Login / Signup

SermonStudio

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

Adult study

African-American History

Bible Study

Biblical Studies

Biblical Study

Candlelighting service

Children's program

Children's Resources

Children's sermon

Christian

Christian Faith

Christian Life

Church Anniversary

Church Growth

Church Leaders

Church Programs

Death

Devotional

Drama

Easter

Faith Development

Fellowship

Funeral

Gathering Prayer

Healing

Home Blessing

Humor

Illustration

Inspirational

Intercession

Lent/Easter

Liturgy

Marriage Ceremony

Meditations

Memorial

Men's Day

Monologues

Mother's Day

Observance

Pageant

Pastoral Resources

Poems

Prayer

Preaching

SermonStudio

Welcome To Judgment Day -- Terry Cain -- 1993
Purpose Statement: Judgment day and getting saved may not be exactly what we are anticipating.
Fifth Sunday After The Epiphany -- Isaiah 40:21-31, 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, Mark 1:29-39 -- John R. Brokhoff -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 1993
Chapter 40 is the opening chapter of Deutero-Isaiah written in
Maundy Thursday -- Psalm 116:12-19 -- Hugh H. Drennan -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 1993
What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me?
Will God Help The St. Louis Cardinals Win? -- Terry Cain -- 1993
Purpose Statement: What are the appropriate and inappropriate subjects for prayer?
Is Church Dangerous? -- Terry Cain -- 1993
Purpose Statement: Is there anything unpleasant or inconvenient about going to church?
Easter 5 -- Psalm 22:25-31 -- Hugh H. Drennan -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1993
From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
When God Hates To Go To Church! -- Terry Cain -- 1993
Purpose Statement: We should examine what worship is meant to be and how closely our worship approac
Proper 6 -- 1 Samuel 15:34--16:13 -- John R. Brokhoff -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - B -- 1993
The Lord rejected Saul as king because he disobeyed the divine
Tuesday Of Holy Week -- Psalm 71:1-12 -- Hugh H. Drennan -- 1993
In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.
Sticks And Stones -- But Mostly Names -- Terry Cain -- 1993
Purpose Statement: A sermon on differentiating insults from nicknames and good-natured kidding.
Smile, You Really Are On Candid Camera -- Terry Cain -- 1993
Purpose Statement: We are making a witness whether we know it or not, and whether we want to or not.
Sixth Sunday After The Epiphany -- 2 Kings 5:1-14, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Mark 1:40-45 -- John R. Brokhoff -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 1993
Elisha was a prophet of Israel in the ninth century. He was
Monday Of Holy Week -- Psalm 36:5-10 -- Hugh H. Drennan -- 1993
Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.
Do You Have To Be Smart To Be A Christian? -- Terry Cain -- 1993
Purpose Statement: Since the Bible isn't always easy to understand and the world is very complex, do
Am I My Butterfly's Keeper? -- Terry Cain -- 1993
Purpose Statement: How we care for the animals may tell us a lot about our love and sensitivity for
Easter 6 -- Psalm 98 -- Hugh H. Drennan -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1993
O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.
Beauty Is NOT In The Eye Of The Beholder! -- Terry Cain -- 1993
Purpose Statement: Our obsession with appearance causes us to discriminate.
Proper 7 -- 1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49, 2 Corinthians 6:1-13, Mark 4:35-41 -- John R. Brokhoff -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 1993
Two armies were facing each other in the Elah Valley. The
Wednesday Of Holy Week -- Psalm 70 -- Hugh H. Drennan -- 1993
Be pleased, O God, to deliver me. O Lord, make haste to help me!
Mistaking Santa Claus For God -- Terry Cain -- 1993
Purpose Statement: We need to continue to grow in our understanding of God.
Would Jesus Get A Divorce? -- Terry Cain -- 1993
Purpose Statement: This is a very difficult subject, but there is such a high percentage of persons
Seventh Sunday After The Epiphany -- Isaiah 43:18-25, 2 Corinthians 1:18-22, Mark 2:1-12 -- John R. Brokhoff -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - B -- 1993
The Jews are in exile in Babylon. Deutero-Isaiah sees hope in
New Year's -- Psalm 67 -- Hugh H. Drennan -- 1993
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
Daring To Be A Lion's Breakfast! -- Terry Cain -- 1993
Purpose Statement: Do we always have the necessary courage to take a moral stand or face ridicule, s
Start Quoting God Accurately -- Terry Cain -- 1993
Purpose Statement: Integrity demands that we are careful and honest with our use of scripture to quo

