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Mark Ellingsen

Mark Ellingsen, a minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), has been a professor of Church History at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia, since 1993. He graduated magna cum laude from Gettysburg College (Pennsylvania) and Yale University, from which he received three master's degrees in divinity, arts, and philosophy, as well as his Ph.D. He has authored 26 books including his latest, Dialoguing With Critical Race Theory: Constitutional and Christian Links (Vernon Press). He and his wife have three grown children. When he is not writing or teaching, Ellingsen enjoys discussing politics, sports, and playing guitar.
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Commentary

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Sermon Illustrations For Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 4 (2023) -- Matthew 10:24-39, Romans 6:1b-11, Genesis 21:8-21 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2023
Genesis 21:8-21
Sermon Illustrations For Epiphany 4 | OT 4 (2023) -- Micah 6:1-8, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Matthew 5:1-12 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 2023
Micah 6:1-8
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 (2023) -- Genesis 22:1-14, Romans 6:12-23, Matthew 10:40-42 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2023
Genesis 22:1-14
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 (2023) -- Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67, Romans 7:15-25a, Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 -- Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 2023
Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
Sermon Illustrations For Epiphany 5 (2023) -- Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12), 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16), Matthew 5:13-20 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - A -- 2023
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 (2023) -- Genesis 25:19-34, Romans 8:1-11, Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 -- Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2023
Genesis 25:19-34, Psalm 119:105-112
Sermon Illustrations For Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 (2023) -- Deuteronomy 30:15-20, 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, Matthew 5:21-37 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - A -- 2023
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Sermon Illustrations For Transfiguration Sunday (2023) -- Exodus 24:12-18, 2 Peter 1:16-21, Matthew 17:1-9 -- Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas -- Transfiguration Sunday - A -- 2023
Exodus 24:12-18
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 (2023) -- Genesis 28:10-19a, Romans 8:12-25, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2023
Genesis 28:10-19a
Sermon Illustrations For Ash Wednesday (2023) -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21, Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12) -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Ash Wednesday - A -- 2023
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 (2023) -- Genesis 29:15-28, Romans 8:26-39, Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2023
Genesis 29:15-28
Sermon Illustrations For Lent 1 (2023) -- Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7, Romans 5:12-19, Matthew 4:1-11 -- Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas -- First Sunday in Lent - A -- 2023
Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7
Sermon Illustrations For Lent 2 (2023) -- Genesis 12:1-4a, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, John 3:1-17, Psalm 121 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Second Sunday in Lent - A -- 2023
Genesis 12:1-4a
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 (2023) -- Genesis 32:22-31, Romans 9:1-5, Matthew 14:13-21 -- Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A -- 2023
Genesis 32:22-31
Sermon Illustrations For Lent 3 (2023) -- Exodus 17:1-7, Romans 5:1-11, John 4:5-42, Psalm 95 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Third Sunday in Lent - A -- 2023
Exodus 17:1-7
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 (2023) -- Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28, Romans 10:5-15, Matthew 14:22-33 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A -- 2023
Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28
Sermon Illustrations For Lent 4 (2023) -- 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Ephesians 5:8-14, John 9:1-41 -- Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2023
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 (2023) -- Genesis 45:1-15, Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32, Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28 -- Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 2023
Genesis 45:1-15
Sermon Illustrations For Lent 5 (2023) -- Ezekiel 37:1-14, Romans 8:6-11, John 11:1-45, Psalm 130 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2023
Ezekiel 37:1-14
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 (2023) -- Matthew 16:13-20, Exodus 1:8--2:10, Romans 12:1-8 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A -- 2023
Exodus 1:8--2:10

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Sermon Illustrations For Easter Sunday (2023) -- Acts 10:34-43, Colossians 3:1-4, John 20:1-18 -- Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Easter Day - A -- 2023
Jeremiah 31:1-6
Sermon Illustrations For Good Friday (2023) -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1--19:42 -- Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas -- Good Friday - A -- 2023
Isaiah 52:13--53:12
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 (2023) -- Exodus 33:12-23, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Matthew 22:15-22 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 2023
Exodus 33:12-23
Sermon Illustrations For Trinity Sunday (2023) -- Genesis 1:1--2:4a, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Matthew 28:16-20 -- Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A -- 2023
Genesis 1:1--2:4
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 1 (2023) -- Isaiah 64:1-9, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 13:24-37 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen -- First Sunday of Advent - B -- 2023
Isaiah 64: 1-9

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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...

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The Immediate Word

Thomas Willadsen
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For July 6, 2025:

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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.

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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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