Login / Signup

Don R. Yocom

Hold down Ctrl (Windows) / Command (Mac) for multiple selections (scroll list to see all options)

Humor

SermonStudio

What A Beautiful Pearl! -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
You know how irritation can upset a person.
The Friendship Bridge -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
What a blessing a bridge can be!
You Are Not Home, Yet -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
Samuel Morrison, a missionary who served twenty years in Africa, was retiring and on his way home.
Gold For The King -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
When the wise men came from the East to see Jesus (Matthew 2:1), they brought lavish gifts for the n
The Man In An Old Corduroy Coat -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
The telephone rang in a noted surgeon's home on the outskirts of a large city.
From War To Peace -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
We go to a concert hall and listen to the sounds of different musical instruments as they tune up fo
See Bits Of Humor -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
We have liked the words of homespun philosophy given us by a Hoosier friend years ago.
Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
It was just before World War II. Dusk had fallen, and Christmas Eve begun.
We Thought We Heard The Angels Sing -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
One of the miracle stories of World War II involved seven servicemen whose Flying Fortress plane wen
Hymns And Gospel Songs -- Colossians 3:16 -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
There is a striking difference between the stately hymns of the church used in the past hundreds of
The Christ Of The Indian Road -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
He had labored for eight years and felt like a failure.
The Gates Of Hell Shall Not Prevail -- Matthew 16:18 -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
It was recognition time for visitors at a service club dinner when the president of the club tried s
Who Was Lost? -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
In the Bible story of Jesus at the age of twelve, several unusual things happened.
Music And Warfare -- 1 Chronicles 20:21-29 -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
Why do we have Army, Navy, and Air Force bands at our military establishments, other than for public
If Only A Picture Of Jesus Can Do That! -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
A Christian youth and three non-Christian friends were walking on Charles Street in Baltimore, Maryl
From Pop Cans To Countryside YMCA -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
Ralph J.
It's A Myth! -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
A prominent citizen of a central Ohio community retired, and then spent a year visiting homes of cit
Balaam And His Talking Donkey -- Numbers 22:20-35 -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
This story, in the midst of some rather dull reading in the Book of Numbers (Chapter 22:20-35), is a
By Faith Alone -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
It is a striking fact that when Martin Luther stood before the Council of the Roman Catholic Church,
He Got Our Men To Singing -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
In the 1970s a likeable person to know in Circleville, Ohio, was the chief radio announcer for WNRE,
This Old House -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
Not all Senior Citizens are pessimists.
Abe Lincoln's Serendipity -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
History records that before he was a lawyer, Abraham Lincoln was a general store keeper in Illinois.
That Remarkable Drinking Fountain -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
On a hot Summer day a minister paused in a town plaza to get a drink of water.
But Communism Failed ... -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
As the historic events took place, leading to World War II, serious questions were in the minds of t
Lindy Did It! -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
In May 1927, the primitive radios and the newspapers came alive with news that where others with mor

Illustration

Preaching

SermonStudio

The Eastern Gate -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
I will meet you in the morning,Just inside the Eastern Gate;
A Living Soul -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
"The social being without the personal being is a body without a soul;
The Cleansing Fire -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
An impressive moment came, in the lives of many youth, on the night at church camp when they would g
Playing The Numbers -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
A woman entered a guessing game at a store to win a new refrigerator.
Puppies Can Share, Too! -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
A doctor found a little dog with a broken leg by the roadside.
Ignition Blinds -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
The fellow was a school dropout who worked as a mechanic in a garage.
How A Child Thinks -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
A little boy went with his mother to see the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
What A Dream! -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
Camp Wesley, located six miles north of Bellefontaine, Ohio, was originally the site of a government
One-liners From Notable People -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
C1. "He is no fool who gives that which he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose." J
A Pertinent Observation -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
The poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote:Earth crammed with Heaven,
The Dog Knew Best -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
A man who was an alcoholic had a dog which he loved very much.
Six Pieces Or Eight Pieces? -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
A guy was ordering a pizza by telephone, when the man on the phone asked: "How shall we cut the pizz
Redemption -- A Drop Of Water -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
Do you remember in your childhood looking up and trying to understand the clouds?
Is God Left-handed? -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
"God is left-handed," the little child told her preacher.
How Did The Apostles Of Jesus Die? -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
Matthew -- slain by the sword in a city of Ethiopia.
What If The Christian Faith Was Gone? -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
There is a vital principle presented to us in a book by Henry Rogers; years ago he wrote The Ecli
Town Called Knockemstiff -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
Yes, it's a little town in the southwestern part of Ross County, Ohio.
Statue Honoring A Prison Convict -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
Yes, it is in Crestline, California, and it is a composite figure with eyes of an Oriental, nose of
The First Sunday School -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
Robert Raikes was no fatalist.
Super Religious -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
The story is being told that Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, and Bob Schuller were to be received into h
Ring Those Bells! -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
It was springtime in 1799, when Napoleon laid siege on the city of Feldkirk, Austria.
A Forrest Gump Story -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
Saint Peter saw Forrest Gump, a familiar name in the movies, at the entrance to Heaven.
Accountability -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
"What kind of a place would this place be,If everyone in it were just like me?"
What One Man Can Do -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
The Roman Catholic monk, Polemicus, dared to oppose gladiatorial death in the Coliseum of Rome.
Brotherhood -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
I sought my soul, my soul I could not see.I sought my God, my God eluded me.
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Signup for FREE!
(No credit card needed.)
Easter 4
28 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
23 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 5
33 – Sermons
140+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
30 – Worship Resources
35 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 6
30 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
23 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Signup for FREE!
(No credit card needed.)

New & Featured This Week

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
In the sometimes-tiresome debate over science and scripture with respect to creation, it’s easy to become distracted. While the argument typically requires a focus on the how, we may lose sight of the what. And so, for just a moment, let me invite us to think for a moment about what God created.
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
Acts 8:26-40
As a local church pastor, I was often asked if I would baptize a child whose family were not members of the church. Some churches rebelled against this, but I remember this scripture — the hunger for understanding and inclusion of the Eunuch and Philp’s response — to teach and share and baptize in the name of our God. How could we turn anyone away from the rite of baptism?

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
“Dad, I think you worked a miracle.” Rolf slowly walked around the tree. “After that windstorm, I assumed this tree was as good as gone.”

“We just needed to give the branches time to heal and come back,” Michael replied.

 “I know, but so many of them were battered and broken I figured that it couldn’t recover. Now though it looks just like it did before the storm.” Rolf paused. “Do you think it will bear any fruit this summer?”

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A live plant that produces fruit, and a broken branch from that plant. I used a tomato plant from a local greenhouse. Ideally, find a plant with blossoms or small fruit already growing. If you use a different kind of fruit-producing plant, just change the script to fit.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent!

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
Elena Delhagen
Dean Feldmeyer
Quantisha Mason-Doll
For April 28, 2024:
  • On The Way To Gaza by Chris Keating based on Acts 8:26-40. On the way to Gaza, Philip discovers the startling ways the Spirit of God moves across borders, boundaries, customs, and traditions.
  • Second Thoughts: Abiding by Katy Stenta based on John 15:1-8.
  • Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Tom Willadsen, Elena Delhagen, Dean Feldmeyer.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. In our service today, let us absorb from the vine all the nourishment we need.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes our branches become cut off from the vine.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes our branches are withered.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we fail to produce good fruit.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Stan Purdum
We will meet Psalm 22 in its entirety on Good Friday, but here the lectionary designates just verses 23-31. The lectionary psalms generally illuminate the week's First Lesson, which in this case is about the covenant initiated by God with Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17. The nine verses from this psalm, while not inappropriate, nonetheless leave us looking for an obvious connection with the First Lesson.

John S. Smylie
I think some people are natural-born gardeners. Our Lord grew up in a society that was familiar with agriculture. The images that he used to explain the ways of his Father in heaven are familiar to his audience. Growing up, my closest experience to agriculture was living in, "the Garden State." Most people, when they pass through New Jersey, are surprised to see that expression on the license plates of vehicles registered in New Jersey. Most folks traveling through New Jersey experience the megalopolis, the corridor between New York City and Washington DC.
Ron Lavin
A pastor in Indiana went to visit an 87-year-old man named Ermil, who was a hospital patient. A member of his church told the pastor about this old man who was an acquaintance. "He's not a believer, but he is really in need," the church member said. "I met him at the county home for the elderly. He's a lonely old man with no family and no money."

Paul E. Robinson
"Love is a many splendored thing...." Or so we heard Don Cornwall and the Four Aces sing time and again. Of course you or I might have other words to describe love, depending on our situation.

Love. "I love you." "I love to play golf." "I just love pistachio lush!" "It's tough to love some people." "Jesus loves me, this I know."

Love.

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL