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Come, Join The Party! -- Luke 15:1-10, Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28, 1 Timothy 1:12-17, Psalm 14 -- Keith Wagner, Peter Andrew Smith -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 2016
Contents "Come, Join the Party!" by Keith Wagner
In The Wilderness -- Luke 4:1-13, Deuteronomy 26:1-11 -- Peter Andrew Smith, Sandra Herrmann -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2016
Contents "In the Wilderness" by Peter Andrew Smith
They're All Crooks -- Luke 16:1-13, Jeremiah 8:18--9:1, 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Psalm 79:1-9 -- C. David Mckirachan, Keith Hewitt -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 2016
Contents "They’re all crooks" by C. David McKirachan
Living Our Beliefs -- Luke 13:31-35, Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18, Philippians 3:17--4:1, Psalm 27 -- Keith Wagner -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2016
Contents "Living Our Beliefs" by Keith Wagner
Love Of Money -- Luke 16:19-31, 1 Timothy 6:6-19, Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15, Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16 -- John Fitzgerald -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C -- 2016
Contents "Love of Money" by John FitzgeraldLove of Money
Thou Shalt Not ... Generally Speaking -- Luke 13:1-9, Isaiah 55:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Psalm 63:1-8 -- Keith Hewitt, John Fitzgerald -- Third Sunday in Lent - C -- 2016
Contents "Thou Shalt Not ... Generally Speaking" by Keith Hewitt
Would Your Church Be Missed? -- Luke 17:5-10, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Lamentations 1:1-6, Lamentations 3:19-26 -- John E. Sumwalt, Peter Andrew Smith -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C -- 2016
Contents "Would Your Church Be Missed?" by John Sumwalt
Rebirth For Troubled Souls -- Luke 17:11-19, Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Psalm 66:1-12 -- Keith Wagner, C. David Mckirachan -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C -- 2016
Contents "Rebirth for Troubled Souls" by Keith Wagner
Petrified Forest -- Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32, Joshua 5:9-12, Psalm 32 -- Frank Ramirez, Sandra Herrmann -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2016
Contents "Petrified Forest" by Frank Ramirez
A Certain Level Of Comfort -- Luke 18:1-8, 2 Timothy 3:14--4:5, Jeremiah 31:27-34, Psalm 119:97-104 -- Keith Hewitt, John Fitzgerald -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - C -- 2016
Contents "A Certain Level of Comfort" by Keith Hewitt
All For Christ -- John 12:1-8, Isaiah 43:16-21, Philippians 3:4b-14, Psalm 126 -- Peter Andrew Smith, Keith Wagner -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2016
Contents "All for Christ" by Peter Andrew Smith
More Than One Winner -- Luke 18:9-14, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18, Joel 2:23-32, Psalm 65 -- Frank Ramirez -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - C -- 2016
Contents "More Than One Winner" by Frank Ramirez
Over -- Luke 22:14--23:56, Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Psalm 31:9-16 -- Keith Hewitt -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2016
Contents "Over" by Keith HewittOver
The Midwife -- Matthew 1:18-25, Isaiah 7:10-16, Romans 1:1-7, Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 -- Keith Hewitt, John Fitzgerald -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A -- 2016
Contents "The Midwife" by Keith Hewitt
The Shining -- Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a), Exodus 34:29-35, 2 Corinthians 3:12--4:2, Psalm 99 -- Keith Hewitt, John E. Sumwalt -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 2016
Contents "The Shining" by Keith Hewitt
Houston, We Have No Problem -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Frank Ramirez -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2016
Contents "Houston, we have no problem" by Frank Ramirez
Forsaken But Not Forgotten -- Psalm 22 -- Peter Andrew Smith -- Good Friday - C -- 2016
Contents "Forsaken but not Forgotten" by Peter Andrew Smith
Light For The New Year -- Matthew 2:1-12, Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-12, Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 -- John Fitzgerald -- Epiphany of the Lord - A -- 2016
Contents "Light for the New Year" by John Fitzgerald
Before There Can Be Resurrection There Must Be Death -- John 20:1-18, Acts 10:34-43, 1 Corinthians 15:19-26, Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 -- Keith Wagner -- Easter Day - C -- 2016
Contents "Before there can be Resurrection there must be Death" by Keith Wagner
Ringing Without A Permit -- John 20:19-31, Acts 5:27-32, Revelation 1:4b-8, Psalm 118:14-29, Revelation 1:4-8 -- John E. Sumwalt -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2016
Contents "Ringing Without a Permit" by John Sumwalt
Gone, Forgotten, And Now Remembered -- John 21:1-19, Acts 9:1-6 (7-20), Revelation 5:11-14, Psalm 30 -- Frank Ramirez, John Fitzgerald -- Third Sunday of Easter - C -- 2016
Contents "Gone, Forgotten, and Now Remembered" by Frank Ramirez
Growing Pains -- Luke 19:1-10, Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12, Psalm 119:137-144 -- Keith Wagner, Peter Andrew Smith -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - C -- 2016
Contents "Growing Pains" by Keith Wagner
Following Jesus -- John 10:22-30, Acts 9:36-43, Revelation 7:9-17, Psalm 23 -- Peter Andrew Smith, Sandra Herrmann -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2016
Contents "Following Jesus" by Peter Andrew Smith
That's Nuts -- Luke 6:20-31, Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18, Ephesians 1:11-23, Psalm 149 -- C. David Mckirachan, Keith Hewitt -- All Saints Day - C -- 2016
Contents "That's Nuts" by C. David McKirachan
Living Outside The Box -- John 13:31-35, Acts 11:1-18, Revelation 21:1-6, Psalm 148 -- Keith Wagner, C. David Mckirachan -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2016
Contents "Living Outside the Box" by Keith Wagner
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

