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Wayne Brouwer

Wayne Brouwer is a pastor of the Christian Reformed Church in North America and is an Associate Professor of Religion at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, as well as a member of the faculty of Western Theological Seminary. Brouwer has been the lead pastor in three different congregations. He is a graduate of Dordt College and holds degrees from Calvin Theological Seminary and McMaster University. Over 700 of his articles have been published as well as over a dozen books. Previous CSS Publishing titles by Pastor Bouwer include Political Christianity and Humming Till the Music Returns. He has been a consistent contributor to Emphasis: A Preaching Journal since 2004 and is one of several authors featured in Navigating the Sermon. Pastor Brouwer resides in Holland, Michigan, with his wife Brenda and they are the parents of three daughters.
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Commentary

Emphasis Preaching Journal

A world turned upside down -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Maundy Thursday - A -- 2014
In 17th-century England, under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell and his righteous Puritanism, Parli
Easter living -- Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 2:19-25, John 10:1-10 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
"A grave is a sobering thing," said Wordsworth.
Harvest time -- Acts 2:1-21, 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13, John 20:19-23 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2014
An ancient Jewish legend declares, "Pentecost is the day on which Torah was given." One wonders whet
Choices -- Genesis 25:19-34, Romans 8:1-11, Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2014
As parents, we want to influence our children.
The music of grace -- Exodus 32:1-14, Philippians 4:1-9, Matthew 22:1-14 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A -- 2014
His shrunken frame and age-diminished voice were almost lost at the front of our large church audito
Live like you were dying -- Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Matthew 25:1-13 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - A -- 2014
A well-rounded biblical moral lifestyle is established on four primary foundational principles:
Anticipation -- Isaiah 64:1-9, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 13:24-37 -- Wayne Brouwer -- First Sunday of Advent - B -- 2014
A well-rounded biblical "Screw your courage to the sticking-place," says Lady Macbeth to her doomed
Shine, Jesus, shine! -- Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Epiphany of the Lord - C -- 2013
In their book Resident Aliens, Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon tell the story of a Unit
Do the right thing -- Isaiah 43:16-21, Philippians 3:4b-14, John 12:1-8 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2013
There is a series of television advertisements about a financial company that puts forward the thesi
Witnesses -- Acts 5:27-32, Revelation 1:4b-8, John 20:19-31, Revelation 1:4-8 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2013
There is a marvelous little story tucked away in the pages of Edward Gibbon's seven-volume work T
Home -- Acts 16:9-15, Revelation 21:10, 22--22:5, John 14:23-29 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2013
Last year Phil Phillips won the American Idol competition based in part on his powerful rendi
Great expectations -- Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31, Romans 5:1-5, John 16:12-15 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 2013
It was Charles Dickens who prodded us to think about hope in his wonderful novel Great Expectatio
Miracles -- 1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24), Galatians 1:11-24, Luke 7:11-17 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C -- 2013
Charles Darwin grew up in a Christian home, yet later in life he rejected Christianity's hold on him
Commitment -- 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14, Galatians 5:1, 13-25, Luke 9:51-62 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C -- 2013
When Louis Pasteur was researching the deadly anthrax virus, he found that once a cow that had the d
Defining our destinies -- Amos 8:1-12, Colossians 1:15-28, Luke 10:38-42 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2013
During World War II the English government knew that Hitler was planning to invade the British Isles
Trust -- Isaiah 1:1, 10-20, Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16, Luke 12:32-40 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - C -- 2013
Some years ago, when Dick Shepard was the vicar of an Anglican parish in London, England, he had a d
Remembering who we are -- Jeremiah 2:4-13, Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16, Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2013
When Mahatma Gandhi traveled from his India homeland as a young man and studied for a time in Englan
Intercession -- Jeremiah 8:18--9:1, 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Luke 16:1-13 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 2013
When our oldest daughter began driver's training she needed to spend fifty hours behind the wheel of
Exiles, outcasts, and home -- Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Luke 17:11-19 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C -- 2013
When he summarized the formation of Latino identity, Gregory Rodriguez titled his social history
Under pressure -- Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12, Luke 19:1-10 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - C -- 2013
One of the British band Queen's greatest hits is a testimony of modern life.
Party time! -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Philippians 4:4-9, John 6:25-35 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Thanksgiving Day - C -- 2013
During the Middle Ages, parts of Europe had a wonderfully unusual annual celebration called the Feas
Baby changes everything -- Isaiah 7:10-16, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A -- 2013
As one congregation went through years of great growth and expansion, it became obvious that there c
From centripetal to centrifugal -- Isaiah 42:1-9, Acts 10:34-43, Matthew 3:13-17 -- Wayne Brouwer -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - A -- 2013
In God's initial encounter with Abram, recorded in Genesis 12, it is clear that the relationship bet
Fasting, faith, and focus -- Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12), 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16), Matthew 5:13-20 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - A -- 2013
Bernarr Macfadden, who once had a wide following in North America, said that everybody should fast n
Power alignment -- Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22, James 5:13-20, Mark 9:38-50 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 2012
Fred was a big man with a big heart.

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UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 20 | OT 25 | Pentecost 15
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 21 | OT 26 | Pentecost 16
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 22 | OT 27 | Pentecost 17
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

Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
For September 28, 2025:
  • Money! Money! Money! by Dean Feldmeyer based on Acts 2:1-21. “This is the even-handed dealing of the world! There is nothing on which it is so hard as poverty; and there is nothing it professes to condemn with such severity as the pursuit of wealth!” — Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Wayne Brouwer
The president of the college I attended was the kind of man who always said what was on his mind. He had a very healthy self-image and wasn’t concerned about how people might take him. At one of the graduation ceremonies, he stood at the podium, looked out over the huge crowd of people, shook his head, and said to himself (right into the microphone, of course), “All these Christians in one place, and no one’s taking an offering!”
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
The lesson makes clear that God is present in the world of business, in our daily work.  John Wesley offered thoughtful reflections on the nature of work; he noted:

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. (vv. 14-15)

One morning last October, Bruce Klemm got up and sang a song to his wife, Virginia, as he has done every morning of the 42 years they have been married. Little did he know that within a few hours, he would be calling her to say goodbye.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus told a story about a rich man and a beggar to illustrate the way in which we fail to notice those who are poor. In our worship today let us remember the poor and ask God to teach us a real concern for them.



Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes we fail notice some people.

Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we deliberately leave people out.

Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we care only about ourselves.

SermonStudio

James Evans
(See Lent 1, Cycle C, for an alternative approach to vv. 1-2 and 9-16.)

The writer of this psalm deftly employs a striking image, that at once offers us hope in times of trouble -- but at the same time, redefines for us what it means to be a human being in the world.

Schuyler Rhodes
Many Christians can be heard in or out of worship these days as they lift up their voices and say, "Praise the Lord!" The phrases are familiar, almost rote. Mouths open and words emerge. Pastors and liturgists remind the faithful that this God is not only worthy of our praise; this God sort of requires it of us. This God is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5) who brooks no competition from other gods we might pursue. Yes, God is worthy of praise. Right?
Clayton A. Lord Jr.
It always amazes me when I read about a sports figure who decides to hold out for more money. With salaries that are often in the millions, they feel underpaid unless they are at the next level. I heard one player say to a reporter on Sports Center, "It's not about the money. It is about respect." A few moments later, the host of the show made the comment, "When they say it isn't about the money, it's always about the money."

Chrysanne Timm
As we conclude several weeks of readings in the book of the prophet Jeremiah and next week look at the companion text from the book of Lamentations, a common thread begins to emerge. It is the thread of grief. Jeremiah has been called by God to a truly thankless job -- that of accompanying the people of his homeland into a time of loss and grief. Because of decades of idolatry and treaties with neighboring nations, the people of Judah will lose the land God once graciously gave to their ancestors.
R. Robert Cueni
The lesson for today continues the discussion on the proper use of material possessions by describing what happens when a person tries to "serve both God and wealth" (Luke 16:13). Today's Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus leaves us repulsed by the gory details, puzzled by the literal description of eternal life, and hopeful that the Lord didn't really mean all those terrible things about the punishment due us "Haves" for our treatment of the "Have Nots."

CSSPlus

Good morning, boys and girls. I brought some coins with me this morning. (Show the coins.) How many of these coins would it take to be rich? (Let them respond.) I think it would take millions of these coins before you would really be rich. How many of you would like to be rich? (Wait for show of hands.) I think most of us would like to be rich. What would you think if you had a wish that everything you touched turned to gold? (Let them respond.) You would soon have lots and lots of gold and you would quickly be very, very rich. There's a famous story about a man who had

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