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

1 ADVENT -- Mark 13:24-37 -- George L. Murphy, Lavonne Althouse, Russell Willis -- 1996
The apocalyptic imagery of such texts contrasts sharply with
The Fig Tree Lesson -- Mark 13:24-37 -- William E. Keeney -- 1996
We were traveling in the dark.
Proper 5; Pentecost 4 -- Mark 3:20-35 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1996
Most commentators note that there is a break in the flow of Mark's story following our last pericope
The Ineffective Pulpiteer's Family -- Jerry L. Schmalenberger -- 1996
I'd like to introduce you to a family of preachers not-to-be.
God gives us the authority to bring in his kingdom through our strengths and our weaknesses -- 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10, 2 Corinthians 12:2-10, Mark 6:1-13 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: God gives us the authority to bring in his kingdom through our strengths and our
Jesus fulfills all of God's plans and promises -- Acts 3:12-19, 1 John 3:1-7, Luke 24:36b-48 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: Jesus fulfills all of God's plans and promises.
1 ADVENT -- Luke 21:25-36 -- George L. Murphy, Lavonne Althouse, Russell Willis -- 1996
Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, published in 1962, was for its
The One Shepherd -- John 10:11-18 -- William E. Keeney -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1996
The Good Shepherd parable comes on the fourth Sunday of Easter.
Proper 6 -- Mark 4:26-34 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1996
We come now to the Sunday of the "great omission." Lectionary Cycle B skips over the first 25 verse
Wax Free Preaching -- Jerry L. Schmalenberger -- 1996
Sermons which use superlatives, trite, groping, repetitious, "and so forth" expressions still turn o
Unity through the Lordship and headship of Christ -- 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19, Ephesians 1:3-14, Mark 6:14-29 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: Unity through the Lordship and headship of Christ.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd who gathers us, saves us and keeps his flock together. -- Acts 4:5-12, 1 John 3:16-24, John 10:11-18 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: Jesus is the Good Shepherd who gathers us, saves us and keeps his flock together
The Fruitful Vine -- John 15:1-8 -- William E. Keeney -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1996
What is a preacher to make of a parable or extended allegory about a vine in an urban and industrial
Proper 7; Pentecost 6 -- Mark 4:35-41 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1996
In the overall structure of Mark's Gospel we now move into material that follows the Parable of the
Sixteen Suggestions For Good Preaching 1 -- Jerry L. Schmalenberger -- 1996
Martin Luther writes in his Small Catechism that the third article of the Apostles' Creed meant: "I
Building the kingdom of God -- 2 Samuel 7:1-14a, Ephesians 2:11-22, Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: Building the kingdom of God.
Christ is the vine and we are the branches. -- Acts 8:26-40, 1 John 4:7-21, John 15:1-8 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: The life of faith, begun in baptism, remains alive if we stay close to Christ.
Bread For Life -- John 6:35, 41-51 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 1996
Friends told me recently that they had bought a bread-making machine.
Proper 8; Pentecost 7 -- Mark 5:21-43 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1996
The revised lectionary cycle serves us well by putting the intercalated stories of the healing of th
Reformation For These Days -- Jerry L. Schmalenberger -- 1996
Sermon move: Build A Fire
God fills us with the Bread of Life for our bodies and our spirits -- 2 Samuel 11:1-15, Ephesians 3:14-21, John 6:1-21 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: God fills us with the Bread of Life for our bodies and our spirits.
God calls his own and chooses those who are to live as his dear friends -- Acts 10:44-48, 1 John 5:1-6, John 15:9-17 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: God calls his own and chooses those who are to live as his dear friends, regardl
Eating Living Bread -- John 6:51-58 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 1996
Most Americans eat well. Three square meals a day is not uncommon.
Tying Up A Strong Man -- Mark 3:20-35 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 1996
Mark's gospel account very quickly gets into the conflict that will eventually culminate in the deat
Proper 9 -- Mark 6:1-13 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1996
Our text for this week records a sudden change of context.

Sacrament

Self Help

Sermon

SermonStudio

Abundant Love -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Timothy J. Smith -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2002
The pastor began his sermon by telling of an encounter earlier that week.
Making A Difference -- John 1:43-51 -- Paul E. Flesner -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2002
How many of you know someone who is partially or completely color blind?
Changing Fraud To Faith -- Luke 19:8 -- Maurice A. Fetty -- 2002
It might not have been your first choice on a tour of the Mideast.
The Crawl Of The Ages -- Hebrews 7:23-28 -- Harold C. Warlick, Jr. -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2002
The young mother sat nervously in the office of the Christian counselor.
Where Have All The Flowers Gone? -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13 -- Timothy J. Smith -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2002
The Song of Solomon is a collection of some of the world's greatest love poems.
A Vision And A Voice -- Mark 1:4-11 -- Paul E. Flesner -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2002
Today we remember the baptism of Jesus.
Can The Rich Be Righteous? -- Luke 18:25 -- Maurice A. Fetty -- 2002
It was a beautiful day in Italy. Rome had been magnificent, but hot.
Finding God In A Seller's Market -- Hebrews 5:1-10 -- Harold C. Warlick, Jr. -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 2002
An elementary principle in the business world is the law of supply and demand.
Promises, Promises -- 1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43 -- Timothy J. Smith -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 2002
George recalls the time many years ago when he and his wife were about to have their first child.
Entrustment -- John 17:6-19 -- Robert A. Noblett -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - B -- 2002
Over thirty years ago, the late David H. C.
Can The Righteous Be Rich? -- 2 Corinthians 9:10 -- Maurice A. Fetty -- 2002
There is a delightful story that has circulated in ministerial circles for years.
Lifestyles Of The Rich, The Powerful, And The Poor -- Luke 12:48 -- Maurice A. Fetty -- 2002
I rarely watched Robin Leach's popular television program The Lifestyles of The Rich and Famous
Laid Bare, Laid Out, And Laid Back -- Hebrews 4:12-16 -- Harold C. Warlick, Jr. -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 2002
Today's sermon to the Hebrews hits close to home for us in contemporary America.
Where Do We Go From Here? -- 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 -- Timothy J. Smith -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 2002
It was a critical time in the life of the people. Their beloved king had died.
Called To Love, Not Like -- John 15:9-17 -- Robert A. Noblett -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2002
The humorist Will Rogers told us that he never met a man he didn't like.
Yes, Virginia, There Is A Savior! -- Isaiah 35:1-7, Luke 1:46b-55 -- Alex A. Gondola, Jr. -- 2001
Over 100 years ago now, in 1897, there was an exchange of letters which has become a part of America
John -- Carl B. Rife, Harold D. Shaffer -- 2001
The Sea of Galilee is so beautiful; I wish I were there now, with Jesus and Peter and James and the
The Wedding Dress -- Matthew 22:15-22 -- Mary Sue Dehmlow Dreier -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 2001
"Take my life, that I may be ..."
How To Be Christian Without Being Religious -- Acts 17:22-31 -- Robert J. Elder -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2001
One thing about ancient Athens. It was a marketplace for new ideas.
God, Please Send Some Lofty Thoughts -- 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16) -- Dallas A. Brauninger -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - A -- 2001
E-mail From: KDM To: God Subject: Truly Human, Truly God's
Don't Look Back! -- Genesis 19:26 -- 2001
A woman came to see me. She was in her middle forties. She
How Can I Figure You Out, God, If My Interpretation Does Not Count? -- 2 Peter 1:16-21 -- Dallas A. Brauninger -- Transfiguration Sunday - A -- 2001
E-mail From: KDM To: God Subject: Thou
A Mixed-Up Story -- Genesis 29:15-30 -- 2001
It was Christmas Day and our family had opened all the
Acting Like God Acts -- 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 -- Gary L. Carver -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A -- 2001
My good friend, Tommy Garrison, tells the story of a minister who boarded an airplane.
Deborah - A Useful Leader For God -- Judges 4:1-7 -- Derl G. Keefer -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A -- 2001
The great emancipator Moses and his general Joshua, who became Commander-in-Chief of Israel, both ha

Spirituality

Stories

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Prayer

Unison Prayer

Wedding Vow

Women's Day

Worship

SermonStudio

Proper 6 -- 1 Samuel 15:34--16:13, 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (11-13) 14-17, Mark 4:26-34 -- James R. Wilson -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - B -- 1996
Call To WorshipLeader: Come, let all of God's people give praise and worship the Lord!
Second Sunday In Lent -- Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16, Romans 4:13-25, Mark 8:31-38 -- James R. Wilson -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 1996
Call To Worship
Baptism Of Our Lord -- Genesis 1:1-5, Acts 19:1-7, Mark 1:4-11 -- James R. Wilson -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 1996
First Lesson: Genesis 1:1-5 Theme: Meeting the God of Eternity
Proper 7 -- 1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49, 2 Corinthians 6:1-13, Mark 4:35-41 -- James R. Wilson -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 1996
Call To WorshipLeader: Let all who are weary from their labors gather now for worship!
Third Sunday In Lent -- Exodus 20:1-17, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, John 2:13-22 -- James R. Wilson -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 1996
Call To WorshipLeader: Let all of God's people come together for worship and praise!
Easter -- Acts 10:34-43, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, John 20:1-18 -- James R. Wilson -- Easter Day - B -- 1996
Call To WorshipLeader: Christ, our Lord, is risen from the dead. Praise be to the Lord!
Proper 8 -- 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27, 2 Corinthians 8:7-15, Mark 5:21-43 -- James R. Wilson -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 1996
Call To WorshipLeader: May the Lord's mercy and grace fall upon those who lead us!
Fourth Sunday In Lent -- Numbers 21:4-9, Ephesians 2:1-10, John 3:14-21 -- James R. Wilson -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1996
Call To Worship
Second Sunday Of Easter -- Acts 4:32-35, 1 John 1:1--2:2, John 20:19-31 -- James R. Wilson -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 1996
Call To WorshipLeader: The Lord is merciful and the Lord is wonderful and great!
Proper 9 -- 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10, 2 Corinthians 12:2-10, Mark 6:1-13 -- James R. Wilson -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 1996
Call To WorshipLeader: Let us give praise and honor to the Lord God Almighty!
Fifth Sunday In Lent -- Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 5:5-10, John 12:20-33 -- James R. Wilson -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1996
Call To Worship
Third Sunday Of Easter -- Acts 3:12-19, 1 John 3:1-7, Luke 24:36b-48 -- James R. Wilson -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 1996
First Lesson: Acts 3:12-19 Theme: Responding to God with repentance
Thanksgiving Day -- Joel 2:21-27, 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Matthew 6:25-33 -- James R. Wilson -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 1996
Call To WorshipLeader: Come, let us give thanks for the wonderful blessings of God!
Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday -- Matthew 5:9 -- James R. Wilson -- 1996
Call To WorshipLeader: Let all who would seek God's holy peace come together this day!
Fourth Sunday Of Easter -- Acts 4:5-12, 1 John 3:16-24, John 10:11-18 -- James R. Wilson -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1996
Call To WorshipLeader: Christ is our hope and our salvation. Let us praise the Lord!
First Sunday After Pentecost -- Isaiah 6:1-8, Romans 8:12-17, John 3:1-17 -- James R. Wilson -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 1996
Call To WorshipLeader: The Lord, our God, is One and worthy to be praised!
Maundy Thursday -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- James R. Wilson -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 1996
Call To Worship
Fifth Sunday Of Easter -- Acts 8:26-40, 1 John 4:7-21, John 15:1-8 -- James R. Wilson -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1996
Call To Worship
World-wide Communion Sunday -- Acts 10:23b-48 -- James R. Wilson -- 1996
Call To Worship
January 1 -- Isaiah 6:1-8 -- James R. Wilson -- 1996
Call To WorshipLeader: Come, let all who love the Lord gather in this house for worship!
Sixth Sunday Of Easter -- Acts 10:44-48, 1 John 5:1-6, John 15:9-17 -- James R. Wilson -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1996
Call To Worship
First Sunday After Christmas -- Isaiah 61:10--62:3, Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 2:22-40 -- James R. Wilson -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - B -- 1996
Call To Worship
Palm Sunday -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Mark 11:1-11 -- James R. Wilson -- Passion Sunday - B -- 1996
Call To Worship
Parent's Days -- Luke 2:41-52 -- James R. Wilson -- 1996
Call To WorshipLeader: Let us come together giving honor to Almighty God!
Second Sunday After Christmas -- Jeremiah 31:7-14, Ephesians 1:3-14, John 1:(1-9) 10-18 -- James R. Wilson -- Second Sunday after Christmas - B -- 1996
Call To Worship

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:

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.
Richard E. Gribble, CSC
There is an apocryphal story told that after completing his masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, the famous Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci went to a nearby tavern to celebrate the event with his friends. While in conversation and sipping a little of the local wine, Leonardo noticed that many in the tavern were making sport of an ugly fool who made his living going from tavern to tavern, entertaining patrons for a spare coin or a crust of bread. This man truly was an ugly person; he seemed to be more of a troll than a man. His small beady eyes were not centered in his oversized head.

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL