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David E. Leininger

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Flattening Fences -- Ephesians 3:14-21 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2008
In 1983, in the tiny, rural town of Liberty Hill, South Carolina, this true story took place.1 Liber
Thanks For The Memory, Bob -- John 6:24-35 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2008
Several years ago, America paused to mark the passing of a great man.
A New Year's Resolution -- Ephesians 4:25--5:2 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 2008
Good instructions.
When Words Are Not Enough -- Ephesians 5:15-20 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 2008
Once upon a time, a farmer who was a deacon in his country church was summoned to serve on a federal
Being A Christian "Survivor" -- Ephesians 6:10-20 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 2008
Survivor -- after all these years on television, you are familiar with the concept -- castawa
Sex, Sex, And More Sex -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2008
Depending on who happened to publish your edition of the Bible, the heading on the page that contain
Ephphatha ... Be Opened -- Mark 7:24-37 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2008
Our text introduces us to a remarkable woman. She is courageous. She is clever. She is cool.
Sermons In Stones -- Psalm 19 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2008
Shakespeare scholars will recognize the source of this title.
Lent -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- David E. Leininger -- Ash Wednesday - A -- 2007
This season of Lent, which we begin today, developed gradually in the church.
The Wondrous Gift -- Isaiah 11:1-10 -- David E. Leininger -- Second Sunday of Advent - A -- 2007
Phillips Brooks was an eloquent Episcopalian preacher in the nineteenth century, famed in his day fo
Temptation -- Matthew 4:1-11 -- David E. Leininger -- First Sunday in Lent - A -- 2007
Temptation.
Streams In The Desert -- Isaiah 35:1-10 -- David E. Leininger -- Third Sunday of Advent - A -- 2007
"...
The Adventure Of Faith -- Genesis 12:1-4a -- David E. Leininger -- Second Sunday in Lent - A -- 2007
Life is an adventure.
All I Want For Christmas -- Titus 2:11-14 -- David E. Leininger -- The Nativity of our Lord - A -- 2007
"All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth." Remember that?
Who Woulda Thunk It? -- John 4:5-42 -- David E. Leininger -- Third Sunday in Lent - A -- 2007
Who woulda thunk it?
When Evil Seems To Win -- Matthew 2:13-23 -- David E. Leininger -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A -- 2007
"Peace on earth." Ha! Even in the Christmas story, it doesn't last long.
Telling The Story -- John 9:1-41 -- David E. Leininger -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2007
The account of the healing of the blind man in our gospel lesson is wonderful. He meets Jesus.
What's Right With The Church? -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- David E. Leininger -- Second Sunday after Christmas - A -- 2007
A denominational executive was scheduled to conduct an officers' retreat for a local church.
The Ideal Pastor -- Ezekiel 37:1-14 -- David E. Leininger -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2007
"If I wanted to drive a manager up the wall, I would make him responsible for the success of an orga
Joseph -- Matthew 1:18-25 -- David E. Leininger -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A -- 2007
What a mess! Put yourself in Joseph's sandals. A simple man, a carpenter.
A Drama In Three Acts -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- David E. Leininger -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2007
Philippians presents the story of Jesus as a drama in three acts.
The Shepherd Psalm -- Psalm 23 -- David E. Leininger -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2007
The Shepherd Psalm appears on this Fourth Sunday of Easter every year.

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The Voice -- 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20) -- David E. Leininger -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
Someone has suggested that the title for a sermon about this incident in the life of Samuel should b
Cross-Bearing -- Mark 8:31-38 -- David E. Leininger -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 2008
While vacationing in Mexico sometime back, my wife and I attended worship in a church that is served
Look Up And Live -- Numbers 21:4-9 -- David E. Leininger -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2008
Do you like snakes? Not many do.

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UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 16 | OT 21 | Pentecost 11
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 17 | OT 22 | Pentecost 12
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 18 | OT 23 | Pentecost 13
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

Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Tom Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
George Reed
Christopher Keating
For September 14, 2025:

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A sheep stuffy or toy.

* * *

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

Did you know that Jesus traveled around and hunted for people who were doing something illegal and breaking the laws? (Let them respond.) He really did.And when he found someone who was doing something illegal, do you know what he did with them? (Let them respond.)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
Our text tells us that we are skilled in doing evil (v.22). An anonymous late medieval treatise titled German Theology tells us why:

It is the nature and property of the creature to seek itself and its own things, and this and that, here and there, and in all that it does and leaves undone as desire is to its own advantage and benefit. (Varieties of Mystic Experience, p.162)

Martin Luther King, Jr. offers an alternative to this vision:
David Coffin
All three of today’s texts can be viewed as good news that God never gives up on God’s people. This is despite their resistance to repent or simple straying from the community of faith. We can observe family and loved ones at various points of their faith journey through the lens of each of these texts. Jeremiah 4 informs the people their neglect of honoring their covenant with God is about to result in disastrous consequences. Paul recalls in 1 Timothy 1 how he thought he was falling God’s will until he had his literal come to Jesus moment!

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (vv. 6-7)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus told stories to illustrate to the people God's gladness whenever anyone turned to him and chose life. There is still rejoicing in heaven whenever any one of us turns to God.



Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes I think I'm too insignificant for you to bother with me.

Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes I don't bother with you.

Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes I don't bother with other people, but only with myself.

SermonStudio

James Evans
(See Proper 12/Pentecost 10/Ordinary Time 17, Cycle B, for an alternative approach.)

The psalm writer has an interesting perspective on the origin of injustice in our world. He begins this psalm with the assertion that those who do not believe in God are "fools." He goes on to accuse them of corruption and of being incapable of doing good. Later on he writes, "Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon the Lord?" (v. 4).

Elizabeth Achtemeier
"Now it is I who speak in judgment upon them" (v. 12). Ours is a society that does not accept that as the Word of God. Many people do not believe that God judges anyone. Rather, the Lord is a forgiving God, a kindly deity who overlooks all wrong. As in the Gospel lesson for the morning, the Lord searches for the one lost sheep and returns it gently to the fold, or he hunts for the one lost coin until he finds it. God accepts the lost as they are, we think, overlooking Jesus' teaching about repentance and transformation of life.
Scott Suskovic
We usually don't spend too much time thinking about our own sinfulness. On occasion, of course, our feelings of guilt overwhelm us. We can't stop thinking about our sinfulness. If we are in that situation, we may need to talk that out with someone. Apart from times like that, we don't think much about our own sinfulness. We have ways of getting around that.

R. Robert Cueni
Back before the ways of the Taliban became common knowledge, there was a fascinating little article about how they jailed barbers when they didn't do culturally correct haircuts.1 The newspaper reported that young men in Kabul, Afghanistan, have started wearing their hair the way the actor Leonardo DiCaprio wears his. Long, not only on the sides, but so long in the front that hair can drop over the eyes. They call the style, "the Titanic," named for the blockbuster movie starring DiCaprio about the 1912 sinking of the cruise ship by that name.

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