Easter may be the highest holy day in the life of the church but in American culture that honor goes to Christmas. Christians often find themselves trying to straddle the divide between Christmas as "Christ Mass" and Christmas as a family gathering and a retail extravaganza. In Grace and Peace, Dean Feldmeyer's latest collection of sermons for Cycle A, the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany are celebrated by acknowledging the secular, cultural parts of the season and, at the same time, they are first and foremost celebrations of God's incarnation in the living Christ. Sermon titles included Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! (Matthew 24:36-44) Less Fear; More Fruit (Matthew 3:1-12) Preparing the Way (Matthew 11:2-11) The New Moses (Matthew 1:18-25) Jesus Incognito (Matthew 25:31-46) Dean Feldmeyer is the author of five novels, two non-fiction books, three plays and over one hundred published articles, short stories, essays and poems. He is also one of the contributing writers for The Immediate Word, a component of CSS's SermonSuite. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Theater, Dean also holds a Master of Divinity degree from the Methodist Theological School of Ohio and has studied classical philosophy at the post graduate level at The University of Cincinnati and The Ohio State University. For the past thirty-five years he has been an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church. He is currently the pastor of The Wilmington United Methodist Church in Wilmington, Ohio. He and his wife, Jean (a registered nurse) live in Wilmington and have two adult children.

Throughout the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, we are often reminded of the importance of drawing near to God. But as the busyness of life absorbs into our homes, our relationships, and our spirits, it can be difficult to rely upon the grace of God and hear the voice of his Spirit. The promise of the season, though, is that through God's revelation to us in Christ, we can discover a hope that empowers a broken world. In nineteen sermons, Charley Reeb sets out to remind us that God's mysterious ways are limitless in power. It is impossible to truly comprehend the possibilities of an immaculate conception or of God in the flesh, but when the church proclaims the message of redemption and displays God's unmatchable love, it exposes a truth that begins to transform the heart of the world. This is the greatest calling of any believer -- living a life that serves as light and hope. Whether used as a sermon resource, a personal study and reflection guide, or as a curriculum for group and Sunday school study, "Mission Possible! "calls us into thoughtful discussion and seeks to move us deeper into the realm of the kingdom with a hopeful urgency that inspires us to breathe in God's word and exhale his grace to a world in need. Sermon titles include: Addicted to Hurry (Matthew 25:31-46) Defeating Discouragement (Mark 1:21-28) Learn to Play Again (Mark 2:13-22) Rev. Dr. Charles Reeb is the Senior Pastor of Pasadena Community Church (UMC) in St. Petersburg, Florida.He has previously served churches in Lakeland and Plant City, Florida; Atlanta and Athens, Georgia. Reeb's work has appeared in "Preaching" and "Circuit Rider" magazines, and he has been a featured preacher on the national radio program Day 1 (formerly known as The Protestant Hour).He is also a contributing writer to the "Feasting on the Word" commentary series. Reeb is a graduate of Florida Southern College and Candler School of Theology at Emory University.He earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary. He is the author of two books, "One Heaven of a Party" and Seven Wonders of the Faith: Answers to Our Most Troubling Questions, both by CSS.

A superb new translation brings the words of Augustine the preacher stirringly to life! When the great Saint Augustine was called from his country home to become Bishop of Hippo in the fourth century, his new responsibilities took him away from the solitude of his writing and into the glare of the public eye. The author of two of the greatest works of religious literature, Confessions and City of God, Augustine became a shepherd to the people, inspiring and enlightening them with his sermons. His skills as a speaker were as great–if not greater–than his skills as a writer. According to his friend Possidius, “Those who read what Augustine wrote on the divine topics do get something out of them. But those who saw and heard him in person–they were the ones who got heaven and Earth.” Sermons to the People collects the homilies on the liturgical seasons of the Church Saint Augustine delivered over the course of his lifetime. This Image edition includes the first sermons in that vast collection: from Advent, Christmas, New Year’s, and the Epiphany. Newly translated by William Griffin, they address timeless concerns, including the problems of materialism and the intellectual difficulties of faith. Griffin renders the sermons with such immediacy, it is as though he had been present when Augustine spoke to his flock.

This helpful one-volume commentary resource provides brief preaching commentaries and prayers for worship for the first Sunday in Advent through Epiphany of the Lord (Years A, B, and C). This book includes: lectionary readings for each Sunday and Holy Day in the season; three sermon briefs for each Sunday in Advent and the Sunday after Christmas; sermon briefs for Christmas, Christmas Eve, and the Day of Epiphany; creative prayers for each Sunday and Holy Day in the season; scripture index.