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StoryShare

StoryShare Contributors

Frank Ramirez
Keith Hewitt
John Sumwalt
Peter Andrew Smith
C. David McKirachan
David O. Bales

Passion Sunday - A

John E. Sumwalt
The Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame. (v. 7)

“You should be ashamed of yourself!”

“Shame on you!”

These all too familiar words strike deep in the heart and can scar the soul. We carry the wound of shame as a body memory, like a soldier who bears a wound that never completely heals.

A touch, certain sounds and smells, the taste or sight of something associated with a shameful experience, can trigger post-traumatic shame. Some of us carry shame that does not really belong to us. Survivors of abuse often blame themselves.
What is StoryShare?
StoryShare is a treasure house with hundreds of good stories to share, stories which relate authentic, life-changing experiences that demonstrate the Lord's power and presence. Many are intensely personal accounts that concern visions, healing, or answers to prayers, but all bear witness to the indescribable joy, comfort and peace that come from a personal encounter with the divine. Our "Good Stories" section includes short fiction, parables much like those Jesus told.

Can I share stories that I have?
Yes, you can. You have good stories to share too, probably more than you know: personal stories, and stories from others that you have used over the years. StoryShare is always looking for stories involving personal experiences of the presence of God. Have you or someone you know heard the voice of God or been healed as a direct answer to prayer? If you have a story that you can share send it to StoryShare for review. Simply click here (storyshare@sermonsuite.com) and email your story to us.
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New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Elena Delhagen
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Thomas Willadsen
Christopher Keating
George Reed
For April 2, 2023:

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
The Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame. (v. 7)

“You should be ashamed of yourself!”

“Shame on you!”

These all too familiar words strike deep in the heart and can scar the soul. We carry the wound of shame as a body memory, like a soldier who bears a wound that never completely heals.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Bill Thomas
Mark Ellingsen
Bonnie Bates
Frank Ramirez
Isaiah 50:5-9a
The 2022 poll of the American Psychological Association revealed the highest levels of stress and weariness in the American population ever recorded. Commenting on this lesson and its reference to the need for the servant to sustain the weary (v.4), John Calvin observed that Christians “cannot escape this condition” (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol.VIII/2, pp.55-56), and then added:
David Coffin
In most churches I have served this is the week of Palm Sunday. The congregation sings “All Glory Laud and Honor,” as either the youth or other members of the church process around the sanctuary waving their palms. The processional text is usually read and sermon topic is based on this text (Matthew 21:1-11). Such ministry is not mutually exclusive to this passion set of texts today. It depends on which theme one chooses to emphasize this Sunday.

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A wipe-off marker board, markers, and eraser. The board can be of any size you can find.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Around the end of the nineteenth century, a book appeared on the life on Jesus. Nothing surprising about that, you may think, but this was the first time that anyone had written a life of Jesus outside the gospels. It was like a starter's flag, for after that, numerous books were published on the life of Jesus.

All the books were different, and it became apparent that they all reflected the author's own perception of Jesus. It also became apparent that each author's perception of Jesus very much mirrored himself and

SermonStudio

John A. Tenbrook
What really happened to the centurion who presided over our Lord's crucifixion? According to both Matthew and Mark, the centurion confessed that truly Jesus was God's Son. Luke says that the centurion simply asserted Jesus' innocence. But what went on in the centurion's mind as he watched this innocent young Galilean rabbi suffer a horrific death, forgiving his torturers and mockers, and promising Paradise to a fellow victim?

Did the centurion return to his duties as if nothing had happened to him? Or was this experience a life-changing one?
Gregory L. Tolle
Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You say so." But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?" But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. (vv. 11--14)

Tony S. Everett
Johnny is four years old and he stopped taking naps before his second birthday. From his 6:15 am wake up (all by himself, no alarm clocks) until his 8 pm bed time, Johnny is in perpetual motion. He is running or talking or both all day long, and he expects the same from everyone around him. You can't be around Johnny very long without feeling exasperated and exhausted, yearning for just a few minutes of peace and quiet. You may know Johnny, or someone just like him.
Donald H. Neidigk
Come in! Come in! Do come in! Far be it from me that I should deny a visitor the hospitality of my little home. After all, it isn't really my home. I'm just a tenant. It belongs to the Lord, as does everything else you see around here, although I admit it isn't much. If I have an extra mat for a bed, or loaf of bread, or skin of wine, and you have need of it, consider it a gift from God to you.
Richard L. Sheffield
"Truly, this man was God's Son!" (Matthew 27:54 NRSV).

"Truly, this man was a son of God!" (Ibid., alternate reading).

"This man really was God's Son!" (Ibid, CEV) said the soldier, at the foot of the cross, as Jesus died.

So where in heaven was God while his Son hung there between heaven and hell; between life and death? Between the hosannas and the hallelujahs -- the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday, the not so triumphal exit come Friday -- and Jesus' triumphant return to life on Easter -- where was God?
Harry N. Huxhold
ABC produced a television program titled Strange World. The story line of a rather dull episode was that a young scientist set out to transfer the memory of the mind from one person to another. The experiment was extended to transfer the experience of death in the mind of one person to another. In order to carry out his experiment the scientist decided to kill in order to transfer the brain fluids from the dead person to the live person. What triggered the experiment in the first place was a fascination with death.

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