
Mary Austin is the Senior Pastor of Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church, a diverse Presbyterian congregation in the Washington, DC area. She has served churches in New Jersey and Michigan, and also loved being a hospice chaplain. She is the author of Meeting God at the Mall, published by CSS.
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Advent 2
29 – Sermons
100+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
31 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
100+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
31 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Advent 3
27 – Sermons
110+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
30 – Worship Resources
26 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
110+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
30 – Worship Resources
26 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Advent 4
29 – Sermons
110+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
110+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Christmas Eve/Day
29 – Sermons
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
36 – Children's Sermons / Resources
31 – Worship Resources
33 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
36 – Children's Sermons / Resources
31 – Worship Resources
33 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
New & Featured This Week
The Immediate Word
Bethany Peerbolte
Christopher Keating
Ron Love
Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
George Reed
Thomas Willadsen
For December 15, 2019:
- Small Action = Massive Transformation by Bethany Peerbolte — We live in a culture that admires accomplishment, time management, and overworking for a cause or passion, The verses from this week’s lectionary tell us to operate a little differently...
Emphasis Preaching Journal
Frank Ramirez
Advent in Cycle A means Isaiah, Romans, and Matthew. Isaiah is so rich and musical. His imagery is the source of so many hymns. This week’s passage uses the images of the world coming alive again to sing about the revival of God’s people, and the restoration of their true identity.
Mark Ellingsen
Ron Love
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Isaiah 35:1-10
Leslie B. Flynn told the story of an orphaned boy who was living with his grandmother. Their house caught fire, and the grandmother, trying to get upstairs to rescue the boy, perished in the flames. The boy’s cries for help were finally answered by a man who climbed an iron drainpipe and came back down with the boy hanging tightly to his neck.
Leslie B. Flynn told the story of an orphaned boy who was living with his grandmother. Their house caught fire, and the grandmother, trying to get upstairs to rescue the boy, perished in the flames. The boy’s cries for help were finally answered by a man who climbed an iron drainpipe and came back down with the boy hanging tightly to his neck.
StoryShare
C. David Mckirachan
Frank Ramierz
Contents
“Are We There Yet?” by C. David McKirachan
“Mary — A Child Prodigy?” by Frank Ramirez
Are We There Yet?
by C. David McKirachan
James 5:7-10
Did you ever wonder where they get the kids for the TV ads, you know the ones that are always smiling, and sitting next to parents on the couch, or at the table? Maybe your kids are like that. Maybe there are kids like that somewhere. But mine… well let’s say they were more likely to be involved in other activities.
“Are We There Yet?” by C. David McKirachan
“Mary — A Child Prodigy?” by Frank Ramirez
Are We There Yet?
by C. David McKirachan
James 5:7-10
Did you ever wonder where they get the kids for the TV ads, you know the ones that are always smiling, and sitting next to parents on the couch, or at the table? Maybe your kids are like that. Maybe there are kids like that somewhere. But mine… well let’s say they were more likely to be involved in other activities.
CSSPlus
Bethany Peerbolte
John the Baptist asked Jesus, through his own followers, if he really was the “expected one.” Jesus’ reply was to tell John about what he had been up to. Jesus was healing people left and right of all kinds of irreversible ailments. Even raising people back to life! To top it all off, the poor were hearing the good news. Then Jesus said “if that makes you happy then I’m your guy.”
The Village Shepherd
Janice B. Scott
There wasn't much that Adrian was good at, except swimming. He learned to swim when he was little more than a baby, and he loved it. When he was seven he joined a swimming club. It was there that he first met Mr Stevens, the swimming coach.
SermonStudio
Linda Schiphorst Mccoy
When a woman is pregnant, we often say she is "expecting." That is a good term for it, because she's expecting or anticipating that a baby will be born at some appointed time in the future, and along with that baby will come a whole wealth of other expectations. There will be expectations about who the baby will look like, and what that baby will be like. There will be expectations about the baby's future -- the kind of life he or she will live; the kind of person the child will become. As V. S. Naipaul once said, "One isn't born one's self.