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Don R. Yocom

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SermonStudio

Sleeping Through A Revolution -- Acts 20:9-12 -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
It was startling news to Rip Van Winkle to find out he was awakening to a new era in American life.
Gold For The King -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
When the wise men came from the East to see Jesus (Matthew 2:1), they brought lavish gifts for the n
The Friendship Bridge -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
What a blessing a bridge can be!
The Man In An Old Corduroy Coat -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
The telephone rang in a noted surgeon's home on the outskirts of a large city.
You Are Not Home, Yet -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
Samuel Morrison, a missionary who served twenty years in Africa, was retiring and on his way home.
Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
It was just before World War II. Dusk had fallen, and Christmas Eve begun.
From War To Peace -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
We go to a concert hall and listen to the sounds of different musical instruments as they tune up fo
We Thought We Heard The Angels Sing -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
One of the miracle stories of World War II involved seven servicemen whose Flying Fortress plane wen
See Bits Of Humor -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
We have liked the words of homespun philosophy given us by a Hoosier friend years ago.
The Gates Of Hell Shall Not Prevail -- Matthew 16:18 -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
It was recognition time for visitors at a service club dinner when the president of the club tried s
Hymns And Gospel Songs -- Colossians 3:16 -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
There is a striking difference between the stately hymns of the church used in the past hundreds of
Who Was Lost? -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
In the Bible story of Jesus at the age of twelve, several unusual things happened.
The Christ Of The Indian Road -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
He had labored for eight years and felt like a failure.
From Pop Cans To Countryside YMCA -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
Ralph J.
Music And Warfare -- 1 Chronicles 20:21-29 -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
Why do we have Army, Navy, and Air Force bands at our military establishments, other than for public
It's A Myth! -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
A prominent citizen of a central Ohio community retired, and then spent a year visiting homes of cit
If Only A Picture Of Jesus Can Do That! -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
A Christian youth and three non-Christian friends were walking on Charles Street in Baltimore, Maryl
He Got Our Men To Singing -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
In the 1970s a likeable person to know in Circleville, Ohio, was the chief radio announcer for WNRE,
Balaam And His Talking Donkey -- Numbers 22:20-35 -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
This story, in the midst of some rather dull reading in the Book of Numbers (Chapter 22:20-35), is a
This Old House -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
Not all Senior Citizens are pessimists.
By Faith Alone -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
It is a striking fact that when Martin Luther stood before the Council of the Roman Catholic Church,
But Communism Failed ... -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
As the historic events took place, leading to World War II, serious questions were in the minds of t
Abe Lincoln's Serendipity -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
History records that before he was a lawyer, Abraham Lincoln was a general store keeper in Illinois.
Lindy Did It! -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
In May 1927, the primitive radios and the newspapers came alive with news that where others with mor
That Remarkable Drinking Fountain -- Don R. Yocom -- 2000
On a hot Summer day a minister paused in a town plaza to get a drink of water.

Illustration

Preaching

SermonStudio

The Cleansing Fire -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
An impressive moment came, in the lives of many youth, on the night at church camp when they would g
His Very Simple Credo -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
"To believe that there is nothing more beautiful, more profound, more sympathetic, more reasonable,
Playing The Numbers -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
A woman entered a guessing game at a store to win a new refrigerator.
The Eastern Gate -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
I will meet you in the morning,Just inside the Eastern Gate;
Ignition Blinds -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
The fellow was a school dropout who worked as a mechanic in a garage.
What A Dream! -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
Camp Wesley, located six miles north of Bellefontaine, Ohio, was originally the site of a government
Puppies Can Share, Too! -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
A doctor found a little dog with a broken leg by the roadside.
A Pertinent Observation -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
The poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote:Earth crammed with Heaven,
The Dog Knew Best -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
A man who was an alcoholic had a dog which he loved very much.
How A Child Thinks -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
A little boy went with his mother to see the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Six Pieces Or Eight Pieces? -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
A guy was ordering a pizza by telephone, when the man on the phone asked: "How shall we cut the pizz
One-liners From Notable People -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
C1. "He is no fool who gives that which he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose." J
Is God Left-handed? -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
"God is left-handed," the little child told her preacher.
What If The Christian Faith Was Gone? -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
There is a vital principle presented to us in a book by Henry Rogers; years ago he wrote The Ecli
Redemption -- A Drop Of Water -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
Do you remember in your childhood looking up and trying to understand the clouds?
Statue Honoring A Prison Convict -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
Yes, it is in Crestline, California, and it is a composite figure with eyes of an Oriental, nose of
The First Sunday School -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
Robert Raikes was no fatalist.
How Did The Apostles Of Jesus Die? -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
Matthew -- slain by the sword in a city of Ethiopia.
Super Religious -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
The story is being told that Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, and Bob Schuller were to be received into h
Town Called Knockemstiff -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
Yes, it's a little town in the southwestern part of Ross County, Ohio.
A Forrest Gump Story -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
Saint Peter saw Forrest Gump, a familiar name in the movies, at the entrance to Heaven.
What One Man Can Do -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
The Roman Catholic monk, Polemicus, dared to oppose gladiatorial death in the Coliseum of Rome.
Ring Those Bells! -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
It was springtime in 1799, when Napoleon laid siege on the city of Feldkirk, Austria.
A True Christian -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
In the Armenian-Turkish War in Europe early in the twentieth century, an Armenian nurse discovered o
The Fool Who Signed His Name -- Don R. Yocom -- 2004
Years ago, Reverend Henry Ward Beecher said he received a letter of criticism, and the last page had
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Advent 3
31 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
2 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Advent 4
36 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
19 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
3 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Christmas!
27 – Sermons
100+ – Illustrations / Stories
31 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
33 – Commentary / Exegesis
3 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

