-37 -- Anna Shirey -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - A -- 2014
First Thoughts
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 10 | OT 15 | Pentecost 5
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 11 | OT 16 | Pentecost 6
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 12 | OT 17 | Pentecost 7
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
George Reed
For July 27, 2025:

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A card with Luke’s short version of the Lord’s Prayer to give to each child. Make your own card or use the one I have attached to this message.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! Let’s hear the story. But I want to begin by asking you a question.

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
Luke frowned at the email he was writing. He moved a couple of words around and then hit the save button. He ran the email though the grammar checker and spell checker again. He took a deep breath and then started reading through it one more time. After he finished, he noticed the time. He had to send it soon or it would be too late for there to be a response before the deadline. He sighed and sat back in his chair. He wished he wasn’t so nervous.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Hosea 1:2-10 and Psalm 85
I came across an interesting fact about how the state of Ohio deals with sealing and expunging a court record. The process for filing a court file and expunging a criminal record are combined into the same thing. If granted, the request seals the record forever, and officials are not allowed to discuss the person’s past criminal record.
David Coffin
Another mass shooting appears on the television “Breaking News!” Many people have lost count of the number of school or concert shootings in the recent years in the USA. Usually prominent are comments such as, “We hold these families up in prayer,” and “more mental health is needed.” People who work both in spiritual care and mental health have heard this all before.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Prayers usually include these concerns and may follow this sequence:

The Church of Christ

Creation

The communion of saints


These responses may be used:


Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.


God, the centre of my being,

When I think of you, praise spills from my lips. I wish I always acted as though you were my centre, for then perhaps your kingdom would be known here.

SermonStudio

James Evans
(See Advent 2, Cycle B, for an alternative approach to vv. 1-2 and 8-13.)

In 1988, Southern Baptists held their annual convention in San Antonio, Texas. It was a contentious meeting, as factions within the denomination vied for control of the various agencies and boards. Throughout the week, angry words were spoken across the aisle as various resolutions and officer elections revealed the deep schism growing within the group.

Michael D. Wuchter
He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial."
-- Luke 11:1-4

One of the disciples said to Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray."

Lee Ann Dunlap
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall; Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't
put Humpty Dumpty together again.


This is a nursery rhyme we learned as children, and somewhere along the line in history class we were taught that its composer, "Mother Goose," was, in fact, a political satirist. If we look between the lines of these playful rhymes we will find some kind of hidden message poking fun at royalty. (I guess you had to be there to get the joke.)
Kirk R. Webster
Do you have somebody in your world who seems to live his/her life daily on a treadmill of self-imposed rules, almost as Tarzan swings from one vine to another? These people swoop from one regulation to another rule, to another regulation, in an attempt to maintain control and safety in their lives. They travel by self-imposed boundaries that probably aren't necessary to a fulfilling life. Consider our 45-year-old suburbanite named Jim.
Julia Ross Strope
A single song is being inflected through all the colorations of the human choir.
The way to become human is to recognize the lineaments of God in all the wonderful modulations of the face [of humankind].
-- Joseph Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces

Call To Worship (Leader)
We are in sanctuary -- together, removed from the world, secluded for a while.
We have brought with us our burdens and anxieties.
We've come here with our hopes and thanksgivings.

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL