Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas

SermonCentral Logo SermonCentral Logo Sermon Central
Sermons
Free Sermons and Sermon Outlines for Preaching :

In Sermons: showing 1-15 of 20

Filter Results
Close Filters

Scripture

Rating

Date

Denominations

Language

Structure

Sermon Type

Audience

Popular Preaching Resources

New Sermon Series Now Available

Everything you need for your next series

AI Sermon Generator

Generate sermon ideas with a safe, secure tool for solid preaching.

Biblical Sermon Calendar

Customizable sermon manuscripts for verse-by-verse preaching

Sermon Research Assistant

Free custom sermon in 5-10 minutes!

Topical Sermon Calendar

Preach with creativity and impact throughout the year

Sermon Kits for Preaching

I Desire Mercy Not Sacrifice

Experiencing the mercy of God in our lives

Ready & Faithful

Looking to Jesus for help now and hope in the future

Why Suffering?

Help your church understand God's plan in pain

  • Try PRO

    Confident Preaching

    Try PRO free and preach with confidence when people need it most.
    Free to start now
  • Mari Larson avatar

    Preparing For Christmas, John's Style

    Contributed by Mari Larson on Dec 17, 2018
     | 2,640 views

    Preparing for Christmas beyond decorating trees and writing cards.

    I have done it, and I cannot undo it. I have equated social media with that/this wild-eyed picture of John the Baptist. “You brood of vipers.” Polarizing. Negative. Scary, even. I hear some of you giggling, and I see you smiling. You know what I’m talking about. There’s a lot of speaking ...read more

    Scripture:

    Denomination: Lutheran

  • Mari Larson avatar

    Free Indeed

    Contributed by Mari Larson on Nov 12, 2018
     | 5,454 views

    Reformation Sunday and also Stewardship Commitment Sunday

    We’ve been hearing a lot about freedom lately, and it’s clear from advertisements that there are different ways to define and prioritize our freedoms. Jesus wasn’t a politician, but he was and is accused of being very, even too political. But when he spoke of freedom, he was transcending politics ...read more

    Scripture:

    Denomination: Lutheran

  • Mari Larson avatar

    Two Are Better

    Contributed by Mari Larson on Nov 12, 2018
    based on 2 ratings
     | 3,773 views

    Sermon for Ecumenical Worship Service

    Perhaps it’s because my childhood was spent on a small farm just outside a small town. My family belonged to a small church in a sea of small churches, 12 of them as I recall, half of which were Lutheran. And so, in my neighborhood, Kevin, Brian, and Karla, across the street, were Methodist. ...read more

    Scripture:

    Denomination: Lutheran

  • Mari Larson avatar

    A Little Faith And A Breath

    Contributed by Mari Larson on Jun 3, 2018
     | 6,877 views

    With A Little Faith and A Breath, God Reaches Everyone (This was preached the weekend after the school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas -- that is mentioned near the end of the sermon)

    Dear friends in Christ, grace to you and peace from God our Creator, Jesus our Savior, and from the Unpredictable and Unquenchable Holy Spirit whose presence we celebrate this day. Amen Imagine yourself in the time of Ezekiel. It is about 600 BC. Nebuchadnezzar was about to destroy what ...read more

    Scripture:

    Denomination: Lutheran

  • Mari Larson avatar

    Good Things Happen On The Sabbath

    Contributed by Mari Larson on Jun 3, 2018
     | 2,847 views

    While we can agree with Jesus that "the sabbath is made for humankind and not humankind for the sabbath," we are wrong to disregard it.

    In 1986, the good people of Bismarck, North Dakota, thought it was time to overturn or at least soften the blue laws which closed businesses on Sundays. Amid great controversy, Dayton’s Department Store, Target, and many stores and restaurants were to open at noon. Dayton’s and Target were both ...read more

    Scripture:

    Denomination: Lutheran

  • Mari Larson avatar

    More Than A Slogan

    Contributed by Mari Larson on Feb 19, 2017
    based on 2 ratings
     | 12,105 views

    We all know Micah 6:8, but there's a lot more to the message than just a T-shirt slogan.

    In the marathon subculture, T-shirts are everything. As a runner, you become a billboard for 26 miles, or 13, or 6, or in my case 3 miles. When I participated in my first 5K, I had to wear the shirt provided by my gym (since they paid the registration fee), but most of the time, each runner ...read more

    Scripture:

    Denomination: Lutheran

  • Mari Larson avatar

    Radical Hospitality

    Contributed by Mari Larson on Feb 19, 2017
     | 5,475 views

    Launching from Jesus' call to love our enemies and be perfect, this sermon speaks of love and welcoming.

    In 1979, Tim Hansel published a book entitled "When I Relax I feel Guilty". Included in the book is this raw and provocative tidbit. "I would like to buy three dollars’ worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a ...read more

    Scripture:

    Denomination: Lutheran

  • Mari Larson avatar

    Impossible

    Contributed by Mari Larson on Mar 27, 2016
     | 3,137 views

    Throughout history, many people have had doubts about many things. It is no wonder there were doubts about the resurrection.

    Throughout history, some very smart people have said some not-so-smart things, and thanks to the internet, they will never be forgotten. For example, Thomas Watson, the Chairman of IBM said in 1943, “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” When something new comes ...read more

    Scripture:

    Denomination: Lutheran

  • Mari Larson avatar

    It's All In The Details

    Contributed by Mari Larson on Dec 27, 2015
    based on 1 rating
     | 2,973 views

    Christmas is filled with details large and small, but the important detail is God's incredible love in Jesus Christ who came to save us.

    One of my childhood Christmas highlights was putting up the crèche. I don’t know why my Norwegian family called the nativity set by its French name, but we did. First we would put the wooden framework in place. In back of it was a music box which we wound to play a tired version of ...read more

    Scripture:

    Denomination: Lutheran

  • Mari Larson avatar

    Happily Ever After?

    Contributed by Mari Larson on Oct 4, 2015
    based on 1 rating
     | 7,260 views

    In a society where half of marriages end in divorce, what do Jesus' words mean for us? And what's heaven going to look like when most have been married multiple times?

    A judge was interviewing a woman regarding her pending divorce, and asked, "Ma'am, what are the grounds for your divorce?" She replied, "About four acres with a nice house in the middle." "No," he said, "I mean what is the foundation of this case?" "Concrete, brick and mortar," she ...read more

    Scripture:

    Denomination: Lutheran

  • Mari Larson avatar

    Holy Armor

    Contributed by Mari Larson on Jul 27, 2015
     | 3,157 views

    This sermon (preached the Sunday after the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly) illustrates the Ephesians "Armor of God" imagery with the actions of the ELCA.

    Several weeks ago, when I chose today’s Ephesians text to be my preaching text, I didn’t realize that the text corresponded with the weekend after our ChurchWide Assembly and how absolutely appropriate it would be today to talk about Holy Armor. Many of you have noticed that our ...read more

    Scripture:

    Denomination: Lutheran

  • Mari Larson avatar

    Healing For The Soul

    Contributed by Mari Larson on Jul 25, 2015
    based on 1 rating
     | 3,850 views

    Like Elijah, sometimes we feel utterly defeated (as I did by the shootings in Charleston and Chattanooga) but God remains with us through these times.

    When I left on Sabbatical, I had Charleston on my mind. As I drove to North Carolina, it was on my mind. I tried to avoid newspapers and newscasts, but it was still on my mind. Through much of the Wild Goose Festival, we talked openly about violence and “isms.” I wasn’t home ...read more

    Scripture:

    Denomination: Lutheran

  • Mari Larson avatar

    Spirit-Filled

    Contributed by Mari Larson on Jul 25, 2015
     | 4,916 views

    An invitation to be Spirit-filled rather than just Spirit-marked.

    A barber in a small town was busy cutting hair one day when the local law enforcement officer walked in to get a haircut. And the barber was feeling a bit generous that day, so he said to the cop, "Since you do such a good job protecting us, and watching over us, today’s haircut is free." ...read more

    Scripture:

    Denomination: Lutheran

  • Mari Larson avatar

    God's Ring Tone

    Contributed by Mari Larson on Jan 18, 2015
    based on 1 rating
     | 5,998 views

    Like Samuel and Eli, we don't always initially recognize God's Ring Tone, but God is calling to us, and our job is to listen.

    As most of you know, I had planned to be at Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center, completing an intense Mini-MBA course this past week. But last Sunday afternoon, I had a strong sense that I wasn’t supposed to go. As I told that to (my husband) Gary and then to Wanda (our congregational ...read more

    Scripture:

    Denomination: Lutheran

  • Mari Larson avatar

    Handing Over The Keys

    Contributed by Mari Larson on Sep 7, 2014
     | 4,945 views

    The authority to forgive (The Office of the Keys) has been given to us, but we don't use it.

    Church life on the prairies of the Midwest is often quite different from church life here (in Arizona). Small congregations of Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, and German origins are slowly dying out, and since we no longer preach in the languages of our mother-lands (Thank God!), and because ...read more

    Scripture:

    Denomination: Lutheran

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next