The Immediate Word

Thomas Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
For July 6, 2025:

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: This is a role play activity for the children.

Note: You will need an older volunteer to help with this activity. One option would be to find a teenager with some physical ability. If a teen is not available, an adult could be used instead. For simplicity here, I will refer to my older volunteer as “TOM”. You will also need to select three of your younger children to serve as volunteers in the story.

* * *

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
2 Kings 5:1-14
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
Bonnie Bates
2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30
Naaman seeks healing. He travels hoping healing will come to him when he visits the king of Israel. Yet, healing does not come in that way. Rather healing comes through Elishah. Healing comes from believing and being cleansed in the River Jordan. Healing comes through Naaman’s faithfulness and through God’s grace. Psalm 30 also reminds us to seek healing; to seek God and God will heal and restore us. Do we believe that? Do we believe that God can bring healing?

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ (vv. 10-11)

When I visit your church for the first time, consider the possibility that I might be looking for a church home. I am a good-looking old guy, but I have gray hair and I dress down in the summer, so don’t be put off by my cargo shorts and tank top. Talk to me!

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Damien and Ora grinned at each other in excitement. The time had come - at last! They'd been with the Leader for months and months, waiting for this moment. Not that it had felt much like training. They'd simply lived with the Leader, listening to his stories, hearing about the Kingdom, learning to get along really well with all the other people at Mission Headquarters. Now all seventy of them were ready, the spaceship had docked, and the Mission was about to begin. Ora was glad she'd been paired up with Damien again.

SermonStudio

James Evans
Stan Purdum
Carlos Wilton
(See Epiphany 6/Ordinary Time 6, Cycle B, and Easter 3, Cycle C, for alternative approaches.)

Anyone who has ever had the experience of losing a friend because of some conflict or dispute, and then has had the friendship restored because of love and forgiveness, has a unique insight into the meaning of this psalm. Although the poem begins and ends with praise, there is in the middle of the poem a brief moment of confession and contrition that puts the praise portions of the psalm in an entirely different light.

April Yamasaki
A word of encouragement came from an unlikely source the other day in a television interview with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The former football player, wrestler, and now actor was asked about a low time in his life when he was very discouraged about his career and future.

"How did you make your way back from that?" he was asked.

The Rock replied, "You have to put yourself out there. You have to get out there and fail, and learn from your failures."

Larry D. Powell
In the summer of 1983, I participated in a ministerial exchange program sponsored by my denomination. My assignment was to a circuit of churches on the Isle of Man, a tiny island located in the Irish Sea. The months preceding the exchange included considerable correspondence with the minister on the island with whom I would exchange pastoral duties for six weeks.
Richard E. Gribble, CSC
A wealthy businessman decided to take a walk and eat his lunch at the same time. He strolled by a park. There he purchased a hot dog and a soft drink. As he walked through the park two different "street people" approached him one by one. Each asked, "Can you help me? I am hungry." Each time the businessman looked straight ahead and kept walking. After finishing his lunch, he stopped and bought a chocolate eclair for dessert. As he was about to take the first bite, he was forced to jump out of the way as a young boy raced by on his skateboard. The eclair went flying and landed on the ground.

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