Month: January 2026

Sermon Titles You Never See

Have you noticed that in today’s media (news stories, videos, and blogs), that the purveyors of such content do their best to get you to watch/click/view them by teasing their content with catchy titles? For example, common words and phrases are: “Watch this before they take this down,” “What they don’t want you to know,” “Shocking revelations,”  “It’s not what you think,” “This changes everything,” and “The disturbing truth about. . .”

Well, I think churches should follow the media’s lead and publish provocative titles to their sermons. This tactic would increase weekly attendance and get the congregation’s attention, preventing people from dozing off when the pastor is preaching. (Not that I ever had that problem . .  .)

So, in the interest of enhancing worship, may I suggest the following sermon titles, along with the Bible references:

1. Behold the feet! Acts 5:9. An early Christian couple, Ananias and Sapphira, sold their property to donate to the church. When Peter asked them about this separately, they both lied about the price. As a result, God first struck Ananias dead; then when his wife Sapphira gave the same lie, Peter proclaimed to her, “Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Makes a good stewardship sermon about giving.

2. Wives, submit! Ephesians 5:22-24. A good corrective on modern feminism. Paul wrote, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.” Makes a good Mother’s Day sermon title.

3. Sin no more! John 8:11. In the beginning of John 8, Jesus rescues a woman who was caught in the very act of adultery. He concludes by telling her, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” Preach this with a rock in the pastor’s hand.

4. No second chances! Hebrews 6:4-5. A serious warning about falling away from the faith! This passage says, “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.” Are you feeling a little nervous? This makes a good sermon for Confirmation Sunday.

5. United with a prostitute? I Corinthians 6:15-16. Paul, writing about living a Christian life, warned against sinful behavior: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, ‘The two will become one flesh.’” This sermon is appropriate any time.

6. Did God actually say? Genesis 3:1. In the Garden, when the serpent began his temptation of Eve, he began by causing her to doubt God by saying, ““Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” He then told her that what God said was wrong, and that eating the forbidden fruit would make her and Adam to be like gods. An appropriate sermon for school graduations. 

7. The deadly tattoo! Revelation 14:11. This passage warns against receiving the mark of the beast on the forehead or hand, which will be required to buy or sell (Revelation 13:17). The result of taking the mark: “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” A good sermon for a youth conference.

8. A sermon series on the family:

a. Who’s your daddy? Matthew 23:9. “And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.” Perfect sermon for Father’s Day!

b. Family values? Humbug! Luke 14:26. Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Try this sermon at a wedding ceremony.

c. Family strife in Christ. Matthew 10: 34-35. Jesus warned us that faith in him will cause family division, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” A Rally Day sermon.

d. Honor your father and mother – or else! Leviticus 20:9. “For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him.” Use this during a family counseling session – as I once did with shocking results!

9. Your pride is falling! Proverbs 16:18. This verse warns us that, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Perfect for any Sunday in June.

10. Let them not eat. 2 Thessalonians 3:10. Paul instructed the church not to coddle lazy people who are busybodies. He said, “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” Preach this on food bank donation Sundays and watch the donations soar!

11. Eat my flesh and drink my blood! John 6:54. When the Romans heard that Jesus said this, they charged the early Christians with cannibalism! But Jesus did say this in John 6:54, “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” This is obviously a sermon for Communion Sundays.

12. A rocky childhood. Psalm 137:9. This passage is about God’s wrath on Babylon, but it sure sounds ominous:.”Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!” This sermon title will work on Right to Life Sunday.

13. This changes everything! 2 Corinthians 5:17. Borrowing a trick from the current media, this sermon could be about Paul’s word to the Corinthians: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” First Sunday in the new year.

So, there you have it, a baker’s dozen (and more) suggestions of sermon titles that will create a buzz. Any pastor who readers this has permission to use one or all these gems. No charge. Just be sure to read their context and preach the word faithfully! If you do use them, then I can no longer call them, “Sermon titles you never see!”

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Proverbs 17:22, Ecclesiastes 3:4, 1 Peter 3:15

 

 

 

 

New Year’s Revolutions

It’s that time again: time to turn the calendar page, to start gathering your tax information, and to put away the Christmas decorations. It is also the time to make, and put into practice, your resolutions for the new year.

While the beginning of a new year is the traditional time to make positive changes in oneself, I always thought that if changes were good to make, then one shouldn’t wait for some arbitrary time in the future to make that change. One shouldn’t wait for a new year, a new month, a new week, or even a new tomorrow; one should make that change today.

The problem is, that for many people, new year’s resolutions don’t last. They start out with good intentions, but their “resolution” fades pretty quickly, and they fall back into old habits before the end of January. That’s why the Babylon Bee, a Christian satirical website, posted a fake article titled, “Planet Fitness Offering Convenient New Two-Week Membership For New Year’s.” That’s how long many resolutions to exercise often last!

And yet, since the beginning of a new year is a traditional time to resolve to improve oneself, I have decided to make my own list of resolutions – although, for me, they are not just minor changes; they are, in reality, revolutions. So here, then, are my New Year’s Revolutions:

Exercise: I resolve to go out and buy some exercise clothes – loose pants, running shoes, and a warm-up jacket.  Then, I will control my urge to exercise, remembering the admonition in 1 Corinthians 9:25, “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.” To me, that says to control my urge to work out; which is also what Philippians 2:12 says: “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” I am fearful and tremble about working out. I will exercise my freedom of religion and attend church.

Diet: Martin Luther faced a trial before the emperor at the Diet of Worms. Therefore, I will also shun a diet of worms and stick to my usual fare of meat, potatoes, bread, sweets, and insulin. But as Luther was ready to be challenged regarding his faith, I resolve to read my Bible and “always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks [me] for a reason for the hope that is in [me]” (1 Peter 3:15).

Study: I think it is commendable to pursue life-long learning. Therefore, I resolve to apply for a massive student loan to attend Stanford and study for a doctorate in quantum physics. I base this on the fact I had an A in high school physics; this shouldn’t be any harder than that. I will also brush up on my biblical Greek and Hebrew, and become “a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). However, I won’t study too hard, since Ecclesiastes 12:12 warns, “My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.”

Travel: I resolve to travel in the new year to exotic destinations like church, my dialysis clinic, the grocery store, and an occasional restaurant. Beyond that, I will travel vicariously through videos and books of many locations around the world; I have already seen the wonders of the Pyramids, the African Savannah, and Antarctica – and that’s just in the first two weeks in January! Take that, Rick Steves! After all, as during the Exodus, God worked “to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night” (Exodus 13:21), so by the light of my computer I have traveled, and will travel, far!

Friends: The old saying goes, “Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver and the other is gold.” Considering an ounce of gold is worth over $4,500 that means I resolve to hold on to to my old friends – the heavier the better! Plus, because silver is also at an all-time high, I need to make new friends, too! Even Jesus told us to make friends: “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9). However, he also warned us, “You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death” (Luke 21:16). So, maybe I should choose my friends carefully!

Marriage: Finally, last but not least, I resolve to work hard on my marriage. I will listen to what Karen says, anticipate her needs, “honey do” what she asks, provide her with the manner of life she is accustomed to, protect her from our cat, and be the spiritual head the Bible says I should be. Hopefully this is not a revolutionary resolution – but business as usual. I resolve to do as Peter says in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Now, as for her resolutions, may I suggest . . . . 1 Peter 3:5 . . . .

So there you have it: my New Rear’s Resolutions (or Revolutions) for 2026. Given the usual track record, the next two weeks should be really busy. Hopefully, my goals will endure throughout the year. I hope you find the strength to keep your resolutions, and that 2026 is one of your best years, ever!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: 1 Peter 3; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:17-32.