Tag: christianity

2025 Late Spring & Summer Sermon Series Options

These are a few possible options for the next two sermon series.

Week & DateSpecial DetailJesus is GreaterFreedom & CultureJudge for Yourself
wk 17 – Apr 27Week After EasterWaiting for Greatness (The Great Cloud)- Heb 1a, 11Giving Our Time, Talent, Treasure 1Kingdom in Chaos – Judges 1&2
wk 18 – May 4CommunionGreater Messenger (Angels) – Heb 2Giving Our Time, Talent, Treasure 2From the Left – Ehud, Judges 3b
wk 19 – May 11Mothers Day (Zephaniah)Greater Liberation (Moses/Exodus) – Heb 3Giving Our Time, Talent, Treasure 3Spilled Milk – Deborah, Judges 4 (&5)
wk 20 – May 18(David T)Greater Rest (Joshua/Sabbath)- Heb 4Stand Alone SermonFrom the Least – Gideon, Judges 6&7
wk 21 – May 25Greater Mediator (Priest)- Heb 5 (&6?)Healthy Relational Boundaries – 1 Cor 5Enough about Me – Gideon, Judges 8b,9
wk 22 – June 1CommunionGreater Ancestor? or Authority (Melchizedek) – Heb 7Healthy Fellowship Interdependence – 1 Cor 6A Disinherited Lead – Jephthah, Judges 10b, 11
wk 23 – June 8Greater Contract or Content (Law / Covenant) – Heb 8Healthy Singleness – 1 Cor 7Gift from an Angel – Sampson, Judge 13
wk 24 – June 15PentecostGreater Sanctuary (Tabernacle) – Heb 9Healthy Marriage – 1 Cor 7Foiled Romances, Spoiled Celebrations 1- Sampson, Judges 14-16
wk 25 – June 22Fathers DayGreater Worship (Sacrifice) – Heb 10Healthy Relationship in Complexity – 1 Cor 7Foiled Romances, Spoiled Celebrations 2- Sampson, Judges 14-16
wk 26 – June 29Greater Fellowship (Kingdom/Mountain) Heb 12Healthy Consumer Role models – 1 Cor 8First Fall of Israel – Micah – Judges 17,18

Week & DateAncient Words for Modern Lives (from Proverbs and Psalms)Good King, Bad Kings (from Judah)More Psalms of Summer 9x
wk 27 – July 6FriendshipBad KingPsalm 20 – 28
wk 28 – July 13RestBad Kingor Psalm 9 – 18
wk 29 – July 20Gambling & LeisureGood Kingor Psalm 50 – 61
wk 30 – July 27Family [Good, Bad, Etc]Bad King
wk 31 – Aug 3Sex, Porn, and AdulteryBad King
wk 32 – Aug 10Tech, AI, Digital WorldGood King
wk 33 – Aug 17MoneyBad King
wk 34 – Aug 24WorkBad King
wk 35 – Aug 31IndividualismGood King

Gospel of John Series

Possible ways to preach through the Gospel of Johns across several sermon series.

First Try-
Spring 2025 – Encounters with Jesus: 10-11 sermons minus 2 skips
Miracles of Jesus: 6-7 sermons or 9 and add cross, death and burial
Debating with Jesus: 10-12 sermons (from clearing temple chapt 2 to Lazarus fallout chapt 12 plus betrayals and crucifixion)
Discipled by Jesus: 9-13 sermons (foot washing chapt 13 to prayer in ch 17)

EncountersMiracles (6 Sermons)DebatesDiscipleship
*1:37-51
The First Encounters, Nathaniel		2:1-12
Miracle at Cana Wedding Wine		2:13-25
Temple Clearing		1:1-18
The Word Arrives
*2:23-3:36
Nicodemus: The Religious		4:43-54
Miracle at Cana Officials Son		5:16-47
Jesus Teaching On Father, Moses, Authority		1:19-36
The Baptist Prepares
*4:1-42
Samaritan Woman: The Outsider		*5:1-15
Miracle at Jerusalem The Man at the Pool: The Forgotten (skip, Encounters)		6:25-59
Jesus’ Teaching at Capernaum: Bread of Life		12:1-11, 12-19, 20-36
Mary Anoints, Triumphal Entry, Jesus Prepares
*5:1-15
Miracle at Jerusalem The Man at the Pool: The Forgotten		6:1-15
Miracle at Galilee Shore 5000 Fed		6:53-70
Jesus’ Teaching at Capernaum: Eat Flesh & Blood		13:1-17
Jesus’ Teaching: Washing Feet
*7:53-8:11
Adulterous Woman: The Accused (skipped)		6:16-24
Miracle on Sea of Galilee Walking on Water		7:1-24
Jesus’ Teaching at Jerusalem: Word of God		13:18-30
Judas’ Betrayal Predicted
*11:1-37
Mary and Martha: The Grieving		9:1-41
Miracle at Siloam: Blind Sees, Pharisees Can’t, Whose Sins? (Long but one great story)		7:25-52
Jesus’ Teaching at Jerusalem: Source of Living Waters		13:31-38
Peter’s Betrayal Predicted
*11:38-57
Lazarus: The Dead		*11:38-57
Miracle at Bethany: Lazarus: The Dead (skip, Encounters)		8:12-58
Jesus’ Teaching at Temple: Disputes @ Father & Abraham (long but one theme)		14:1-14
Jesus’ Teaching: The Way Home
*18:28-19:16
Pilate: The Powerful		21:1-14
Miracle at shore of Galilee: 153 Large Fish		10:1-21
Jesus’ Teaching at Jerusalem (Hanukkah): Good Shepherd vs Hired Hands		14:15-31
Jesus’ Teaching: The Spirit Predicted
*20:1-31
Mary Magdalene and Thomas: The Faithful and The Doubter (long)
a. 20:1-18 Mary
b. 20:19-31 Thomas		10:22-42
Jesus’ Teaching leaving Jerusalem: “The Father is in Me”		15:1-25
Jesus’ Teaching:
a. The Vine: 1-8
b. The Command: 9-17
c. The World: 18-25
* ALT: 20:19-31
Thomas: The Doubter		12:37-50
Jesus’ Teaching: Words of God Will Judge		15:26-16:15
Jesus’ Teaching: Spirit Brings Truth
* 21:15-25
Peter Reinstated (Done in late 2024, Pastor Z, skip)		18:1-27
Judas Betrays, Peter Betrays, Annas Question		16:16-33
Jesus’ Teaching: Joy Rises From Grief
19:16-42
Cross, Death, Burial
a. 16-27 Cross
b. 28-37 Death
c. 38-42 Burial		17:1-26
Jesus’ Prayer: Reveal Your Glory
a. 1-5: Revealed in the Son
b. 6-18: Revealed in Disciples
c. 19-26: Revealed in Believers

Encounters With God Series

A00 – Encountering God
First the Patriarch Version

A01 – 2025 01 05 – Hagar: The Seen
Scripture Read: Gen 16:1-14
Scripture Covered: Gen 16:1-16

A02 – 2025 01 12 – Sarah: The Barren
Scripture Read: Gen 18:1-15
Scripture Covered: Gen 18:1-15; 21:1-7

A03 – 2025 01 19 – Jacob: The Deceiver
Scripture Read: Gen 32:9-12,22-32
Scripture Covered: Gen 32:1-32

A04 – 2025 01 26 – Joseph: The Discarded
Scripture Read: Gen 41:14-36
Scripture Covered: Gen 40 & 41

A05 – 2025 02 02 – Israel: The Grieving
Scripture Read: Gen 46:1-7, 26-30
Scripture Covered: Gen 46:1-47:12

B06 – 2025 02 09 – Encountering God in the Great Commands
Scripture Read: Duet 6:4-9
Scripture Covered: Duet 6:1-9

B07 – 2025 02 16 – Encountering Jesus in the Great Commissions
Scripture Read: Matt 28:16-20
Scripture Covered: Matt 28:16-20, Luke 24:44-53, Acts 1:1-11

Second, the entire OT version
Job – Job 38-42 – The Suffering
Adam and Eve – Gen 3 – The Shameful
Abraham – Several (and we have just done a couple) – The Faithful
Isaiah – Isa 6 – The Repentant
Elijah – 1 Kings 18,19 (Zeph just preached on) – The Exhausted
David – 2 Sam – The Disappointed
Solomon – ?? – The Gifted
Jeremiah – ?? – The Grieving
Hezekiah – 2 Kings or Isaiah – The Surrounded
Ezekiel – ?? – The Creative
Gideon – Judges – The Underdog

2025 Sermon Series Planning

This post is a work in progress and will be updated with collaboration.

Encounters w/ God*Summer
1 – 1/5 – Hagar
(Gen 16:1-14)		17 – 4/27 – 27 – 7/6 –36 – 9/7 –
2 – 1/12 – Sarai
(Gen 18:1-15)		18 – 5/4 – 28 – 7/13 –37 – 9/14 –
3 – 1/19 – Jacob
(Gen 32:9-12,22-32)		19 – 5/11 – Mother’s29 – 7/20 –38 – 9/21 –
4 – 1/26 – Joseph
(Gen 41:14-36)		20 – 5/18 – 30 – 7/27 –39 – 9/28 –
5 – 2/2 – Israel
(Gen 46:1-7,26-30)		21 – 5/25 – 31 – 8/3 –40 – 10/5 –
6 – 2/9 – Encountering the Great Command (Duet 6:1-9)22 – 6/1 – 32 – 8/10 –41 – 10/12 –
7 – 2/16 – Encountering the Great Commission (Matt 28:16-20)23 – 6/8 – Pentecost33 – 8/17 –42 – 10/19 –
Encounters w/ Jesus (in John’s Gospel)**24 – 6/15 – Father’s34- 8/24 –43 – 10/26 –
8 – 2/23 – Nathaniel (John 1:47-51)25 – 6/22 – 35 – 8/31 –44 – 11/2 –
9 – 3/2 – Nicodemus (John 3:1-21)26 – 6/29 – 45 – 11/9 –
10 – 3/9 – Samaritan Woman (John 4:7-26)
46 – 11/16 –
11 – 3/16 – The Man at the Pool (John 5:1-16)b47 – 11/23 –
12 – 3/23 – Mary and Martha (John 11a)
13 – 3/30 – Lazarus (John 11b)bAdvent 2025
14 – 4/6 – Mary of Bethany (John 12)b48 – 11/30 – 49 – 12/7 –
15 – 4/13 -Pilate (John 18:33-19:12)50 – 12/14 –51 – 12/21 –
16 – 4/20 – EASTER – Mary Mag & Thomas (20:1-17)52 – 12/28 –

*Encounters with God from the Old Testament
Leaves two open weeks in this first draft. Lot does receive a visit (Gen 19) and loses his wife. Abraham’s warning about Sodom and Gomorrah could be another (Gen 18b). But two open weeks would provide a buffer should anything need to be added.

**Encounters with Jesus from John’s Gospel

Late Spring Options (10 Sundays):
– Ten weeks is a little long for one series, but it is fine to do. 6 to 8 week series really work well and might leave a 2-4 week smaller series.
– Judges (7-9 weeks),
– Hebrews (8-10 weeks) otherwise it’s 13-15 weeks to cover it all
– Colossians (6-8 weeks)
– Other ideas? (more 1 Corinthians, more Isaiah, etc)??

Summer Options (9 Sundays):
– Psalms, Who is Jesus from John’s Gospel (more chapters from John), 9 OT Kings or Good King Bad Kings of Judah, …

Fall Options (12 Sundays):
– Longer section could be two 6 weeks series or a longer series with a shorter one or one long 12 week masterful exposition.

  • Small fillers:
    • Biblical
      • Jude
      • Philemon
    • Topical
      • Distraction

Advent Options:
I have a post of options here and I’m open to other thoughts / ideas.

Biblical Coverage So Far (let me know if these photos need clarification):

Key Sunday Dates, Three Day Weekends and Church or Denomination Events:
Jan 19 – MLK Weekend
Jan 26 – Sunday before Lunar New Year (Wed, Jan 29)
Feb 9 – Sunday after the EFCA Theology Conference in Chicago, Pastor Chris attending
Feb 16 -23 – Presidents Day Weekend & Public Schools Winter Break until returning Mon, Feb 24
Mar 9 – Daylight Savings Sunday, Ash Wednesday is just before, Mar 5th
Mar 16 – Sunday after EFCA East Theology Refresher (Mar 13 & 14) in PA.
April 13 – 20 – Palm Sunday begins Holy Week culminating in Easter on the 20th
April 13 – 20 – Youth In House Spring Retreat some or many of these days? (Check with Johnny)
May 11 – Mother’s Day
May 25 – Memorial Day Weekend
June 8 – Pentecost Sunday
June 15 – Father’s Day (and Trinity Sunday and Juneteenth week (Thursday June 19th)
July 6 – Independence Day Weekend will be a three day weekend, Friday to Sunday
Aug 31 – Labor Day Weekend
Oct 12 – Columbus / Indigenous People Weekend
Oct 26 – POSSIBLY Sunday after the EFCA East District Conference (not yet posted)
Nov 30 – First Sunday of Advent
Dec 13 – Second Saturday is traditional day for our Christmas Party
Dec 28 – Sunday after Christmas and before New Years Day

Key Things I need to get dates for and add before ministry calendar shapes up:
– Membership Meetings
– Quarterly All Churches Meals
– Baptism in Spring (with NYCEF invited early enough)
– Quarterly Outreach Plans
– What else?

United States 2025Download

Advent 2024

Advent 2024 theme will be “Proclaim” and will use each section of the Old Testament to proclaim the expected Messiah. The three Sundays prior to Advent will also be listed below and will include a single sermon by Pastor Zephaniah related to his call to NYC and two sermons from the prophet Haggai by Pastor Chris that will related back to 1 Corinthians 3:16, intersect with our patio renovations, and point forward to our Advent series.

November 2024 and December 2024

Week 45 – 2024 11 10 –
Preacher: Pastor Zephaniah
Scripture Covered: John 21:15-19
Scripture read: John 21:15-19
Sermon Title: Care for the Flock
Summary: Peter is asked three times, “Do you love me” by Jesus. After each affirmation he is commanded to feed and care for Jesus’ sheep.

Week 46 – 2024 11 17 –
Preacher: Pastor Chris
Scripture Covered: Haggai 1:1-15a
Scripture read: Haggai 1:1-11
Sermon Title: Creating a Worship Space
Summary: Haggai is sent to deliver a message to those who have returned from Babylon with the authorization of the King (first Cyrus, then Darius) to rebuild the temple of the LORD. They have journeyed, rebuilt their home and fields and trades, but they have not begun rebuilding the temple. Haggai calls them to focus their attention on the temple revealing that God had been trying to get their attention by frustrating their work but they had not noticed or understood. The leaders and people respond and begin work to rebuild the temple.

Week 47 – 2024 11 24 – (Thanksgiving on Nov 28th)
Preacher: Pastor Chris
Scripture Covered: Haggai 1:15b – 2:9
Scripture read: Haggai 1:15b – 2:9
Sermon Title: Becoming a Worshipful People
Summary: The temple once rebuilt doesn’t seem as great or as ornamented as the original temple was. Some of the very old even remember with old temple. But God promises that his presence, like in the Exodus, is what makes the space sacred and that he will use the temple to bring a greater glory and to grant peace bringing the nations what they desire (possibly understood as Jesus’ presentation, see Simeons words: Luke 2:29-32).

Week 48 – 2024 12 01 – Advent Week 1
Preacher: Pastor Chris
Scripture Covered: Gen 12:1-4; 22:13-18; Acts 3:24-26; Gal 3:16
Scripture read: Gen 12:1-4; 22:13-18
Sermon Title: Proclaim a Blessing
Summary: In the Torah / Law / Pentateuch, Abraham is given a promise and covenant by God that his seed will bless the nations. What will invade the creation cursed by Adam’s rebellion? It will be a beloved son who willingly is sacrificed for the sin of the world.

Week 49 – 2024 12 08 – Advent Week 2
Preacher: Pastor Zephaniah
Scripture Covered: 2 Sam 7; Psalm 89:1-4, 20-29; Acts 2:25-36; Matt 1
Scripture read: 2 Sam 7:8-16
Sermon Title: Proclaim a Promise
Summary: In the History books, David is promised that God will establish his lineage forever and never remove his love from his descendants. How will his throne be secured for eternity? It will be a descendant who obeys completely and yet unjustly receives the rod of the nations breaking the power of death by submitting to it with God’s unfailing power and love resulting in his resurrection.

Week 50 – 2024 12 15 – Advent Week 3
Preacher: Pastor Chris
Scripture Covered: Psalm 2; 22:22-31; 110; Luke 20:41-44; Heb 5:5-10
Scripture read: Psalm 110:1-7
Sermon Title: Proclaim Truth
Summary: In the Wisdom books, the powerful are promised a day of reconning. God will establish the strong and just rule of his son, one who will rule and declare righteousness. What will end the revolt of the nations against God? It will be a king whose reign will bring joy to the poor and help to those needing rescue. He will rule and mediate as both king and priest and will establish God’s peace on earth.

Week 51 – 2024 12 22 – Advent Week 4
Preacher: Pastor Zephaniah
Scripture Covered: Isaiah 9:1-7; 11:1-10; 55:1-13
Scripture read: Isaiah 9:6-7; 11:1-10
Sermon Title: Proclaim Abundance
Summary: In the Prophets, the earth is promised a future of abundance. God will bring a flourishing that is beautifully described even if hard for us to imagine. Described by some as the moment that heaven touches earth, it is a result of God’s righteousness extending over his people through the rule of a new kind of king. What will establish an enduring peace that brings abundance to all, great and small? It will be the power of the creator who measures the sea and weighs the mountains. It will be the one who knows the mind of God, who possess his Spirit, and who rests in his will.

Week 52 – 2024 12 29 – Toward the New Year
Preacher: Pastor Chris
Scripture Covered: Psalm 111:1-10
Scripture read: Psalm 111:1-10
Sermon Title: Praise and Thanks to God
Summary: A time to recount God’s goodness and faithfulness and look forward with anticipation to what He has in store for us in 2025.

Past posts about Advent Series Planning:
– 2023 and Future Ideas
– 2021 Advent
– This stuff
– 2 Peter Advent in 2020
– 2019 Advent: Piles of Paradox
– An Advent Hymn Story