Sermons for Christian Believers

All denominations have distinct beliefs and common themes that set them apart, which are re-emphasized in weekly sermons and worship services. Assuming the average Christian minister must write and deliver at least one sermon per week, that requires 52 different ways of addressing basic Biblical themes for believers and nonbelievers alike. But how does a minister find inspiration for sermons without repeating himself? Depending on the denomination involved, a staggering variety of resources are available for adherents of what is arguably the world's largest religion--and, in some cases, only limited by the degree of computer or library access needed to find them.

Types

Sermon resources vary by denomination and the theologians exerting the most influence on a faith's historical tradition. Major Baptist thinkers include 19th-century evangelist Charles Spurgeon, who wrote nearly 50 books of sermons and commentaries that are widely used today. As the oldest established faith, Catholicism boasts several centuries of intellectual resources, from medieval and Renaissance writers like St. Thomas Aquinas, to modern counterparts like Thomas Merton and G.K. Chesterton. Lutherans naturally draw on the writings of founder Martin Luther, and the church's first president, C.F. W. Walther--along with "The Small Catechism," intended as a concise summary of its core beliefs. Methodism, with its stress on predestination--the idea that certain souls are already chosen for salvation--owes much of its tradition to 18th-century cleric John Wesley. Online resources are also available for all the major denominations, allowing viewers to access literally thousands of sermons at the click of a mouse.

Features

Pamphlets have long been a popular staple of Christian evangelism, with the fundamentalist-oriented Jack T. Chick producing some of the most colorful present examples. Chick has earned a widespread non-Christian following for his tracts, which hit at everything from the Catholic Church to homosexuality to modern rock and the occult, to name a few. On a lighter note, the "Veggie Tales" cartoon and DVD series has brought Christianity's core values down to children's level, and is another source for ministers to explore in sermonizing. Television has become a major partner in this particular cause, as exemplified by former "Growing Pains" star Kirk Cameron's street-preaching program, "The Way of the Master," to non-Christian believers, where he asks them to define their beliefs by asking some pointed questions, which he then compares against his own Christian fundamentalist ideology.

Size

Music has traditionally offered a bountiful resource for ministers, since many of the most popular and best-loved hymns--such as "I Know That My Redeemer Lives," for instance, or "The Old Rugged Cross," were essentially sermons in a Gospel musical format. This mode of expression changed during the 1960s and 1970s, as the counterculture grew stronger--leading to a more informal Christianity that incorporated folk, blues and even rock into youth groups and services. The "Hymns for Now" books, published in 1969, became one of the most popular examples of this movement, which sought to break down the Bible into plain language for nonbelievers. Originally labeled "Jesus music," this small subculture--spearheaded by artists like Barlow Girl, Amy Grant and Jars of Clay--had grown into the multibillion-dollar contemporary Christian music industry by the 1980s. Churches responded by revamping their youth ministries and incorporating many of the artists' lyrical themes into their own sermons.

Effects

The proliferation of subcultures like contemporary Christian music jump-started a plethora of live events for local churches to begin using as fodder for sermonizing. Often, the event is indistinguishable from the sermon itself--as shown by fundamentalist churches' sponsorship of haunted houses on Halloween to underscore their message of salvation by accepting Jesus Christ and to counter what believers consider a pagan holiday. During the 1990s, the Promise Keepers movement packed stadiums with the same basic sermon--one that emphasized the man's leadership in the home and rejection of a secularized, materialistic non-Christian culture. The 2000s saw this phenomenon logically peak with the Acquire the Fire conferences, which aimed to kick-start a Christian revival among the youth who attended them--complete with bands, light shows and visual displays.

Considerations

Following tragedies like the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 tsunami, many denominations began to downplay the Promise Keepers-style razzle dazzle for a more personalized approach to Christianity's emphasis on sin and salvation. In this vision, the numbers of lives lost signaled the need for returning to Christian values in favor of a more intimate relationship with God, or Jesus Christ. Among nonbelievers and more liberal denominations, debate rages about what form that relationship should take--and if the collective miseries of the 2000s are the expression of an angry God or a time for reflection without passing moral judgment. A split remains with fundamentalists who see evangelism--specifically, the winning of souls--as their core mission, with liberal churches arguing that no spiritual revival can occur without addressing social justice issues first.

Resources

• Catholic Resources for Bible, Liturgy, Art and Theology
• Resources for Lutherans
• Religious Resources