Christmas Media – Church Videos You Can Show During the Advent Season

Christmas media at churches is a great way to communicate the true meaning of Christmas during the advent season.  Some parents and adults get stressed out during Christmas because the holiday season is so busy.  While many people get excited about the holidays, there are others who are depressed and unhappy about life.  Pastors know that church attendance increases during the holidays, so it is really important to reach out to the lost people in the congregation during this time.

Christmas media is awesome because it can reach out to unbelievers who may have preconceived ideas about church.  A powerful video might impact an unbeliever more than any sermon.  People may not remember words, but they often remember stories.  Here are some great media resources that are great for church this year.

It is Christmas Remix

This video is designed to be shown as an intro to a sermon.  It starts with holiday music and words that talk about how Christmas is many things to many people.  For some people, it is all about Santa, reindeer, and Santa’s elves.  For other people it is all about gift giving and spending time with your weird family members!  Some people say that this time of year is more about us than it is about God.  The short mini movie talks about Christmas being a time of reflection and a time to praise God for his blessings.  It is a time to care for people who don’t have a voice.  It is also a time to care for widows and orphans.  Jesus is Christmas, and this mini-movie does an excellent job of communicating this.

The Christmas Story (Luke 2)

During a Christmas celebration service or Christmas Eve service, you want to make sure you share the Christmas story.  It is a good idea to share the Christmas story multiple times during the advent season.  This video shares the complete story of Christmas as told in Luke 2 in two minutes.  Christmas media should always include the Christmas story.

Christmas In A Nutshell

This is a very popular mini-movie that has been viewed in many churches across America.  It starts by talking about how we have all given good gifts and bad gifts, and we have all received good and bad gifts too.  God gave us his Son as the greatest Christmas gift the world has ever seen.  He does not care about our material gifts.  He doesn’t want to give us more stuff.  He wants to give us his presence.  He wants to show up in our neighborhoods, schools, and churches.  The miracle of Christmas is that Jesus showed up as a baby to help save us from our sins.

Christmas Is Jesus

This video also discusses how most everything we do during Christmas really isn’t about the holiday at all.  December 25 is all about Jesus.  This is why we celebrate the season.  This video uses animation throughout the video to bring images to the narrative being discussed within the mini-movie.

Christmas media at churches is a great way to communicate the true meaning of the reason for the season!

Thanksgiving Sermons – Ideas for Sermons During the Season

Thanksgiving is a time when people across the United States give thanks for everything we have.  Thanksgiving sermons are a great way to keep people focused on what is important at this time of year.  Thanksgiving means different things to different people.  The average person thinks about spending time with family or getting a day off from work.  Other people look forward to watching the annual NFL games on television.   Many shoppers look forward to Thanksgiving because they get to go to Black Friday holiday sales the next day.

Thanksgiving sermons are the best time to preach sermons about giving thanks.  Here are some ideas for sermons during the Thanksgiving season.

Developing an Attitude of Gratitude

Times are tough for many people.  It is easy to find things to complain about!  Some people can’t stop complaining about the economy.  Other people have a job, but they hate going to work every day.  Some people complain about being single.  Many people even complain about the weather!  The pastor can help people be gracious for everything that they have.  Thanksgiving sermons help us develop an attitude of gratitude.

God commands his people to be thankful for everything that they have.  It is not an option for us to complain about everything.  We are living in sin if we complain about everything that is going on in our lives.  We are always going to be the master, or we are going to be the victim.  It is all about how we look at things.  Do we want to be thankful for what we have, or are we going to complain about everything?

The First Thanksgiving

How many people really know how Thanksgiving began?  I would venture to guess that even most Christians can’t tell you the real story of the first Thanksgiving celebration.  The modern day version of Thanksgiving was held in 1621 at the Plymouth Plantation.  The pilgrims had a harvest feast after the growing season to give praise to God for his blessings.  The pilgrims had plenty of things to complain about.  Half of the people had died during the harsh winter of starvation or disease.  Despite all of this death and disease, the pilgrims were still thankful and grateful for everything they had.  During the early days, the Thanksgiving holiday was celebrated at different times in the different colonies.  The annual day of Thanksgiving did not get an official date until the Civil War.

Sermon on the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

Many people misunderstand the whole idea behind giving thanks for everything we have.  In Psalm 50, God teaches the believers of the day how to give thanks.  In Psalm 50:14, he commands us: “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving.”  Christians need to understand what it means to sacrifice.  Sacrifices cost us our time, money, and it requires us to die to ourselves.

Thanksgiving sermons are a great time to reflect on all of the blessings God has given us today.  No matter what struggles we are going through today, there are many new things that God wants to teach us through Thanksgiving sermons.

Sermons that Work Bring People Closer to Christ

There are many components of sermons that work!   Pastors today face many challenges that the preachers of previous generations never had to face.  Today’s pastors have many advantages, as the internet has made it easier than ever to get information for a sermon.  Hundreds of years ago, pastors did not have hundreds of sermon outlines they could use to help write sermons.  Today’s preachers get to use professional sound equipment that allows them to preach to thousands of people without having to shout.  They can go on the internet and listen to sermons from other people too.

Even with all of the technology that is available, we have to be very careful with how this technology is used.  Sermons that work need to be inspired by the Lord.  They can’t be a message that was already preached by some other pastor.  It is easy to become too dependent on the information available in the information age.  There are several components that will help make your next sermon great.

Prayer

Prayer is the first and most important component to sharing the Word of the Lord with the congregation.   Everything begins here.  When you are preaching on Sunday morning, your words must be inspired of God.   You should be the vessel that God uses to speak to the congregation.  Die to yourself, and let God share his word through you!

Ask God to show you what the congregation needs to hear in this season.  There may be people that God is calling to the mission field, or he may be calling them to serve in the Sunday school class.  If the church has many long-time members, then maybe the church needs to hear a message to stir them up in their walk with Christ.  Just ask the Lord to show you the heart he has for the people of God in your church.  Listen to what the Lord says, and begin to build a sermon based on what you feel the Lord is saying to you in prayer.  Sermons that work are always inspired through prayer.

Scripture

Everyone needs to hear Scriptures that back up the message you’re sharing.  Your prayer time should reveal the core message of your message, and the Scriptures help support the message you share.  Use your prayer time to ask God to show you specific Bible verses that the church needs to hear.

As a pastor, it is easy to assume that everyone already knows the verses you are studying.  Never assume that everyone in the church already knows the verses you are sharing in your sermon.  The reality is that many Christians don’t read the Bible regularly, so even though the verses probably aren’t new to you, they are probably new to most people in the church.  Sermons that work are inspired by the Word of God.

Real-Life Examples

People love a great story.  Begin your message by sharing a story that somehow ties into the sermon.  People naturally forget most of the things you share, but they will remember stories.  If you can tie a story into your message, then the message has a better chance to resonate with the membership long after the Sunday morning service.

Call To Action

Sermons that work have a call to action.  How should you close your sermon?  Do you need to pray in circles with three or four other people?  Should you give people a chance to pray with a prayer minister up front?  Ask God to show you how the church body should respond to the message you deliver.

There are many sermons that work that help bring the congregation closer to Christ.  God knows the hearts of everyone in the church, and pastors are called to share the message of Christ to the congregation.  If you are not sure what to talk about on Sunday morning, there are many sermon outlines that can help give ideas for your next message.

Sermons the Church Needs To Hear Today

Check out these great sermons!

 

There are many sermons that the 21^st century church needs to hear today.  Our society and world are always changing, and there are always people who need to hear the good news of Jesus.  The statistics for the American church are startling.  Most denominations are seeing declining attendance, and less and less people claim to be Christians in the United States.  This means that the church is not doing a great job in evangelizing to a lost and hurting world.

I personally believe there are many sermons that the church needs to hear today.  The church can no longer afford to relax.  There are many sermons that the church needs to hear today.

