James 3:1-12, Proverbs 1:20-33, Mark 8:31--9:1, Mark 8:27-30
Sermon Aid
Russell F. Anderson
Theme: Seek true wisdom; follow Christ. COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Proverbs 1:20-33 (C) Wisdom personified warns the fool to heed its words of wisdom and instruction or face dire consequences. The foolish will be destroyed by their own devices; when they call for help on the day of trouble, it will not be granted to them. However, those who listen to the voice of wisdom will dwell secure. Lesson 1: Isaiah 50:5-9a (RC); Isaiah 50:4-9 (E) (See Sunday Of The Passion) Lesson 2: James 3:1-12 (C) Chapter 3 revolves ...
COMMENTARY Old Testament: 1 Samuel 1:4-20 Elkanah and his wives went up to Shiloh annually to offer sacrifice to the Lord. He would give each one a portion of the offering based on the number of children each had. Hannah was barren and the other wife would rub this fact into her face, particularly at the time of their pilgrimage. Being barren was considered a great curse. Hannah became depressed, refusing even to eat. Elkanah was an understanding husband who gently consoled his wife. She decided to take ...
COMMENTARY Old Testament: 1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23) 32-49 The armies of king Saul are challenged by the champion of the Philistines, Goliath, a huge man who challenges the Israelites to select a man to fight against him. The victorious party would triumph not only over his opponent but his opponent's army. David comes down to the field of battle and goads Saul's army for their lack of courage. "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (v. 26). David's ...
Introduction to this Service: Everyone is asked to bring a candle and a candle holder with them to worship. Additional candles should be provided for those who forget or did not know. The kind of candle used at many Christmas Eve services with the paper drip guard works well. The theme of the service is that Jesus Christ is the light of the world and so are we. Jesus served as a luminary, a light, a beacon for people to find their way to a saving belief in God. Jesus was the light of the world. But Jesus ...
She was all alone now, this widow of Nain. The Scriptures make no mention that she had brothers or sisters or other family members. They surely would have been with her, consoling her, moving slowly along in the sad procession. A "large crowd from the city was with her." We are grateful for that. Sometime before, we don't know how long, she had stood by the grave of her husband and now the lifeless body of her only son was being carried out of the city. Only a widowed parent can know the grief that poor ...
Acts 1:1-11, Mark 16:1-20, Luke 24:50-53, Luke 24:36-49
Sermon Aid
John R. Brokhoff
It is a great day when a hero returns to his people. We Americans put on a gala reception with a ticker tape parade usually in Manhattan. Hundreds of thousands gather to see the procession of victory. They cheer. The bands play. Banners wave in the wind. Spontaneous shouts are heard blocks away. The hero may be a Charles Lindbergh, a Dwight Eisenhower, a Neil Armstrong, a Pope or a Nelson Mandela. It is a great day of welcome, festivity and victory. But, the greatest day of all occurred not on earth but in ...
Luke 3:1-20, Isaiah 61:1-11, Luke 3:21-38, Acts 8:9-25
Sermon Aid
John R. Brokhoff
It was an extraordinary event on an ordinary Sunday amidst very ordinary surroundings. At the annual Bible conference on a Sunday afternoon in July, 1989, at Lake Findley, New York, a group met on the shore of the lake for a baptismal service. The people stood on the shore overlooking the lake. Now and then a boat pulling a skier roared by. Several jet skis made thundering noise and waves. In the distance one could see a small sailboat or two. A brief service of Scripture and prayer preceded the baptism. A ...
Luke 21:5-38, Jeremiah 33:1-26, Zechariah 14:1-21, 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Sermon Aid
George Bass
THEOLOGICAL CLUE The powerful impetus toward eschatological awareness and preparedness, which comes from the theological framework of the Christian year, as well as the particular lections as-signed to this day, makes the preacher conscious of how the future affects the present age. The result is a "get your house, and the world, in order" kind of theology emanating from a reading of the propers for this day. Advent makes Christians realize that "the best is yet to come, "in the promised return of Jesus ...
Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 6:16-18, Joel 2:12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2
Sermon Aid
George Bass
THEOLOGICAL CLUE The very title of the first day of Lent - Ash Wednesday, with its opening word, "Remember, you are dust, and unto dust you shall return" - has the theological clue for its observation embedded in it; Lent has to do with the human predicament of sin and death and points to the action God takes in the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ, to resolve this situation. The cross announces forgiveness of sin, reconciles God and his children, and the resurrection completes the ...
THEOLOGICAL CLUE The Second Sunday in Lent reminds the people of God, who gather for worship this day, that they are following Jesus to Jerusalem, according to the Roman Catholic ORDO, or, in the other lectionaries, are given a preview of what is going to happen in the Holy City. Almost any Gospel for the Day that is selected from St. Luke, which would fit into the liturgical/theological scheme of Lent, will have some sort of orientation to Jerusalem; Luke's whole gospel makes it absolutely clear that ...
A young mother in her 30s with three children came to her pastor to talk about her husband's impending death. He was dying of cancer. "I'm afraid," she said. The pastor listened and asked a few questions to help her express her fear. One of the questions he asked was, "Are you afraid of losing your faith?" There was silence. "Yes," she said. And then there were more tears. There are times when one feels abandoned by God. If God really loved me would this be happening? Prayers don't seem to be answered. All ...
