Download or read book Don t Forget the Child written by Alex A. Gondola and published by CSS Publishing. This book was released on 2001 with total page 117 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Alex Gondola says that in our modern culture we sometimes "experience Christmas at its worst: overcommercialized, expensive, exhausting, nearly devoid of spiritual significance." In this collection of twenty cogent and inspiring sermons for Advent and Christmas, he reminds us of the key to putting the season in its proper perspective -- "Don't forget the child!" For it is only when we are drawn nearer to the child of Bethlehem, celebrating the simple beauties of the stable, that we can escape from the rush of the season into the divine light of saving grace heralded by the birth of God's Son. This volume is an exceptional source of inspiration for sermon preparation, but it's also excellent for personal devotions exploring the meaning of Advent and Christmas. It's a great Christmas gift! Alex Gondola has given us a lovely round of Advent and Christmas meditations. They are reflective and delightful. They shine with little gems of human interest stories that can light our path throughout the whole year. Catherine Clark Kroeger Editor, Study Bible for Women (The New Testament) This outstanding collection of Advent/Christmas sermons brings rich insights and new appreciation for the wondrous story of Christ's coming. Whether you are in a pew or in a pulpit on Sundays, you will be grateful for this book. Dr. William P. Baker Senior Pastor Emeritus, First Presbyterian Church Allentown, Pennsylvania Author of Everyone in the Bible, Who's Who in Church History, A Savior for All Seasons Alex Gondola, a master preacher, in this collection of sermons, with wonderful illustrations, can assist the working preacher expand her or his creative imagination for Advent and Christmas preaching. Dr. Benjamin Griffin President and Professor of Liturgics Andover Newton Theological School Alex A. Gondola Jr. is senior pastor of Dennis Union Church (United Church of Christ) in Dennis, Massachusetts (located on Cape Cod). He has also served congregations in Springfield, Massachusetts; Rome, New York; and Utica, New York. Gondola is a graduate of Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania (B.A.), Andover Newton Theological School (M.Div.), and Colgate Rochester Divinity School in Rochester, New York (D.Min.), and has also studied at the New College of Divinity of the University of Edinburgh (Scotland). He is the author of Come As You Are (CSS), and contributed several stewardship sermons to the CSS anthology From Every Angle.

Download or read book Sermons for the seasons of Advent Christmas and the Epiphany written by George Robert Gleig and published by . This book was released on 1844 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Sermon Outlines on Advent and Christmas written by Gene Williams and published by Beacon Hill Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sermons for the busy pastor needing a place to start in sermon preparation or additional thoughts to add substance to Sunday’s message.Each book in the series provides 25 to 30 outlines. While these outlines are designed to be used in series preaching, most can be adapted for stand-alone sermons. Every sermon outline is directed to the needs of today’s congregants—to challenge, inspire, and motivate to service for Christ and His Kingdom. As the pastor develops these outlines through further research and personal illustrations, the resulting sermons will become effective channels for spiritual life and growth.

Download or read book Something is about to Happen written by Thomas G. Long and published by CSS Publishing. This book was released on 1996 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Previously published under the title Shepherds and Bathrobes, this series of model sermons for Advent/Christmas includes such topics as John the Baptist's preaching in the wilderness, the Word made flesh, and a sound and light show on the mountaintop. Long's sermons demonstrate how preaching can be more like watching a movie than listening to a collection of ideas. They abound in a rich variety of fresh images and stories which flesh out the familiar passages and prepare both preachers and listeners for incarnational celebrations of Advent and Christmas. Wade P. Huie, Jr. Professor of Homiletics Emeritus Columbia Theological Seminary Decatur, Georgia The title says it: these are earthy sermons in which a believable voice tells our human story, recites our literature and drama, reports the news that is our daily lot, and does all this with a sharp eye for the Bible's images, a keen ear for the Tradition's youthful voices. A fine example of preaching. Charles L. Rice Professor of Homiletics Drew University Theological School Madison, New Jersey Thomas G. Long is Francis Landey Patton Professor of Preaching and Worship at Princeton Theological Seminary. He is the author of many books and is one of the most well-known teachers of preachers in America.

Download or read book Wrinkled Wrappings written by John R. Brokhoff and published by CSS Publishing. This book was released on 1995 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wrinkled Wrappings is a series of pulpit messages for Advent and Christmas carved from the pen and emanating from the heart of a distinguished preacher whose messages inspire hope in the hearts of believers. Brokhoff is especially skilled at relating biblical stories to modern life. The flowing style of these sermons is peppered with gripping illustrations that catch us where we are and carry us along as he shines the light of God's word into our lives. Sermons are based on texts from Mark, Luke, John, and Isaiah. - Sermon titles include: - You're Going To Have A Baby - Good News For Bad Times - God With A Human Face - Happy Next Year? John R. Brokhoff is former professor of Homiletics at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. He has served parishes in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia. He has authored nearly thirty books with CSS Publishing Company including, most recently, Pray Like Jesus and Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Series IV, Cycles A, B, and C.

Download or read book Sermons for the Christian Year Sermons for Advent to Christmas Eve written by John Keble and published by . This book was released on 1875 with total page 522 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Listening Season Sermons for Advent and Christmas written by L. Ted Smith and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2010-10-27 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Listening Season: Sermons for Advent and Christmas by L. Ted Smith

Download or read book Sermons for Advent to Christmas Eve written by John Keble and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2023-11-19 with total page 510 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reprint of the original, first published in 1875.

Download or read book Preaching and Worshiping in Advent Christmas and Epiphany eBook ePub written by Abingdon and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2011-09-01 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This helpful one-volume commentary resource provides brief preaching commentaries and prayers for worship for the first Sunday in Advent through Epiphany of the Lord (Years A, B, and C). This book includes: lectionary readings for each Sunday and Holy Day in the season; three sermon briefs for each Sunday in Advent and the Sunday after Christmas; sermon briefs for Christmas, Christmas Eve, and the Day of Epiphany; creative prayers for each Sunday and Holy Day in the season; scripture index.

Download or read book The Days are Surely Coming written by Robert A. Hausman and published by CSS Publishing Company. This book was released on 1994 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here are sermons, which I can say proudly are by my pastor, which bury into some of the lectionary's Old Testament texts. They get at them in the context of the message of the whole gospel. They address the issues we face with candor. They will stimulate your imagination and your faith, just as his preaching stimulates those of us in his congregation week by week. Paul Westermeyer Professor of Church Music Luther Seminary St. Paul, Minnesota In Bethlehem the rules are different. We get by giving. We win by losing. We live by dying. These are principles set forth by a God who comes to us, not under Herod's golden crown, but Jesus' thorny crown, not with legions of soldiers, but legions of angels, not in great Jerusalem, but in tiny Bethlehem. Let us begin our journey there. -- from the Advent 3 sermon Robert A. Hausman writes that once again in Advent, we tell Israel's story of hope against hope. We believe the promise of a shoot coming forth from a dead stump, of a king who executes justice. "In faith we are ready to be called by the name, 'The Lord is our righteousness.' We remember not only the promise, but also the fulfillment," says the author. The seventeen sermons in this book are based on the First Lesson texts primarily from Isaiah and Jeremiah. The sermons follow the Revised Common Lectionary. Robert A. Hausman, St. Paul, Minnesota, is pastor of the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection. In addition to his parish ministry, he has been a campus pastor, a college and seminary professor, and a book editor. He holds a doctorate from the University of Chicago.

Download or read book Christmas Is Not Your Birthday written by Rev. Dr. Mike Slaughter and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2011-08-01 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every year, we say we’re going to cut back, simplify, and have a family Christmas that focuses on the real reason for the season—Jesus. But every year, advertisements beckon, the children plead, and it seems easier just to indulge our wants and whims. Overspending, overeating, materialism, and busyness rob us of our peace and joy and rob Jesus of his rightful role as the center of our celebration. This Christmas, cut through the hype that leaves you exhausted and broke at the end of the year. Instead, experience the peace of knowing that God is truly with us, the joy of giving sacrificially, and the love of a Savior who gave everything he had for us. In five short, engaging chapters, Pastor Mike Slaughter inspires readers to approach Christmas differently, and be transformed in the process.

Download or read book Praying for a Whole New World written by William G. Carter and published by CSS Publishing. This book was released on 2000 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history professor told me that the earliest Protestants in America discouraged the celebration of Christmas. "It's too much fun," the Puritans reasoned, "and the Gospel of Jesus Christ requires our utmost seriousness." -- from the Introduction At a time of year which is often as stressful and exhausting as it is exhilarating, William Carter reminds us that while holiday celebrations will fade into winter gloom, Jesus Christ, the light that casts no shadow, remains at the center of our faith and lives. This collection of seventeen sermons based on the Revised Common Lectionary is for readers who wish to take the gospel seriously during a season when commercialism and social activities can be overwhelming. Carter's messages provide a wonderful interplay between the biblical text and illustrations drawn from contemporary life. He brings the sensibilities of an accomplished jazz musician to the lectionary readings, creating new melodies that arise from the established material -- some in counterpoint to the scripture, others elaborating upon the original tune. The sermons of this outstanding preacher are inspiring reading for both clergy and laypeople! Senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, William G. Carter has received national recognition for his preaching and writing, with sermons and articles appearing in Journal for Preachers, Presbyterian Survey, Preaching, Lectionary Homiletics, The Christian Ministry, and Best Sermons 7. In 1999, he was selected to preach on The Protestant Hour, an international radio ministry that reaches over two million listeners each week. He frequently leads workshops for pastors on homiletical themes and practices. A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, Carter serves on the seminary's board of trustees. Reverend Carter is also a highly regarded jazz pianist who has studied and performed with such noted artists as Phil Woods and Bob Brookmeyer. He has traveled widely presenting contemporary worship services and frequently weaves his music into his ministry.

Download or read book Sermonic City Sidewalks written by James G. Cobb and published by CSS Publishing. This book was released on 1999 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Light of Bethlehem Shines on written by Thomas Pilgrim and published by CSS Publishing. This book was released on 2004 with total page 83 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The impact of the miraculous event of the incarnation continues -- and the light of hope that appeared in the darkness of that night in Bethlehem two thousand years ago still shines on us today, even in the midst of life's most difficult situations. Illustrated with poignant stories and anecdotes, these powerful messages celebrate the heartwarming joy of Christ's coming, and demonstrate how we can rely on the Lord to serve as our steady lighthouse while we navigate the shoals of life. This seven-part series for Advent, Christmas Eve, the Sunday after Christmas, and Epiphany Sunday provides a comprehensive seasonal resource for busy pastors and worship planners. Each chapter includes a sermon, a children's message, a candle lighting response with scripture reading, and a pastoral prayer. Chapter titles include: - In The Darkness Of Despair -- Isaiah 9:2-7 - In The Darkness Of Suffering -- John 1:1-13 - In The Darkness Of Oppression -- Luke 2:1-5 - In The Darkness Of Fear -- Luke 2:6-11 - In The Darkness Of Anxiety -- Luke 2:12-17 - In The Darkness Of Uncertainty -- Luke 2:17-20 - In The Darkness Of Suspicion -- Matthew 2:1-12 Thomas A. Pilgrim, the senior pastor of First United Methodist Church in Fayetteville, Georgia, has served several United Methodist congregations in the North Georgia Conference since 1966. He is the author of six other books, including They Came Together In Bethlehem and The Man From Galilee (CSS). Pilgrim has served on mission trips to Puerto Rico and Costa Rica, and his travels have included eight trips to the Holy Land as a tour host/leader. He is a graduate of LaGrange College and Candler School of Theology at Emory University.

Download or read book Grace and Peace written by Dean Feldmeyer and published by CSS Publishing Company. This book was released on 2016-09 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Easter may be the highest holy day in the life of the church but in American culture that honor goes to Christmas. Christians often find themselves trying to straddle the divide between Christmas as "Christ Mass" and Christmas as a family gathering and a retail extravaganza. In Grace and Peace, Dean Feldmeyer's latest collection of sermons for Cycle A, the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany are celebrated by acknowledging the secular, cultural parts of the season and, at the same time, they are first and foremost celebrations of God's incarnation in the living Christ. Sermon titles included Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! (Matthew 24:36-44) Less Fear; More Fruit (Matthew 3:1-12) Preparing the Way (Matthew 11:2-11) The New Moses (Matthew 1:18-25) Jesus Incognito (Matthew 25:31-46) Dean Feldmeyer is the author of five novels, two non-fiction books, three plays and over one hundred published articles, short stories, essays and poems. He is also one of the contributing writers for The Immediate Word, a component of CSS's SermonSuite. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Theater, Dean also holds a Master of Divinity degree from the Methodist Theological School of Ohio and has studied classical philosophy at the post graduate level at The University of Cincinnati and The Ohio State University. For the past thirty-five years he has been an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church. He is currently the pastor of The Wilmington United Methodist Church in Wilmington, Ohio. He and his wife, Jean (a registered nurse) live in Wilmington and have two adult children.

Download or read book You Have Mail from God written by Harold C. Warlick and published by CSS Publishing. This book was released on 2000 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bridging the sometimes disparate worlds of prophecy and gospel, Hal Warlick's sermons on texts from the Revised Common Lectionary provide illustrations and themes that will enable preachers and lay leaders to clearly communicate the Christian message. His work is anchored in sound scholarship, yet is written in a flowing, easy-to-understand narrative style that readers will immediately connect with. Most of Warlick's seventeen messages are based on passages from the letters of Paul, and Warlick finds these epistles to be as relevant today as when they were originally written. And since Paul's letters came from someone who daily faced the challenges of running a newly created organization, Warlick believes that they are a valuable resource for modern-day Christians trying to maintain a community of faith in an interconnected and spiritually struggling world. By helping readers to visualize old truths in fresh and exciting ways, this volume makes the sometimes overlooked Second Lesson texts a meaningful resource for the season. The author of thirteen books as well as over thirty articles and sermons in religious journals and publications, Harold C. Warlick Jr. is Professor of Religion and Minister to the University at High Point University in High Point, North Carolina. Dr. Warlick has served as both Director of Ministerial Studies and Lecturer in Applied Theology at Harvard Divinity School, and has pastored churches in South Carolina, Texas, and North Carolina. He holds degrees from Furman University (B.A.), Harvard University (S.T.B.), and Vanderbilt University (D.Div.).

Download or read book Chase the Lion written by Mark Batterson and published by Multnomah. This book was released on 2019-04-23 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Quit playing it safe and start running toward the roar! Now available for the first time in a convenient paperback edition and featuring a brand new group discussion guide. When the image of a man-eating beast travels through the optic nerve and into the visual cortex, the brain sends the body a simple but urgent message: run away! That’s what normal people do, but not lion chasers. Rather than seeing a five-hundred-pound problem, they see an opportunity for God to show up and show His power. Chase the Lion is more than a catch phrase; it’s a radically different approach to life. It’s only when we stop fearing failure that we can fully seize opportunity by the mane. With grit and gusto, New York Times best-selling author Mark Batterson delivers a bold message to everyone with a big dream. This is a wake-up call to stop living as if the purpose of life was to simply arrive safely at death. Our dreams should scare us. They should be so big that without God they would be impossible to achieve. Quit running away from what you’re afraid of. Chase the lion! Change the world! What is your five-hundred-pound dream? In this highly anticipated sequel to his best-selling In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Mark Batterson invites lion chasers everywhere to chase dreams so impossible that victory demands we face our fears, defy the odds, and hold tight to God. These are the kind of dreams that will make you a bigger person and the world a better place. Based upon 2 Samuel 23, Chase the Lion tells the true story of an ancient warrior named Benaiah who chased a lion into a pit on a snowy day—and then killed it. For most people, that situation wouldn’t just be a problem…it would be the last problem they ever faced. For Benaiah, it was an opportunity to step into his destiny. After defeating the lion, he landed his dream job as King David’s bodyguard and eventually became commander-in-chief of Israel’s army under King Solomon. Written in a way that both challenges and encourages, this revolutionary book will help unleash the faith and courage you need to identify, chase, and catch the five-hundred-pound dreams in your life.