Sermons That Work

For more than 25 years, Sermons That Work, a joint offering of Forward Movement and The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free resources like sermons, Bible studies, and lesson plans that speak to congregations across the church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds, and the resources we provide are used in small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between.

Christianity
401
Pentecost 9 (A): Which Party? - August 2, 2020
7 min
402
Pentecost 8 (A): Perseverance and the Pearl - J...
10 min
403
Pentecost 7 (A): Inheritance - July 19, 2020
9 min
404
Pentecost 6 (A): Seeds and Soil - July 12, 2020
11 min
405
Pentecost 5 (A): Come to Me - July 5, 2020
19 min
406
Pentecost 4 (A): Even One Cup - June 28, 2020
"How long, O Lord? Although the psalmist’s plea seems to be echoing across our nation and indeed across our world, Jesus is still calling us to compassionate welcome."
10 min
407
Pentecost 3 (A): Sent - June 21, 2020
"Christian identity and character formation are lifelong processes."
10 min
408
Pentecost 2 (A): Twelve - June 14, 2020
"Twelve. Twelve is one of those rare numbers to which people have for centuries attributed special significance."
11 min
409
Trinity Sunday (A): The Pandemic and the Holy T...
"The Trinity is not a mystery in the sense of a puzzle we can't solve; the Trinity is a mystery in that we see the truth of it, but there is more than we can fully comprehend."
10 min
410
Day of Pentecost (A): Heaven - May 31, 2020
"What do you believe about heaven?"
9 min
411
Easter 7 (A): Split Screen - May 24, 2020
"In every musical – and in many movies – there seems to be a moment when two or more main characters, are separated..."
7 min
412
Ascension Day (A): Truth-Telling - May 21, 2020
"Six Sundays have passed now since we heard that Jesus was raised from the dead..."
8 min
413
Easter 6 (A): Blessed Be God - May 17, 2020
"How great it is that our God – the same God who took on flesh and lived among us, who was betrayed, tortured, killed, and buried – rose again and still, in spite of our continuing sinfulness, loves us."
7 min
414
Easter 5 (A): Rock Solid When Everything Feels ...
"It all feels so up in the air..."
11 min
415
Easter 4 (A): The Gate - May 3, 2020
"Even though we are in the season of Easter, our lives may still feel like one long Lenten discipline of social distancing and fighting illness..."
10 min
416
Easter 3 (A): Breaking - April 26, 2020
"We find ourselves in the middle of this Easter season, now on the third Sunday after the Resurrection, and we have a beautiful narrative of how new life breaks into the midst of shattered hopes."
8 min
417
A Special Message from Sermons That Work: Homes...
Homesickness, by the Rev. Dr. Amy Richter
18 min
418
Easter 2 (A): Faith: More than a Five Letter Wo...
"We pray today that we will shake away the doubt that traps us in a world of fear and celebrate that we have a great high priest who has risen from the dead to give us steadfast hope and eternal salvation."
8 min
419
Easter Day (A): Resurrection Vision - April 12,...
“Alleluia! Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!”
10 min
420
The Great Vigil of Easter: He Has Been Raised f...
"No candlelight vigil, no singing, no dramatic lighting effects, no fragrant flowers, not even any incense! Just two women, the pre-dawn chill of the desert, and the darkness of a cave..."
9 min
421
Good Friday: Christ Our Passover - April 10, 2020
"From noon on Good Friday through Easter Sunday morning is the Christian Passover. In these three days, Jesus passed over from death into life and opened the way for us to follow..."
9 min
422
Maundy Thursday: By Our Love - April 9, 2020
"Today is Thursday in Holy Week, often called Maundy Thursday. Maundy is connected to the word “mandate,” a command. Jesus gives us a new commandment..."
8 min
423
Wednesday in Holy Week: The Paradox of Judas - ...
"The Paradox of Judas: ultimate betrayer or player in the cosmic drama of salvation?"
9 min
424
Tuesday in Holy Week: Shame - April 7, 2020
"Shame shows up in our lectionary today in an interesting way..."
7 min
425
Monday in Holy Week: Extravagant Love - April 6...
"In our Gospel story today, we find Jesus attending a dinner that Lazarus, Mary, and Martha are giving in his honor..."
10 min