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Bringing Up Ziva -- John 16:12-15, Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31, Romans 5:1-5, Psalm 8 -- Sandra Herrmann -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 2013
Contents"Bringing Up Ziva" by Sandra Herrmann
Arms Of Stone -- Luke 2:1-14 (15-20), Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Psalm 96 -- Keith Hewitt, Sandra Herrmann -- The Nativity of our Lord - A -- 2013
Contents"Arms of Stone" by Keith Hewitt
Following The Leader -- Luke 7:1-10, 1 Kings 18:20-21 (22-29) 30-39, Galatians 1:1-12, Psalm 96 -- Peter Andrew Smith, Keith Hewitt -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C -- 2013
Contents"Following the Leader" by Peter Andrew Smith
World Saver -- Luke 22:14--23:56, Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Psalm 31:9-16 -- Keith Hewitt, Sandra Herrmann -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2013
Contents"World Saver" by Keith Hewitt "Maybe" by Sandra Herrmann
Protecting The Good -- Matthew 2:13-23, Isaiah 63:7-9, Hebrews 2:10-18, Psalm 148 -- John Fitzgerald -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A -- 2013
Contents"Protecting the Good" by John Fitzgerald* * * * * * *
Ruining A Good Funeral -- Luke 7:11-17, 1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24), Galatians 1:11-24, Psalm 146 -- C. David Mckirachan, John E. Sumwalt -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C -- 2013
Contents"Ruining a Good Funeral" by C. David McKirachan
How Can Things Be Better? -- John 2:1-11, Isaiah 62:1-5, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, Psalm 36:5-10 -- Lamar Massingill, John E. Sumwalt -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2013
Contents"How Can Things Be Better?" by Lamar Massingill
The Return -- John 1:(1-9) 10-18, Jeremiah 31:7-14, Ephesians 1:3-14, Psalm 147:12-20 -- Keith Hewitt, Peter Andrew Smith -- Second Sunday after Christmas - A -- 2013
Contents"The Return" by Keith Hewitt
Becoming A Family -- Luke 7:36--8:3, 1 Kings 21:1-10 (11-14) 15-21a, Galatians 2:15-21, Psalm 5:1-8 -- Frank Ramirez -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2013
Contents"Becoming a Family" by Frank Ramirez
Stranger In A Familiar Land -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22, Isaiah 43:1-7, Acts 8:14-17, Psalm 29 -- Frank Ramirez, Keith Hewitt -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2013
Contents"Stranger in a Familiar Land" by Frank Ramirez
Get Up And Get Moving! -- Matthew 2:1-12, Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-12, Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 -- Keith Wagner -- Epiphany of the Lord - A -- 2013
Contents"Get Up and Get Moving!" by Keith Wagner
Picking Up The Mantle -- Luke 9:51-62, 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14, Galatians 5:1, 13-25, Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20 -- C. David Mckirachan, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C -- 2013
Contents"Picking Up the Mantle" by C. David McKirachan
Chosen By God -- Luke 4:21-30, Jeremiah 1:4-10, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Psalm 71:1-6 -- Peter Andrew Smith, Frank Ramirez -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2013
Contents"Chosen by God" by Peter Andrew Smith
If This Goes On... -- Luke 19:1-10, Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12, Psalm 119:137-144 -- Keith Hewitt, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - C -- 2013
Contents"If This Goes On..." by Keith Hewitt
Hunt And Peck For History -- Luke 10:1-11, 16-20, 2 Kings 5:1-14, Galatians 6:(1-6) 7-16, Psalm 30 -- Frank Ramirez, Peter Andrew Smith -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C -- 2013
Contents"Hunt and Peck for History" by Frank Ramirez
Hippos, Hands, And Feet -- Luke 4:14-21, Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a, Psalm 19 -- Keith Hewitt, C. David Mckirachan -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2013
Contents"Hippos, Hands, and Feet" by Keith Hewitt
End Of The Road -- Luke 8:26-39, 1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a, Galatians 3:23-29 -- Keith Hewitt, Sandra Herrmann -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2013
Contents"End of the Road" by Keith Hewitt
Sound The Alarm -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21, Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10, Psalm 51:1-17 -- Sandra Herrmann, C. David Mckirachan -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2013
Contents"Sound the Alarm" by Sandra Herrmann
Prophet -- Luke 10:25-37, Amos 7:7-17, Colossians 1:1-14, Psalm 82 -- Keith Hewitt, C. David Mckirachan -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2013
Contents"Prophet" by Keith Hewitt "Getting Mugged" by C. David McKirachan
Temptation Eyes -- Luke 4:1-13, Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Romans 10:8b-13, Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 -- Keith Hewitt -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2013
Contents"Temptation Eyes" by Keith Hewitt "Lent 1" by John Steward
This The Judgment Of God? -- Luke 10:38-42, Amos 8:1-12, Colossians 1:15-28, Psalm 52 -- Sandra Herrmann, John E. Sumwalt -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2013
Contents"This the Judgment of God?" by Sandra Herrmann
Chasing Buzzards -- Luke 13:31-35, Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18, Philippians 3:17--4:1, Psalm 27 -- C. David Mckirachan, Richard A. Jensen -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2013
Contents"Chasing Buzzards" by C. David McKirachan
Putting On Christ -- Luke 12:13-21, Hosea 11:1-11, Colossians 3:1-11, Psalm 107:1-9, 43 -- Peter Andrew Smith, C. David Mckirachan -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - C -- 2013
Contents"Putting on Christ" by Peter Andrew Smith
Game Changer -- Luke 13:1-9, Isaiah 55:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Psalm 63:1-8 -- Frank Ramirez, Keith Hewitt -- Third Sunday in Lent - C -- 2013
Contents"Game Changer" by Frank Ramirez "The Gift" by Keith Hewitt
What's A Mountweazel? -- Luke 11:1-13, Hosea 1:2-10, Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19), Psalm 85 -- Frank Ramirez, Keith Hewitt -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C -- 2013
Contents"What's a Mountweazel?" by Frank Ramirez
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 16 | OT 21 | Pentecost 11
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 17 | OT 22 | Pentecost 12
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 18 | OT 23 | Pentecost 13
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

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John Jamison
Object: This message is a role play. You can do this with only two children playing the parts of the two women, but if you have more children, you could have two more playing the parts of the children, another playing the part of the synagogue leader, and another playing the part of the country’s leader. You can also add any other roles you might want to add to make it interesting. Also, I have created places for your characters to speak, but you can add more of those to make it all more fun and memorable.

* * *

The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Nazish Naseem
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
For August 24, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Wayne Brouwer
C. Knight Aldrich, a medical doctor and the first chairperson of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Chicago (1955-1964), was a keen analyst of the motivations for our behaviors. He worked with the social services agencies of Chicago for a time, particularly spending hours with teenagers who had been arrested for shoplifting or other theft. Aldrich interviewed them to find out how they had come to this. He also talked with the parents, attempting to discover how they had handled the problem from the first time they knew about it.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 1:4-10 and Psalm 77:1-6

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
“We have questions about your conduct as our pastor,” Carl announced as soon as Pastor John sat down at the hastily called board meeting. “We have received complaints about you from the congregation.”

“Complaints?” Pastor John frowned. “From whom and about what?”

“Mrs. Finnigan saw you coming out of what she politely described as ‘A Gentleman’s Club’ last Thursday night when she was driving downtown.” Bruce scowled. “Do you deny this?”

“Not at all,” Pastor John said. “I did have to go to that place on Thursday evening.”

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:
Jesus was aware of people's deepest needs and what prompted their actions. In our worship today let us consider how we can discover people's deepest needs and the motives for their actions.

Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, sometimes we see only the surface and condemn without real understanding.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes we are afraid to get sufficiently close to other people to see their inner needs.
Christ, have mercy.

SermonStudio

James Evans
(See Epiphany 4/Ordinary Time 4, Cycle C, for an alternative approach.)

The old saying, "experience is the best teacher," could serve as a subtitle for this psalm. Written as a prayer for help in a time of distress or oppression, the psalm subtly hints at a recognition and awareness that only comes with time. There is a track record, so to speak, that the psalmist is aware of: God's record of dependability. Based on God's proven record of saving power and grace, the psalmist is able to pray for salvation, but at the same time celebrate the certainty of its arrival.
Lee Ann Dunlap
Carrie's1 high school guidance counselor noticed she had been acting out a bit in school recently. She had appeared depressed and had been having some authority issues over rules and such. The guidance counselor set Carrie up with a local pastor who had been volunteering a few hours each Friday after a teen suicide a few months before. Most of the other students who came to see the pastor just needed someone to listen to their usual teen issues and heartaches. But, shortly into their time together, Carrie began to open up about some real grown-up problems.
Kirk R. Webster
It's a typical Sunday morning at St. Stephen Presbyterian Church in Orlando, Florida. The people file in and sit down in plush pews. Their attention is drawn to the chancel where they see choir members calmly seated, robed in dark blue and white. The mahogany altar table is draped with a silk parament. Two bronze candleholders stand guard at the table edges.
R. Robert Cueni
As was his custom, Jesus went that Sabbath morning to the synagogue for worship. As he was preaching and teaching, he happened to glance toward the fringe of the crowd where he saw a very crippled woman. She was bent over and was unable to stand up straight. When he inquired, Jesus was told the woman had been that way for eighteen years.
John H. Will
Call to Worship
Indeed, this is a day of rest and gladness.
This is God's Sabbath, created for our reflection and renewal.
Let us then not profane it, but keep it holy.
We do this as we honor God and commit ourselves to the well--being of God's creation.
Each of us individually needs a personal rejuvenation of spirit.
Together we seek a strengthening of community, a community that continues to build itself in love.
So do we come as one people to worship God, our Maker and our Sustainer.

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