Sacrament

Self Help

Sermon

SermonStudio

Wedding With Communion -- Derl G. Keefer, Cheryl Rohret -- 2000
Pastor: Welcome to the wedding of (Groom) and (Bride).
The Fourth Commandment: Holding Parents In Love And Esteem -- Proverbs 23:22-25 -- James A. Lucas -- 2000
The Fourth Commandment
Bewitched, Bothered, And Bewildered -- Acts 2:1-21 -- Billy D. Strayhorn -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2000
A farm family had some friends from the city come to visit.
Right Train, But ... -- Romans 1:22 -- Daniel J. Weitner -- 2000
When, several years ago, I first began attending an
God's Gifts Are Free: Enjoy! -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11 -- Mark Ellingson -- Thanksgiving Day - C -- 2000
Thanksgiving: How do we say thanks authentically and not lapse into the platitudes so often associat
'? yet' -- Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 -- John W. Wurster -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 2000
Some of the hardest weeks of my life were spent in an intensive eight week Hebrew course at Princeto
A Secret Is Finally Revealed -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- Harold C. Warlick, Jr. -- Second Sunday after Christmas - C -- 2000
Picture an attractive mother, a handsome husband, and three lucky children.
Life's Central Issue -- Deuteronomy 6:1-9 -- Don M. Aycock -- 2000
These words come as the "commands," "decrees," and "laws" which are given by God for his people.
The Second Article: A New Purpose In Life -- Deuteronomy 26:16-19, Revelation 1:1-8 -- James A. Lucas -- 2000
The Apostles' Creed -- The Second Article
Screaming For A Reason Why -- Matthew 26:36-46; 27:45-46 -- Wallace H. Kirby -- 2000
There are three rooms in the city of Raleigh, and though they are different in size and shape, they
Obeying God Rather Than Men -- Acts 5:27-32 -- Carlyle Fielding Stewart, III -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2000
How many times have we borne witness to this scene?
The Bent Made Straight -- Luke 13:10-17 -- Thomas A. Renquist -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - C -- 2000
It's Saturday morning, a Sabbath day in Israel, and Jesus once again finds himself teaching in the s
What Really Matters -- Galatians 5:22-23 -- David O. Bales -- 2000
Larry and Evelyn Schmidt lay awake long past their usual time for sleep. It was midnight at least.
Living Horizontally -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- John N. Brittain -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2000
Mitchell (obviously not his real name) was a pillar of the church I served a quarter century ago and
Ceremony 6 -- Derl G. Keefer, Cheryl Rohret -- 2000
Pastor: The world we live in changes constantly; governments rise and fall; institutions expand and
The Fifth Commandment: Help And Befriend -- Proverbs 31:1-7, Romans 12:9-21 -- James A. Lucas -- 2000
The Fifth Commandment
Get Your Transfer Here -- Colossians 1:1-14 -- Billy D. Strayhorn -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2000
Growing up, many kids love baseball. They love everything about it. They love playing it.
Serendipity -- Job 42:3 -- Daniel J. Weitner -- 2000
I had just come out of a local donut shop, cardboard
Blessed Hunger And Thirst -- Matthew 5:6, John 6:35 -- Alex A. Gondola, Jr. -- 2000
Maybe you've seen this commercial. It aired frequently during the holidays.
Changing Seasons, Constant Love -- Jeremiah 8:18--9:1 -- John W. Wurster -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 2000
Another season has come and gone. Promises that were made have not been fulfilled.
Why Life Changes When You Know The Truth -- Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Henry F. Woodruff -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2000
If you live long enough, you will come to know the truth of it: "What goes around, comes around." Fi
The Serious Business Of Following Jesus -- Luke 9:57-62 -- Don M. Aycock -- 2000
A story is told about a small town on the border of Canada and the United States.
The Second Article: God's Power Takes Care Of Me -- Zechariah 9:9-10, Ephesians 1:17-23 -- James A. Lucas -- 2000
The Apostles' Creed -- The Second Article
Yearning For A Loyal Friend -- Job 6:14-30, Matthew 26:69-75 -- Wallace H. Kirby -- 2000
Do you ever find yourself in the Bible?
Blind Man's Bluff? -- Acts 9:1-6 (7-20) -- Carlyle Fielding Stewart, III -- Third Sunday of Easter - C -- 2000
Who would believe it?

