Common Lectionary

2 Corinthians 1:18-22 Imagine a preacher who preached an estimated sixty thousand sermons. He also wrote many books, two of which sold over a million copies. His ministry took him around the world many times. Yet even with those credentials and accomplishments, when he faced the possibility of dying...

2 Kings 5:1-14 No doubt, some today might take exception to seventeenth century Bible interpreter, Benjamin Keach, who said, "By the plague of leprosy, all expositors agree, was represented the hateful nature of sin." (Preaching for the Types and Metaphors of the Bible. Kregel [1855] 1972, pp....

Mark 1:35-39 After a long day of ministry and a short night of rest, Jesus got up before dawn and slipped out of the house. Later others woke up. Someone, maybe Peter, asked, "Where's Jesus?" No one knew. As the little fishing village of Capernaum began to stir, the disciples asked...

Ephesians 1:15-23 This paragraph of Scripture contains one of Paul's two prayers found in his letter to the Ephesians. The second prayer, Ephesians 3:14-21, is for the Christians at Ephesus to have strength. The first one, found here is our text, is for them to have...

Matthew 25:14-30 In this passage we find ourselves in the middle of a series of statements Jesus made about the absence, but imminent return of a master. In Matthew 24:36-44, Jesus spoke of His return and He said "No one knows the day and hour, not even the angels of...

Matthew 25:1-13 No matter the custom or culture, weddings are important and revered events. As a pastor I have always been extra sensitive to the nature of a formal wedding. I want everything to be just right. I want everyone to be punctual, especially myself. A number of years ago I...

Luke 2:22-40 Listeners to this sermon know that waiting for anything isn't easy. We live in a fast culture today. Everything is on super speed. We demand immediate results. Instant messaging. Instant coffee. Instant breakfasts. But there's something we can learn from...

Romans 16:25-27 Have you ever tried to put into one sentence what a magazine or newspaper article, a book you're reading or a movie you've seen, is all about? All you want to do is state it in a simple, clear way. It's not all that easy to do, is it? Perhaps the article in the newspaper was...

Isaiah 40:1-11 So often the Old Testament is perceived as portraying a wrathful God of vengeance. But in this Old Testament passage, we see the compassionate, loving nature of God. Comfort is spoken to those who suffered through the Babylonian exile. These Israelites...