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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

Fork in the road: emptiness or fulfillment -- Isaiah 55:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Luke 13:1-9 -- David Coffin -- Third Sunday in Lent - C -- 2013
About this Third Sunday of Lent, Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday are memories for those in the broader
Words of new life -- Acts 10:34-43, 1 Corinthians 15:19-26, John 20:1-18 -- David Coffin -- Easter Day - C -- 2013
In our community most people have to go back to school or work on the Monday after Easter Sunday.
Who do we let in? -- Acts 11:1-18, Revelation 21:1-6, John 13:31-35 -- David Coffin -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2013
The cry goes out in either the church council or congregational meeting: "We need more people to com
Christ's ministry continues -- Acts 2:1-21, Romans 8:14-17, John 14:8-17 (25-27) -- David Coffin -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2013
I believe it happens in every congregation.
Trust for the journey -- 1 Kings 21:1-10 (11-14) 15-21a, Galatians 2:15-21, Luke 7:36--8:3 -- David Coffin -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2013
So who do we trust while taking our journey of faith during the season of Pentecost?
Baseline of faith -- Amos 7:7-17, Colossians 1:1-14, Luke 10:25-37 -- David Coffin -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2013
"Who would ever have dreamed that we are now raising our grandchildren rather than living out our re
Created to be God's people -- Isaiah 5:1-7, Hebrews 11:29--12:2, Luke 12:49-56 -- David Coffin -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2013
A congregation has started a new ministry to work with younger children.
Commitment test -- Jeremiah 18:1-11, Philemon 1:1-21, Luke 14:25-33 -- David Coffin -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C -- 2013
Shall we or shall we not continue a certain ministry, program, or event in our congregation?
Dimensions of faith -- Lamentations 1:1-6, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Luke 17:5-10 -- David Coffin -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C -- 2013
On any given communion Sunday, various people line up either to take continuous communion or table c
A timely word -- Jeremiah 31:27-34, 2 Timothy 3:14--4:5, Luke 18:1-8 -- David Coffin -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - C -- 2013
Charles Dickens begins his classic work A Tale of Two Cities with "It was the best of times;
To glorify God -- Haggai 1:15b--2:9, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17, Luke 20:27-38 -- David Coffin -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C -- 2013
A church council member announces to the rest of the members and the pastor that a certain family ha
Still standing in line -- Isaiah 35:1-10, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11 -- David Coffin -- Third Sunday of Advent - A -- 2013
Inevitably it happens to any adult or any church leader toward the end of the year, or the time thei
God's timing -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-13, Revelation 21:1-6a, Matthew 25:31-46 -- David Coffin -- New Year's Day - A, New Year's Day - B, New Year's Day - C -- 2013
Another year has gone by as one awakens on New Year's Day.
Light enters into darkness -- Isaiah 9:1-4, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, Matthew 4:12-23 -- David Coffin -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - A -- 2013
An older woman is homebound because of a bad hip.
Foundations for mature faith -- Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18, 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23, Matthew 5:38-48 -- David Coffin -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - A -- 2013
It might happen in any given church or nonprofit organization in the middle of the winter months, or
Which words get drowned out? -- Jeremiah 1:4-10, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Luke 4:21-30 -- David Coffin -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2013
In our small town, the local printed newspaper is struggling to survive.
The God who keeps promises -- Malachi 3:1-4, Philippians 1:3-11, Luke 3:1-6 -- David Coffin -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 2012
Both my congregation and local community are exhausted with the past political campaign season of at
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
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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: This is a role play activity.

Note: You will need to select six children to play roles in this activity. If you have a smaller group, you might ask some older youth or even adults to play the parts of the two attackers and the man being attacked. I will give suggestions for how they can play their roles, but feel free to help your children make the story as fun and memorable as you can. I have used boys and girls in the various roles, but you can change those however you want to change them.

* * *

The Immediate Word

Dean Feldmeyer
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Christopher Keating
George Reed
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
For July 13, 2025:
  • Samaritans Among Us by Dean Feldmeyer based on Acts 2:1-21. Samaritans were despised and dismissed by the original audience who first heard Jesus tell this parable. Who are the Samaritans in our lives and how does this parable apply today?
  • Second Thoughts: The Helpers by Katy Stenta based on Amos 7:7-17.

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
I say, “You are gods,
    children of the Most High, all of you;
nevertheless, you shall die like mortals
    and fall like any prince….”
(vv. 6-7)

There have been any number of brother-sister acts that achieved a measure of fame. Take the Carpenters, famed for their singing, musicianship, and songwriting skills. Also worthy of mention are John and Joan Cusack who have acted together in over sixteen films.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Wayne Brouwer
An ancient legend tells of a remote mountain village where people used to send their senior citizens out into the woods to die. The villagers had an eye to the future; they felt that those beyond a certain age would only slow down progress or use up valuable resources to no economically profitable end. Those who reached a certain age weren’t “put out to pasture” or “put out of their misery”; they were simply put out of other people’s way.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Amos 7:7-17 and Psalm 82
The tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It is more than 2,700 feet high—over half a mile tall. It has 160 floors and is twice as tall as the Empire State Building in New York City. It is home to the world’s fastest elevator which reaches speeds of forty miles an hour. The Burj Khalifa also hosts the world’s highest outdoor observation deck (on the 124th floor) and the world’s highest swimming pool (on the 76th floor).

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Mabel hummed a familiar hymn tune as she made her way to church. She always enjoyed her Sunday morning walk. It was one of the few times she felt safe to walk alone through the inner city, for she knew nobody would be up at 7.45 in the morning. Today was a particularly beautiful morning, with blue sky, warm sunshine, and the song of a few intrepid blackbirds who still inhabited the city.

SermonStudio

James Evans
Often, a distinction is made between the pastoral or priestly work of the church and the prophetic work. Pastoral care has to do with the care of souls, the offering of comfort in times of loss. The priestly character of pastoral work seeks to mediate the presence of God to those who are hurting.

Schuyler Rhodes
Trusting is never easy. Even in the best of relationships, people step into trust slowly. There is wariness -- questioning -- worry. What happens if trust is betrayed? What if this doesn't work? Sometimes it's like a dance. We step in and out of trust, moving to the rhythms of fear. For many, the routine is achingly familiar. Indeed, it's not easy to trust.
John Jamison
It was back in the days when the railroad was the most common mode of transportation. There were automobiles, and some airplanes, but the steam locomotive was the way most folks traveled and the way that most of the goods were distributed around the country. After dinner, people sat in the drawing room and listened to the radio programs, fading in and out from some faraway location, over the magical broadcasting signal.
Robert Leslie Holmes
Not many tourists to Washington, D.C., look for the Federal Bureau of Standards offices. It's the Capitol and the White House, the Supreme Court Building or the Smithsonian most of us want to see when we go there. Yet, at the Bureau of Standards offices something very important is stored, something that impacts your life and mine every single day. Have you ever bought the materials for a new project? When you did, most likely you purchased so many inches or feet or yards. Or, you stopped to buy gasoline for your car and purchased it at a certain price per gallon.
David O. Bales
I have the two best jobs in the world. I teach social studies at Leon Griffith Junior High School (a fairly small junior high) and I am Sunday School Superintendent at Calvary Presbyterian Church (an enormous church school). Each job is my vocation. I tell people that at school they'll find my room where the halls cross. At church they can look but probably won't find me. I'll be in someone's classroom. At each job I practice what I most deeply believe: it's how you see the world that determines how you respond to it. I'll give you an example, actually, two examples.
Erskine White
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed,
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
(Stuart K. Hine)

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