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John E. Sumwalt

John E. Sumwalt is a retired United Methodist pastor and the author of nine books for CSS Publishing Company, including How to Preach the Miracles and the Vision Stories series. He and his wife, Joanne Perry-Sumwalt, were the original editors of StoryShare. John is an acclaimed storyteller. He writes a weekly spiritual column for several Wisconsin newspapers.
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A Voice In The Wilderness -- John 1:6-8, 19-28 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Third Sunday of Advent - B -- 1996
Margaret told herself that she should feel very pleased with her Christmas preparations.
A Prophet Without Honor -- Mark 6:1-13 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 1996
There was once a young man who grew up in a small farming community.
Who Is The Greatest? -- Mark 9:30-37 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 1996
A holy woman from India was traveling through the United States on a speaking tour to raise money fo
Home For Christmas -- Luke 1:47-55 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 1996
There were just three shopping days left until Christmas. Mrs.
Dor's Vision -- Mark 9:2-9 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 1996
As I lay in St. Luke's Hospital, being prepared for an aortagram, I felt quite apprehensive.
One Of These Little Ones -- Mark 9:38-50 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1996
The patrolman heard three shots fired in rapid succession and started running toward the sound as fa
Favor With God -- Luke 1:26-38, 47-55 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- 1996
Introduction
Love In Action -- John 3:1-17 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 1996
Long ago, in the time before time, God was alone.
What God Has Joined Together -- Mark 10:2-16 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 1996
Laurie reached for the telephone for the third time in ten minutes, but, once again, her hand recoil
A Wolf In Shepherd's Clothing -- John 10:11-18 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- 1996
Jason Drexler was good with sheep. He enjoyed caring for the sheep on his father's farm.
Flesh -- John 1:1-14 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 1996
Uncle Patrick came to live with us after Gram died, in the fall of my senior year.
Father Good -- Mark 10:17-31 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 1996
They called him Father Good, though he was not ordained and he had no natural children.
Sheep Without A Shepherd -- Jeremiah 23:1-6, Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- 1996
Christ Community Church was without a pastor for the third time within four years. Dr.
Belonging To The Truth -- John 18:33-38 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- 1996
I had a lot of time to think on the long plane ride to Miami.
Waiting For Christmas -- Luke 2:1-20 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- 1996
There was once a little girl named Lucinda who couldn't wait for Christmas to come.
Frog Song -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 1996
"We will hear citizens' comments now," the Mayor announced.
Witnesses -- Luke 24:44-53 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 1996
There was a young couple in a small country church who had a very beautiful little daughter who was
Praise The Lord! -- Psalm 148 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - B -- 1996
The Board of Bethlehem Community Church gathered for its monthly meeting with solemn resolve.
Laying Down The Law -- Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Hebrews 9:11-14 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - B -- 1996
Awards Sunday was the biggest annual event at Calvary Church.
Old Granddad -- Psalm 51:1-18 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 1996
Charlie Johnson was up at 5:30, had all of his gear in the trunk of the car, and was drinking coffee
Becoming -- Genesis 3:8-15 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 1996
In the beginning, Adam and Eve were living happily ever after. They were the first human family.
Heads Will Roll -- Mark 6:14-29, Amos 7:7-15 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 1996
Both management and union leaders were angry with Amos Dresser.
Resurrection -- John 20:1-18 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Easter Day - B -- 1996
The first time I saw Maggie she was selling herself on the street like hundreds of other runaway tee
Out Of The Whirlwind -- Job 38:1-11 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 1996
Frank Marshall had never felt so confused or helpless in his entire life.
Will Work For Food -- Mark 10:46-52 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 1996
A well-known politician came into a large American city one day to speak at a political rally.
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
and more...
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
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

CSSPlus

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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