Everyone loves a good story. Storytellers who excel at their craft have the ability to draw readers or listeners into the worlds they create, using characters and situations to entertain and enlighten us. Jesus, the Master Storyteller, often spoke using parables -- short stories that conveyed a spiritual truth. By drawing his listeners into his story, he unlocked their minds and hearts to hear the truth he was trying to relate to them.
This compilation of stories for the entire church year taken from" "StoryShare follows in that same tradition." "StoryShare"," a part of SermonSuite.com, is written by various authors brought together to meditate on scriptures in the Revised Common Lectionary for Cycle C and create stories that flesh out these passages, allowing readers to see these words in a new way. These stories can be whimsical and light-hearted or poignant and reflective, even tragic. But they all strive to bring us to a deeper understanding of the scriptures and the God who inspired them. Some of the stories are even based on actual events experienced by the authors, events that influenced their perspective on Christianity.
Useful as sermon illustrations, stand alone sermons, teaching aides, personal devotions, or even just for entertaining reading, "Stories for Teaching and Preaching "will draw you into new worlds with vibrant and engaging images, deepening your relationship with God in the process.

Based on Second Lesson texts, the message of hope rings out clearly in these sermons for Lent and Easter.
Communicated throughout these chapters is a fearless joy, an amazing hope in the knowledge that "God came in the flesh like a parent rushing into a burning building to rescue us "
Sermon titles include:
- The Peace Treaty (2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10)
- Come to the Light (Ephesians 5:8-14)
- Surviving the Present Trials (1 Peter 1:3-9)
Sandra Hefter Herrmann is pastor of Faith United Methodist Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She earned her M.Div. degree and C.P.F. training from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. She is a popular seminar and workshop leader and a published poet. She is also a regular contributor to the preaching journal "Emphasis."