Mission field sermons

The 21^st century church needs to hear more sermons on entering the mission field.  Matthew 24:14 states “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. “  The Word of God is very clear that Jesus will not return until the gospel has been preached to all nations.

This means that there are some members in your church who are called to be missionaries.  Missionaries first hear their calling in a church setting, and there are a few people in every congregation who are being called to the mission field.  They may be called to the mission field in the United States, or they may be called into missions in other countries all over the world.  Are you challenging the youth in your church to a possible calling in missions?

Evangelism sermons

Most Christians are not bold about their faith.  In a country where less and less people are calling themselves Christians, this has to change. We need to be willing to share our faith wherever we go.  The church needs to be willing to go on evangelism outreaches.  The pastor needs to give evangelism sermons.  Traveling evangelists are always looking for churches where they can speak, and this topic is a great opportunity to invite a guest speaker for a Sunday morning service.

Spend some time in prayer, and ask the Lord to direct your path with evangelism sermons. You may want to have a few outreach opportunities where members can share Christ’s love with others.  It might be time to have revival services where a guest speaker gets your church excited about Jesus again.

Relationships with each other are important, as our relationship with God and others are the only things we take to heaven.

Sermons on God’s Love

Sermons that discuss the love of Christ are important for many reasons.  We need to be constantly reminded of the sacrifices Jesus made so that we may have eternal life and have it more abundantly.  As we continually renew our minds and draw closer to Jesus, we begin to love others in the same manner God loves them.  We begin to see our friends through the eyes of God.  All of this occurs through the continuous renewing of our mind.

The term love means different things to different people.  God’s love is unconditional, but our love is not always unconditional.  As a pastor, you must educate and reeducate the congregation on God’s love for people.  Love is not an infatuation or a feeling.  Our society doesn’t understand love, and many Christians don’t understand love, so we need to hear sermons on this subject on a regular basis.

These are just some of the sermons our church needs to here today!

Funeral Sermon Outlines – Ideas for Messages to Share at the Funeral

Funeral sermon outlines are helpful when you are preparing a sermon for a funeral service.  Death is a natural part of life, but it is still difficult for the family to deal with the fact that their loved one is gone.  If you know the person personally, you may also be grieving over the loss of your friend.  A pastor has to come up with a message for the funeral quickly.  If the pastor is grieving too, it can be difficult to come up with the right words to say.

The messages shared at the funeral service depend on a wide variety of circumstances.   If the person that has passed away has been sick for a long time, people are already prepared for death.  The grieving process is different for someone who is already expected to enter into eternal life.   If the individual was expected to pass, then it would be appropriate to begin preparing the message weeks or even months ahead of time.  The individual may have specific requests of words you can share at the funeral service.  If you have an opportunity to speak with the individual before they die, ask them if they have any specific words or messages that should be shared at the funeral service.

There are other times when a person dies unexpectedly.  Obviously this is very difficult for family and friends to process, so you will need to be especially sensitive in these situations.  Funeral sermon outlines are great for this situation as you may not have a lot of time to prepare the message before the funeral service.  If you know the person was a Christian, the message should focus on the fact that their soul is in a better place today.  You can have people come up during the celebration of life service and share their favorite memories of the person.  When someone dies, there are often many people who want to share how the individual has impacted their life.  Funeral sermon outlines help you come up with ideas for the memorial service.

Many older people die in a nursing home after living there for many years.  If a person lives into their 90s or later, many of the people that had an impact on their life have already passed.  An older man or woman may outlive most of their friends, and they might even outlive their own children.  Keep in mind that a funeral message does not have to be long.  Unlike a message you would share at a Sunday morning service, the expectations are different for the funeral service.  You may only need to spend a few minutes sharing a message for some funeral services.

Funeral sermon outlines are great when you don’t personally know the family or the individual.  There are many outlines you can use that are appropriate for most services.  Even though the funeral service is one of the most heart wrenching moments that a pastor endures, it doesn’t have to be an emotional moment.  If the person that dies is a Christian, you can be sure that their soul is in a better place today.

September 11 Sermons – Ideas for Messages on the 10th anniversary of 9/11

You can find September 11 sermons here!

Many pastors are looking for ideas for September 11 sermons this year.  2011 marks the 10^th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States.  It is a day that none of us will ever forget.  The 10^th anniversary falls on a Sunday this year, so many Christians will be thinking about this perilous moment in our nations’ history this day.  Pastors across the United States need to be prepared for the significance of this day, and preparing a sermon for this anniversary is most appropriate.

Message about the Brevity of Life

Christians and non-Christians alike take for granted our days here on Earth.  It is very easy to assume that you are going to live another day.  Most people don’t think they could die in a terrorist attack or a natural disaster.  On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 people died in a single day as a result of the actions of a handful of people.  None of us know if we are going to live to see tomorrow.  This anniversary can be a wakeup call for Christians to get their lives right with Christ.  It is also a great opportunity to reach out to the lost who may be visiting the church that Sunday.  Any September 11 sermons regarding the brevity of life would be appropriate.

Salvation message

Some churches will have a lot of guests this Sunday.  Anyone who has been impacted in any way by September 11 may be moved to go to church this day.  This is a great opportunity to share the love of Christ with unbelievers.  It is also a good Sunday to reach out to people who do not regularly attend services.  This is a time when you can preach about God’s love and how he sent his Son to die on the cross for our sins so that we may have eternal life.  God wants Christians to use this dark day in our country’s history to reach out to those people who don’t know Christ.  There is a life after we die, and friends and family of September 11 victims can take heart in knowing that death is not the end of our lives.  September 11 sermons should definitely include a salvation message.

Stories from September 11

People always tend to remember stories.  September 11 sermons could also include stories from people greatly impacted on this day.  Everyone has a story from this day.  It could be as simple as where you were on this day, or you may be someone that lost a loved one on this day.  There are also many stories of people who were supposed to be in the Twin Towers or the Pentagon that got held up or were out sick this day.  It is obvious that God saved specific people from death on this fateful day, and there are many sermons you can preach from these stories.

There are many messages you can preach in your September 11 sermons.  Your congregation will be thinking about September 11 on this Sunday, so you should make sure that September 11 sermons are on your heart this Sunday.

Labor Day Sermons For the Labor Day Weekend

Check out more Labor Day sermons here!

Labor Day sermons help the congregation understand the Biblical interpretation of work.  In our culture today, we don’t appreciate the value of service like we should.  We are too busy playing with our IPads or playing golf to worry about working!  While there is certainly a place for entertainment and relaxation, most Christians don’t understand that there is a Biblical view of labor and service that we should follow.  God wants us to glorify him in everything we do, but most people don’t understand exactly how that works.  The Labor Day holiday weekend is the perfect opportunity to preach a sermon about service to others.  Here are a few topics you could preach about on Labor Day Weekend:

Attitude about Service

Many Christians have a negative attitude about work.  They are happy and content on Sunday morning, but they become totally different people on Monday morning!  We all would like to work less, but most people have the wrong view of jobs and service. They don’t see how their job and their service in their job can be a ministry.  Jesus has called all of us to a life of service, and part of that service is serving our employer in our job.  Labor Day sermons are a great time to discuss the correct Biblical attitude about service in your job.

Job is a blessing from God

Our job is a blessing from God.  Losing a job and a loss of income can become a nightmare.  Ask anyone who is disabled and can’t work, and see how they like not working! Not having a job sounds like fun for a little while, but it is not fun if you can’t pay your bills.  No matter how difficult of a job you have, your career is still a blessing from the Lord.  Be sure to thank the Lord for the job he has provided for you.

Joseph’s faithful service to his country

The story of Joseph in the book of Genesis is one of the first examples of work and service in the Bible.  Joseph’s faithful service when he was a slave led him to become 2^nd in command in Egypt, but he never forgot his family even after his brothers sold him into slavery.  Joseph could have easily used his power to punish his family for what they did to him, but Joseph instead loved his family and served them.

The importance of the Sabbath

You can also recognize the importance of the Sabbath on Labor Day weekend.  Genesis 2:2 talks about how God ended his work and rested on the seventh day.  If we want our work to be truly blessed by God, we should rest on the 7^th day.  Our society today has trained us to believe that working happens from 9 to 5 every day, and then we have the rest of the day off!   Labor Day weekend is a great time to remind the congregation that work happens six days a week and not 40 hours a week, and you should still take time off on Sundays.  Labor Day sermons are a great time to discuss the importance of observing the Sabbath in our lives.

The Labor Day holiday is a great time to discuss the Biblical view of service.  If you are having trouble coming up with ideas for your next sermon, be sure to check out some of the great sermons you can find online.  It is very easy to complain about our jobs and the economy, but Labor Day sermons can help Christians appreciate everything that they have.

Sermons On Love – What Should You Preach About Next Sunday

Are you trying to come up with sermons on love? In my opinion, this is one of the most popular topics in the church. It is also one of the most misunderstood topics in Scripture. Teenagers think that it is simply about getting strong emotions about someone of the opposite sex. Young adults are constantly confused about this topic in marriage. It seems that it takes many years for most people to truly understand our loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Even Christians have trouble understanding this topic.

The latest statistics show that divorce rates in the church are just as high as in the rest of society. It is safe to assume that most Christians don’t understand the topic of love much more than the general public. When it comes to God’s love, unbelievers can’t grasp the concept that God would send anyone to hell. This is a clear sign that most people don’t understand God’s love. If you are trying to come up with sermons about love, it is important to remember that most people don’t understand how God’s love works. Don’t assume that most people in your church even understand God’s love. Understanding the love of God is a lifelong process for everyone.

Here are a few tips for preaching sermons on love:

Preach a sermon about learning how to love others.

The Scriptures are very clear that we are supposed to love others and love one another. The love we have for other people is one of the clear signs that we are following the Lord. In John 13:34-35, Jesus states “A new commandment I give to you, that you love another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another: By this all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”. It is clear that we are called to love everyone regardless of how we feel about them.

Scripture says you should love your neighbor as yourself. It is very evident that other people are supposed to be very important in our lives. It even says we are supposed to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us. (Luke 6:27) Try to find real-life examples where people have loved their enemies. Look for videos or movie references that show how we can love our enemies.

Provide a definition of love as it is defined by the Scriptures.

If you are still confused about how to preach sermons on love, then preach a sermon that is filled with Scripture references. If the congregation doesn’t understand this most important concept, then it will be hard for many people to grasp the concept of love. Come up with four statements about love in the sermon, and then use Scripture references that back up the points you are trying to make.

Break up your sermons on love into several sermons.

It is simply impossible to cover everything in one sermon. It is better to spread out your sermons on love into several Sundays that cover different aspects of love. One week could cover love in marriages. The next week may cover loving the people you serve and work with on a daily basis. A third sermon could discuss how to love your family. You could also preach sermons about how to love the lost and bring them to Christ. Your sermons on love could last for many Sundays!

Sermons For Youth

Sermons for youth can change the hearts of youth for the 21^st century.  Today’s youth have many negative influences pressing against them every day.  TV shows portray alcohol, foul language, violence, and sexual perversion as a normal part of life.  Youth face heavy peer pressure at school to experiment with drugs and other harmful substances.  Cell phones, social networking, and video games are great, but many of our teenagers are consumed with technology today.   Despite all of the challenges we face today, it is still possible to get the attention of the teenagers in your youth group.

Here are some ways you can reach the teenagers in your church with your sermons for youth:

Utilize humor in your sermons

There is nothing wrong with including humor in your sermons.  Today’s youth want to be entertained, and this is a great way to start your sermon.  If you have a large youth group, have some of the youth put together a short skit to begin the sermon.  See if someone in the youth group loves making videos.  Put together a short funny video to begin the sermon.  It doesn’t have to be something that is long and drawn out.  Let the youth use their creativity to come up with something funny.  This builds relationships within the youth group, and it keeps the youth engaged.

You can also start sermons for youth groups by telling a funny story.  This is a great way to take a funny story and tie it to the message for the day.  This works with adults too.  People don’t always remember facts and figures, but they remember stories.  Everyone loves a great story.  Don’t be afraid to tell a story to begin your sermon.

Embrace technology in your sermons for youth groups.  Do not avoid it!

Don’t be afraid to show video clips in your sermons.  As technology has improved, it is getting less and less expensive to own video equipment.  It does not cost tens of thousands of dollars to install a video projector in the youth room.  If the youth have a Bible on their phone, they should be allowed to use it during the sermon.  Create a Facebook page for the youth group, and make sure that all the youth on Facebook are connected to the page.  Send out a regular email to the youth with all of the events going on during the week.

Hold contests and fun games during the youth service to get the youth to come.

Not all parents force their teenagers to go to the youth meetings.  If you send weekly emails to the youth group, use these emails to promote fun games or contests you will have at the youth service.  The first goal in youth ministry is to get the youth to the youth services!

Give regular altar calls in your sermons for youth groups.

Youth need to be challenged at the end of the youth service.  80% of people make a decision for Christ before their 18^th birthday.  You should give a call to salvation at the end of many of your sermons.  Don’t just stop at the salvation call.  Some of the youth in your youth group are being called into full-time ministry.  When you are preaching your sermons for youth groups, challenge them to answer God’s call to go into full-time ministry.

Sermons For Kids

One of the toughest challenges for children’s pastors and youth pastors is trying to come up with sermons for kids.  Children and teenagers have a short attention span, as their minds are more concerned about television, music, and having fun.  We have to learn how to engage their minds in our sermons right away!  Make the teenagers turn off their cell phones and threaten to take them if they go off.  Make sure that the kids are not talking and that they respect you as the speaker.

What message do you want to communicate to the kids?  How do you persuade the youth to get serious about Christ?  How do you get them to focus on you for 20 minutes?  These are tough questions!  I recommend adding a lot of variety to your sermons.  Some of your sermons should start with a funny video.  Other sermons for kids could start with a serious video.  Maybe you could start your sermon with a game.  Start your sermon by grabbing the attention of your youth.

There are several great sermons for kids you could preach today.

Sermons on Love

Children and adults want to be loved.  Today’s society has distorted the meaning of love.  If you consider how much time today’s teenagers spend watching TV and surfing the internet, it is easy to understand why teenagers are confused about love.  We have to constantly remind our youth about the real meaning of love.    Sermons on love will teach youth and adults about true love.  Most youth think that love is just a feeling and get love and infatuation mixed up.   There are many great sermons on love that you can find online.

Sermons about Jesus

Everyone loves listening to stories.  Tell a story about Jesus to start your sermon.  Try to be creative.  When you are preaching sermons for kids, you could have a few youth perform a short skit about a real story that occurred in the Scriptures.  If you are preaching to a group of youth that includes many unsaved youth, then any sermons about Jesus should work great if you work in a few stories into your sermon.

Sermons on Faith

It is never too early to teach sermons on faith.  Some of your sermons for kids should focus on faith issues.  Youth often have greater faith than adults because they have not experienced many of life’s hardships.  Teach your kids how to have faith in the small things in life.  Kids can pray for faith that they will pass tough tests at school.   Teenagers can build their faith by praying for money for mission trips.  There are many examples of great sermons on faith.

Sermons on Prayer

Prayer is one of the cornerstones of your faith.   When you are preaching sermons for kids, you should focus on preaching several sermons on prayer.  If you can instill a prayer life in the teenagers in your youth group, they are less likely to fall away when they become adults.

There are many sermons for kids you can preach to your youth.  Many of the same sermons you preach to adults should be preached to children too.  Since most youth have a shorter attention span than adults, you have to find creative ways to reach the youth for Christ with sermons for kids.