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John Jamison
Object: A crèche, or manger scene. Any size and style is fine as long as it includes shepherds. Have the creche set up before you begin.

* * *

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.” (vv. 13-14)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
Bonnie Bates
Isaiah 62:6-12
Isaiah proclaims, “Look, your savior comes.” We celebrate on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day the coming of our savior into the world – not as one full of power, but as a babe, vulnerable and human, as one born among us. Yes, God has great things in store for this babe, great lessons to teach us and for us to absorb as we watch this babe become a child and then a man. But in this quiet moment, this moment in a stable, born of indigent, immigrant parents, we see our own vulnerability portrayed in the Christ child.
Wayne Brouwer
There is a powerful scene in Herman Melville’s great epic, Moby Dick, where Captain Ahab stands peg-legged on the deck of the Pequod during a violent storm (chapter 119). His obsession with the White Whale has carried the craft and crew to exotic and frightening locales, and now it seems as if divine providence might be unleashing furious anger against this ill-fated quest.

The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
For December 22, 2024:
Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
For December 22, 2024:

SermonStudio

Derl G. Keefer
I read an old legend about a Christmas party that Satan and his pack of demons were having in hell. As the demonic guests were departing, one laughed and grinned and sarcastically said to Satan, “Merry Christmas your majesty!” At that, Satan replied with a growl, “Yes, keep it merry. If they ever get serious about it, we’ll all be in trouble.”

Today the focus is all about the Messiah and we need to be serious about it. It is the birth of the baby Jesus, the Messiah. It is the coming of God…the doctrine of incarnation. It is the intervention of God’s presence among humanity.
Stephen P. McCutchan
... He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.
-- Psalm 96:13

Gregory L. Tolle
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.
James Evans
This psalm gives us the proper theme for a Christmas Day celebration: "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises" (v. 4).

Carlos Wilton
(Occurs in all three cycles of the lectionary; see Christmas Day, Cycle A; see also Easter 7, Cycle C, for an alternative approach.)

The lectionary includes two sets of readings for Christmas Day: those appointed for dawn services, and those appointed for services that take place later in the day. Psalm 97 is designated as one of these early-morning readings.

William Powell Tuck
Christmas is usually associated in our memory as a time of great joy. But for many it is also a time for cynicism. There are some people for whom Christmas is difficult. It is a time of struggle, depression, loneliness, and anxiety. There are more suicides during the holiday season than at any other time of the year. A comment by a woman in a nursing home indicates the feeling of some: "No one really cares. No one cares about me now.
Mark Wm. Radecke
Because Jesus was Mary's firstborn, there were four words that she and Joseph did not have to hear as they made the arduous trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Four words that make long journeys longer. Four words that strike terror in the hearts of parents of every time and every place. Four words from which even the youngest child seems to be able to craft a sentence: Are we there yet?

I am struck this year by the number of journeys the narratives of Jesus' birth and infancy entail:

* Mary and Joseph's journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem;
Julia Ross Strope
Gathering music
Christmas medley

(Light the Christ candle.)

(Invite adults, children, and youth ahead of time to bring a favorite gift for a one-sentence show and tell.)

Greeting
Leader: Merry Christmas!

People: Merry Christmas!

Leader: Settle your Christmas gifts on the pew beside you and find the space within your minds and hearts to sing, pray, listen, and talk.
James R. Wilson


Call To Worship
Leader: Come, let us celebrate, for Christ our savior has been born!
People: Is our Messiah, the promised one, among us this day?
Leader: Surely I say unto you, Christ the Lord is with us even as we speak.
People: Are even sinners such as we welcome in Christ's kingdom?
Leader: Praise to the Lord God Almighty, for in Christ we are all welcome!
All: Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Collect

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
After baby Jesus grew up to be a man, he got into terrible trouble, and wicked people killed him. But a good man called Joseph of Arimathea laid Jesus's body gently in his own grave, which he'd made ready for when he should die. After that the wicked people searched for Joseph of Arimathea, and so he ran away from Jerusalem carrying with him a special cup like this one, which contained some of Jesus's holy blood.

Special Occasion

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