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Fifth Sunday in Lent - C

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Jesus arrived in Bethany at... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
Jesus arrived in Bethany at the home of Lazarus at the end of the week (John records: "Six days befo
O why are we so... -- John 8:1-11 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
"O why are we so haggard at the heart, so care-coiled, care-
We have all heard the... -- John 8:1-11 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
We have all heard the proverb: "People who live in glass houses should never throw stones." It is ea
Sharon was brought up as... -- John 8:1-11 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
Sharon was brought up as a church-going person. Her family's Sunday routine rarely varied.
Years ago, while traveling in... -- John 8:1-11 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
Years ago, while traveling in central Pennsylvania, in Dutch country, I came upon an old Amish sayin
Nathaniel Hawthorne long ago wrote... -- Philippians 3:4b-14 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
Nathaniel Hawthorne long ago wrote the story of "Young Goodman Brown." The central character is a ne
The 1994 Winter Olympics will... -- Philippians 3:4b-14 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
The 1994 Winter Olympics will live long in the memories of the residents of West Allis, a suburb of
Wayne Meeks, professor of religious... -- Philippians 3:4b-14 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
Wayne Meeks, professor of religious studies at Yale University, furnished new insights into the soci
Christ Church was a small... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
Christ Church was a small country church -- only 75 members. It was part of a farming community.
A newspaper story about animal... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
A newspaper story about animal rights volunteers at the County Humane Shelter brought an angry lette
Several things that used to... -- Isaiah 43:16-21 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
Several things that used to be indispensable for some of us: Hitching posts, kerosene lamps, Sears c
Participants, worshippers, and observers at... -- Isaiah 43:16-21 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
Participants, worshippers, and observers at the consecration of Penelope Jamieson as the first woman
The recent challenges to the... -- Isaiah 43:16-21 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
The recent challenges to the American automotive industry by the Japanese have as much to do with le
Desert RainSpring explodes... -- Isaiah 43:16-21 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
Desert RainSpring explodes as raindrums down on desert sands. It hears
The news that came out... -- Philippians 3:4b-14 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
The news that came out of Buckingham Palace in 1936 shocked the world.
It is still necessary to... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
It is still necessary to point out that verse eight is to be interpreted in terms of Deuteronomy 15:
Probably no modern person exemplifies... -- Philippians 3:4b-14 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
Probably no modern person exemplifies Paul's straining forward to the goal better than Martin Luther
A man who couldn't accept... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
A man who couldn't accept charity paid back a debt no one expected him to pay and that wasn't owed i
There was an old man... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
There was an old man who daily came to a cathedral and knelt in prayer in front of a large stained g
Extravagance has never had a... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
Extravagance has never had a great appeal for me.
The ancient story of Mary... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
The ancient story of Mary and Martha speaks to our often frantically busy lives with the clear remin
During his imprisonment in a... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
During his imprisonment in a Nazi concentration camp, Viktor Frankl tells about the lifelessness of
Perhaps you have heard the... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
Perhaps you have heard the story. Charles Kuralt told about it in his travel book of 1985.
Anton Boisen is a name... -- Luke 20:9-19 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
Anton Boisen is a name that should be better known because his incorporation of personal rejection i

The Immediate Word

What New Thing Is God Doing Now? -- John 12:1-8, Philippians 3:4b-14, Isaiah 43:16-21, Psalm 126 -- Carter Shelley -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
Some folks are excited and energized by learning something new or witnessing a creative development

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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Easter 4
28 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
23 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 5
33 – Sermons
140+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
30 – Worship Resources
35 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
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Easter 6
30 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
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New & Featured This Week

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
In the sometimes-tiresome debate over science and scripture with respect to creation, it’s easy to become distracted. While the argument typically requires a focus on the how, we may lose sight of the what. And so, for just a moment, let me invite us to think for a moment about what God created.
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
Acts 8:26-40
As a local church pastor, I was often asked if I would baptize a child whose family were not members of the church. Some churches rebelled against this, but I remember this scripture — the hunger for understanding and inclusion of the Eunuch and Philp’s response — to teach and share and baptize in the name of our God. How could we turn anyone away from the rite of baptism?

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
“Dad, I think you worked a miracle.” Rolf slowly walked around the tree. “After that windstorm, I assumed this tree was as good as gone.”

“We just needed to give the branches time to heal and come back,” Michael replied.

 “I know, but so many of them were battered and broken I figured that it couldn’t recover. Now though it looks just like it did before the storm.” Rolf paused. “Do you think it will bear any fruit this summer?”

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A live plant that produces fruit, and a broken branch from that plant. I used a tomato plant from a local greenhouse. Ideally, find a plant with blossoms or small fruit already growing. If you use a different kind of fruit-producing plant, just change the script to fit.

* * *

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

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
Elena Delhagen
Dean Feldmeyer
Quantisha Mason-Doll
For April 28, 2024:
  • On The Way To Gaza by Chris Keating based on Acts 8:26-40. On the way to Gaza, Philip discovers the startling ways the Spirit of God moves across borders, boundaries, customs, and traditions.
  • Second Thoughts: Abiding by Katy Stenta based on John 15:1-8.
  • Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Tom Willadsen, Elena Delhagen, Dean Feldmeyer.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. In our service today, let us absorb from the vine all the nourishment we need.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes our branches become cut off from the vine.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes our branches are withered.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we fail to produce good fruit.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Stan Purdum
We will meet Psalm 22 in its entirety on Good Friday, but here the lectionary designates just verses 23-31. The lectionary psalms generally illuminate the week's First Lesson, which in this case is about the covenant initiated by God with Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17. The nine verses from this psalm, while not inappropriate, nonetheless leave us looking for an obvious connection with the First Lesson.

John S. Smylie
I think some people are natural-born gardeners. Our Lord grew up in a society that was familiar with agriculture. The images that he used to explain the ways of his Father in heaven are familiar to his audience. Growing up, my closest experience to agriculture was living in, "the Garden State." Most people, when they pass through New Jersey, are surprised to see that expression on the license plates of vehicles registered in New Jersey. Most folks traveling through New Jersey experience the megalopolis, the corridor between New York City and Washington DC.
Ron Lavin
A pastor in Indiana went to visit an 87-year-old man named Ermil, who was a hospital patient. A member of his church told the pastor about this old man who was an acquaintance. "He's not a believer, but he is really in need," the church member said. "I met him at the county home for the elderly. He's a lonely old man with no family and no money."

Paul E. Robinson
"Love is a many splendored thing...." Or so we heard Don Cornwall and the Four Aces sing time and again. Of course you or I might have other words to describe love, depending on our situation.

Love. "I love you." "I love to play golf." "I just love pistachio lush!" "It's tough to love some people." "Jesus loves me, this I know."

Love.

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