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Children's Activity

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God's house is special -- John 2:13-22 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B
Materials Pictures of a church, a school, and a house
The first miracle -- John 2:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C
Teachers or Parents: In this modern era when there are many in
"Bare or green?" -- Luke 21:25-36 -- First Sunday of Advent - C
Teachers or Parents: Advent is a distinct season from
The parable of the sower -- Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A
Teachers or Parents: The Parable of the Sower shows us that
Another name -- Mark 8:27-35
Teachers or Parents: We often hold the saints up as being
Liar's memory -- John 8:31-36 -- Reformation Sunday - A
Teachers or Parents: Lying is a sin and sin is a lie. Both
What makes a king a king? -- John 18:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B
Teachers or Parents: On this last Sunday in the church year, we
What Jesus left his friends -- John 14:23-29 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C
Teachers: The Holy Spirit is promised to Jesus' friends in our lesson today.
Eye of the needle -- Mark 10:17-31 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B
Teachers: Jesus tells a rich man that it is easier for a camel
The joy of our favorite room -- Matthew 11:2-11 -- Third Sunday of Advent - A
SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOMEMaterials:
So much from so little -- Matthew 14:13-21 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
Ah ... the feeding of the 5,000. Today's story is a classic.
Tell God your troubles -- Luke 18:1-8 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - C
Have you ever been pestered? It's annoying, isn't it?
"Remember to say thanks" -- Luke 17:11-19 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C
Teachers or Parents: We live in what is rapidly becoming a
Anyone who loves God -- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B
Teachers: There are two phrases in this lesson worth having
The same in any language -- Acts 2:1-21 -- Day of Pentecost - A
Teachers: (This activity is based in the Second Lesson, not
O come, O come, Emmanuel -- Matthew 1:18-25 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A
Teachers or Parents: Teach the children the words to the
Three, yet One -- John 16:12-15 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C
Teachers or Parents: Today's object lesson will stay with the
Stuck together by love -- John 3:14-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B
Materials Several colors of sturdy yarn, cut in 8-inch lengths
God's prophets tell the truth -- Luke 4:14-21 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C
Teachers or Parents: God makes it clear in the Bible that His
"Things don't last" -- Luke 12:13-21 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - C
Teachers or Parents: It is very easy for children to
The parable of the weeds -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A
Teachers or Parents: Here again we see a parable that shows
No illusion here! -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B
Teachers or Parents: Optical illusions are used in today's
Getting in God's way -- Matthew 16:21-28 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
Teachers or Parents: It is a fact of church life that some
Enemies and friends -- Mark 9:38-50 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B
Teachers or Parents: In our war against the devil and his
A little girl's glory -- John 17:20-26 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C
Teachers: Today's lesson is a part of the prayer that Jesus prayed before his death.

Children's sermon

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Learning to Swim -- John 3:14-21 -- Anna Shirey -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: The gospel of John is a difficult treatise even for scholars to understand.
Enough Room? -- Mark 10:2-16 -- Anna Shirey -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: If we look at the entire passage here we see questions about the nature of re
The 'Lost' Fruit -- John 12:20-33 -- Anna Shirey -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: In just another two weeks we will be encountering the sorrow and loss of the
Leaving It All Behind -- Mark 10:17-31 -- Anna Shirey -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: Here we read Jesus' teachings on radical discipleship.
A Waste of Time? -- Mark 14:1--15:47 -- Anna Shirey -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: The assigned lectionary reading for Passion Sunday is very long and full of p
A Servant to All -- Mark 10:35-45 -- Anna Shirey -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: This is another of Jesus' teachings designed to help the disciples understand
Becoming a Servant -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Anna Shirey -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: How can we help our children encounter this Holy Week in a new way?
Sharing Your Need -- Mark 10:46-52 -- Anna Shirey -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: This passage about Bartimaeus invites some interesting questions about our re
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Ghoul? -- John 11:32-44 -- Anna Shirey -- All Saints Day - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: Children are likely to have mixed feelings about Halloween.
When Friends Betray Us -- John 18:1--19:42 -- Anna Shirey -- Good Friday - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: This is probably one of the darkest lessons we will have to teach our childre
The Most Important Thing -- Mark 12:28-34 -- Anna Shirey -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: It all comes down to love, doesn't it?
A Surprise Ending -- John 20:1-18 -- Anna Shirey -- Easter Day - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: This story is so familiar to us we might not recognize the resurrection as a
We Are God's Hands -- Mark 12:38-44 -- Anna Shirey -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: We are all pretty familiar with the story of the widow's mite, how Jesus comm
The Proof Is in the Touching! -- John 20:19-31 -- Anna Shirey -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: Too often, I think, we have held up the story of Thomas as an example of the
Listen Closely! -- Mark 13:1-8 -- Anna Shirey -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: We don't want to use this passage in Mark as a way of frightening the childre
Dinner with Jesus -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Anna Shirey -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: Here we have another one of these miraculous revelation stories, where Jesus
Seek Ye First -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Anna Shirey -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: This is a very familiar verse to most of us and a good reminder for Thanksgiv
A True Friend -- John 10:11-18 -- Anna Shirey -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: If we've lived long enough, most of us have had the experience of friends we
A Different Kind of King -- John 18:33-37 -- Anna Shirey -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: The last Sunday before we begin the season of Advent, this Sunday is called C
Abiding in God -- John 15:1-8 -- Anna Shirey -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: During these spring months, one descriptor of God comes clear -- creativity.
Be the Clay! -- Luke 3:7-18 -- Anna Shirey -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 2012
First Thoughts
I Have Chosen You -- John 15:9-17 -- Anna Shirey -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: In many church doctrines, the power and responsibility of choice seems to res
Now I See! -- Matthew 2:1-12 -- Anna Shirey -- Epiphany of the Lord - C -- 2012
First Thoughts
Sent Out as Christ -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Anna Shirey -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: As we enter this celebration of Ascension and prepare for Pentecost, we're go
Not of the World -- John 17:6-19 -- Anna Shirey -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: Ever since the church began, there has been an ongoing struggle with the ques

Sermon

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Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
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29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
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160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
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New & Featured This Week

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John Jamison
Object: A pig stuffed animal.

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

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
George Reed
For June 22, 2025:

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian,  for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.  As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (vv. 25-28)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a
Life can be frightening sometimes. Thus it is both comforting but disconcerting to find a giant of faith like Elijah to fear the future. On that matter Martin Luther once claimed:
David Kalas
We’re not far from the 4th of July. And while for so many Americans, it seems that the holiday has become more about long weekends, cookouts, and fireworks shows, the theme of freedom is still there at least in the background. We might take advantage of that, therefore, and give some thought to the theme of freedom as it is revealed in our assigned texts for this week.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

The madman cried out to Jesus, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" In our worship today let us explore what Jesus has to do with us and invite him to heal our brokenness.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, we often find ourselves thinking, saying and doing things that we quickly regret.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Constance Berg
When Jill was five, she began to have headaches. The headaches were so severe she would throw up. Sometimes she would pass out. They usually came once a month. Jill could be playing, resting, or watching television when the headaches would come. Her only warning was a sudden pain in her head, then a blinding light would appear, and she would be rocked with pain. In her teenage years, they became debilitating, causing Jill to be in bed for three days at a time.
Stan Purdum
I'm not sure when the term "burn out" ceased being only a description of what happened to a campfire when you ran out of firewood to a term describing the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest, usually coming immediately after an extended period of overwork, but the expression seems to fit that later situation, doesn't it? Exhaustion, deep weariness, all used up, nothing more to give, wiped out, burned out -- call it what we will, its symptoms are all too familiar to many of us.
April Yamasaki
In the classic movie, Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews plays a no-nonsense, yet delightful, nanny to two young children. As a nanny to a wealthy family, she is part teacher, part parent, and part disciplinarian. She gets the children up in the morning, puts them to bed at night, supervises their many adventures, and guides them in many ways. While they are in her care, she is responsible for their overall safety and well-being.

Julia Ross Strope
Zoos are no longer in people's good graces.
Religion faces the same problem.
Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.
-- Yann Martel, Life of Pi

Call To Worship
Leader: I'm so glad you're here! There are seats for everyone; there's slight air movement; the windows engender tranquility and imagination and words will stimulate fresh thoughts.

People: It's good to be here, in sanctuary. We're glad for opportunities to gather and to express our gratitude to God and our appreciation for one another.

Special Occasion

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