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Worship

SermonStudio

Proper 7 -- 1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a, Galatians 3:23-29, Luke 8:26-39 -- H. Burnham Kirkland -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2003
Theme: What Are You Doing Here?Call To Worship
Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 -- 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14, Galatians 5:1, 13-25, Luke 9:51-62 -- H. Burnham Kirkland -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C -- 2003
Proper 8/Ordinary Time 13 Sunday between June 26 and July 2 inclusive
Proper 9 -- 2 Kings 5:1-14, Galatians 6:(1-6) 7-16, Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 -- H. Burnham Kirkland -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C -- 2003
Theme: By Faith We Are HealedCall To Worship
Reformation Sunday -- Jeremiah 31:31-34, Romans 3:19-28, John 8:31-36 -- H. Burnham Kirkland -- Reformation Sunday - C -- 2003
Theme: The New CovenantCall To Worship
Day Of Thanksgiving -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Philippians 4:4-9, John 6:25-35 -- H. Burnham Kirkland -- Thanksgiving Day - C -- 2003
Theme: Gratitude For All The Lord Has GivenCall To Worship
Transfiguration Of Our Lord -- Exodus 34:29-35, 2 Corinthians 3:12--4:2, Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) -- H. Burnham Kirkland -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 2003
First Lesson: Exodus 34:29-35 Theme: Moses Speaks With The Lord
Holy Trinity -- Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31, Romans 5:1-5, John 16:12-15 -- H. Burnham Kirkland -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 2003
Theme: In Praise Of WisdomCall To Worship
Christmas Eve/Day -- Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-20 -- H. Burnham Kirkland -- The Nativity of our Lord - C -- 2003
Theme: The Kingdom ComesCall To WorshipLeader: A Child is born to us!
First Sunday After Christmas/The Holy Family -- 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26, Colossians 3:12-17, Luke 2:41-52 -- H. Burnham Kirkland -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - C -- 2003
Theme: The Boy SamuelCall To WorshipLeader: Praise the Lord, all peoples.
Second Sunday After Christmas -- Jeremiah 31:7-14, Ephesians 1:3-14, John 1:(1-9) 10-18 -- H. Burnham Kirkland -- Second Sunday after Christmas - C -- 2003
Theme: The Lord Has Saved His PeopleCall To Worship

Drama

Sermon

SermonStudio

Wedding Day -- John 2:1-11 -- Tom M. Garrison -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2006
It had been a standard practice, in years past, that the most popular month for weddings was June.
Prophet Or Profit? -- Luke 4:14-21 -- Gary L. Carver -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2006
I shall never forget the night that Mae June came to church.
The Bible: Head And Heart -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Gary L. Carver -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2006
"With Jesus in your heart, you just can't hate anybody." That is our destination, but sometimes the
Leaving Before The Invitation -- Luke 5:1-11 -- Gary L. Carver -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2006
John and Mary have been married for about twenty years.
Woe To The Blessed -- Luke 6:17-26 -- Gary L. Carver -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2006
One of my all-time favorite television programs was M*A*S*H.
Taking The First Step -- Luke 6:27-38 -- Gary L. Carver -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - C -- 2006
Create in your minds, if you will, a scene where the people are gathering at a small church for wors
Building A Victorious Life -- Luke 6:39-49 -- Gary L. Carver -- Epiphany 8 | Ordinary Time 8 - C -- 2006
J.
Back To The Future -- Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) -- Gary L. Carver -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 2006
The experience in the ninth chapter of Luke is called "The Transfiguration Experience of our Lord Je
The Hard Sell -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Donald Charles Lacy -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2006
Our blessed Lord presses the issue. Do you or do you not want to be my disciple?
Testing Time -- Luke 4:1-13 -- Donald Charles Lacy -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
To live the Christian life is to be tested.

Children's sermon

SermonStudio

Healing The Lame Man -- Acts 4:1-23 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a glass of water, a flat surface, and a sponge to mop it up
Bringing People To God -- Acts 3:1-16 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a digital camera and things that go together: letters, numbers, salt and pepper shake
Happy Birthday, Church! -- Acts 2:1-13 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a big electric fan, with the sound increased by use of a microphone (if a fan is not
A Man With A Hard Name To Remember -- Acts 1:12-14 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: symbol of Jude
A Second Choice -- Acts 1:21-26 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: symbol of Matthias
The Day Jesus Cooked -- John 21:1-14 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: some charcoal and a loaf of bread
Are You Who You Say You Are? -- John 20:19-31 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a driver's license, Social Security card, or an identification bracelet
An Empty Box -- John 20:1-2, 11-18 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a new, empty crayon box
The Spear -- John 19:31-35 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a spear
Christ The King -- John 18:33-37 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a crown and a map of the world or a globe

