
David Bales was a Presbyterian pastor for 33 years. He is a graduate of San Francisco Theological Seminary. In addition to his ministry he also has taught college: World Religions, Ethics, Biblical Hebrew and Biblical Greek (lately at College of Idaho, Caldwell). He has been a freelance writer for Stephen Ministries. His sermons and articles have appeared in Interpretation, Lectionary Homiletics, Preaching the Great Texts and other publications. For a year he wrote the online column "In The Original: Insights from Greek and Hebrew for the Lectionary Passages." His books include: Gospel Subplots: Story Sermons of God's Grace, Toward Easter and Beyond, Scenes of Glory: Subplots of God's Long Story, and To the Cross and Beyond and Beyond: Cycle A Sermons for Lent and Easter. Dave has been a writer for the CSS online subscription, StoryShare, for five years. He can be reached at dobales.com.
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
37 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
28 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
80+ – Illustrations / Stories
18 – Children's Sermons / Resources
14 – Worship Resources
15 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
100+ – Illustrations / Stories
20 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20+ – Worship Resources
15 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
20 – Children's Sermons / Resources
23 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
New & Featured This Week
The Immediate Word
Elena Delhagen
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Thomas Willadsen
Christopher Keating
George Reed
- A Tale of Two Kings by Elena Delhagen. In a world where politics and power scream for our attention, who are we going to choose?
- Second Thoughts: Bowing with Jesus by Katy Stenta based on Philippians 2:5-11.
- Sermon illustrations by Dean Feldmeyer, Chris Keating, Mary Austin.
StoryShare
John E. Sumwalt
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame. (v. 7)
“You should be ashamed of yourself!”
“Shame on you!”
These all too familiar words strike deep in the heart and can scar the soul. We carry the wound of shame as a body memory, like a soldier who bears a wound that never completely heals.
Emphasis Preaching Journal
Bill Thomas
Mark Ellingsen
Bonnie Bates
Frank Ramirez
The 2022 poll of the American Psychological Association revealed the highest levels of stress and weariness in the American population ever recorded. Commenting on this lesson and its reference to the need for the servant to sustain the weary (v.4), John Calvin observed that Christians “cannot escape this condition” (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol.VIII/2, pp.55-56), and then added:
David Coffin
CSSPlus
John Jamison
The Village Shepherd
Janice B. Scott
All the books were different, and it became apparent that they all reflected the author's own perception of Jesus. It also became apparent that each author's perception of Jesus very much mirrored himself and
SermonStudio
John A. Tenbrook
Did the centurion return to his duties as if nothing had happened to him? Or was this experience a life-changing one?
Gregory L. Tolle
Tony S. Everett
Donald H. Neidigk
Richard L. Sheffield
"Truly, this man was a son of God!" (Ibid., alternate reading).
"This man really was God's Son!" (Ibid, CEV) said the soldier, at the foot of the cross, as Jesus died.
So where in heaven was God while his Son hung there between heaven and hell; between life and death? Between the hosannas and the hallelujahs -- the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday, the not so triumphal exit come Friday -- and Jesus' triumphant return to life on Easter -- where was God?