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Bill Thomas

Bill Thomas is a professor at St. Louis Christian College and on staff at First Christian Church in Washington, Missouri. He's authored three Bible studies for CSS Publishing and is a contributor to Emphasis Online. He's also written two novellas and a young adult book.
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Bible Study

Drama

Easter

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Sermon Illustrations for Good Friday (2025) -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1--19:42 -- Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Good Friday - C -- 2025
Isaiah 52:13--53:12
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 11 | OT 16 (2025) -- Amos 8:1-12, Colossians 1:15-28, Luke 10:38-42 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2025
Amos 8:1-12, Psalm 52
Sermon Illustrations for Easter Day (2025) -- Acts 10:34-43, 1 Corinthians 15:19-26, John 20:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, Isaiah 65:17-25 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Easter Day - C -- 2025
Isaiah 65:17-25
Sermon Illustrations for Christmas 2 (2025) -- Jeremiah 31:7-14, Ephesians 1:3-14, John 1:(1-9) 10-18 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Second Sunday after Christmas - C -- 2025
Jeremiah 31:7-14
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany of the Lord (2025) -- Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12 -- Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Epiphany of the Lord - C -- 2025
Isaiah 60:1-6
Sermon Illustrations for Baptism of Our Lord (2025) -- Isaiah 43:1-7, Acts 8:14-17, Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2025
Isaiah 43:1-7
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 2 | OT 2 (2025) -- Isaiah 62:1-5, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2025
Isaiah 62:1-5
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 3 (OT 3) Cycle C (2025) -- Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a, Luke 4:14-21 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2025
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 4 (OT 4) Cycle C (2025) -- Jeremiah 1:4-10, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Luke 4:21-30 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2025
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 15 | OT 20 (2024) -- 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-4, Ephesians 5:15-20, John 6:51-58 -- Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 2024
1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 (2024) -- 1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43, Ephesians 6:10-20, John 6:56-69 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 2024
1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 (2024) -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13, James 1:17-27, Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23, Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9 -- Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2024
Song of Solomon 2:8-13
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 4 (2024) -- John 3:14-21, Ephesians 2:1-10, Numbers 21:4-9 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2024
Numbers 21:4-9
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 18 | OT 23 | Pentecost 16 (2024) -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23, James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17, Mark 7:24-37 -- Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2024
Proverbs 22: 1-2, 8-9, 22-23
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 5 (2024) -- John 12:20-33, Hebrews 5:5-10, Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2024
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 (2024) -- Proverbs 1:20-33, James 3:1-12, Mark 8:27-38 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2024
Proverbs 1:20-33

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Sermon Illustrations for Ash Wednesday (2025) -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2025
Isaiah 58:1-12
Sermon Illustrations for Easter 7 (2025) -- Acts 16:16-34, Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21, John 17:20-26 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2025
Acts 16:16-34
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 1 (2025) -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Romans 10:8b-13, Luke 4:1-13 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2025
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 2 (2025) -- Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18, Philippians 3:17--4:1, Luke 13:31-35, Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2025
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Sermon Illustrations for Day of Pentecost (2025) -- Acts 2:1-21, Romans 8:14-17, John 14:8-17 (25-27) -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2025
Genesis 11:1-9
Sermon Illustrations for Maundy Thursday (2025) -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2025
Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14
Sermon Illustrations for Good Friday (2025) -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1--19:42 -- Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Good Friday - C -- 2025
Isaiah 52:13--53:12
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 2 | OT 2 (2025) -- Isaiah 62:1-5, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2025
Isaiah 62:1-5
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 3 (OT 3) Cycle C (2025) -- Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a, Luke 4:14-21 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2025
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 10 | OT 15 | Pentecost 5
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 11 | OT 16 | Pentecost 6
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 12 | OT 17 | Pentecost 7
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: You may present this message as a simple story, or have the children act it out as a role-play. I will show the role-play version, but you can ignore the acting pieces and just tell the story if you prefer.

Note: For the role-play version, you will need to select two girls and one boy to play the roles. You might also have a broom and a dust rag if you want to.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! Let’s get started.

The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
For July 20, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Amos 8:1-12, Psalm 52
Amos proclaims the word from God that punishes the people. The people are to be punished for their lack of faith, for their focus on practicing deceit, betraying honesty to their neighbors, and being impatient for the time after the Sabbath when they can focus on profit and selling their crops and wares. Oh, my! What a terrible message for people. You have been unfaithful so I will punish you. And then in the psalm, God is proclaimed to be the olive tree, that which brings blessing.
David Kalas
I have tried to find different ways of saying it so that my children don’t tire of hearing it. But the basic principle remains the same, and my kids have heard it a ton. “First things first.” They ask if they can do this or they start to do that, and I will endeavor to redirect them, saying, “Why don’t we make sure we’re doing first things first!”

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. (v. 24)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
One of Martha's earliest memories was of her little sister Mary singing and dancing in the middle of an admiring crowd of friends. Mary had always been a dancer, from the time she could walk. Privately, Martha thought she'd always been something of a show-off and ought to go on the stage, for Mary loved an audience.

SermonStudio

John E. Sumwalt
Jeanne Jones
Several years ago, before we moved to Wisconsin, I was an honorary nanny for our pastor's son, Jonathan. I took care of him from the time he was able to walk until our pastor moved, when Jonathan was about five. We had wonderful times together. One time, when I was at their house, and we had been doing some spiritual direction together, Pastor Michael asked me if I knew the name of my guardian angel.
James Evans
We are not surprised when we learn about crooks and robbers boasting about "mischief done against the godly" or "plotting destruction" all day long. The image we have in our minds about who "bad" people are, and how they conduct themselves, make such accusations completely plausible. We are less inclined to believe such things about leaders, especially respected leaders among us. We have difficulty believing someone with wealth and power would deliberately plot to do someone else harm.
Arley K. Fadness
Today's gospel from Luke 10 follows the parable of the good Samaritan. Luke positions the good Samaritan and the Mary-Martha story back to back for good reason. The parable and the story are examples of the Great Commandment "to love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself." The good Samaritan parable illustrates "love to neighbor," whereas the Mary-Martha story illustrates "love to God."
Kirk R. Webster
In the early 1990s, Wesley Nunley of Dallas completed a project he had dreamed of for decades. "I tell you, this could be a big thing," he explained. Wes then walked out to a concrete octagon in the middle of his backyard. With a beaming smile, arms raised up in excitement, the energetic retiree said, "This welcomes the UFO to land, which has never been done before."
John W. Wurster
It was the best of times. A time of prosperity and confidence, a time of relative peace, a time when most everything looked pretty good, a time when most everyone felt pretty good. It was a time maybe not unlike our own time.
H. Burnham Kirkland
Words Of Assurance
Our God is both wise and caring: afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted.

Pastoral Prayer
God, we bow before you this morning, knowing that you hear every prayer. We know that in all of Creation, you are the source of life. You are the one who set the light swirling between the galaxies. The breath of your Spirit pulses through all life. You have even become flesh among us. We praise you, Lord, that in all your wonder, you have not forgotten us.

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