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David Coffin

David Coffin is pastor of Elgin/Highland Lutheran Parish in Elgin, Iowa. David is a graduate of Ferris State University with a BS degree in printing. He earned his Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Lutheran Seminary (Ohio) and his Doctor of Ministry Degree from Winebrenner Seminary. He enjoys bike riding and working with small group ministries. He also eats lots of pizza, so he needs to ride the bike.
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Commentary

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Delivery Dinner -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- David Coffin -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 2021
In a particular German ethnic county, spring is the time for confirmation parties, easily identified
New Life Guidance -- Acts 4:5-12, 1 John 3:16-24, John 10:11-18 -- David Coffin -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2021
Easter is a season of new life and that which guides the church into new life.
Timely Trinity Spirit -- Isaiah 6:1-8, Romans 8:12-17, John 3:1-17, Psalm 29 -- David Coffin -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2021
Bill is an older middle-aged public-school administrator who is staring out his window, as more chan
Legitimacy, God's Real Deal -- Mark 6:14-29, Ephesians 1:3-14, 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 -- David Coffin -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2021
All three texts point how one stakes a claim for legitimacy under God’s plans for their lives and th
Relating to God -- 1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43, Ephesians 6:10-20, John 6:56-69 -- David Coffin -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 2021
It is another summer slump time for Sunday worship attendance at old “First Church.” Every year, be
God's Reputation -- Mark 10:2-16, Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12, Job 1:1; 2:1-10 -- David Coffin -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 2021
On November 4, 1979, the United States Embassy in Iran was overtakenby rebel students.
Vulnerability Responses -- Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17, Hebrews 9:24-28, Mark 12:38-44 -- David Coffin -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 2021
It could happen in any given community for a variety of reasons.
Promises Kept -- Luke 1:39-45 (46-55), Micah 5:2-5a, Hebrews 10:5-10 -- David Coffin -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C -- 2021
The 1989 Christmas Vacation movie features Clark Griswold, his wife Ellen and two children
Worthwhile Journey -- Genesis 12:1-4a, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, Matthew 17:1-9 -- David Coffin -- Second Sunday in Lent - A -- 2020
It is the second Sunday in Lent!
Purposeful Passion -- John 18:1--19:42, Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9, Psalm 22 -- David Coffin -- Good Friday - A -- 2020
In the 2002 movie Gran Torino Clint Eastwood plays the recently widowed and disgruntled ret
Advocating New Life -- John 14:15-21, Acts 17:22-31, 1 Peter 3:13-22 -- David Coffin -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2020
It was the high school graduation season in a certain community who had been blessed with the public
Living Which Values? -- Matthew 10:24-39, Romans 6:1b-11, Genesis 21:8-21 -- David Coffin -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2020
An older pastor and his wife who serve in a remote hill area with sporadic cell phone reception driv
Blessed Assurance -- Matthew 14:13-21, Genesis 32:22-31, Romans 9:1-5 -- David Coffin -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A -- 2020
A recently widowed woman in her early seventies is returning to the church where she raised her chil
Discipleship after Deliverance -- Exodus 14:19-31, Romans 14:1-12, Matthew 18:21-35 -- David Coffin -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A -- 2020
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Living the Book -- Deuteronomy 34:1-12, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Matthew 22:34-46 -- David Coffin -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2020
In the 2010 dystopian movie entitled Book of Eli (starring Denzel Washington), the main cha
Remembering our Testing -- Deuteronomy 8:7-18, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Luke 17:11-19 -- David Coffin -- Thanksgiving Day - A -- 2020
Three generations of family are gathering for their traditional Thanksgiving Day meal.
New-Found Christmas Life -- Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- David Coffin -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2020
Around the holiday season, there are hardworking faithful people who experienced heightened expectat
Life Goes On -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-13, Revelation 21:1-6a, Matthew 25:31-46 -- David Coffin -- New Year's Day - C -- 2019
A man in his early sixties sits in front of his television set on New Year’s Eve, while drinking his
Passion for Life -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Luke 22:14--23:56 -- David Coffin -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2019
In this season of spiritual growth, one difficult test of faith is when a cherished matriarch of an
Lord of New Life -- Acts 9:36-43, Revelation 7:9-17, John 10:22-30 -- David Coffin -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2019
In this season of new life, we are always reminded that Jesus as Lord found in the Christian scriptu
Trinity in Practice -- Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31, John 16:12-15, Romans 5:1-5 -- David Coffin -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 2019
Who is the God of our congregation? How is this God made known in the community?
Faith for the Long Haul -- Isaiah 1:1, 10-20, Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16, Luke 12:32-40 -- David Coffin -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - C -- 2019
It is getting toward the end of the summer, and a certain extended family is sitting out on the dec
What Do You Value? -- Jeremiah 8:18--9:1, 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Luke 16:1-13 -- David Coffin -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 2019
A pastor has been called to a certain congregation with one major mandate in mind: “Revitalize our y
What Makes a Saint? -- Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18, Ephesians 1:11-23, Luke 6:20-31 -- David Coffin -- All Saints Day - C -- 2019
This is the day that the early church commemorated the great leaders and heroes of the church, espec

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God's Reputation -- Mark 10:2-16, Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12, Job 1:1; 2:1-10 -- David Coffin -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 2021
On November 4, 1979, the United States Embassy in Iran was overtakenby rebel students.
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 10 | OT 15 | Pentecost 5
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29 – Worship Resources
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4 – Pastor's Devotions
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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
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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."
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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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