Countless preachers have turned to the Zondervan Pastor's Annual to save them time in sermon and service preparation. This tried-and-true resource makes your demanding job as a pastor a lot easier. Use its contents as is, or tailor it to fit your unique approach. The Zondervan 2021 Pastor's Annual supplies you with: Morning and evening services for every Sunday of the year Sermon topics and texts fully indexed Definitive and usable sermon outlines Devotionals and Bible studies for midweek services Fresh and applicable illustrations Appropriate hymn selections Special-day services for church and civil calendars Meditations on Lord's Supper observance Wedding ceremonies and themes Funeral messages and Scriptures Basic pastoral ministry helps Messages for children and young people Offertory prayers

Countless preachers have turned to the Zondervan Pastor's Annual to save them time in sermon and service preparation. This tried-and-true resource makes your demanding job as a pastor a lot easier. Use its contents as is, or tailor it to fit your unique approach. The Zondervan 2022 Pastor's Annual supplies you with: Morning and evening services for every Sunday of the year Sermon topics and texts fully indexed Definitive and usable sermon outlines Devotionals and Bible studies for midweek services Fresh and applicable illustrations Appropriate hymn selections Special-day services for church and civil calendars Meditations on Lord's Supper observance Wedding ceremonies and themes Funeral messages and Scriptures Basic pastoral ministry helps Messages for children and young people Offertory prayers

Sunday School across America is on a decline. Biblical literacy is at an unprecedented low amongst believers, and it seems as if there is no end to where this could lead to in our churches. The COGIC Sunday School department desires to help aid literacy by providing quality supplemental lesson material. Enlisting help from scholars across the country, the department wrote the Interpretative Expository, an exposition for each lesson of the Sunday School curriculum. Also, to assist pastors, preachers, missionaries, and laity with sermon subjects and preparation, our team has included a sample sermon outline from one of the lessons. Reemphasize the message of Sunday School by preaching a message from the text of the lesson.

The curriculum produced by the Church Of God In Christ is prepared to train and nurture this generation in the faith. Use it and cherish the very opportunity you have to tutor the next generation of Bible reading and Word believing Saints in a world of need. This Annual commentary is your source of continued readiness, fresh and anointed Word for the entire year. Its compilation of the year's International Sunday Uniform Lesson series will help you grow and develop in your knowledge of the Word of God. Not only has the Church Of God In Christ provided you the lessons, but the Annual Commentary also provides insight into practical ways to utilize the lesson material: "Tips For New Sunday School Leaders," "Tips For Sunday School Growth Through Outreach," and "The Three C's Of Team Building." These informational articles written by fellow Sunday School teachers are sure to bring positive results. Thank you for your support of the Church Of God In Christ Publishing Board and Publishing House, by your purchase of an Annual Commentary.

How do we overcome polarization in American society? How do we advocate for justice when one side won't listen to the other and cycles of outrage escalate? These questions have been pressing for years, but the emergence of a vocal, virulent Christian nationalism have made it even more urgent that we find a way forward. In three brief, incisive chapters Pamela Cooper-White uncovers the troubling extent of Christian nationalism, explores its deep psychological roots, and discusses ways in which advocates for justice can safely and effectively attempt to talk across the deep divides in our society.

"I am a pastor. I preach. Doesn't that make me a pastoral preacher?" Not necessarily. Many preach missional rather than pastoral sermons designed to appeal to the unchurched, not the churched. The popularity of regional churches and the global reach of the internet allow preachers to focus their sermons on people they do not know and market a message to an audience they never see. Evangelical leaders produce many resources on attractional preaching, but who is developing a vision for pastoral preaching? David Christensen draws on years of experience to develop a philosophy of pastoral preaching. He writes, "Social media changes the way we preach. More and more pastors are preaching clickbait sermons. These are sermons designed to get clicks or attract interest rather than teach truth. We want catchy titles and clever analogies that will grab people's attention because the digital world is built on attention, whatever will get likes or drive outrage." However, pastoral preaching builds community. It is rooted in local soil to the people we know in the place we live. We need a philosophy of preaching that shepherds a community of disciples who worship together in one place.

As the complexity of our world increases exponentially, there is need for preachers to understand their identities and roles in this new reality and to navigate the landscape of the new challenges facing the contemporary church. Blayne Banting offers seasoned reflections on how contemporary preachers can build upon what cannot change in ways that frees them to practice their ministries creatively in ways which must change.

We live in angry times. No matter where we go, what we watch, or how we communicate, our culture is rife with division and polarization. Unfortunately, Christians appear to be caught up in the same animosity as the culture at large. While our faith calls us to Christian unity, the hard fact remains: our churches are tragically divided across class, ethnic, gender, and political lines. As these social chasms grow--both inside and outside the church--the role of the preacher becomes paramount. This book issues a prophetic call to pastors to use the influence of their pulpits to promote reconciliation and unity in their churches and communities. Two scholar-practitioners who are experts in homiletics and reconciliation present a practical, 7-step model that empowers faithful leaders to bring healing and peace to their fractured churches and world. The book includes questions for reflection, salient illustrations, and an accountability covenant. It also includes useful appendixes on preaching themes, preaching texts, and sample sermons from three leading preachers: Ralph Douglas West, Rich Villodas, and Sandra Maria Van Opstal.

A Roman centurion asks Jesus to heal his dying servant. Jesus agrees to help and begins making his way to the centurion’s home, but the centurion tells him not to bother making the trip. He says that it would be enough for Jesus just to say the word for the servant to be healed. The Bible then says that Jesus “marveled” at the centurion’s faith. How could Jesus, whom Christians believe to be God incarnate, who knows all things, be amazed by anything a human does? There must be something special about faith to cause Jesus to be amazed. Christians are called to possess the same kind of faith as the centurion. It may not seem possible, but if we want it, God helps us obtain and maintain the kind of faith that can amaze even God himself. And once we have that amazing faith, it will lead us to share joy, hope, and love with others around us.

With our witness compromised, numbers down, and reputation sullied, the American church is at a critical crossroads. In order for the church to return to health, we must decenter ourselves from our American idols and be guided by global Christians and the poor, who offer hope from the margins, and the ancient church, refocusing on the kingdom, image, Word, and mission of God.