Christopher Keating

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Children's sermon

The Immediate Word

We Are the Holders of Hands -- Exodus 33:12-23, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Matthew 22:15-22, Psalm 9 -- Dean Feldmeyer, Thomas Willadsen, Elena Delhagen, Mary Austin, Christopher Keating, George Reed, Katy Stenta -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 2023

For October 22, 2023:

Who Do You Trust? -- Genesis 12:1-4a, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, John 3:1-17, Matthew 17:1-9, Psalm 121 -- Dean Feldmeyer, Thomas Willadsen, Elena Delhagen, Mary Austin, Christopher Keating, George Reed, Katy Stenta -- Second Sunday in Lent - A -- 2023

For March 5, 2023:

Tapping Into Unlimited (Living) Water -- John 4:5-42, Exodus 17:1-7, Psalm 95, Romans 5:1-11 -- Thomas Willadsen, Dean Feldmeyer, Mary Austin, Christopher Keating, George Reed, Elena Delhagen -- Third Sunday in Lent - A -- 2023

For March 12, 2023:

Who Can See? -- John 9:1-41, 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Ephesians 5:8-14, Psalm 23 -- Mary Austin, Thomas Willadsen, Christopher Keating, George Reed, Dean Feldmeyer, Elena Delhagen, Katy Stenta -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2023

For March 19, 2023:

Brave Thomas? -- John 11:1-45, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Romans 8:6-11, Psalm 130 -- Katy Stenta, Mary Austin, Dean Feldmeyer, Thomas Willadsen, Christopher Keating, George Reed, Elena Delhagen -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2023

For March 26, 2023:

A Tale of Two Kings -- Matthew 26:14--27:66, Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Psalm 31:9-16, Matthew 27:11-54, Matthew 21:1-11 -- Elena Delhagen, Katy Stenta, Mary Austin, Dean Feldmeyer, Thomas Willadsen, Christopher Keating, George Reed -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2023

For April 2, 2023:

Resurrection Tears -- John 20:1-18, Matthew 28:1-10, Colossians 3:1-4, Acts 10:34-43, Jeremiah 31:1-6, Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 -- Christopher Keating, Katy Stenta, Thomas Willadsen, Mary Austin, Elena Delhagen, George Reed, Dean Feldmeyer -- Easter Day - A -- 2023

For April 9, 2023:

The Antidote to Fear -- John 20:19-31, Acts 2:14a, 22-32, 1 Peter 1:3-9, Psalm 16 -- Dean Feldmeyer, Thomas Willadsen, Elena Delhagen, Mary Austin, Christopher Keating, George Reed, Katy Stenta -- Second Sunday of Easter - A -- 2023

For April 16, 2023:

Walking with Hope In Your Heart -- Luke 24:13-35, Acts 2:14a, 36-41, 1 Peter 1:17-23, Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 -- Thomas Willadsen, Dean Feldmeyer, Mary Austin, Christopher Keating, George Reed, Elena Delhagen -- Third Sunday of Easter - A -- 2023

For April 23, 2023:

Will the Good Shepherd be Stopping By Soon? -- John 10:1-10, Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 2:19-25, Psalm 23 -- Mary Austin, Thomas Willadsen, Christopher Keating, George Reed, Dean Feldmeyer, Elena Delhagen, Katy Stenta, Quantisha Mason-Doll -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2023

For April 30, 2023:

The Spirit of Mothering -- John 14:15-21, Acts 17:22-31, 1 Peter 3:13-22, Psalm 66:8-20 -- Elena Delhagen, Katy Stenta, Mary Austin, Dean Feldmeyer, Thomas Willadsen, Quantisha Mason-Doll, Christopher Keating, George Reed -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2023

For May 14, 2023:

Jesus' Thoughts and Prayers -- John 17:1-11, 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11, Acts 1:6-14, Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35 -- Christopher Keating, Katy Stenta, Thomas Willadsen, Mary Austin, Elena Delhagen, George Reed, Dean Feldmeyer -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2023

For May 21, 2023:

An Alternative Language -- John 20:19-23, John 7:37-39, Acts 2:1-21, 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13, Numbers 11:24-30, Psalm 104:24-34, 35b -- Dean Feldmeyer, Thomas Willadsen, Elena Delhagen, Mary Austin, Christopher Keating, George Reed, Katy Stenta -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2023

For May 28, 2023:

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Three Is a Magic Number -- Matthew 28:16-20, Genesis 1:1--2:4a, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Psalm 8 -- Thomas Willadsen, Dean Feldmeyer, Mary Austin, Christopher Keating, Katy Stenta, Elena Delhagen -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A -- 2023

For June 4, 2023:

Jesus Hits Pause -- Genesis 12:1-9, Psalm 33:1-12, Romans 4:13-25, Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 -- Mary Austin, Christopher Keating, Thomas Willadsen, George Reed, Dean Feldmeyer, Katy Stenta, Elena Delhagen -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - A -- 2023

For June 11, 2023:

Awakened by Hope -- Isaiah 64:1-9, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 13:24-37, Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 -- Christopher Keating, Katy Stenta, Thomas Willadsen, Mary Austin, Elena Delhagen, Dean Feldmeyer, Quantisha Mason-Doll -- First Sunday of Advent - B -- 2023

For December 3, 2023:

Mea Culpa -- Isaiah 40:1-11, Mark 1:1-8, 2 Peter 3:8-15a, Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13 -- Dean Feldmeyer, Thomas Willadsen, Elena Delhagen, Mary Austin, Christopher Keating, George Reed, Katy Stenta, Quantisha Mason-Doll -- Second Sunday of Advent - B -- 2023

