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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 23 | Ordinary Time 28 (2023) -- Exodus 32:1-14, Philippians 4:1-9, Matthew 22:1-14, Isaiah 25:1-9, Psalm 23 -- Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A -- 2023
Exodus 32:1-14
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 2 (2023) -- Acts 2:14a, 22-32, 1 Peter 1:3-9, John 20:19-31 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Second Sunday of Easter - A -- 2023
Acts 2:14a, 22-32
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 (2023) -- Exodus 33:12-23, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Matthew 22:15-22 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 2023
Exodus 33:12-23
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 3 (2023) -- Acts 2:14a, 36-41, 1 Peter 1:17-23, Luke 24:13-35 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Third Sunday of Easter - A -- 2023
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 4 (2023) -- Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 2:19-25, John 10:1-10, Psalm 23 -- Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2023
Acts 2:42-47
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 (2023) -- Deuteronomy 34:1-12, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Matthew 22:34-46, Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18, Psalm 1 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2023
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 5 (2023) -- Acts 7:55-60, 1 Peter 2:2-10, John 14:1-14 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2023
Acts 7:55-60
Illustrations for All Saints Day (2023) -- Revelation 7:9-17, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen -- All Saints Day - A -- 2023
Revelation 7:9-17
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 6 (2023) -- Acts 17:22-31, 1 Peter 3:13-22, John 14:15-21 -- Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2023
Acts 17:22-31
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 (2023) -- Joshua 3:7-17, 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13, Matthew 23:1-12 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - A -- 2023
Joshua 3:7-17
Sermon Illustrations for Ascension of the Lord (2023) -- Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:44-53 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Ascension of the Lord - A -- 2023
Acts 1:1-11
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 (2023) -- Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Matthew 25:1-13 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - A -- 2023
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 7 (2023) -- Acts 1:6-14, 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11, John 17:1-11 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2023
Acts 1:6-14
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 (2023) -- Judges 4:1-7, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Matthew 25:14-30 -- Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A -- 2023
Judges 4:1-7
Sermon Illustrations For Day Of Pentecost (2023) -- Acts 2:1-21, 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13, John 20:19-23 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2023
Acts 2:1-21
Sermon Illustrations for Thanksgiving Day (2023) -- Deuteronomy 8:7-18, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Luke 17:11-19 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Thanksgiving Day - A -- 2023
Deuteronomy 8:7-18
Sermon Illustrations For Trinity Sunday (2023) -- Genesis 1:1--2:4a, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Matthew 28:16-20 -- Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A -- 2023
Genesis 1:1--2:4
Sermon Illustrations for Christ The King (Proper 29) (2023) -- Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24, Ephesians 1:15-23, Matthew 25:31-46 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A -- 2023
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 1 (2023) -- Isaiah 64:1-9, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 13:24-37 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen -- First Sunday of Advent - B -- 2023
Isaiah 64: 1-9
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 5 | OT 10 (2023) -- Genesis 12:1-9, Romans 4:13-25, Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - A -- 2023
Genesis 12:1-9

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Sermon Illustrations for Advent 2 (2023) -- Isaiah 40:1-11, 2 Peter 3:8-15a, Mark 1:1-8 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Second Sunday of Advent - B -- 2023
Isaiah 40:1-11
Sermon Illustrations For Epiphany 4 | OT 4 (2023) -- Micah 6:1-8, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Matthew 5:1-12 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 2023
Micah 6:1-8
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 (2023) -- Genesis 28:10-19a, Romans 8:12-25, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2023
Genesis 28:10-19a
Sermon Illustrations For Transfiguration Sunday (2023) -- Exodus 24:12-18, 2 Peter 1:16-21, Matthew 17:1-9 -- Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas -- Transfiguration Sunday - A -- 2023
Exodus 24:12-18
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 (2023) -- Genesis 29:15-28, Romans 8:26-39, Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2023
Genesis 29:15-28
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...

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Thomas Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
For July 6, 2025:

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: This is a role play activity for the children.

Note: You will need an older volunteer to help with this activity. One option would be to find a teenager with some physical ability. If a teen is not available, an adult could be used instead. For simplicity here, I will refer to my older volunteer as “TOM”. You will also need to select three of your younger children to serve as volunteers in the story.

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
2 Kings 5:1-14
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
Bonnie Bates
2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30
Naaman seeks healing. He travels hoping healing will come to him when he visits the king of Israel. Yet, healing does not come in that way. Rather healing comes through Elishah. Healing comes from believing and being cleansed in the River Jordan. Healing comes through Naaman’s faithfulness and through God’s grace. Psalm 30 also reminds us to seek healing; to seek God and God will heal and restore us. Do we believe that? Do we believe that God can bring healing?

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ (vv. 10-11)

When I visit your church for the first time, consider the possibility that I might be looking for a church home. I am a good-looking old guy, but I have gray hair and I dress down in the summer, so don’t be put off by my cargo shorts and tank top. Talk to me!

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Damien and Ora grinned at each other in excitement. The time had come - at last! They'd been with the Leader for months and months, waiting for this moment. Not that it had felt much like training. They'd simply lived with the Leader, listening to his stories, hearing about the Kingdom, learning to get along really well with all the other people at Mission Headquarters. Now all seventy of them were ready, the spaceship had docked, and the Mission was about to begin. Ora was glad she'd been paired up with Damien again.

SermonStudio

James Evans
Stan Purdum
Carlos Wilton
(See Epiphany 6/Ordinary Time 6, Cycle B, and Easter 3, Cycle C, for alternative approaches.)

Anyone who has ever had the experience of losing a friend because of some conflict or dispute, and then has had the friendship restored because of love and forgiveness, has a unique insight into the meaning of this psalm. Although the poem begins and ends with praise, there is in the middle of the poem a brief moment of confession and contrition that puts the praise portions of the psalm in an entirely different light.

April Yamasaki
A word of encouragement came from an unlikely source the other day in a television interview with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The former football player, wrestler, and now actor was asked about a low time in his life when he was very discouraged about his career and future.

"How did you make your way back from that?" he was asked.

The Rock replied, "You have to put yourself out there. You have to get out there and fail, and learn from your failures."

Larry D. Powell
In the summer of 1983, I participated in a ministerial exchange program sponsored by my denomination. My assignment was to a circuit of churches on the Isle of Man, a tiny island located in the Irish Sea. The months preceding the exchange included considerable correspondence with the minister on the island with whom I would exchange pastoral duties for six weeks.
Richard E. Gribble, CSC
A wealthy businessman decided to take a walk and eat his lunch at the same time. He strolled by a park. There he purchased a hot dog and a soft drink. As he walked through the park two different "street people" approached him one by one. Each asked, "Can you help me? I am hungry." Each time the businessman looked straight ahead and kept walking. After finishing his lunch, he stopped and bought a chocolate eclair for dessert. As he was about to take the first bite, he was forced to jump out of the way as a young boy raced by on his skateboard. The eclair went flying and landed on the ground.

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