Login / Signup

William J. Carl, III

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

Sermon

The Village Shepherd

God Never Gives Up On Us -- 1 Samuel 8:4-11 (12-15) 16-20 (11:14-15) -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 2008
Note: There is no content for Proper 5 / OT 10 / Pentecost 3 from The Village Shephe

SermonStudio

God Never Gives Up On Us -- 1 Samuel 8:4-11 (12-15) 16-20 (11:14-15) -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 2008
Have you noticed that no matter how much of a mess we make of our lives, God never gives up on us?
Finding Our Roots In God And Country -- 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 2008
It's a scary thing to go back and explore your roots.
The Real Underdog! -- 1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49 -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2008
Every boy I knew growing up in the Midwest loved this story. We acted it out.
Dancing In Holy Places -- 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2008
Dancing in holy places -- that's the theme of this text.
What A Way To Start A Church! -- Acts 2:1-21 -- William J. Carl, III -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2008
What a way to start a church! It's certainly not the typical format for new church development.
Getting Through The Grief -- 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2008
Getting through grief may be one of the hardest things we do as human beings.
Having Trouble Sleeping Through The Night -- 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20) -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - B -- 2008
Having trouble sleeping through the night? You're not alone. Samuel did, too.
The Many Faces Of God -- Isaiah 6:1-8 -- William J. Carl, III -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2008
Think of all the faces we show the world every day.
Samuel Was The Search Committee -- 1 Samuel 15:34--16:13 -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - B -- 2008
I don't know about you but when I was growing up I always loved hearing the story of Cinderella.
Finding The Right House For God -- 2 Samuel 7:1-14a -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2008
Have you ever noticed how some families move a lot?
God Never Gives Up On Us -- 1 Samuel 8:4-11 (12-15) 16-20 (11:14-15) -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 2008
Have you noticed that no matter how much of a mess we make of our lives, God never gives up on us?
The Problem With Finding The Kingdom -- Matthew 13:44-52 -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
I don't know about you, but when I finished reading these parables of the kingdom, I wasn't so sure
Straight Talk, Due Process and Grace -- Matthew 18:15-20 -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
It never ceases to amaze me how periodically someone joins the church thinking with great naivete th
The Problem With Miracles In Our Time -- Matthew 14:22-33 -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A
If the truth be known, most of us would have to admit that we walk a very fine line between believin
Rocky -- Matthew 16:13-20 -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
It is said that Winston Churchill never liked talking to subordinates.
Church People Beware! -- Matthew 21:28-32 -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A
I don't know about you, but I don't think much of the choices Jesus offers in this passage.
Who's Keeping Score? -- Matthew 18:21-35 -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A
What we have in our passage is the contrast between a theology of grace and a theology of keeping sc
You Provide The Bread -- Matthew 14:13-21 -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
When I was growing up, church picnics were a big thing.
Living Sacrifices -- Matthew 16:21-28 -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
If we're really honest we have to admit that Peter speaks for all of us when he rebukes Jesus for sa
The Faith Of Outsiders -- Matthew 15:21-28 -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
Have you ever had an inner emotional pain that would not go away?
The Unfairness of God -- Matthew 20:1-16 -- William J. Carl, III -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - A
Have you ever noticed how sometimes life just isn't fair?

Free Access

What A Way To Start A Church! -- Acts 2:1-21 -- William J. Carl, III -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2008
What a way to start a church! It's certainly not the typical format for new church development.
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 20 | OT 25 | Pentecost 15
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 21 | OT 26 | Pentecost 16
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 22 | OT 27 | Pentecost 17
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

Mary Austin
Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
Nazish Naseem
For October 5, 2025:

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
What kind of poetry is written in the midst of war? Gentle poetry. Brutal poetry. Shocking poetry. Haunting poetry.

It was expected on all sides that the First World War would end quickly — but it slogged on for four long years. How many died? You’ll get as many answers as the number of sources you check, but let’s say twenty million for the sake of a number. Each one of those was a human being, each life cut short was irreplaceable, each one a cherished child of God.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
Not all suffering is equal.

We know, of course, that some pain is worse than other pain and some suffering is more difficult to endure. I have discovered, for example, that I classify some troubles as “headaches” while other troubles are “heartaches.” The “headache” type of suffering is a nuisance, no doubt, but it is not nearly so painful to me as the “heartache” type of suffering. Troubles at work are headaches; troubles at home are heartaches.
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
Lamentations 1:1-6; Lamentations 3:19-26 or Psalm 137

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: The object of this lesson is a phrase for everyone to remember. If you want to add a bit of interest, you could print that phrase on a card or ribbon to give to each child. For the most impact, create one for every member of the congregation and have the children hand them out after the message.

* * *

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

His friends and followers said to Jesus, "Increase our faith!" In our worship today let us explore faith and ask that he might increase our faith too.



Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes I feel anxious and worried.

Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes I find it hard to believe that you will always care for me.

Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes I envy other people because of their great faith.

Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Carlos Wilton
The little-known book of Lamentations was likely composed in the ashes of Jerusalem, following the Babylonian invasion which carried the leaders of the Jewish community off into exile. It speaks to the concerns of the Jerusalem community for their long-term survival under occupation by a foreign power. While the book's title sounds grim, and its setting is dark, the book is fundamentally life-affirming. It is a testimony to the steadfast love of God that may be discovered through renewed faith, even in troubled times.

Lee Ann Dunlap
Some records are made to be broken -- like Olympic speed skating; Cal Ripkin, Jr.'s, most consecutive baseball game appearances; and North Dakota's longest cow chip toss. Other records we'd prefer to let stand -- the world's deadliest disaster, or the most active hurricane season, for instance. Years 2004 and 2005 will probably make the books as among the most dramatic in weather history. Hurricanes pounded the southern coast of the USA. Floods and blizzards battered the midwest. Earthquakes devastated parts of central Asia.
Rick McCracken-Bennett
Ever since the sign went up on our property that our church was coming I've gotten phone calls from people asking when we'll have a church. I can be a smart aleck as some of you will attest and so I'm often quick to respond that we already have a church, we just don't have a building. "Well," they usually say, "give me a call when you get the building done; I'm not going to worship in a high school cafeteria." Before I can give my canned speech about the difference between a church and the building I realize I'm talking to a dead phone.
R. Kevin Mohr
It can be really depressing to listen to the news anymore. It doesn't matter which network you watch, everywhere you turn it's the same old bad news: natural and manmade disasters, the continuing conflicts in the Middle East and in Iraq and Afghanistan, medical miscues, entertainers gone wild and self-destructive, sports heroes disappointing us. Then there's a federal government that often seems to be, at best, incompetent or, at worst, corrupt. What makes it even more depressing is that at least 51% of us voted those currently in the White House and on Capitol Hill into office!
Gary L. Carver
You may have noticed that I read earlier from the King James Version of the Bible and not the New International Version from which I usually read. I read from a Bible that was given to me by my father which was passed on to him by his father. I read earlier from my Grandfather Carver's pulpit Bible from which he began preaching over ninety years ago and used for over forty years. Needless to say, when I accepted this Bible from my father I received it as a sacred trust.

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL