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Online Sermons

What is SermonSuite

SermonSuite, a division of CSS Publishing, is an online collection of professionally published lectionary and non-lectionary sermons, children's sermons, sermon illustrations, exegesis, homiletical resources, and worship resources which have been developed over the years to help pastors deliver relevant, high impact messages and worship resources.

This site's collection of professionally written, edited and published resources can be accessed online 24/7 giving pastors a versatile collection of fresh, innovative preaching and worship material for building dynamic messages that connect with your congregation and keep your pews filled.

Category   Sermons Children's
Material
Illustrations Exegetical
Material
Worship
Material
Subscription
              
         
The Immediate Word Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
SermonStudio Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Emphasis     Yes Yes  
StoryShare Yes   Yes    
The Village Shepherd Yes Yes     Yes
CSSPlus   Yes      
Gospel Grams 1   Yes      
Gospel Grams 2   Yes      

Components

Click on any of the following component names to learn more...

     The Immediate Word

     SermonStudio

     Emphasis Online

     StoryShare

     The Village Shepherd

     CSS Plus

     Gospel Grams 1

     Gospel Grams 2



The Immediate Word

The Immediate Word a theological perspective on today's headlinesThe Immediate Word gives a theological perspective on today's headlines and popular culture for your sermon, children’s message, and worship service. The Immediate Word gives a theological perspective on today's headlines and popular culture.

Cutting Edge: THE IMMEDIATE WORD gives you the tools to be cutting edge ... to put you in touch with today's most critical issues and to aid you in crafting messages and presentations that will truly help your congregants understand the Gospel in the context of what is current and most important to them.

Collaborative: THE IMMEDIATE WORD is a unique collaboration of some of the sharpest, most contemporary clergy of our day in a web based service that gives you weekly information, inspiration, and presentation material.

Enabling: THE IMMEDIATE WORD will enable you to create messages about matters that your parishioners are discussing and concerned about.

Timely: THE IMMEDIATE WORD posts the topic of the week and a brief introduction on Monday and the final product on Tuesday afternoon, giving you time to digest the material and then incorporate them into your preparations for the coming Sunday service.

Satisfaction Guaranteed: THE IMMEDIATE WORD is not only guaranteed to satisfy you, we believe it will actually energize your ministry. We are so confident that you will find THE IMMEDIATE WORD to be such a great value that if you are not completely satisfied with the service we will refund the balance of your subscription payment, no questions asked.

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SermonStudio

SermonStudioSermonStudio, a flagship product of the site, is home to thousands of sermons, children’s messages, outlines, sermon illustrations, worship services, exigetical resources, dramas, prayers, preaching resources, and more.

Within this component, you will find high quality resources for all liturgical seasons from Advent/Christmas all the way through Thanksgiving. You’ll find lectionary and non-lectionary content as well as funeral and wedding homilies, communion and baptism homilies, special occasion messages and others based on Biblical and general themes.

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Emphasis Preaching Journal Commentary and illustrations based on the LectionaryEmphasis Preaching Journal provides in-depth, scripturally sound, lectionary-based commentary on weekly texts, plus thousands of illustrations to help you create riveting messages.

For each Sunday, Emphasis writers and editors delve into the heart of the four lectionary readings, providing you with several fresh, solid ideas -- based squarely on the lectionary texts -- for creating messages that speak powerfully to your audience. The writers look for overall themes that hold the readings together, then they home in on the themes and the specific scripture links, suggesting multiple homiletical directions. Since a single idea each week may not provide what you are looking for at that particular time, Emphasis suggests several, giving you the opportunity to select the one that matches your specific needs.

Emphasis is like having a dedicated, thoroughly-versed research team right in your own study to help you create messages that are truly yours, and that speak powerfully to your audience.

Archives
Emphasis gives you even greater value by putting back issues of the journal at your fingertips. This access to the Emphasis archives, combined with the ability to find commentaries and illustrations based on lectionary, scripture, or keyword, makes Emphasis an efficient, indespensible, time-saving tool for your ministry.

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StoryShare

StoryShare -- stories of faith for preaching and teachingStoryShare is a treasure trove of good stories that relate authentic, life-changing experiences that demonstrate the Lord's power and presence. All of the content in StoryShare is lectionary based and serves to help you illustrate the weekly readings. The stories can be used as illustrations or, in some cases, as standalone homilies. Along with new stories being added every week, a subscription to StoryShare also gives you access to the archives, so if the new stories don't catch your eye, it's likely something from the archives will work for you.

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The Village Shepherd

The Village Shepherd sermons, children's stories and liturgies, and prayers based on the lectionaryThe Village Shepherd offers sermons, children's stories and liturgies, and prayers based on the lectionary. This content is sure to touch your heart, because they reflect the simple virtues and tranquil serenity that characterize Reverend Janice Scott's English countryside pastorate. The questions "Where is God in this particular situation?" and "Where does the Gospel story cross our own human story?" are always at the heart of these meditations -- but rather than finding overt answers, instead you will be gently led to make your own connections and discover the powerful ways in which God works. Janice Scott has the unique ability to find interesting details in ordinary life that illuminate scripture, while still challenging even the most intellectual reader. And that gift is precisely what also makes her an outstanding communicator with children.

For every Sunday in all three lectionary cycles you will find:
  • A homiletical message for each Gospel, Second Reading, and First Reading.
  • Children's stories based on the Gospel for the week.
  • Children's liturgy and story based on the Gospel. (The story included with the liturgy is different from the story mentioned above.
  • A group of intercessory prayers for your worship service.
The convenient search engine enables you to quickly find exactly what you need -- all the rich content of The Village Shepherd can be searched by lectionary, scripture, or keyword.

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CSS Plus

CSSPlus - children's sermons and activities based on the LectionaryCSSPlus (Children Sermon Service) offers great children's sermons for lectionary and non-lectionary users. CSSPlus is a subscription service of children's messages that provide one new children's message per week for each Sunday of the year based on the lectionary Gospel. In addition to the children’s homilies, each week includes several different children’s activities which are perfect for use in Sunday school or at home during the week.

Lectionary users will find this component useful because every entry is referenced and searchable by lectionary.

Non-lectionary users will find CSSPlus equally useful because every entry is also referenced and searchable by scripture reference and keyword.

So, whether you are a lectionary user or a non-lectionary user, this component will provide you a vast selection of great children's messages from first-rate communicators with children, and you'll quickly find just what you are looking for.

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Gospel Grams 1

Gospel Grams - children's activities for ages 5-7 based on lectionary textsGospel Grams 1 providers lectionary-based children’s activity bulletin to communicate the Gospel for children ages 4-7. Gospel Grams 1 is an activity bulletin designed to communicate the Gospel to young children at their own level. Instead of kids drawing cars or flowers on scrap paper or the regular worship bulletin, why not give them their very own bulletin that will reinforce the Gospel message for the day in fun and interesting ways.

Geared to children ages 4-7, Gospel Grams 1 uses imaginative Bible word games and puzzles, coloring pictures, and stories to engage kids with the Gospel lesson for the day. And because it is lectionary-based, the children will be on the same "scriptural" page as the adults.

In all, there are 56 Gospel Grams per lectionary cycle. Since they are downloadable pdf files, you can print as few or as many as you need -- therefore keeping waste to a minimum.

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Gospel Grams 2

Gospel Grams 2 provides lectionary-based children’s activity bulletin to communicate the Gospel for children ages 8-10. Gospel Grams 2 is an activity bulletin designed to communicate the Gospel to young children at their own level. Instead of kids drawing cars or flowers on scrap paper or the regular worship bulletin, why not give them their very own bulletin that will reinforce the Gospel message for the day in fun and interesting ways.

Geared to children ages 8-10, Gospel Grams 2 uses imaginative Bible word games and puzzles, coloring pictures, and stories to engage kids with the Gospel lesson for the day. And because it is lectionary-based, the children will be on the same "scriptural" page as the adults.

In all, there are 56 Gospel Grams per lectionary cycle. Since they are downloadable pdf files, you can print as few or as many as you need -- therefore keeping waste to a minimum.

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Online Sermons & Sermon Illustrations

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Dean Feldmeyer
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Nazish Naseem
Mary Austin
George Reed
For September 20, 2026:

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
Frank Ramirez
Contents
"Redefining Fair" by Peter Andrew Smith
"How Great Thou Art!" by John Fitzgerald

Redefining Fair
by Peter Andrew Smith
Matthew 20:1-16

“Are you boys finished with your chores yet?” Linda called out from the kitchen.

Paul put two full bags of plastic containers next to the garage door. “I finished everything and Joey is almost done.”

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Sometimes life can seem unfair, because we are unable to see the big picture. But God always sees the big picture and always does what is right for us. In our worship today, let us consider a story which Jesus told and which at first glance seems unfair.

SermonStudio

Stan Purdum
(See Proper 12/Pentecost 10/Ordinary Time 17, Cycle A, for an alternative approach to vv. 1-11, 45b; and see Proper 14/Pentecost 12/Ordinary Time 19, Cycle A, for an alternative approach to vv. 1-6, 16-22, 45b.)
William E. Keeney
"For The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4 and he said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. 5 When he went out again about noon and three o'clock, he did the same.
Russell F. Anderson
BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS

Lesson 1: Exodus 16:2--15 (C)
In the hardships of the wilderness, the people complain to Moses. They protest about the lack of food, as they remember the plentiful and well--seasoned fare they enjoyed in Egypt. The Lord hears their murmuring and sends quails in the evening and manna in the morning. Most likely, the manna was a fine, honeydew like excretion of insects that feed on twigs of the tamarisk tree. The term ''manna'' is interpreted by the question: ''What is it?''

Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:6--9 (RC, L)
David Kalas
Let me ask you to do a little remembering today. I don't know specifically what it is that I'm asking you to remember: that will vary with each individual. In general, though, here is the assignment: I want you to remember "the good old days."

What comes to mind when you hear that phrase? What time? What place? What period of your life and experience first occurs to you when you hear a reference to "the good old days"?
Larry Lange
Don had not worked like a dog for nothing. He had struggled up the corporate ladder to one rung below the vice-presidents --who were all brothers. So Don knew he wasn't going any higher on the ladder.

That was okay with him. They had treated him like family. He had earned a six-figure salary and eight weeks of vacation and had 10,000 frequent flyer miles to play with.
Richard E. Gribble, CSC
The term "late-bloomers" refers to people who respond later in life to an invitation, but still manage in the end to accomplish great things. History has known some famous late-bloomers. Fortunately for us, early or late, these people followed their special invitation offered by God, achieved much, and made the world a better place for all.
Marilyn Saure Breckenridge
Introduction
Jeff Wedge
Many people cling very tightly to life. They refuse to let go of it, and hold onto a shred of life beyond all reasonable expectations. And then there are others.

There was an old man, lying in the bed in the back bedroom, surrounded by his wife, daughter, and his four granddaughters. His breath was coming slowly, almost in sighs, and the time between the sighs was stretching to longer and longer periods.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
Conventional wisdom says that it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.

That makes sense with wheels, of course, but the setting in which the phrase is most often used in our day has nothing whatsoever to do with wheels. Rather, the squeaky wheel has become a metaphor for a complaining person. And so for the squeaky wheel to get the grease means that the complainer gets what he or she wants.
R. Craig Maccreary
Needless to say, I suspect that I have captured your attention at this point. Most of the readers of this journal understand the ground rules that govern the kinds of churches they serve. One can see all sorts of red lights coming on their panels as their clerical radar picks up storms ahead. Given the diversity of the people who populate our churches and their points of view, it is not likely that any pastor who poses that question will come away unscathed.

CSSPlus

Teachers or Parents: Young children especially have an acute sense of what's fair and what is not fair. This story of God's grace may not make sense to them, just as it doesn't make sense to many adults. Grace just does not seem fair! The important point here is that the children hear that God's grace is for them. There is no tenure in the church that assures salvation.

*Learn the story about John Newton, the composer of "Amazing Grace."

*Learn and sing "Amazing Grace."
Jesus told a story once to tell us something about God. He said that a man needed people to work for him so he said, "I'll pay you good money if you will work for me today." (Now ask: "Which of you will pretend to be this worker?" Let them respond. Use more than one child so that, in the end, the last one hired is the remaining child.) A few hours later he still needed help. "I still need someone to work for me. I'll be fair and pay you what you deserve for working for me," he said. (Ask: "Now who will pretend to be this second worker?") At noon the owner still needed workers.
Good morning, boys and girls! How many of you brought your parents with you to church today? (let them answer) How many of you brought a friend with you today? (let them answer) Most of you just brought your parents. Not many brought a friend. This week, find a friend who does not have his or her own church and bring him or her with you. Then I can make a new friend and they will have a new friend.
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 19 (OT 24, Pent 16)
29 – Sermons
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
30+ – Children's Sermons / Resources
20+ – Worship Resources
24 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 20 (OT 25, Pent 17)
30 – Sermons
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
20 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20+ – Worship Resources
25 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 21 (OT 26, Pent 18)
27 – Sermons
130+ – Illustrations / Stories
24 – Children's Sermons / Resources
19 – Worship Resources
23 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
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