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David E. Leininger

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Water Into Wine -- John 2:1-11 -- David E. Leininger -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2009
Weddings are special.
It's All In The Perspective -- Psalm 8 -- David E. Leininger -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 2009
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have se
The Body Of Christ -- 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a -- David E. Leininger -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2009
Have you ever wished that you were something you were not? I suspect we all have.
Life In The Valley -- Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) -- David E. Leininger -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 2009
The story of the transfiguration is one of those passages that have given the phrase "mountaintop ex
The Call Of God -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- David E. Leininger -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2009
If you were to ask a group of people to take pencil and paper and sketch a portrait of an Old Testam
Dorcas -- Acts 9:36-43 -- David E. Leininger -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2009
Women have always been uniquely important in the life of the church, whether or not men want to admi
They Are Biting -- Luke 5:1-11 -- David E. Leininger -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2009
Two guys go on a fishing trip.
Trouble In The Parsonage -- Hosea 1:2-10 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C -- 2009
There once was a retreat attended by the clergy of a community for the purpose of establishing suppo
Life After Life -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 -- David E. Leininger -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2009
In an ever-lengthening pastoral ministry, I have had occasion to officiate more funerals than I can
A Fool And His Money -- Luke 12:13-21 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - C -- 2009
A fool and his money are soon parted, right?
Love Your Enemy? -- Luke 6:27-38 -- David E. Leininger -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - C -- 2009
Are You Kidding, Lord?
Religion And Politics -- Isaiah 1:1, 10-20 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - C -- 2009
Religion and politics -- in years past we were told those were two subjects that were not good for p
The Jump To Judgment -- Luke 6:39-49 -- David E. Leininger -- Epiphany 8 | Ordinary Time 8 - C -- 2009
Mr.
Pax Christi Or Pox Christi? -- Luke 12:49-56 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2009
This is not a favorite passage for preaching.
The Business Of The Church -- Galatians 1:1-12 -- David E. Leininger -- 2009
Is there one simple answer to the question "What is the business of the church"?
Dinner Guests -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2009
The lectionary uses verse 1 of Luke chapter 14 to set the scene: "When Jesus went to eat in the hous
The Truth, The Whole Truth, And Nothing But The Truth -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- David E. Leininger -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2009
Several years ago there was a huge literary uproar over A Million Little Pieces (New York: An
A Place At The Table -- Philemon 1:1-21 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C -- 2009
This comes under the category of "Flattery will get you everywhere." Or "You get more flies with hon
The Church Should Go To Hell! -- Luke 4:1-13 -- David E. Leininger -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2009
Many churches, as part of their routine of worship, engage in the "passing of the peace." The practi
Hoping For A Hug -- Luke 13:31-35 -- David E. Leininger -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2009
Jerusalem was not far now.
When Faith Faces Disaster -- Luke 15:1-10 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 2009
This text appears in the lectionary cycle just about the time of the America's remembrance of the Se
The Fig Tree -- Luke 13:1-9 -- David E. Leininger -- Third Sunday in Lent - C -- 2009
An intriguing text.
Prayers For The President -- 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 2009
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for eve
Sonny Moneybags -- Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 -- David E. Leininger -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2009
This text has been described as the greatest short story ever written.
Would A Loving God Really Let Anyone Go To Hell? -- Luke 16:19-31 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C -- 2009
This is a question to which almost all of those reading this book already have an answer.

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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:
  • Who Is My Neighbor? by Tom Willadsen based on 2 Kings 5:1-14, Galatians 6:(1-6) 7-16, Luke 10:1-11, 16-20; Psalm 30.

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.

* * *

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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