Looking for a fresh sermon series to preach through? Look no further. This is our top sermon series list for 2018.
Every month, we release fresh sermon series bundles that are used as starting points for preachers to begin preparing their sermons. We put in the preliminary research, outline what the series can look like, put together small group questions to save you time, and provide the creative elements to make each series look professional and engaging.
The following sermon series list is in order based on the number of times the series has been downloaded by Ministry Pass subscribers.
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The Top 30 Best Sermon Series of 2018
30. Stories They Don’t Tell You in Sunday School
This four-week sermon series is perfect for inviting unchurched people to church. Why? Because the angle it takes is engaging and the stories that will be preached through are about people who don’t have life all figured out and whose lives aren’t Instagram-perfect. This is a sermon series that will, without a doubt, create intrigue for the entire congregation. Not to mention, to be able to preach the gospel through some of the passages that aren’t as well-known shows the gospel thread that is throughout Scripture. Even in those places we rarely venture.
29. Failing Faith
This four-week series, based on the book by Wade Bearden, will stretch your congregation because it engages with a topic that everyone will eventually wrestle with. What happens when your faith doesn’t work in the real world? Sometimes when life happens, we grow weary about our faith or we grow weary about the One in whom we have faith in. This sermon series will ask the difficult questions and it will deliver the difficult answers. In the end, this series is going to empower your congregation to have a faith that stands firm and true in the midst of life’s difficulties.
28. Reclaim
This five-week sermon series walks through the major events as recorded in the book of Ezra. In the book of Ezra, we see a people who, through failure and forgetting to keep God as number one in their lives, returned to their land as former exiles. They were reclaimed by God in the end and the same is possible for all of us. This sermon series not only walks through the Old Testament book of Ezra, but it also points us to the gospel. Without Jesus, we are all exiles. But with Jesus, we are reclaimed and redeemed. Show your congregation that the gospel isn’t just in the New Testament, it’s found in the entire Bible.
27. Empty and Filled: Discovering the Meaning and Power of Lent
This sermon series for Lent is perfect for leading up to Easter. It is seven-weeks and is designed to go from Ash Wednesday through Palm Sunday. By preparing our hearts and minds for Easter, we build our faith and awareness of what Jesus has done. Through this series and during the season of Lent, we focus on the multifaceted aspects of repentance: recognition of our sin, hope in a Savior, and obedience as a response to his grace. Even if you’ve never observed Lent as a church, this coming season may be the time you give it a shot.
26. Songs of the Summer
This is a four-week sermon series on the Book of Psalms. Let’s face it, we all have emotions and at times those emotions can be strong. So what happens when we are angry? Does God understand? Can we bring Him our anger? What about when we are repentant? Does He forgive? When we are joyful, does He join us in it? When we are sad, does He care? These are all questions that we wrestle with even if we don’t articulate them. Through this sermon series on four specific Psalms, we’ll see how God interacts with us in the midst of our strong emotions.
25. As it is in Heaven
What does it look like to live as people of the kingdom of God? This four-week sermon series dives into that question and puts the pieces together so we can see a clear picture of what living as a citizen of the kingdom of God looks like. I love this sermon series because when people see that they are a part of, not just a movement, but a kingdom that has Jesus as king, something shifts in them. They begin to see their life as purposeful and they begin to live with that kingdom in mind instead of this world in mind. And that changes everything.
24. Ephesians
Ephesians is a four-week sermon series that hits the highlights of the letter Paul wrote to the Ephesian Christians. Through this series, your congregation will be shown God’s plan for redemption and how He wants to use each one of them to be a part of redeeming humanity. I love the graphic for this series and how it perfectly illustrates the subtitle: from death to life.
23. The Power of Routine
Routine is powerful. Building new and good habits is transformative when it comes to our walk with God. Through this four-week sermon series, your congregation will be challenged to make Bible reading, prayer, fasting, and Christ-centered community regular parts of the rhythms of their lives.
22. Some Assembly Required
Looking for a marriage sermon series? This is a four-week series that is designed to not only show that there’s some assembly required in marriage but to give direction on what that looks like. Help your congregation build healthy marriages through this series that will show them that marriage is a journey of challenges and grace.
21. First Fruits
This three-week sermon series looks at the significance of biblical stewardship. Preaching a giving series each year is a good rhythm to be in and this series gives you a framework to make the most of your focus on stewardship. This is perfect for the month of October or November.
20. The Pursuit
This three-week sermon series examines one of the most engaging chapters in all of Scripture – Luke 15. In each week of this series, you’ll look at one of the “lost” parables. The lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son are powerful parables that show God’s pursuit of people who are lost. God pursues us. And that is good news!
19. In Transit
This five-week sermon series focuses on transitions in life. It looks at Job, Daniel, Abraham, Paul, and the disciples, and how they all dealt with times of transition and difficulty in their lives. For many people who are in transition, this series is going to be a great encouragement.
18. Back to the Start
This four-week sermon series walks through the book of Amos and charts a path, taking believers to the heart of God’s love for us and others. Most of us need to get back to the start of our faith. This series will help us return to the roots of our Christian faith because if we miss our roots, we miss everything.
17. Resurrection Sunday
Looking for a powerful Easter sermon? That’s exactly what this is. With an engaging graphic and a powerful sermon guide, this is a powerful Easter sermon bundle that looks at the resurrection of Lazarus and how Jesus came to defeat sin and death. He was victorious. We can have life because He made a way for us.
16. Game Over
What is the Christian ethic? Self-denial and selflessness are at the core of what it means to follow Jesus. This three-week sermon series shows us the way to fighting temptation and to living out the purpose Christ has given us as His people. To me, this series can be one of the most powerful series we preach because the more Christians deny ourselves and count others as better than ourselves, the more people will know that we are Jesus’ disciples. Why? Because the result is love.
15. Words from the Cross
This is a five-week sermon series on the last words of Jesus. This is a powerful series that can be used to lead up to Easter. In Jesus’ last words, we see His love for us and we see an example of how we ought to live as well.
14. God and Culture
This is a four-week series on the importance of Christian’s participation in culture and artistic expression in our world today. Some Christians think we ought to abandon culture, but is that the best option? I don’t think so. Instead, what if Christians participated and helped shape culture and art? I think that’s the better way.
13. Easter Sunday (Resurrection)
Need an Easter sermon? This one-week bundle will give you everything you need to have a creative media package for this coming Easter Sunday as well as some helpful research on the story of Jesus resurrecting Lazarus from the dead. Jesus defeats sin and death and can give life to all call on His name. Let’s make sure people know that this Easter.
12. We Are the Church
This three-week sermon series dives into one question: what is the purpose of the local church? If there’s one topic that is more misunderstood in the Western Church today, this is it. It’s what leads to church-hopping and church-shopping. It’s what leads people to simply attend a gathering instead of plugging into the body. We can do better, church. And this is the beginning of getting us on a better path.
11. Timeless
This is a four-week sermon series based on the leadership book by Brian Dodd. Should we talk about leadership in the local church? Absolutely. There are people sitting in the pews of every congregation who are meant to be leaders but haven’t been shown the way. This series will help inspire and equip leaders to become everything God created them to be.
10. One Small Step
This four-week sermon series is on the topic of evangelism. But this series doesn’t just focus on the methods of evangelism. It focuses on how evangelism relates more to our identity and maturity. Through this series, we want to build in us a love that acts in ways that result in evangelism. Want your congregation to take one small step and engage in evangelism?
9. Reality
This four-week series is on the reality of spiritual warfare. In it, we see that there is a battle, but ultimately, there is peace and hope in knowing that he is for us and will be eternally victorious over the forces of sin and evil in the world. Our church needs to understand the spiritual reality we face every day and see how God equips us to engage in that battle.
8. The Bible Doesn’t Say That
This 5-week series looks at different phrases the Bible doesn’t actually say, comparing them to what the Bible actually does say. Too often, we can teach good theology and it doesn’t connect with the lies our congregation believes. This series addresses the lies first and then reorients those lies toward the truth.
7. The Grind
Life is a grind. Ever hear that? Ever say that? We probably all have. And the reality is, life can be difficult and it takes perseverance to keep the faith. This series looks at the apostle Paul’s life and helps us consider the call of every believer to share in Christ’s sufferings, to understand the value of contentment, to receive the necessity of joy amid grief, and to apply the quality of faithfulness to our daily walk with Christ.
6. The Gospel According to David
This six-week sermon series looks at the life of David, highlights certain events in his life, and uses those events to point to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the greater King, is the hero of David’s story. I love to look at the Old Testament and how it leads us to, reminds us of, and beckons us to surrender to the gospel of Jesus Christ. And that’s what this series is designed to do.
5. Washed
This four-week sermon series looks at several biblical passages that highlight the theme of water and “being washed.” From looking at the importance of baptism, our need for grace, and the sanctifying work of Scripture in our lives. We need to be washed. We need to be made new.
4. The Good Life
What is the good life? In this four-week sermon series, the argument is made that the good life is a simple life in Christ. This series looks at Jesus’ teaching in the sermon on the mount, specifically the topics of consumerism, fame, and fortune. Our culture lies to us in many ways, but no lies may be greater in our day and time than in the areas of consumerism, fame, and fortune. But there is a different way, a better way.
3. Easter Sunday
This Easter Sunday sermon bundle looks at Jesus’ resurrection and highlights how he is victorious over evil, sin, and death. This series graphic is engaging and will help set the tone for your church’s next Easter gathering. Through this sermon bundle, you can help your congregation realize the victory they share with Christ.
2. Upside Down
When Jesus preached the beginning of the sermon on the mount, also known as the beatitudes, he flipped our understanding of life on its head. He took what we believe about power, authority, influence, success, and more, and gave us a picture of true blessedness. This is the way of the kingdom of God. Let’s walk in it.
1. Uncomfortable
This four-week sermon series, based on the book by Brett McCracken, is a fresh look at Christian community. I’m thankful that on our list of top sermon series, this is the number one series. Why? Because community is vitally important to the life of every Christ follower. We all need to live life with others. At times it is awkward, but it is always essential.
There you have it. The top 30 sermon series of 2018. We hope and pray that you find these resources to be a blessing to you and the church God has allowed you to lead.
Brandon Kelley is a pastor at The Crossing on the east side of Cincinnati. He is the managing editor of Ministry Pass, co-founder of RookiePreacher.com, and the author of Preaching Sticky Sermons. You can connect with him on Twitter @BrandonKelley_.
