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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 Proper 11 | OT 16 (2016) -- Amos 8:1-12, Colossians 1:15-28, Luke 10:38-42 -- Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, R. Robert Cueni, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2016
Amos 8:1-12
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 2 | OT 2 (2016) -- Isaiah 62:1-5, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove, R. Robert Cueni, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2016
Isaiah 62:1-5
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 12 | OT 17 (2016) -- Hosea 1:2-10, Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19), Luke 11:1-13 -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, R. Robert Cueni, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C -- 2016
Hosea 1:2-10
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 3 (OT 3) Cycle C (2016) -- Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a, Luke 4:14-21 -- R. Robert Cueni, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2016
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Sermons Illustrations for Proper 13 | OT 18 (2016) -- Hosea 11:1-11, Colossians 3:1-11, Luke 12:13-21 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, R. Robert Cueni, Ron Love -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - C -- 2016
Hosea 11:1-11
Sermon illustrations for Epiphany 4 (OT 4) Cycle C (2016) -- Jeremiah 1:4-10, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Luke 4:21-30 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, R. Robert Cueni, Frank Ramirez -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2016
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 14 | OT 19 (2016) -- Isaiah 1:1, 10-20, Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16, Luke 12:32-40 -- R. Robert Cueni, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - C -- 2016
Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 1 (2016) -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Romans 10:8b-13, Luke 4:1-13 -- R. Robert Cueni, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2016
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 16 | OT 21 (2016) -- Jeremiah 1:4-10, Hebrews 12:18-29, Luke 13:10-17 -- R. Robert Cueni, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - C -- 2016
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Sermon Illustrations for Ash Wednesday (2016) -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, R. Robert Cueni, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2016
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 (2016) -- Jeremiah 2:4-13, Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16, Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove, R. Robert Cueni, Ron Love -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2016
Jeremiah 2:4-13
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 2 (2016) -- Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18, Philippians 3:17--4:1, Luke 13:31-35 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, R. Robert Cueni -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2016
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 (2016) -- Jeremiah 18:1-11, Philemon 1:1-21, Luke 14:25-33 -- R. Robert Cueni, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C -- 2016
Jeremiah 18:1-11
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 3 (2016) -- Isaiah 55:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Luke 13:1-9 -- R. Robert Cueni, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Frank Rarmirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Third Sunday in Lent - C -- 2016
Isaiah 55:1-9
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 (2016) -- Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28, 1 Timothy 1:12-17, Luke 15:1-10 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 2016
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 4 (2016) -- Joshua 5:9-12, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove, R. Robert Cueni, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2016
Joshua 5:9-12
Sermons Illustrations for Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 (2016) -- Jeremiah 8:18--9:1, 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Luke 16:1-13 -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, R. Robert Cueni, Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 2016
Jeremiah 8:18--9:1
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 5 (2016) -- Isaiah 43:16-21, Philippians 3:4b-14, John 12:1-8 -- R. Robert Cueni, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2016
Isaiah 43:16-21
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 (2016) -- Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15, 1 Timothy 6:6-19, Luke 16:19-31 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, R. Robert Cueni -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C -- 2016
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
Sermon Illustrations for Palm/Passion Sunday (2016) -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Luke 22:14--23:56 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, R. Robert Cueni, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2016
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 22 | OT 27 (2016) -- Lamentations 1:1-6, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Luke 17:5-10 -- R. Robert Cueni, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C -- 2016
Lamentations 1:1-6
Sermon Illustrations for Maundy Thursday (2016) -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- R. Robert Cueni, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2016
Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14
Sermon Illustrations for Good Friday (2016) -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1--19:42 -- Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, R. Robert Cueni, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bill Thomas -- Good Friday - C -- 2016
Isaiah 52:13--53:12
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 23 | OT 28 (2016) -- Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Luke 17:11-19 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, R. Robert Cueni, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C -- 2016
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7
Sermon Illustrations for Easter Day (2016) -- Acts 10:34-43, 1 Corinthians 15:19-26, John 20:1-18 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, R. Robert Cueni, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove -- Easter Day - C -- 2016
Acts 10:34-43
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
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...

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Object: A pig stuffed animal.

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

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For June 22, 2025:

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But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian,  for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.  As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (vv. 25-28)

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Bill Thomas
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1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a
Life can be frightening sometimes. Thus it is both comforting but disconcerting to find a giant of faith like Elijah to fear the future. On that matter Martin Luther once claimed:
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We’re not far from the 4th of July. And while for so many Americans, it seems that the holiday has become more about long weekends, cookouts, and fireworks shows, the theme of freedom is still there at least in the background. We might take advantage of that, therefore, and give some thought to the theme of freedom as it is revealed in our assigned texts for this week.

The Village Shepherd

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Call to Worship:

The madman cried out to Jesus, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" In our worship today let us explore what Jesus has to do with us and invite him to heal our brokenness.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, we often find ourselves thinking, saying and doing things that we quickly regret.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

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When Jill was five, she began to have headaches. The headaches were so severe she would throw up. Sometimes she would pass out. They usually came once a month. Jill could be playing, resting, or watching television when the headaches would come. Her only warning was a sudden pain in her head, then a blinding light would appear, and she would be rocked with pain. In her teenage years, they became debilitating, causing Jill to be in bed for three days at a time.
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I'm not sure when the term "burn out" ceased being only a description of what happened to a campfire when you ran out of firewood to a term describing the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest, usually coming immediately after an extended period of overwork, but the expression seems to fit that later situation, doesn't it? Exhaustion, deep weariness, all used up, nothing more to give, wiped out, burned out -- call it what we will, its symptoms are all too familiar to many of us.
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In the classic movie, Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews plays a no-nonsense, yet delightful, nanny to two young children. As a nanny to a wealthy family, she is part teacher, part parent, and part disciplinarian. She gets the children up in the morning, puts them to bed at night, supervises their many adventures, and guides them in many ways. While they are in her care, she is responsible for their overall safety and well-being.

Julia Ross Strope
Zoos are no longer in people's good graces.
Religion faces the same problem.
Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.
-- Yann Martel, Life of Pi

Call To Worship
Leader: I'm so glad you're here! There are seats for everyone; there's slight air movement; the windows engender tranquility and imagination and words will stimulate fresh thoughts.

People: It's good to be here, in sanctuary. We're glad for opportunities to gather and to express our gratitude to God and our appreciation for one another.

Special Occasion

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