Spirituality

Stories

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Prayer

Unison Prayer

Wedding Vow

Women's Day

Worship

SermonStudio

Number 13 -- George A. Nye -- 1993
(The following outline is designed to be used by the pastor to lead the congregation in reflective t
Number 18 -- George A. Nye -- 1993
Pastor: In a few moments, we're going to pray to our Father in heaven.
The Confession Of Judas, The Betrayer -- Stephen P Cowen, Cynthia E. Cowen -- 1993
Let me introduce myself: I am Judas Iscariot. I know what you
Number 98 -- George A. Nye -- 1993
AdventLighting The Second Advent Candle
You Should Pray -- James 5:13-20 -- Dallas A. Brauninger -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1993
Suggestions:Use in ordinary sequence with the scripture reading.
Number 48 -- George A. Nye -- 1993
Pastor: There are many forms of love which are found in both the shallows and the depths of life.
Number 5 -- George A. Nye -- 1993
(The following outline is a reflection to be shared by the pastor with the congregation as the call
Choosing Matthias -- Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 -- Dallas A. Brauninger -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - B -- 1993
Suggestions:Use in ordinary sequence with the scripture reading.--
FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT -- Numbers 21:4-9, Ephesians 2:1-10, John 3:14-21, Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 -- B. David Hostetter -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1993
* CALL TO WORSHIPDo not avoid the light of God but expose yourself to it. Come to
Number 14 -- George A. Nye -- 1993
(A pastoral reflection to share with the congregation at the opening of worship.)
Number 19 -- George A. Nye -- 1993
Pastor: O Lord, You're the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Number 99 -- George A. Nye -- 1993
AdventLighting The Third Advent Candle
Satan Tests Job A Second Time -- Job 1:1; 2:1-10 -- Dallas A. Brauninger -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 1993
Suggestions:Use in ordinary sequence with the scripture reading.
Number 49 -- George A. Nye -- 1993
Pastor: Here's the most excellent news: In Jesus Christ we are one in the Lord.
Number 50 -- George A. Nye -- 1993
Pastor: As we come to worship this morning, I invite you to think about time -- a gift that some of
Prayer For The King -- Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 -- Dallas A. Brauninger -- Epiphany of the Lord - B -- 1993
Suggestions:Use as a call to worship. Speakers read from the narthex of the
FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT -- Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 5:5-10, John 12:20-33 -- B. David Hostetter -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1993
* CALL TO WORSHIPCome to see Jesus, even though his glory is a cross and to follow
Number 15 -- George A. Nye -- 1993
Pastor: Come!People: Come?
Number 2 -- George A. Nye -- 1993
Pastor: Holy is a peculiar word. We use it in several ways.
The Rich Man -- Mark 10:17-31 -- Dallas A. Brauninger -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 1993
Suggestions:Use in ordinary sequence with the scripture reading.
Number 50 -- George A. Nye -- 1993
Pastor: As we come to worship this morning, I invite you to think about time -- a gift that some of
Number 51 -- George A. Nye -- 1993
Pastor: Life is like the salmon swimming upstream in the fast-flowing stream.
Paul In Ephesus -- Acts 19:1-7 -- Dallas A. Brauninger -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 1993
Suggestions:Use in ordinary sequence with the scripture reading.
SIXTH SUNDAY IN LENT -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11 -- B. David Hostetter -- Passion Sunday - B -- 1993
* CALL TO WORSHIP Blessed in the name of the Anointed One are all who come; we
Number 16 -- George A. Nye -- 1993
Pastor: Imagine it!People: Imagine what?

Worship Service

Youth Resources

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 23 | OT 28 | Pentecost 18
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 24 | OT 29 | Pentecost 19
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 25 | OT 30 | Pentecost 20
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

Thomas Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
For November 2, 2025:
Thomas Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
For November 2, 2025:

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: This message involves roleplay. You will need a chair for Zach to stand on, unless it is ok for him to stand on a front pew. For the best fun, you will also want to have an adult volunteer play the role of Jesus and walk in when it is time. Whether he is in costume is up to you.

* * *
John Jamison
Object: You will need one or more pictures of people recognized as saints. You may find some pictures by Googling “public domain pictures of saints” and printing images from the results.

* * *

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4 and Psalm 119:137-144
Walter Elwell in the Shaw Pocket Bible Handbook notes of righteousness that it is, “Right standing, specifically before God. Among the Greeks, righteousness was an ethical virtue. Among the Hebrews it was a legal concept; the righteous man was the one who got the verdict of acceptability when tried at the bar of God’s justice.” God is a righteous God, even when is people are not righteous.
Frank Ramirez
One of the features of Synagogue worship is the Shema. The Hebrew word is “Hear!” and is the opening for Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” God’s people are commanded to “hear” these words. They come from the Lord. And these three scriptures invite us to hear God and each other, something that is lacking in our society today.
Wayne Brouwer
Fred Craddock tells of a vacation encounter in the Smokey Mountains of eastern Tennessee years ago that moved him deeply. He and his wife took supper one evening in a place called the Black Bear Inn. One side of the building was all glass, open to a magnificent mountain view. Glad to be alone, the Craddocks were a bit annoyed when an elderly man ambled over and struck up a nosey conversation: “Are you on vacation?” “Where are you from?” “What do you do?”
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 and Psalm 149

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, but your commandments are my delight. Your statutes are always righteous; give me understanding that I may live. (vv. 143-144)

When I was an associate pastor in Janesville, Wisconsin one of my responsibilities was to give a lecture on spirituality once a month at a drug treatment facility. The students who attended were persons who had been convicted of drunk driving and were required to attend the class as a condition of their sentence. Attendance was always good.
Frank Ramirez
Call them the good old days. Call it the Golden Age. It’s not unusual for people to look back in their youth, or to the youth of their country, as somehow more perfect, honorable, or simpler. C.S. Lewis was always skeptical about claims that chocolate was better in one’s youth. It wasn’t better. Our taste buds were stronger and more receptive.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
The Roman Catholic Church's canonisation of Edith Stein some years ago, fuelled considerable controversy. Edith Stein was born and bred into a Jewish family, becoming a Roman Catholic Christian at the age of 31. She was also a leading German intellectual in the early thirties, during the run-up to World War 2, although she gave up that career in order to become a Carmelite nun. But she didn't deny her Jewish roots, for in 1933 she petitioned the Pope, Pious XI to write an encyclical in defence of the Jews.
Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus didn't reject anyone, even those who were liars and cheats. By a simple act of friendship Jesus turned Zaccheus' life around. In our worship today let us consider friendship and all that it means.


Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, there are some people I don't like.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, there are some people I reject.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, there are some people I keep out of my circle of friends.
Lord, have mercy.


Reading:

SermonStudio

Carlos Wilton
Theme For The Day
The world offers many blessings, but none of these things will save us: only the blessing of God in Jesus Christ can do that.

Old Testament Lesson
Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18
Daniel's Apocalyptic Dream
Perry H. Biddle, Jr.
Comments on the Lessons
John W. Clarke
This chapter of Luke brings us ever closer to the end of Jesus' public ministry. Jesus enters Jericho, just fifteen miles or so from the holy city of Jerusalem. It is here that Jesus transforms the life of Zacchaeus, the tax collector. This is one of the few stories that is peculiar to Luke and is a wonderful human-interest story. The fact that Zacchaeus is willing to climb a tree to see Jesus is a clear indication that he really wanted to see and meet the carpenter from Nazareth. His eagerness to see Jesus is rewarded in a very special way.
Scott A. Bryte
Then he looked up at his disciples and said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
Mark Ellingson
This is a story written for people who had been or were about to be persecuted, if not enslaved. (The book of Daniel was probably written in the mid-second century B.C. during a period of Seleucid [Syrian] domination in Palestine.) It tells them and us how their ancestors had once faced a similar slavery under the oppression of the Babylonians centuries earlier. The implication was that if these ancestors could endure and overcome such bondage, so could they and so can we.
Gary L. Carver
Ulysses S. Grant fought many significant battles as commander of the Union forces in the War Between the States. He also served as President of the United States where he probably engaged in as many battles as he did while he was a general. Toward the end of his life he fought his toughest battle -- with cancer and death.

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL