A short and sweet sermon is a concise, encouraging word about a Bible passage that has come up in the readings of the day. Lightweight sermons are meant to be brief, with a punch and usually just one main message. These hundred small sermons are a write-up from memory of sermons that were first given live to a congregation, so they are somewhat more formal than the original spoken word. The idea of publishing these sermons is first of all for the reader to enjoy them and perhaps see the relevant Scripture passage in a new light. A minister or preacher may wish to borrow a thought or a prayer, or the whole sermon and use it with another congregation. Bible quotations are limited to one or at the most two for each short sermon, although there are usually several more unmarked Bible references in each. Included at the back of the book are an index of Scripture references and a thematic index to aid study.