Login / Signup

CSSPlus

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

Children's Activity

CSSPlus

Taking up the cross -- Mark 8:31-38 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B
Teachers or Parents: The idea of a person denying oneself and taking up one's cross to follow Jesus
No grudges allowed -- Mark 6:14-29 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B
SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOMEMaterials:
Paying homage -- Matthew 2:1-12 -- Epiphany of the Lord - B
Teachers or Parents: Respect is not a high priority today.
Preaching from a boat -- Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B
SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOMEMaterials:
Jesus feeds us -- John 6:24-35 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B
Teachers or Parents: Children can easily relate to physical food, but the spiritual food of Jesus
A kind of king -- John 6:1-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B
SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOMEMaterials:
Who is he? -- Mark 6:14-29 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B
Teachers or Parents: Jesus' identity is still an issue.
Follow the Leader -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B
Teachers or Parents: Being a disciple of Jesus is not an easy task.
God's biggest job -- John 6:24-35 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B
SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOMEMaterials:
The right tool -- Mark 2:23--3:6 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - B
Teachers or Parents: Most people and perhaps the children think of the commandments as prohibition
Words and the Word -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Teachers or Parents: Words are powerful.
Gates of Heaven -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B
Teachers or Parents: The gospel, in the narrowest sense of its use, is the good news that Jesus died
The bread of life -- John 6:35, 41-51 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B
SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOMEMaterials:
Which crown? -- Passion Sunday - B
Teachers or Parents: The concept of king and kingdom is foreign -- except in many children's storie
A special meal -- John 6:51-58 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B
SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOMEMaterials:
Bitter medicine -- John 18:1-19:42 -- Good Friday - B
Teachers or Parents: The "bitter cup" Jesus had to take goes against our sense of fairness.
"Jesus' valentine" -- Luke 6:17-26 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C
Presenter, Teachers or Parents: Valentine's Day may be somewhat meaningless to young children and s
We are Christians -- John 6:56-69 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B
SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOMEMaterials:
The throne and the cross -- Mark 14:1--15:47 -- Passion Sunday - B
Materials Bible 1 cup whole pecans 1 teaspoon vinegar 3 egg whites
One person at a time -- Matthew 9:35-10:8 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A
Teachers or Parents: Evangelism is such a simple thing -- telling the good news to one person at
Following Instructions -- Mark 1:40-45 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B
Materials None Instructions
The twelve harvesters -- Matthew 9:35--10:8 (9-23) -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A
Can you name the 12 disciples? There are four J's, two P's, two T's, a B, an A, an M, and an S.
King Jesus -- Matthew 26:14--27:66 -- Passion Sunday - A
Teachers or Parents: If you have a Palm Sunday processional in your worship service, talk about it.
The Last Supper -- Matthew 26:14--27:66 -- Passion Sunday - A
There are a lot of very familiar themes in our gospel reading for today.
Forgive us our debts -- Luke 7:36--8:3 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C
Teachers or Parents: The lesson stands on its own.

Children's sermon

CSSPlus

Perfect -- Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- Leah Thompson -- The Nativity of our Lord - A -- 2010
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a mang
Keep the word -- John 14:23-29 -- Leah Thompson -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2010
"Jesus answered him, 'Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we w
The nth power -- Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Leah Thompson -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2010
"God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his righ
King of the Jews -- Luke 23:33-43 -- Leah Thompson -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C -- 2010
There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews." (v. 38)
Silver and gold -- Luke 12:32-40 -- Leah Thompson -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - C -- 2010
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (v. 34)
Enriched -- 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 -- Leah Thompson -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - A -- 2010
… For in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind. (v.
Whodunit? -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Leah Thompson -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2010
"You are witnesses of these things." (v. 48)
Happy thoughts -- Philippians 4:4-9 -- Leah Thompson -- Thanksgiving Day - C -- 2010
"Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, w
True heroes -- Hebrews 11:29--12:2 -- Leah Thompson -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2010
"For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the p
Follow -- John 1:29-42 -- Leah Thompson -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - A -- 2010
The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. (v. 37)
Being clean -- Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 -- Leah Thompson -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2010
"Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and
What's in a name? -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Leah Thompson -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2010
"So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.
Hare-brained -- John 6:25-35 -- Leah Thompson -- Thanksgiving Day - C -- 2010
Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs,
Bringing fire -- Luke 12:49-56 -- Leah Thompson -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2010
"I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" (v. 49)
Who do you belong to? -- 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 -- Leah Thompson -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - A -- 2010
What I mean is that each of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong
Storytellers -- John 17:20-26 -- Leah Thompson -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2010
"I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have l
Waiting out the storm -- Luke 22:14--23:56 -- Leah Thompson -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2010
"… but they kept shouting, 'Crucify, crucify him!' " (v. 23:21)
Shoemaker... or Elves? -- Romans 13:11-14 -- Leah Thompson -- First Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
"The night is far gone, the day is near.
Unshakeable -- Hebrews 12:18-29 -- Leah Thompson -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - C -- 2010
"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which
Follow me -- Matthew 4:12-23 -- Leah Thompson -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - A -- 2010
Immediately they left their nets and followed him. (v. 20)
Spirited -- Romans 8:14-17 -- Leah Thompson -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2010
"For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spir
Bread of the Spirit -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Leah Thompson -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2010
"For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he com
Be prepared -- Matthew 24:36-44 -- Leah Thompson -- First Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
"And they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of
Sabbath laws -- Luke 13:10-17 -- Leah Thompson -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - C -- 2010
"And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set
What do you need? -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 -- Leah Thompson -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 2010
For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling blo

Sermon

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
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
and more...
Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
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

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A pig stuffed animal.

* * *

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

Wildcard SSL