Login / Signup

John Steward

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

Stories

SermonStudio

Proper 14 -- Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 -- John Steward -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - C
My good friend and former professor Dr.
Proper 15 -- Hebrews 11:29--12:2 -- John Steward -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C
In Plato's Symposium there is an allegory that imagines the beginning of human beings.
Advent 1 -- 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 -- John Steward -- First Sunday of Advent - C
What is love?
Proper 16 -- Hebrews 12:18-29 -- John Steward -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - C
During World War II the Red Cross would provide blood for wounded soldiers.
Advent 2 -- Luke 3:1-6 -- John Steward -- Second Sunday of Advent - C
While Khrushchev was Premier of the Soviet Union, he came out against his predecessor Joseph Stalin
Proper 17 -- Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 -- John Steward -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C
One summer a farmer named Worthy Taylor hired a young man by the name of Jim to work the farm.
Advent 3 -- Luke 3:7-18 -- John Steward -- Third Sunday of Advent - C
When the Gettysburg Cemetery was being dedicated, those doing the planning wanted to have a speaker
Proper 18 -- Luke 14:25-33 -- John Steward -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
A man was once put in a dark cave.
All Saints' Day -- Ephesians 1:11-23 -- John Steward -- All Saints Day - C
"...
Proper 19 -- Luke 15:1-10 -- John Steward -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C
From time to time I have, as most pastors do, a conversation with someone about his or her relations
Ascension Sunday -- Luke 24:44-53 -- John Steward -- Ascension of the Lord - C
This is a story about two young men I once encountered.
Proper 20 -- 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- John Steward -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C
One Sunday morning on a subway car in New York City people were traveling in relative peace and calm
Baptism Of The Lord -- Acts 8:14-17 -- John Steward -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C
Many years ago the founder and president of the National Cash Register Company of Dayton, Ohio, used
Proper 21 -- 1 Timothy 6:6-19 -- John Steward -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C
We are often afraid to speak of money in the church.
Easter -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 -- John Steward -- Easter Day - C
There was a little boy who would always come home late from school.
Proper 22 -- 2 Timothy 1:1-14 -- John Steward -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C
A pastor was preaching one of his first sermons in the new church to which he had been called.
Easter 2 -- John 20:19-31 -- John Steward -- Second Sunday of Easter - C
A young couple fell in love in a very unique way.
Luke 17:11-19 -- John Steward -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C
I have noticed that at Thanksgiving time it is difficult for people to give God thanks and praise.
Advent 4 -- Luke 1:39-45 (46-55) -- John Steward -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C
My friend, Pastor Ray Christenson in Las Vegas, once told about a pastor who would regularly visit a
Proper 24 -- 2 Timothy 3:14--4:5 -- John Steward -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - C
In 1899 four Denver journalists encountered one another in the Denver railway station.
Easter 3 -- John 21:1-19 -- John Steward -- Third Sunday of Easter - C
Since many of the followers of Jesus were fishermen, it made sense for Jesus to use fishing as an ex
Proper 25 -- 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 -- John Steward -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - C
Norman Cousins wrote a book several years ago titled Head First: the Biology of Hope.
Easter 4 -- Revelation 7:9-17 -- John Steward -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C
Violet Asquith was once sitting next to Winston Churchill at a dinner party.
Proper 27 -- 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 -- John Steward -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
One day late in the afternoon a missionary in Africa had a surprise visit.
Easter 5 -- John 13:31-35 -- John Steward -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C
There is a special hospital in London for those whom other hospitals consider a lost cause.
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Ascension of the Lord
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 7
20 – Sermons
170+ – Illustrations / Stories
26 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
20 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Pentecost
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: A pig stuffie.

* * *

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

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
George Reed
For June 22, 2025:

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian,  for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.  As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (vv. 25-28)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a
Life can be frightening sometimes. Thus it is both comforting but disconcerting to find a giant of faith like Elijah to fear the future. On that matter Martin Luther once claimed:
David Kalas
We’re not far from the 4th of July. And while for so many Americans, it seems that the holiday has become more about long weekends, cookouts, and fireworks shows, the theme of freedom is still there at least in the background. We might take advantage of that, therefore, and give some thought to the theme of freedom as it is revealed in our assigned texts for this week.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

The madman cried out to Jesus, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" In our worship today let us explore what Jesus has to do with us and invite him to heal our brokenness.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, we often find ourselves thinking, saying and doing things that we quickly regret.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Constance Berg
When Jill was five, she began to have headaches. The headaches were so severe she would throw up. Sometimes she would pass out. They usually came once a month. Jill could be playing, resting, or watching television when the headaches would come. Her only warning was a sudden pain in her head, then a blinding light would appear, and she would be rocked with pain. In her teenage years, they became debilitating, causing Jill to be in bed for three days at a time.
Stan Purdum
I'm not sure when the term "burn out" ceased being only a description of what happened to a campfire when you ran out of firewood to a term describing the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest, usually coming immediately after an extended period of overwork, but the expression seems to fit that later situation, doesn't it? Exhaustion, deep weariness, all used up, nothing more to give, wiped out, burned out -- call it what we will, its symptoms are all too familiar to many of us.
April Yamasaki
In the classic movie, Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews plays a no-nonsense, yet delightful, nanny to two young children. As a nanny to a wealthy family, she is part teacher, part parent, and part disciplinarian. She gets the children up in the morning, puts them to bed at night, supervises their many adventures, and guides them in many ways. While they are in her care, she is responsible for their overall safety and well-being.

Julia Ross Strope
Zoos are no longer in people's good graces.
Religion faces the same problem.
Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.
-- Yann Martel, Life of Pi

Call To Worship
Leader: I'm so glad you're here! There are seats for everyone; there's slight air movement; the windows engender tranquility and imagination and words will stimulate fresh thoughts.

People: It's good to be here, in sanctuary. We're glad for opportunities to gather and to express our gratitude to God and our appreciation for one another.

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL