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James Mckarns

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Sermon

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The First Marriage -- Genesis 2:18-24 -- James Mckarns, Anthology -- 1994
In the midst of a strange and beautiful world, the first man stood in awe, looking about at the new
To The Father's House -- 2 Corinthians 5:1, 6-10, John 14:1-6 -- James Mckarns, Anthology -- 1994
The first scripture reading we heard today was written by Paul and sent, in the form of a letter, to

Stories

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Stone Drunk And Naked -- Genesis 9 -- James Mckarns -- 2009
The gallon wine jug was lying uncorked, on its side, drained dry by the bleary-eyed sailor stretched
Good-bye, Hagar -- Genesis 16-21 -- James Mckarns -- 2009
"Send that Egyptian woman and her boy from my sight," Sarah demanded of her husband, Abraham.
The Saga Of Sodom -- Genesis 19 -- James Mckarns -- 2009
Abraham's favorite nephew was Lot, the son of his brother, Haran, who had died at an early age, leav
Right Bed, Wrong Woman -- Genesis 29 -- James Mckarns -- 2009
The first glimmer of the softly breaking dawn peeked through the partially opened cottage window and
The Low Blow -- Genesis 34 -- James Mckarns -- 2009
"Get your filthy hands off me, you ugly creep!" She kicked frantically and flailed her delicate arms
The Smart Ass -- Numbers 22 -- James Mckarns -- 2009
Nestled in the foothills of the Abarim Mountains, on the eastern side of the Dead Sea, there lived a
Caught With His Pants Down -- 1 Samuel 24 -- James Mckarns -- 2009
The day King Saul granted young David permission to battle Goliath, David's popularity skyrocketed,
The Witch's Seance -- 1 Samuel 28 -- James Mckarns -- 2009
King Saul and three of his most trusted army officers finally reached the little mountain village of
Oh, Susanna! -- Daniel 13 -- James Mckarns -- 2009
The Babylonians stormed the ancient city of Jerusalem in the year 587 BC and destroyed it.
Watch Out For The Birds -- Tobit 1-12 -- James Mckarns -- 2009
He sat on a wobbly stool outside his small frame house, staring absentmindedly at the dusty road.
Dressed To Kill -- Judith 12-13 -- James Mckarns -- 2009
The small community of Bethulia had forgotten how truly beautiful Judith was.
The "Big E" Does It All -- 1 Maccabees 6 -- James Mckarns -- 2009
Eleazar, totally caught up in the unrelenting fury and maddening violence, was fighting with reckles
No Dogs Allowed -- Matthew 15 -- James Mckarns -- 2009
One day, Jesus and the faithful twelve decided they needed a few days of rest and a change of scener
Sleeping Through The Sermon -- Acts 20 -- James Mckarns -- 2009
"Eutychus, you get in the house this very moment!" his spirited mother impatiently shouted to the el
A Change Of Venue -- Acts 23 -- James Mckarns -- 2009
The apostle Paul traveled thousands of miles on land and sea, preaching the message of Jesus, establ
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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