What is the matter with you? Why do you never seem to understand what I say? You have ears: Why do you not hear me? Or are you blind? Can you not see what I am doing? You have eyes: Why can't you see? Our Bible lessons for today speak directly to us. It is as if they were written with us in mind. They all make at least some reference to problems of sight and blindness - to the problem that plagues us. "Wait a minute, Pastor! You must be kidding. These lessons cannot have much to do with our parish. To be ...
We have all lived through the death of a loved one. We have all ached when someone we dearly love has passed away. We have all wondered about what comes next, and fretted about our own death. In our gospel story for today we find Jesus dealing with those experiences. And together with Lazarus, Jesus (along with our other Bible lessons) shows us what comes next after sin and death. He does not just show it; he gives it. What he gives is freedom given through love. That is what comes next when the new life ...
Appropriately Impressed! They were impressed! Mark's gospel quotes the comment Jesus overhead in the opening of today's lesson: "Look Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" The contemporary Roman/Jewish historian Josephus writes that the temple "appeared from a distance like a snow-clad mountain, for all that was not overlaid with gold was of purest white." This temple built by Herod was as massive and awesome up close as it was at a distance. Though called the Second Temple to this day, it ...
Texts: Luke 24:1-12; 1 Corinthians 15:12-22 If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and all your faith is in vain.(1 Corinthians 15:14) When Jesus was asked to heal a boy who had suffered seizures since his birth, our Lord said to the boy's father, "All things are possible to those who believe." And the boy's father said to Jesus, "I believe; help Thou my unbelief" (Mark 9:23-24). I wonder how many of us want to say those words as we come to the empty tomb this Easter morning: "Lord, ...
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world ..." Then he will say ...
Many of us grew up singing the hymn "Beneath the Cross of Jesus" with it's memorable line: "I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place ..." This image of "the shadow of the cross" has been used in many different ways by poets and writers. In the hymn, it refers to a place of refuge and rest "from the burning of the noon-tide heat and the burdens of the day." The hymn also refers to the strength-giving character of the cross by comparing it to "the shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land." Surely ...
Exegetical Aim: In Christ there is rest from weariness. Props: A wrist watch. Lesson: How is everyone? (response) We are going to pretend like we are all sleeping. Everyone lay your head down. Let them rest for a few seconds. Ring, ring, ring. Look at your watch. Well, good morning it’s 7:00 and time to get up. Ok, everyone get up. Imitate the motions for them. Let’s Stretch. Everybody stretch. (stretching motion) Make your bed. Everybody make your bed. (response) 7:20 Pick up the room. (response) 7:30 ...
"Are you the minister?" he asked as I came through the courtyard toward the entrance of the church. I wanted to say no, because there were dozens of things that needed my attention that Monday morning when I got to work. With a bit of dumb resentment at the interruption of my planned agenda, I acknowledged that I was one of the pastors of that downtown church. He followed me into the office complex. "What can I do for you?" I asked, hoping that a meal ticket or perhaps a quick referral to another helping ...
Acts 5:17-42, Revelation 1:4-8, Revelation 1:9-20, John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31
Sermon Aid
COMMENTARY Acts 5:27-32 (C); Acts 5:12, 17-32 (L) In order to obey God, the Apostles disobey the order not to preach. Regardless of the cost, the Apostles are determined to witness to the resurrection. They defy the governmental order to stop preaching the Gospel because they recognize a higher law than the State. They must obey God who in Christ ordered them to witness. In defense of this position, Peter accuses the officials of having crucified Jesus who was later raised and exalted by God to be Leader ...
COMMENTARY Acts 13:15-16, 26-33 (C); Acts 13:15-16a, 26-33 (L) Paul preaches the Gospel in a synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia. This pericope is part of one of Paul's six sermons in Acts. It is addressed to the assembled congregation in a synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia on his first missionary journey. In this sermon Paul traces Jewish history which culminates in Christ who was killed as an innocent person by the Jews. They did not recognize who Jesus was and they did not understand the prophets. Jesus' ...
COMMENTARY Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 Though Israel is guilty of social injustices, Yahweh will be gracious to her if she seeks the Lord and loves good. Amos urges Israel to seek life by seeking the Lord, hating evil, loving good, and establishing justice. Because of their sins, they will experience the fire of judgment. Their sins are of a social nature: the wealthy oppress the poor, afflict the righteous, and accept bribes. Amos calls upon the nation to repent by turning from evil and turning to Yahweh. Then it ...
COMMENTARY Malachi 4:1-6 For the wicked the coming Day of the Lord will be doom but for the righteous there will be healing and joy. The writer of Malachi is unknown. The name means "my messenger." Scholars believe he wrote in the latter part of the fifth century, the post-exilic period. Malachi contains the only reference in the Old Testament to the forerunner of the Day of the Lord, Elijah. In verses 1-3, we are told that the coming Day of the Lord will solve all of Israel's moral and religious problems ...
Prayer of the Day: "Lord God, on this day you revealed your Son to the nations by the leading of a star. Lead us now by faith to know your presence in our lives and bring us at last to the full vision of your glory." Theme of the Day: Christ is for All People Gospel - The Gentile world worships the Christ. Lesson 1 - Nations come to the light of God's servant. Lesson 2 - Gentiles are included in God's plan of salvation. PREACHING POSSIBILITIES Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12 1. The sermon might focus on the Wise ...
Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed ... Genesis 28:11-12 Jacob, with much patience, after many years finally married Rachel. In their nomadic life as shepherds, they, Jacob and Rachel, could have understood a song we sang around the campfire during a summer gathering at Lutheridge. I had a dream dear, you had one too mine was the best dream I ever knew; Come, sweetheart, tell me now is the time You tell me your dream and I will ...