Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1 to 25 of 58 results

1. A Burst of Applause

Luke 2:1-7, Luke 2:8-20

Illustration

Angela Akers

Chelsey Harmon, of the Center for Excellence in Preaching, tells about an article that appeared in the Southwest Review magazine sometime back. The article was written by Roger Gilbert who reflected on being in a crowd one day with hundreds of other people watching a partial solar eclipse. He reveals that, at the moment the moon became “superimposed” on the sun, “the entire crowd spontaneously bur...

2. A DIFFERENT CLASS OF SAINTS

Drama

Angela Akers

SUBJECT: All Saints'' Day CHARACTERS: Grandmother, Granddaughter, Darcy SETTING: A church cemetery PROPS: A small potted plant or flower arrangement Grandmother: "Thank you for coming to the cemetery with me, Darcy." Darcy: "You''re welcome. Who did you say we''re looking for?" Grandmother: "Rosen, Lila Rosen. She died last June, so her headstone should look relatively new." Darcy: "She was a go...

3. A HEALTHY REBELLION

Drama

Angela Akers

SUBJECT: 4th of July, Independence Day CHARACTERS: Husband, Wife SETTING: In their living room PROPS: A newspaper (Wife is sitting reading the newspaper, husband comes in) Husband: "I''m home, hon." Wife: "Finally! You know the government passed labor laws over fifty years ago. You don''t have to work eighteen hour days anymore." Husband: "Oh, very funny. I could have been home thirty minutes a...

4. A Ship without a Port

John 3:1-21

Drama

Angela Akers

Characters: Boss of advertising company Senior advertising executive Two or three other members of advertising team Person carrying a cross Setting: The conference room of an advertising agency Props: Conference table and chairs White poster board with ad slogans and pictures (paste magazine ads onto poster board underneath the slogan) (As the characters talk, have one person carrying a large c...

5. ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS...

Drama

Angela Akers

SUBJECT: Christmas, unexpected, gifts CHARACTERS: Mother, Son (10 to 14 years old) PROPS: None SETTING: Home (Mother walks in on moping son) Mother: Hi, sweetie. What''s the matter? Son: Nothing Mother: Is all this Christmas cheer just too much? You want to balance it with a good old-fashioned gripe session? Son: I don''t know. (Pause) Mother: Whenever you want to talk . . . Son: They got me a s...

6. AN ACT OF WILL

Drama

Angela Akers

SUBJECT: Thanksgiving CHARACTERS: Maria, the mother, Mr. Ramos, an elderly man, Reba, the babysitter, The son, 6-8 years old SETTING: Maria''s apartment PROPS: Some dishes of food (don''t necessarily have to have food in them) Maria: "Reba, thank you so much for watching the kids this afternoon. I''ll be at Mr. Ramos'' house for thirty minutes or so." Reba: "No problem. What''s all this good foo...

7. AN UNLIKELY KING

Drama

Angela Akers

SUBJECT: Palm Sunday CHARACTERS: One businessman, dressed in the manner in which someone would have dressed in Jesus'' day. SETTING: The road upon which Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. PROPS: Clothes and palm branches strewn on the floor (This is spoken to the congregation) "Look at this! Honest men can''t even get through to do their business with all this mess in the road. Cloth...

8. Bearing the Cross

Mark 8:31--9:1

Drama

Angela Akers

(4 readers spread out across the stage. Each person steps forward to deliver her lines, then steps back. Must be delivered forcefully and with conviction.) Reader One: “Four hundred and fifty: the estimated number of Christians killed daily around the world for their faith.”1 Reader Two: “Thirty-nine: the age of German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer when he was executed by the Nazis during World W...

9. CAN WE TALK?

Drama

Angela Akers

SUBJECT: Communication, growing up CHARACTERS: Dad, Son (fourteen or fifteen years old) SETTING: Living room PROPS: None necessary. Might want to use mail, schoolbooks, book bag, etc. Dad: "Hey, how was your day?" Son: "Fine." Dad: "Just fine? Are your classes going well?" Son: "Yeah." Dad: " Yeah'' as in, I''m making B''s and C''s'', or Yeah,'' as in, If I sit behind the bigger kids i...

10. CHEAP WINE VS. THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

Drama

Angela Akers

SUBJECT: Easter, resurrection CHARACTERS: Three main men (1, 2, 3), various other men around them SETTING: A bar, in Jesus'' time PROPS: Drinking mugs and glasses 1: "Bartender, more wine over here! We can''t wait all day. Your cheap brand of wine will turn to vinegar if it sits any longer." 2: "A bit of the rotgut in my cup, too. That''s better. So, did you hear the latest on the Galilean?" 1...

11. CLEANING IT ALL OUT

Drama

Angela Akers

SUBJECT: New Year, January 1, resolutions CHARACTERS: Wife, husband PROPS: A box of odds and ends, including some tapes, an iron, a picture album, a magazine or brochure, and a Thighmaster SETTING: Not particular Wife: "Are you ready?" Husband: "Am I ever? Bring it on anyway." Wife: "Okay, these are all the boxes I dragged up from the basement. Let''s get to it." Husband: "I can''t believe it to...

12. CLUELESS FOR CHRISTMAS

Drama

Angela Akers

SUBJECT: Homeless, True meaning of Christmas CHARACTERS: Detective, Clyde, his partner, Homeless people carrying plates of food (optional) PROPS: Trenchcoat and hat for Detective, Magnifying glass for Clyde (optional), Plates and food for homeless people (optional) SETTING: Detective''s office Detective: "We were hired to do a job, see, but my partner and me weren''t having much luck. In all my y...

13. Come Home To God

Joel 2:1-11

Sermon

Angela Akers

A patient, while recovering in the hospital from a heart attack, met this over zealous evangelist. For half an hour, the preacher lectured the man on being thankful for God's mercy and repenting immediately of his sins. "Tell the truth, brother," the pastor remarked. "During your heart attack, didn't all your sins flash before your eyes?" With a mischievous grin, the patient responded, "Don't be...

14. DO WE REALLY MEAN IT?

Drama

Angela Akers

SUBJECT: Easter, resurrection CHARACTERS: One man or woman, dressed in a style characteristic of that time period. SETTING: The road on which Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. PROPS: Road sign with an arrow saying, “Jerusalem.” "It was not long ago. He came down this very road on which I stand. I wonder if others realize who came before them on this road. The people were so excited...

15. ENRAPTURED OR INSANE?

Drama

Angela Akers

SUBJECT: Pentecost CHARACTERS: Judge (may be male or female), Lawyer (may be male or female), Leader (male, participant in the Pentecost), Man 1 (participant in the Pentecost), Man 2 (participant in the Pentecost) SETTING: In a courtroom, in Jesus'' time PROPS: None (might want to carry individual props that show which characters you are) Judge: "Gentlemen, you have been accused of public drunkenn...

16. EXALTED ANNUAL TURKEY DAY

Drama

Angela Akers

SUBJECT: Thanksgiving CHARACTERS: Turkey (extremely arrogant, but trying to appear modest) PROPS: Turkey costume (could wear drab brown clothing and pin paper feathers to your tail) SETTING: Not particular Good morning. I''m glad to see all of you here on this great day of celebration. It''s so important that we all acknowledge this blessed occasion, and I feel personally honored by your presenc...

17. FLESH AND BLOOD BEINGS

Drama

Angela Akers

SUBJECT: Bullies, rejection, difficult people CHARACTERS: Mom, Son (about 6th or 7th grade) SETTING: Son''s room PROPS: Desk and chair computer Mom: "Hey honey. How was school?" Son: "Fine." Mom: "That was the sorriest-sounding fine'' I''ve ever heard. Did something bad happen?" Son: "Nothing out of the ordinary." Mom: "Ouch. So do you want to talk about it?" Son: "Can''t you see I''...

18. FOR WHOM DO WE WORK?

Drama

Angela Akers

SUBJECT: Labor Day, business, work CHARACTERS: Businessman, Other''s Expectations (represented by an older man or woman), Colleague''s Approval (represented by a few people dressed in business clothes), Lifestyle (represented by a woman, richly and audily dressed), Status (represented by a pompous man in very elegant clothes) SETTING: An office PROPS: A stack of papers (representing work), Pile of...

19. Forgiveness Is His Business

Matthew 18:21-35

Illustration

Angela Akers

In 1983 Mehmet Ali Agca was in the midst of the crowd in St. Peter’s Square. He pulled a gun out of his pocket and tried to assassinate Pope John Paul II. He was arrested and imprisoned. In January 1984 the Pope visited the prison, and when he walked through the cell door, he said to the young man, “I forgive you.” The papers in the city of Rome made much of it, but one editorial writer made a si...

20. Give Me the Good News

Matthew 16:21-28

Illustration

Angela Akers

A doctor takes his patient into the examination room and says, “George, I have some good news and some bad news.” George says, “Give me the good news.” The doctor says, “They’re going to name a disease after you.”

21. God Calls Heathens

Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

Illustration

Angela Akers

Rev. Barkley Thompson is an Episcopal priest in Little Rock, Arkansas. In one of his sermons, he shares a moment of life-changing grace that led him to become a follower of Jesus Christ. He writes, “Sitting in a musty gothic classroom at the University of Chicago, a Lutheran friend named Jay Alanis looked me squarely in the eye and said, ‘Barkley, God is here, doing something with you.’ ‘No Jay,’ ...

22. Heaven Sent

Luke 1:26-38

Illustration

Angela Akers

According to a news story in USA Today some time back, a woman in California found a package on her doorstep that contained a car key and a note. The note quoted Bible verses and ended with these words, “This is a gift for you because I love you.” It was signed, “An angel of the Lord.” In her driveway the woman found an almost new car. It was just what she needed to replace her unreliable, twenty...

23. HOW DO YOU KNOW JESUS?

Drama

Angela Akers

SUBJECT: Woman at the well, child of God CHARACTERS: Jean, a homeless woman, possibly a prostitute, Pastor SETTING: City street PROPS: A backpack, a five-dollar bill Jean: "Hey, lady, can you spare a five? Just a five, just for some dinner." Pastor: "Hi there. What''s your name?" Jean: "Huh? What does it matter? Do you have a five? I could really use something in my stomach." Pastor: ...

24. I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW...

Drama

Angela Akers

SUBJECT: Encouragement, gratitude CHARACTERS: Wendy, Carmen, Wendy''s husband, Jamal, (about thirteen to fifteen years old) SETTING: Restaurant, Wendy''s apartment, Carmen''s house (signs may be necessary for clarification) PROPS: Table for restaurant scenes, note for table, aprons and dish cloths for restaurant scenes, chairs for houses Wendy: "...and then I yelled at him, and that just made...

25. IN HONOR OF HIM

Luke 19:28-40

Drama

Angela Akers

SUBJECT: Palm Sunday CHARACTERS: Wife, husband SETTING: A small house on the road on which Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. PROPS: A potted plant (Woman is kneeling by the side of the road planting the plant) (Husband''s voice from off stage) "Wife, come in here. It''s time for the evening prayers." Wife: "Yes, my love." (To herself) "I just want to get this....there! It''s d...

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