Video sermons from America's best preachers for every Sunday of the Christian Year.

A Sermon for Every Sunday

“Today’s Gospel lesson, Luke 2:22-40, seems perfect for the end of a year, almost any year but perhaps especially this one. It’s the story of an old man holding a baby in his arms and saying, “Now I can go,” and it reminds me of nothing so much as one of those cartoons you might see that depict the outgoing year as an old man and the incoming year as a newborn baby,” begins Jim Somerville, Pastor of Richmond’s First Baptist Church and Co-Founder of A Sermon for Every Sunday. That “old man,” Simeon, was “looking for the consolation of Israel…for comfort,” and he found it in a baby boy named Jesus. 
 
FREE high-definition downloads suitable for using in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

“Today’s Gospel lesson, Luke 2:22-40, seems perfect for the end of a year, almost any year but perhaps especially this one.  It’s the story of an old man holding a baby in his arms and saying, “Now I can go,” and it reminds me of nothing so much as one of those cartoons you might see that depict the outgoing year as an old man and the incoming year as a newborn baby,” begins Jim Somerville, Pastor of Richmond’s First Baptist Church and Co-Founder of A Sermon for Every Sunday. That “old man,” Simeon, was “looking for the consolation of Israel…for comfort,” and he found it in a baby boy named Jesus.

FREE high-definition downloads suitable for using in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

"The Handoff," a Sermon by Jim Somerville from Luke 2:22-40

Rev. Amy Starr Redwine, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Virginia, introduces today’s scripture passage from Amos 5:18-24 with the following story. She says, “Long ago, there was a community that did not think of themselves as poor. They came to a new land and on their farms there they made a decent living. They had a tight community and considered everyone family…This land was given to them by God. And because they lived for God, which meant living for each other, they knew deep joy and satisfaction.” Of course, this type of living does not last for the nation of Israel. But, doesn’t this kind of community sound wonderful? Is it possible to live this way? The prophet Amos thinks so and so does Redwine. Listen as she explains how God’s kingdom on Earth can be within our reach. 
 
FREE high-definition downloads suitable for use in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

Rev. Amy Starr Redwine, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Virginia, introduces today’s scripture passage from Amos 5:18-24 with the following story. She says, “Long ago, there was a community that did not think of themselves as poor. They came to a new land and on their farms there they made a decent living. They had a tight community and considered everyone family…This land was given to them by God. And because they lived for God, which meant living for each other, they knew deep joy and satisfaction.” Of course, this type of living does not last for the nation of Israel. But, doesn’t this kind of community sound wonderful? Is it possible to live this way? The prophet Amos thinks so and so does Redwine. Listen as she explains how God’s kingdom on Earth can be within our reach.

FREE high-definition downloads suitable for use in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

"Unless," a Sermon by Amy Starr Redwine from Amos 5:18-24

“The parables Jesus tells are often people’s most favorite parts of the New Testament because so much of the time the parables give us characters and stories that we love,” begins Phillip Martin, pastor of Epiphany Lutheran Church in Richmond, Virginia, “But no one says today’s parable about the workers in the vineyard from Matthew 20:1-16 is their favorite,” continues Martin. “The first will be last and the last will be first. Excuse me?” Where is the justice and fairness? Listen as Martin explains why God works on God’s own sense of justice and fairness despite what we may expect. 
 
FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

“The parables Jesus tells are often people’s most favorite parts of the New Testament because so much of the time the parables give us characters and stories that we love,” begins Phillip Martin, pastor of Epiphany Lutheran Church in Richmond, Virginia, “But no one says today’s parable about the workers in the vineyard from Matthew 20:1-16 is their favorite,” continues Martin. “The first will be last and the last will be first. Excuse me?” Where is the justice and fairness? Listen as Martin explains why God works on God’s own sense of justice and fairness despite what we may expect.

FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

"Not My Favorite Parable," a Sermon by Phillip Martin from Matthew 20:1-16

“When someone in the church harms us in some way, what should we do? How should we respond? Many people would say, ‘Forgive!’ What could be more Christian, more spiritual, more biblical than to forgive?” says Ryan Ahlgrim, pastor of First Mennonite Church in Richmond, Virginia. After all, Jesus taught it. It is obvious, right? “But is that really the best response in all circumstances?” asks Ahlgrim. Today’s passage, Matthew 18:15-20, “gives us the other side and shows us a process that can lead to better healing.” Listen as Ahlgrim unpacks these verses and shows us why forgiveness is only the beginning. 
 
FREE high-definition downloads suitable for use in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

“When someone in the church harms us in some way, what should we do? How should we respond? Many people would say, ‘Forgive!’ What could be more Christian, more spiritual, more biblical than to forgive?” says Ryan Ahlgrim, pastor of First Mennonite Church in Richmond, Virginia. After all, Jesus taught it. It is obvious, right? “But is that really the best response in all circumstances?” asks Ahlgrim. Today’s passage, Matthew 18:15-20, “gives us the other side and shows us a process that can lead to better healing.” Listen as Ahlgrim unpacks these verses and shows us why forgiveness is only the beginning.

FREE high-definition downloads suitable for use in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

"When Someone Does You Wrong," a Sermon by Ryan Ahlgrim from Matthew 18:15-20

Jim Somerville wasn't always a Baptist, but then he fell in love with a pretty Baptist girl and married not only into her family but into her church. His father-in-law once told him (with a twinkle in his eye), "Baptists are the kind of people who like to get together and argue about who believes the Bible more." Somerville says that if that's true, then this Sunday's Gospel lesson (Matthew 14:22-33) would surely be one of the stories they would argue about. Did Jesus really walk on water? Did Peter?! Somerville suggests that instead of asking "Did it really happen this way?" we might ask, "What on earth is God trying to say?" What IS God trying to say in this incredible story, and why does it matter? 
 
FREE high-definition downloads at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

Jim Somerville wasn't always a Baptist, but then he fell in love with a pretty Baptist girl and married not only into her family but into her church. His father-in-law once told him (with a twinkle in his eye), "Baptists are the kind of people who like to get together and argue about who believes the Bible more." Somerville says that if that's true, then this Sunday's Gospel lesson (Matthew 14:22-33) would surely be one of the stories they would argue about. Did Jesus really walk on water? Did Peter?! Somerville suggests that instead of asking "Did it really happen this way?" we might ask, "What on earth is God trying to say?" What IS God trying to say in this incredible story, and why does it matter?

FREE high-definition downloads at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

"Surface Tension," a Sermon by Jim Somerville from Matthew 14:22-33

In today's sermon Father Michael Renninger, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia, tells the story of Thelma, an African American woman who attended the cathedral in Richmond in June of 1969. People got up and moved when she sat down, but Thelma resolved that she felt at home there and would continue to attend. She knew that no matter what others might say about her, she was, in the eyes of her Lord, a "pearl of great price," and nothing, not even the prejudice of her fellow church members, could separate her from his love. 
 
FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

In today's sermon Father Michael Renninger, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia, tells the story of Thelma, an African American woman who attended the cathedral in Richmond in June of 1969. People got up and moved when she sat down, but Thelma resolved that she felt at home there and would continue to attend. She knew that no matter what others might say about her, she was, in the eyes of her Lord, a "pearl of great price," and nothing, not even the prejudice of her fellow church members, could separate her from his love. 

FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

"Thelma the Pearl," a Sermon by Michael Renninger from Matthew 13:31-33

"After the hard sayings of Jesus over the last few weeks it is a relief to come to this week's Gospel lesson from Matthew 11:25-30," says Jim Somerville, pastor of Richmond's First Baptist Church and Co-Founder of A Sermon for Every Sunday. "Come to me all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest," Jesus says. But the "heavy burdens" Jesus has in mind may be the rules and requirements loaded onto his hearers by the scribes and Pharisees. 
 
In this sermon Somerville takes a very personal journey through his own experience of "the burden of religion" and his eventual deliverance. 
 
FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

"After the hard sayings of Jesus over the last few weeks it is a relief to come to this week's Gospel lesson from Matthew 11:25-30," says Jim Somerville, pastor of Richmond's First Baptist Church and Co-Founder of A Sermon for Every Sunday. "Come to me all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest," Jesus says. But the "heavy burdens" Jesus has in mind may be the rules and requirements loaded onto his hearers by the scribes and Pharisees.

In this sermon Somerville takes a very personal journey through his own experience of "the burden of religion" and his eventual deliverance.

FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

"The Burden of Religion," a Sermon by Jim Somerville from Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Father Michael Renninger, Pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia, remembers showing a visitor around the sanctuary of his church.  I don't like your cross," the man said. "Why?" Renninger asked "Look at it! From one angle it looks like Jesus is dying. But, from a different angle, you see there's a space between him and the cross. So, tell me, is Jesus dying or rising on that cross?" Renninger explores the answer to this visitor's question in today's sermon from John 17:1-11. "It all depends on how you look at it," he says. Is Jesus dying, rising, or both? You be the judge. FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

"Dying or Rising?" a Sermon by Michael Renninger from John 17:1-11

Does what you believe or not believe matter? Ryan Ahlgrim, pastor of First Mennonite Church, Richmond, Virginia, preaches from Acts 17:22-31. Paul teaches in Athens where the temples/shrines to all the local gods were located and where the philosophers resided. Listen and learn what Paul teaches these philosophers and how we can apply his teaching today. Your beliefs really do matter. Why? FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

"Does What You Believe Matter?" a Sermon by Ryan Ahlgrim from Acts 17:22-31

"There's something holy and important about paying attention to our surroundings and to the people near us," says Rev. Dr. Kristin Adkins Whitesides, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Winchester, Virginia. She invites us to journey with the blind man who is healed by Jesus in John 9:1-41. He must figure out what his life would mean now that he was no longer blind. Those around him must also figure out what their lives meant in response to his healing. Who is truly blind? FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

"Seeing and Seen," a Sermon by Kristin Adkins-Whitesides from John 9:1-41

FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/ 
 
Reverend Amy Starr Redwine, pastor and head of staff at First Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Virginia says, "A long tradition of Biblical interpretation concludes that the woman at the well must be a prostitute. Many of us come to this text, John 4:5-42, preconditioned to see the shame the woman carries as surely as she carries her water jar." According to Redwine, despite what we may have been taught, this text is not about shame. Instead, Redwine invites us to consider "what might happen if we engage one another as human beings created by God, inherently valuable and worthy of love and respect."

FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

Reverend Amy Starr Redwine, pastor and head of staff at First Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Virginia says, "A long tradition of Biblical interpretation concludes that the woman at the well must be a prostitute. Many of us come to this text, John 4:5-42, preconditioned to see the shame the woman carries as surely as she carries her water jar." According to Redwine, despite what we may have been taught, this text is not about shame. Instead, Redwine invites us to consider "what might happen if we engage one another as human beings created by God, inherently valuable and worthy of love and respect."

"No Shame in That," a Sermon by Amy Starr Redwine from John 4:5-42

Today's sermon, titled "Identity Statement" is based on Matthew 3:13-17, the baptism of Jesus.  "And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.'" Really?  At this point, Jesus has done nothing to please or displease God. Yet God still chooses him, his beloved son, to fulfill God's mission. Have you ever thought of yourself in light of today's passage? Listen as Somerville explores how our identity is found in Christ's identity as God's chosen, beloved son of God.  FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

"Identity Statement," a Sermon by Jim Somerville from Matthew 3:13-17

Ryan Ahlgrim, pastor of First Mennonite Church, Richmond, Virginia, tells the following story. "One day a tourist approached an Amish man and asked him, 'Are you a Christian?' Instead of answering, the Amish man pointed down the road at a house and he said, 'That is my next door neighbor. If you want to know if I'm a Christian, you need to ask him.'" FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

"You'll Have to Ask My Neighbor," a Sermon by Ryan Ahlgrim from Matthew 11:2-11

“Imagine a world where Christmas doesn’t come on December 25, but with the first snowfall of the year,” begins Jim Somerville, Pastor of Richmond’s First Baptist Church and co-founder of A Sermon for Every Sunday.  FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

"The Haphazard Coming of Christmas," a Sermon by Jim Somerville from Matthew 24:36-44

Imagine being called into your boss's office and being told that you're just not cut out for your position, the one you had dreamed about as a child. Michael Renninger pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia tells of how he was called into the office of the priest in charge at his monastery and told that he would never be a priest because he "did not have what it takes." Renninger says, "my world collapsed around me." He gives us a personal take on Luke 21:5-19, Jesus's prediction of the destruction of the temple. Listen as he preaches on how painful endings are not the end and how this passage challenges us to look at the world differently. FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

"When Your World Collapses," a Sermon by Michael Renninger from Luke 21:5-19

"Two men went up to the temple to pray...and one went down to his home justified. In between is a story that most of us find pretty straightforward," says David Lose, Senior Pastor of Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. This parable from Luke 18:9-14, the Pharisee and the tax collector, helps us understand the difference between being righteous and justified. Do you know the difference? Listen as Lose explains this difference and why it matters to our faith.  FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

"Never Enough," a Sermon by David Lose from Luke 18:9-14

Rachel May, Pastor of Boulevard United Methodist Church in Richmond, Virginia, takes on that difficult saying of Jesus, "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me" (Matthew 10:42-44), and especially the idea that those who welcome his disciples will be "rewarded."  What?  Does Jesus have a rewards program?  And is that what it takes to get people to do ministry?  FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at www.asermonforeverysunday.com

"Does Jesus Have a Rewards Program?" a Sermon by Rachel May from Matthew 10:42-44

Will Willimon is a bishop in the United Methodist Church and one of the most effective preachers in the English-speaking world. He is also a prolific author, having written more than 60 books. Will has something to say. In this sermon from John 4:5-42 he has something to say about the Woman at the Well of Samaria, and how her encounter with Jesus changes the world.  FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at https://asermonforeverysunday.com/

"A World-Changing Encounter at a Well," a Sermon by Will Willimon from John 4:5-42

Rev. Rachel May, Pastor of Franktown United Methodist Church on the beautiful Eastern Shore of Virginia, preaches a sermon called "Deal with It," based on Matthew 5:21-37. May struggles with the prohibition against "swearing falsely," and finds in it--and in murder, adultery, and divorce--an unwillingness to deal with conflict. "So, deal with it," Jesus says. "Just deal with it."  FREE high-definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at www.asermonforeverysunday.com

"Deal with It," a Sermon by Rachel May from Matthew 5:21-37

Jim Somerville, Pastor of Richmond's First Baptist Church and Co-Founder of A Sermon for Every Sunday, preaches a sermon called "Drop Everything" from Matthew 4:12-23.  Is it true?  When Jesus calls us do we have to drop everything like those first disciples did?  Or is there another way to be faithful followers?  FREE high definition downloads suitable for projecting in worship are available on our website at www.asermonforeverysunday.com

A Sermon for Every Sunday Videos