Worship Service

Preaching

SermonStudio

Cooties -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
The college professor in an astronomy class liked to use objects we all know to illustrate his lesso
The Seed Store -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
A man once dreamed he had entered a different kind of store.
The Story Of Ben Hur -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
Two friends met at the Union Train Terminal in Indianapolis, Indiana, years ago.
The Vale Of Paradise -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
Mrs.
There's A Man On The Cross -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
When the Chicago Temple United Methodist Church was built, they placed on top of it one of the highe
They Cooked The Books -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
The new expression of what has been happening in some of the top business corporations of America we
Those Two Cents -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
It was during the 1950s and the young couple came to their pastor for premarital counseling.
Three Philosophies Of Life In The Story Of The Good Samaritan -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
1.What's yours is mine; I'll take it! -- the thief
True Brotherhood -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
A young black man was carrying two suitcases on a wintry day in New York City.
True Brotherhood 2 -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
It is interesting to know that the New Testament of the Bible has taught the equality of all humanki

Stories

SermonStudio

The Holy Spirit, Our Guide -- John 14:23-29 -- Constance Berg -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2000
With God, all things are possible.
Singing Praises To God -- John 17:20-26 -- Constance Berg -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2000
A group of twenty men meet in a home in Pakistan.
One Tiny Light -- Matthew 2:1-12 -- Constance Berg -- Epiphany of the Lord - C -- 2000
It's a strange phenomenon that scientists are surely able to explain.
The Wedding In Tuxtla -- John 2:1-11 -- Constance Berg -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2000
Rebeca Ruiz had met Carlos Marin at a church convention.
The Scroll Of Wisdom -- Luke 4:14-21 -- Constance Berg -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2000
David led us the two blocks from our church to his place of worship: a synagogue.
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not ... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Constance Berg -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2000
Wow! First they love Jesus just from what he has to say.
Good Enough To Be With You? -- Luke 5:1-11 -- Constance Berg -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2000
They had been pen pals of a sort for only ten months but their letters came more and more frequently
Strength From Adversity -- Luke 6:17-26 -- Constance Berg -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2000
When Beth was a student nurse during World War II, she was chubby.
Expect Nothing In Return -- Luke 6:27-38 -- Constance Berg -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - C -- 2000
Regina Jennings worked as a custodian at West Virginia University College of Law for fifteen years.
Martha's Incredible (In)Sight -- Luke 6:39-49 -- Constance Berg -- Epiphany 8 | Ordinary Time 8 - C -- 2000
My dear friend, Martha, is blind. She wasn't always blind.

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UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Easter 5
28 – Sermons
150+ – Illustrations / Stories
29 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20+ – Worship Resources
26 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 6
29 – Sermons
150+ – Illustrations / Stories
30+ – Children's Sermons / Resources
20+ – Worship Resources
28 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 7
22 – Sermons
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
24 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20+ – Worship Resources
21 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

SermonStudio

Schuyler Rhodes
This story about Stephen is a hard one to preach about these days. Lately, the idea of martyrdom has fallen under a bit of a cloud, don't you think? What do you think of when you hear about martyrs? In my experience, a martyr is either reduced to a psychological complex foisted off on someone who does too much for others, or it's a poor child with a dynamite vest ready to doom himself or herself and plenty of others for the sake of the cause, and the cash benefits paid to the family, after the fact. There's no question about it. The stock on martyrdom is way, way down these days.
David E. Leininger
"Christ is our cornerstone!" That motto was chosen over a century ago for the congregation I now serve. It was October 29, 1895, at 2:30 in the afternoon, that the grandparents and great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, the forebears of today's congregation, gathered outside in Pennsylvania's autumn chill to see the laying of the cornerstone of the church building that has been in use ever since.
Carlos Wilton
Theme For The Day
Jesus Christ is the cornerstone.

First Lesson
Acts 7:55-60
The Stoning Of Stephen
Derl G. Keefer
C. Neil Strait
WORSHIP HELPS

CALL TO WORSHIP
God is ready to swoop down and rescue us from the burdens we carry and to lift the heart aches! Our God has known us since birth through old age and gray hair and He will sustain us today!

OFFERING THOUGHT
The secret of money is enjoying the opportunity of giving it away for the glory of God.

BENEDICTION
May the God who transforms disappointments to joy do that for you this week. Amen.



SERMON BRIEFS

Holiness, The Trademark Of A Holy Person
Lee Griess
The great American humorist, Will Rogers, had the reputation that he could make anyone laugh. President Calvin Coolidge, on the other hand, had the reputation that he never laughed. Want to know what happened the time those two met? Rogers was invited to visit the White House and as was the custom, the president's assistant brought Rogers into the Oval Office. As was the custom as he entered, the assistant said, "President Coolidge, this is Will Rogers. Mr. Rogers, this is President Coolidge." To which Rogers leaned forward and said, "I'm sorry.
Richard L. Sheffield
Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me" (John 14:1 NRSV).

Since everything that follows for the rest of the passage I just read from John is commentary on that, we need to hear that clearly, before we hear anything else.

This is the closest English can get to the Greek of John's Gospel: "Let not be troubled of you the heart; Believe in God, also in me believe."1

And here are the translations of others who have listened and interpreted these words for you and me:
Robert J. Elder
In the earliest experience of the church, the apostles soon discovered that their teaching and preaching duties were taking an incredible amount of energy. As the community of believers grew in numbers, and they continued in their commitment to hold all things in common, it became obvious that some details of the life of the community would need more attention than the twelve apostles themselves could give. It was decided to appoint deacons to serve the needs of the church, particularly the needs of the poor and widows who could no longer care for themselves. Seven were appointed.
Amy C. Schifrin
Martha Shonkwiler
Confession And Forgiveness
P: We gather for worship in the name of the one who is
the way, the truth, and the life, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: Amen.
P: The journey before us is one of letting go and taking hold.
As he prepares a place for us,
let us name the sin that clings to us, that we may find release.

Silence for reflection and self-examination

P: Unbelief, hatred, revenge,
C: Lord, do not hold our sins against us.
P: Gossip, despair, deceit,
C: Lord, do not hold our sins against us.
Frank Ramirez
Call To Worship (Psalm 31:15-16)

One: My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.

All: Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.


Collect
 Strengthen us, Lord, in the time of testing and trial, calling to mind the example of the martyrs who died for our faith. Amen.


Prayer Of Confession

The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Christopher Keating
Katy Stenta
Dean Feldmeyer
Nazish Naseem
George Reed
Thomas Willadsen
For May 3, 2026:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Sandra Herrmann
It is hard for us, living after the resurrection, to understand how Jesus, who was clearly a mortal man, could come to be worshipped as though he were God. Since we believe that Jesus did rise from the dead, we tend to endow his ministry with a divine glow. How could the authorities not see that Jesus was, indeed, the son of God? How did they explain away his miracles? How did they ignore how the average people felt about him?
David Kalas
What do you do between Act 2 and Act 3 of a performance? That depends upon who you are.

If you are like me, then you have attended a great many more shows, plays, and performances than you have participated in. And, as members of the audience, the time between acts is an intermission -- an opportunity to stretch your legs, to use the restroom, to enjoy some refreshments.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:
Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." In our worship today, let us explore these words and find out how to reach God through Jesus.

Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, show me the right way to God.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, lead me into the truth about God.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, give me the eternal life which you have promised.
Lord, have mercy.

Reading:

StoryShare

Keith Hewitt
Scott Dalgarno
John E. Sumwalt
Contents
What's Up This Week
"Encounter in the Darkness" by Keith Hewitt
"Please Don't Forget Me" by Scott Dalgarno
"An Unwanted Gift" by John Sumwalt


What's Up This Week
Peter Andrew Smith
Keith Hewitt
Contents
"Words of Power" by Peter Andrew Smith
"Refuge" by Keith Hewitt


* * * * * * * *


Words of Power
by Peter Andrew Smith
Acts 7:55-60

The principal looked at the boy holding the cloth up to his nose. His hair was dishevelled, his lip swollen, and his clothes bore the stains of the muddy playground. The nurse examined him but his bleeding nostrils seemed his greatest injury.

CSSPlus

Good morning, boys and girls. (Show the rubbing of the cornerstone.) Does anyone know what I'm holding? (Let them answer.) This is a rubbing of the cornerstone of our church building. (Read to them what the cornerstone says. Tell them where the cornerstone is located.) I hope that when church is over this morning you can go out and look at and touch the real cornerstone. Cornerstones are very important. Does anyone know the purpose of a cornerstone? (Let them answer.) It's important because it is at the very foundation of our building. The church building is built on top of it.
Good morning, boys and girls. (Have your road map opened as you talk. Examine the map as you greet the children.) If I wanted to take a trip to (name a familiar city in your area) but I wasn't certain how to get there, what could I use to help me? (Let them answer.) A road map! I just happen to have one here. I'm looking for my direction right now. (Point out the way to your destination.) When you go on vacation do your parents sometimes give you road maps to follow? (Let them answer.) A road map is very important when you are going places that you've never been before.

Special Occasion

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