Login / Signup

Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A

Hold down Ctrl (Windows) / Command (Mac) for multiple selections (scroll list to see all options)

Children's Activity

Commentary

Children's bulletin

Children's Liturgy and Story

Children's sermon

Children's Story

Devotional

Drama

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Lisa Alther's novel Original Sins... -- Hebrews 13:1-8 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
Lisa Alther's novel Original Sins is a tiresome recital of lurid descriptions of violence and
The opening verses in this... -- Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
The opening verses in this reading glorify the practice of humility.
A Christian counselor was helping... -- Hebrews 13:1-8 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
A Christian counselor was helping a group of parents deal with the weighty matter of moral instructi
The people of Israel always... -- Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
The people of Israel always looked back with pride to the glory their land had enjoyed in the days o
Fear is an expectation of... -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
Fear is an expectation of evil.
Caring for others may be... -- Hebrews 13:1-8 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
Caring for others may be at the heart of living out our Christian fatih.
It is easy for us... -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
It is easy for us to look at this parable of Jesus and say that we would never sit in the seat of ho
This passage reminds me of... -- Hebrews 13:1-8 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
This passage reminds me of an old joke about a soldier who was repeatedly rebuked for using excessiv
This Scripture passage emphasizes the... -- Hebrews 13:1-8 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
This Scripture passage emphasizes the need to show hospitality to those we meet along the many roads
It's funny how things stay... -- Hebrews 13:1-8 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
It's funny how things stay with you over the years.
Leftovers aren't too bad. Especially... -- Hebrews 12:18-24 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
Leftovers aren't too bad.
It is easy to have... -- Ezekiel 18:1-9, 25-29 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
It is easy to have an intellectual discussion about the justice of God, and completely avoid the iss
Where do you find holy... -- Exodus 3:1-15 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
Where do you find holy ground? It is easy to miss in our rush through life.
A man went to order... -- Exodus 3:1-15 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
A man went to order flowers to be sent to his mother who lived 200 miles away.
The burning bush was remarkably... -- Exodus 3:1-15 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
The burning bush was remarkably visible, but not everyone can see what God is doing.
Perhaps it was because God... -- Exodus 3:1-15 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
Perhaps it was because God was in control, and not Moses, that the fugitive from Egypt was so terrif
The year 1985 saw a... -- Romans 12:9-21 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
The year 1985 saw a lot of "firsts" for Tom, a young pastor from Ohio.
Kathleen Norris writes in Amazing... -- Romans 12:9-21 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
Kathleen Norris writes in Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith, "Young people grow up underst

Intercession

Preaching

Sermon

Stories

Worship

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 10 | OT 15 | Pentecost 5
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 11 | OT 16 | Pentecost 6
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 12 | OT 17 | Pentecost 7
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

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: You may present this message as a simple story, or have the children act it out as a role-play. I will show the role-play version, but you can ignore the acting pieces and just tell the story if you prefer.

Note: For the role-play version, you will need to select two girls and one boy to play the roles. You might also have a broom and a dust rag if you want to.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! Let’s get started.

The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
Nazish Naseem
For July 20, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Amos 8:1-12, Psalm 52
Amos proclaims the word from God that punishes the people. The people are to be punished for their lack of faith, for their focus on practicing deceit, betraying honesty to their neighbors, and being impatient for the time after the Sabbath when they can focus on profit and selling their crops and wares. Oh, my! What a terrible message for people. You have been unfaithful so I will punish you. And then in the psalm, God is proclaimed to be the olive tree, that which brings blessing.
David Kalas
I have tried to find different ways of saying it so that my children don’t tire of hearing it. But the basic principle remains the same, and my kids have heard it a ton. “First things first.” They ask if they can do this or they start to do that, and I will endeavor to redirect them, saying, “Why don’t we make sure we’re doing first things first!”

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. (v. 24)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
One of Martha's earliest memories was of her little sister Mary singing and dancing in the middle of an admiring crowd of friends. Mary had always been a dancer, from the time she could walk. Privately, Martha thought she'd always been something of a show-off and ought to go on the stage, for Mary loved an audience.

SermonStudio

John E. Sumwalt
Jeanne Jones
Several years ago, before we moved to Wisconsin, I was an honorary nanny for our pastor's son, Jonathan. I took care of him from the time he was able to walk until our pastor moved, when Jonathan was about five. We had wonderful times together. One time, when I was at their house, and we had been doing some spiritual direction together, Pastor Michael asked me if I knew the name of my guardian angel.
James Evans
We are not surprised when we learn about crooks and robbers boasting about "mischief done against the godly" or "plotting destruction" all day long. The image we have in our minds about who "bad" people are, and how they conduct themselves, make such accusations completely plausible. We are less inclined to believe such things about leaders, especially respected leaders among us. We have difficulty believing someone with wealth and power would deliberately plot to do someone else harm.
Arley K. Fadness
Today's gospel from Luke 10 follows the parable of the good Samaritan. Luke positions the good Samaritan and the Mary-Martha story back to back for good reason. The parable and the story are examples of the Great Commandment "to love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself." The good Samaritan parable illustrates "love to neighbor," whereas the Mary-Martha story illustrates "love to God."
Kirk R. Webster
In the early 1990s, Wesley Nunley of Dallas completed a project he had dreamed of for decades. "I tell you, this could be a big thing," he explained. Wes then walked out to a concrete octagon in the middle of his backyard. With a beaming smile, arms raised up in excitement, the energetic retiree said, "This welcomes the UFO to land, which has never been done before."
John W. Wurster
It was the best of times. A time of prosperity and confidence, a time of relative peace, a time when most everything looked pretty good, a time when most everyone felt pretty good. It was a time maybe not unlike our own time.
H. Burnham Kirkland
Words Of Assurance
Our God is both wise and caring: afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted.

Pastoral Prayer
God, we bow before you this morning, knowing that you hear every prayer. We know that in all of Creation, you are the source of life. You are the one who set the light swirling between the galaxies. The breath of your Spirit pulses through all life. You have even become flesh among us. We praise you, Lord, that in all your wonder, you have not forgotten us.

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL