Login / Signup

Fourth Sunday of Easter - A

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

Children's Activity

Commentary

Children's bulletin

Children's Liturgy and Story

Children's sermon

Children's Story

Devotional

Drama

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Joey sat tall as he... -- 1 Peter 2:19-25 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 1999
Joey sat tall as he waited for his name to be called.
Cecil and Dorothy Dye lived... -- 1 Peter 2:19-25 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 1999
Cecil and Dorothy Dye lived victorious lives in the face of terror and tragedy.
Fearful that the Chinese government... -- 1 Peter 2:19-25 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 1999
Fearful that the Chinese government was about to arrest him, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 under
Paul reminds us that Christ... -- 1 Peter 2:19-25 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 1999
Paul reminds us that Christ endured unjust suffering, and if we find ourselves in those circumstance
A member of the congregation... -- John 10:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 1996
A member of the congregation called the house to tell me about her daughter, who was in the hospital
Those involved in civil disobedience... -- 1 Peter 2:19-25 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 1996
Those involved in civil disobedience are willing to accept the consequences for their actions.
I have lost the source... -- John 10:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 1996
I have lost the source of this story: A certain woman (though it could have been a man) had everythi
Ribbons had been about six... -- John 10:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 1996
Ribbons had been about six months old when Wendy rescued him from the animal shelter.
The pursuit of life is... -- John 10:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 1996
The pursuit of life is evident everywhere. Television ads tout the thrills of the Pepsi generation.
A youth group was ready... -- 1 Peter 2:19-25 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 1996
A youth group was ready to go bowling together.
On payday an irate employee... -- 1 Peter 2:19-25 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 1996
On payday an irate employee stalks up to the paymaster and shouts, "This pay envelope is a dollar sh
One church has a family... -- Acts 2:42-47 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A
One church has a family that has had more than its share of troubles.
There's an old legend the... -- Acts 2:42-47 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A
There's an old legend the rabbis used to tell about the prophet Elijah.
In the late 1960s and... -- Acts 2:42-47 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A
In the late 1960s and early 1970s there was a rise in communal living, often called communes.
Think for a moment about... -- Acts 2:42-47 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A
Think for a moment about your friends. Why are your friends your friends?
Two brothers, Rocky and Billy... -- 1 Peter 2:19-25 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A
Two brothers, Rocky and Billy, had finished supper and were playing downstairs.
A Theory of Suffering: Beware... -- 1 Peter 2:19-25 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A
A Theory of Suffering: "Beware of letting a tactless word, a rebuttal, a rejection, to obliterate th
Abraham Lincoln knew what it... -- 1 Peter 2:19-25 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A
Abraham Lincoln knew what it was like to suffer for doing what seemed right.
Suffering comes in many forms... -- 1 Peter 2:19-25 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A
Suffering comes in many forms.
When Christian missionaries first came... -- John 10:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A
When Christian missionaries first came to the arctic regions of Alaska, they struggled to tell the C
We all love animals that... -- John 10:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A
We all love animals that are well trained, dogs who heel when walking, cats that use the litter box,
A few years ago, a... -- John 10:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A
A few years ago, a study of all of the breeds of dogs showed that the border collie is the smartest
One summer, a boy named... -- John 10:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A
One summer, a boy named Tommy was playing Little League Baseball.

The Immediate Word

Shepherding Models Of Leadership -- John 10:1-10, 1 Peter 2:19-25, Acts 2:42-47, Psalm 23 -- Mary Boyd Click -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A
Dear Fellow Preacher,

Intercession

Preaching

Sermon

Stories

Worship

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Signup for FREE!
(No credit card needed.)
Easter 4
28 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
23 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 5
33 – Sermons
140+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
30 – Worship Resources
35 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 6
30 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
23 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Signup for FREE!
(No credit card needed.)

New & Featured This Week

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
In the sometimes-tiresome debate over science and scripture with respect to creation, it’s easy to become distracted. While the argument typically requires a focus on the how, we may lose sight of the what. And so, for just a moment, let me invite us to think for a moment about what God created.
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
Acts 8:26-40
As a local church pastor, I was often asked if I would baptize a child whose family were not members of the church. Some churches rebelled against this, but I remember this scripture — the hunger for understanding and inclusion of the Eunuch and Philp’s response — to teach and share and baptize in the name of our God. How could we turn anyone away from the rite of baptism?

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
“Dad, I think you worked a miracle.” Rolf slowly walked around the tree. “After that windstorm, I assumed this tree was as good as gone.”

“We just needed to give the branches time to heal and come back,” Michael replied.

 “I know, but so many of them were battered and broken I figured that it couldn’t recover. Now though it looks just like it did before the storm.” Rolf paused. “Do you think it will bear any fruit this summer?”

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A live plant that produces fruit, and a broken branch from that plant. I used a tomato plant from a local greenhouse. Ideally, find a plant with blossoms or small fruit already growing. If you use a different kind of fruit-producing plant, just change the script to fit.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent!

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
Elena Delhagen
Dean Feldmeyer
Quantisha Mason-Doll
For April 28, 2024:
  • On The Way To Gaza by Chris Keating based on Acts 8:26-40. On the way to Gaza, Philip discovers the startling ways the Spirit of God moves across borders, boundaries, customs, and traditions.
  • Second Thoughts: Abiding by Katy Stenta based on John 15:1-8.
  • Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Tom Willadsen, Elena Delhagen, Dean Feldmeyer.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. In our service today, let us absorb from the vine all the nourishment we need.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes our branches become cut off from the vine.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes our branches are withered.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we fail to produce good fruit.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Stan Purdum
We will meet Psalm 22 in its entirety on Good Friday, but here the lectionary designates just verses 23-31. The lectionary psalms generally illuminate the week's First Lesson, which in this case is about the covenant initiated by God with Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17. The nine verses from this psalm, while not inappropriate, nonetheless leave us looking for an obvious connection with the First Lesson.

John S. Smylie
I think some people are natural-born gardeners. Our Lord grew up in a society that was familiar with agriculture. The images that he used to explain the ways of his Father in heaven are familiar to his audience. Growing up, my closest experience to agriculture was living in, "the Garden State." Most people, when they pass through New Jersey, are surprised to see that expression on the license plates of vehicles registered in New Jersey. Most folks traveling through New Jersey experience the megalopolis, the corridor between New York City and Washington DC.
Ron Lavin
A pastor in Indiana went to visit an 87-year-old man named Ermil, who was a hospital patient. A member of his church told the pastor about this old man who was an acquaintance. "He's not a believer, but he is really in need," the church member said. "I met him at the county home for the elderly. He's a lonely old man with no family and no money."

Paul E. Robinson
"Love is a many splendored thing...." Or so we heard Don Cornwall and the Four Aces sing time and again. Of course you or I might have other words to describe love, depending on our situation.

Love. "I love you." "I love to play golf." "I just love pistachio lush!" "It's tough to love some people." "Jesus loves me, this I know."

Love.

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL