Resources for Advent 2023

A collection of Advent resources and Christmas resources including sermon ideas, whole sermons, sermon series ideas, and more.

Seminar | Gratitude in Preaching and Worship

Apply now for our Gratitude in Preaching and Worship seminar taking place in July 2024. This seminar ponders how preaching can cultivate and celebrate the practice of gratitude.

Preaching Connections

Explore our Preaching Connections collection for illustrations and quotes on over 100 common preaching topics like joy, compassion, and sin.

This Week's Sermon Commentaries

Mark 13:24-37 Sermon Commentary

Advent comes in with an apocalyptic bang! This series of verses has come to be known as Mark’s “Little Apocalypse,” a snapshot of the turning point that ends this world and begins the new. I must confess that I can easily get lost in the devastating or destructive depictions in apocalyptic literature to the point…

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Isaiah 64:1-9 Sermon Commentary

What are you waiting for? At the beginning of Advent, we turn our hearts toward the practices of waiting and anticipation. Though I suppose a lot depends on what it is you are waiting for: for out of town guests to arrive, best get busy preparing extra linens and stocking up on meals.  Waiting for…

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Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 Sermon Commentary

The Lectionary directed us to Psalm 80 not long ago during Year A on October 3 and now here it is again at the head of Advent for Year B.  If you want to see the commentary on this from just two months ago, you can click here.  For this commentary we will look at…

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1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Sermon Commentary

Many Westerners have now entered the season of waiting. But the primary object of most of our contemporaries’ wait is Christmas’ arrival. Citizens of the 21st century don’t think much about the Advent that is also a season of waiting. Even many Christians who celebrate Advent focus more on waiting for our celebration of Christ’s…

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The Center for Excellence In Preaching

We provide pastors with fresh and vibrant resources to enhance your preaching. Explore our library of sermon commentaries including our new sermon commentaries made available each week. Dive into our key preaching connection topics and find relevant illustration ideas from movies and literature. Fine-tune your preaching with short, refreshing teaching videos on various aspects of preaching. We also curate lists of recommended commentaries and books and provide information on upcoming conferences and seminars.

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The Center for Excellence in Preaching serves the church by providing preachers with fresh ideas and resources to help make the weekly sermon from God's Word an eventful and vibrant proclamation of grace and hope. CEP is a resource from Calvin Theological Seminary.