For December 10, 2023:

Volunteer Corn -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, Romans 8:12-25, Genesis 28:10-19a, Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24, Isaiah 44:6-8 -- Thomas Willadsen, Dean Feldmeyer, Mary Austin, Christopher Keating, Katy Stenta, Elena Delhagen, Quantisha Mason-Doll -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2023

For July 23, 2023:

The Kingdom of Heaven is Hot -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52, Genesis 29:15-28, Romans 8:26-39, Psalm 119:129-136, 1 Kings 3:5-12 -- Mary Austin, Dean Feldmeyer, Christopher Keating, Thomas Willadsen, George Reed, Quantisha Mason-Doll, Katy Stenta, Elena Delhagen -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2023

For July 30, 2023:

At Home in Capernaum -- Matthew 4:12-23, Isaiah 9:1-4, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, Psalm 27:1, 4-9 -- Christopher Keating, Katy Stenta, Thomas Willadsen, Mary Austin, George Reed, Dean Feldmeyer -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - A -- 2023

For January 22, 2023:

Beyond the Rule -- Matthew 5:1-12, Micah 6:1-8, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Psalm 15 -- Dean Feldmeyer, Thomas Willadsen, Katy Stenta, Mary Austin, Christopher Keating, George Reed -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 2023

For January 29, 2023:

God Makes Room For Us -- Matthew 17:1-9, Exodus 24:12-18, 2 Peter 1:16-21, Psalm 2, Psalm 99 -- Katy Stenta, Mary Austin, Dean Feldmeyer, Thomas Willadsen, Christopher Keating, George Reed -- Transfiguration Sunday - A -- 2023

For February 19, 2023:

Lead Us Not into Relevance -- Matthew 4:1-11, Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7, Romans 5:12-19, Psalm 32 -- Christopher Keating, Katy Stenta, Thomas Willadsen, Mary Austin, Elena Delhagen, George Reed, Dean Feldmeyer -- First Sunday in Lent - A -- 2023

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Illustration

The Immediate Word

For March 26, 2023:

The Door is Closed -- Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25, Psalm 78:1-7, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Matthew 25:1-13, Amos 5:18-24, Psalm 70 -- Thomas Willadsen, Mary Austin, Dean Feldmeyer, Christopher Keating, Katy Stenta, Elena Delhagen, Quantisha Mason-Doll -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - A -- 2023

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Missile Gap -- Isaiah 7:10-16, Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25 -- Thomas Willadsen, Christopher Keating, Dean Feldmeyer, Mary Austin, George Reed, Katy Stenta -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A -- 2022

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Liturgy

Preaching

The Immediate Word

For March 12, 2023:

Dare We Hope For Peace? -- Deuteronomy 34:1-12, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Matthew 22:34-46, Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17, Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18, Psalm 1 -- Thomas Willadsen, Dean Feldmeyer, Mary Austin, Christopher Keating, Katy Stenta, Elena Delhagen, Quantisha Mason-Doll -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2023

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Sermon

The Immediate Word

Mission: Control -- Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20, Psalm 19, Philippians 3:4b-14, Matthew 21:33-46, Isaiah 5:1-7 -- Elena Delhagen, Mary Austin, Katy Stenta, Dean Feldmeyer, Thomas Willadsen, Quantisha Mason-Doll, Christopher Keating, George Reed -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A -- 2023

For October 8, 2023:

For February 26, 2023:

The Wild and Crazy Wedding Feast -- Matthew 22:1-14, Philippians 4:1-9, Exodus 32:1-14, Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23, Isaiah 25:1-9, Psalm 23 -- Christopher Keating, Katy Stenta, Thomas Willadsen, Mary Austin, Elena Delhagen, Dean Feldmeyer -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A -- 2023

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Worship

The Immediate Word

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UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

Ascension of the Lord

34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...

Easter 7

20 – Sermons
170+ – Illustrations / Stories
26 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
20 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...

Pentecost

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

Little Piggies

John Jamison

Object: A pig stuffie.

* * *

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

The Immediate Word

The Terrifying Sound of Broken Chains

Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
George Reed

For June 22, 2025:

The Terrifying Sound of Broken Chains by Chris Keating based on Luke 8:26-39. Though Jesus’ healing of the Gerasene Demoniac produces more fear than calm among the people he had terrorized, it is a reminder of God’s triumph over the powers of fear and all that threatens to dominate us.
Second Thoughts: Caring People Are Desperately Needed by Tom Willadsen based on 1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a and Psalm 42 and 43.

StoryShare

I Need Jesus People

John E. Sumwalt

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)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Sermon Illustrations for Proper 7 | OT 12 (2025)

Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen

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:

Longing To Be Free

David Kalas

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

James' Trumpet

Janice B. Scott

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

Don't Thank Me, Thank God!

Constance Berg

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.

As Seen From The Solitary Broom Tree

Stan Purdum

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.

Thicker Than Blood

April Yamasaki

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.

Proper 7 / Ordinary Time 12 / Pentecost 2

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.

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John Jamison

Christopher KeatingThomas WilladsenKaty StentaMary AustinNazish NaseemDean FeldmeyerGeorge Reed

John E. Sumwalt

Bill ThomasFrank RamirezMark Ellingsen

David Kalas

Janice B. Scott

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This Week’s Scriptures

Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
George Reed

Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen