Login / Signup

The Immediate Word

×

Warning message

You are not logged in.
Please log in to view this content.
If you are having problems logging in or think this is an error, please contact us online or call 1-800-537-1030.

Not a subscriber?
Get a FREE 30-Day Subscription
(No credit card necessary)
Get Full Access Now!

What Are The Odds?

Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Third Sunday of Easter - A
Luke 24:13-35
1 Peter 1:17-23
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19
Scott Suskovic
Barbara Jurgensen
Carlos Wilton
Generally speaking, there are very few people out there who are genuine risk-takers. The vast majority of us tend to play it safe, to play the odds. "I'm not going to take that long shot chance because odds are it won't work." When it comes to playing the odds, we as Christians have something else to consider as we observe the Easter season: What were the odds of a man rising from the dead? Death is a certainty, and yet those odds were beaten. What does that mean for our lives? Scott Suskovic will write the main article, with Barbara Jurgensen writing the response.
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Signup for FREE!
(No credit card needed.)
Proper 24 - OT 29 - Pentecost 19
23 – Sermons
140+ – Illustrations / Stories
35 – Children's Sermons, etc.
21 – Worship Resources
26 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 25 - OT 30 - Pentecost 20
25 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
19 – Worship Resources
28 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
All Saints
20 – Sermons
150+ – Illustrations / Stories
24 – Children's Sermons / Resources
13 – Worship Resources
17 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 26 - OT 31 - Pentecost 21
26 – Sermons
130+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
17 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 27 - OT 32 - Pentecost 22
24 – Sermons
130+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
17 – Worship Resources
24 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Signup for FREE!
(No credit card needed.)

Recent TIW Installments

Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - C
Nevertheless, He Resisted
Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C
By The Rivers Of Babylon
Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C
Genuine Humility
Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C
The Backfire Effect
Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C
Dishonest to Some, Clever to Others

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
Ron Love
Mary Austin
George Reed
Dean Feldmeyer
For October 20, 2019:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Frank Ramirez
God’s persistence results in changing the basics of the covenant — sour grapes and written on the heart. Paul calls for us to be persistent in faithfulness, in holding to the truth in a confusing world. Jesus calls us to be as persistent approaching a just and loving God in prayer. If a woman with no power can persist in pestering an unjust judge until justice is done, won’t it be more likely that God will respond to our prayers?

Jeremiah 31:27-34
Bob Ove
Mark Ellingsen
Ron Love
Bill Thomas
Bonnie Bates
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 31:27-34
A 2018 poll conducted by the Pew Research Center found that 61% of Americans believe in a God who judges them based on what they have done. This was in line with an earlier Baylor University poll finding 47.4% of Americans have an angry god. Most of us have not really heard the word of this lesson about a New Covenant with a God who will remember our sin no more (v.34).

CSSPlus

Arley K. Fadness
“Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray and not lose heart.” (v. 1)

Good morning girls and boys,

I am so glad to see you this morning. Are you ready to hear my children’s message today? (children respond)  Ears and hearts open?

Let’s suppose you want to use your neighbor’s bicycle for an errand. Your neighbor is selfish and sometimes a bully. But you keep on asking and asking. Finally he/she relents and says, “Okay you have been bugging and bugging me, you may use my bicycle.”

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
Contents
“Written On Our Hearts” by Peter Andrew Smith


Written On Our Hearts
by Peter Andrew Smith
Jeremiah 31:27-34

“Okay guys, good practice.” Coach blew the whistle and waved at the players to gather around him. “You’re starting to really come along. Chapel service is in thirty minutes so you’ve got time to get yourself a drink or a snack after hitting the showers.”

The players cheered and headed off the field to get ready for the next activity.

“Hey Coach?” Johnson asked.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Anyone who has suffered any sort of trauma in life will know what it is to have bad dreams. Nightmares often start early in life so that quite small children can be deeply disturbed by them. Sometimes they seem to occur for no reason, but at other times they follow a traumatic experience, or are the result of some worry or anxiety.

SermonStudio

J. Will Ormond
This sermon is a retelling in a contemporary setting of the Parable of the Widow and the Judge. The harsh character of the Judge is exaggerated. The imaginary law clerk is made especially wimpish to highlight the arrogance of the Judge.

The Widow, as in the original parable, is the strongest character in the drama, although outwardly she appears to be the weakest.

This sermon emphasizes the biblical theme of the reversal of roles, and the triumph of faithfulness over human power.


Special Occasion