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Timothy B. Cargal

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Commentary

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Tumbling towers -- Isaiah 55:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Luke 13:1-9 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- Third Sunday in Lent - C -- 2022
Note: This installment was originally published in 2004.
Lines in the sand -- Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22, James 5:13-20, Mark 9:38-50, Psalm 124 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 2021
Note: Originally published in 2003.
Foolish wisdom -- Exodus 20:1-17, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, John 2:13-22 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 2012
I'm not that old, but I am still old enough to remember "Blue Laws" from my adolescence in northwest
Returning from exile -- Isaiah 43:1-7, Acts 8:14-17, Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2004
Recent biblical scholarship has placed tremendous emphasis on the ways that the scriptural tradition
Even apostles hate passing the hat -- 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27, Mark 5:21-43, Psalm 130 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2003
If you are like most pastors, then you probably dread preaching the annual stewardship sermon or (ga
Dust in the wind -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10, Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2003
Sometimes a song gets so deep inside your head that it can never be uprooted.
The church triumphant -- Revelation 7:9-17, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- All Saints Day - A -- 2002
A little knowledge can be a dangerous (or at least a humorous) thing.
Night of light -- Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-20, Psalm 96 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2002
One of the great cultural traditions of modern American Christmas observance is the use of lights.
A share of the Spirit -- 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14, Galatians 5:1, 13-25, Luke 9:51-62, Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C
"Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it." Now there is a bit of sage advice tha
Etiquette for God's realm -- Jeremiah 2:4-13, Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16, Luke 14:1, 7-14, Psalm 81:1, 10-16 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C
It has happened to me often enough in my ministry that I must conclude that it is a common experienc

Children's sermon

The Immediate Word

Too Good To Be True? -- Acts 3:12-19, 1 John 3:1-7, Luke 24:36b-48 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- Third Sunday of Easter - B
Dear Fellow Preacher,
The Blessing And Bane Of Witnesses -- Luke 24:1-12, Acts 10:34-43, Isaiah 65:17-25 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- Easter Day - C
The lectionary's Easter texts for this year give us a good opportunity to comment on the nature of w

Illustration

The Immediate Word

Too Good To Be True? -- Acts 3:12-19, 1 John 3:1-7, Luke 24:36b-48 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- Third Sunday of Easter - B
Dear Fellow Preacher,
The Blessing And Bane Of Witnesses -- Luke 24:1-12, Acts 10:34-43, Isaiah 65:17-25 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- Easter Day - C
The lectionary's Easter texts for this year give us a good opportunity to comment on the nature of w

Preaching

The Immediate Word

Too Good To Be True? -- Acts 3:12-19, 1 John 3:1-7, Luke 24:36b-48 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- Third Sunday of Easter - B
Dear Fellow Preacher,
The Blessing And Bane Of Witnesses -- Luke 24:1-12, Acts 10:34-43, Isaiah 65:17-25 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- Easter Day - C
The lectionary's Easter texts for this year give us a good opportunity to comment on the nature of w

Sermon

The Immediate Word

Too Good To Be True? -- Acts 3:12-19, 1 John 3:1-7, Luke 24:36b-48 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- Third Sunday of Easter - B
Dear Fellow Preacher,
The Blessing And Bane Of Witnesses -- Luke 24:1-12, Acts 10:34-43, Isaiah 65:17-25 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- Easter Day - C
The lectionary's Easter texts for this year give us a good opportunity to comment on the nature of w

Worship

The Immediate Word

Too Good To Be True? -- Acts 3:12-19, 1 John 3:1-7, Luke 24:36b-48 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- Third Sunday of Easter - B
Dear Fellow Preacher,
The Blessing And Bane Of Witnesses -- Luke 24:1-12, Acts 10:34-43, Isaiah 65:17-25 -- Timothy B. Cargal -- Easter Day - C
The lectionary's Easter texts for this year give us a good opportunity to comment on the nature of w
UPCOMING WEEKS
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...

New & Featured This Week

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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?

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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