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Anna Shirey

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Children's sermon

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What Goes In Must Come Out! -- Mark 8:27-38 -- Anna Shirey -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: This is an interesting encounter between Jesus and Peter, as so many of their
Taking Up the Cross -- Mark 8:31-38 -- Anna Shirey -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: Today's passage introduces a difficult concept in the life of a Christian --
Giving with Nothing Gained -- Mark 9:30-37 -- Anna Shirey -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: As we revisit this story about Jesus welcoming children, we can spend some ti
Raising the Temple -- John 2:13-22 -- Anna Shirey -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: In order to teach this passage to our children, we need to discern the differ
Salted with Fire -- Mark 9:38-50 -- Anna Shirey -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: In this passage it becomes clear that Jesus' main concern isn't what we call
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.
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 28 | OT 33 | Pentecost 23
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Christ the King Sunday
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Thanksgiving
34 – Sermons
80+ – Illustrations / Stories
24 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
24 – 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
Dean Feldmeyer
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
Nazish Naseem
For November 16, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Coffin
Another natural disaster has flattened a number of coastal communities. Despite the weather and major television station warnings, and government disaster preparations, the dystopian destruction nightmare of Luke 21 has decimated another community. Also, it is reasonable to believe that this is not the last year for hurricanes, Tsunami’s, wildfires, mudslides and tornados. They will occur again. However, as weary citizens are interviewed in one group of people with the background of homes in rubble and streets still draining flood waters, they will not leave. This is their home.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez

Isaiah 65:17-25 and Isaiah 12

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
“The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD. (v. 25)

A week after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, country singer Toby Keith — who died Feb. 5, 2024 — wrote a patriotic ballad titled “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.” It was filled with populist fighting rhetoric that matched the mood of a nation shaken by the shocking death and destruction of that day.

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A blood pressure monitor. It is actually called a sphygmomanometer, and is pronounced “sfig·mow·muh·naa’·muh·tr”.

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The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Prayers usually include these concerns and may follow this sequence:

The Church of Christ

Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

The local community

Those who suffer

The communion of saints


These responses may be used:


Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

SermonStudio

Stephen P. McCutchan
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
-- Isaiah 12:3

John W. Clarke
No reading of Luke is complete without coming to realize that Luke is concerned that the world understands that Jesus is the hope of the world and that any teaching that leads away from that fact is a false teaching. No matter what, no matter when, Jesus will be there to give us life.

Scott Suskovic
Whoever does not work should not eat!
-- 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (NLT)

Wow! Kind of takes your breath away, doesn't it? Not a lot of ambiguity in that rule. "You don't work, you don't eat." For a religion based on grace, it seems a bit unyielding.

Mark Ellingson
Freedom is such a lovely word, a compelling image. What is freedom? How would you define it? What does it mean to you? Webster's New World Dictionary defines freedom as being exempt from control or from arbitrary restrictions. Freedom is said to be the ability to choose or determine one's own actions.

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