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William H. Shepherd

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Commentary

Emphasis Preaching Journal

The wrong anthem -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 26:14--27:66, Psalm 31:9-16 -- William H. Shepherd, Schuyler Rhodes -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2011
The choir director was aghast. "I just didn't realize," she said. "It was totally inappropriate.
Idol-rife -- Acts 17:22-31, 1 Peter 3:13-22, John 14:15-21, Psalm 66:8-20 -- William H. Shepherd, Schuyler Rhodes -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2011
In Garret Kreizer's novel, God of Beer (2002), the high school social studies teacher tells t
It was good -- Genesis 1:1--2:4a, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Matthew 28:16-20, Psalm 8 -- William H. Shepherd, Schuyler Rhodes -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A -- 2011
The more I listened, the more I heard desperation.
Beartivity -- Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14 (15-20), Psalm 96 -- William H. Shepherd -- The Nativity of our Lord - C -- 2003
I live in a house with my wife, two cats, and about 200 teddy bears.
School of rock(s) -- Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44, Psalm 122 -- William H. Shepherd -- First Sunday of Advent - A
Christianity is, among other things, an intellectual quest. The curriculum to know God truly.
School days, school days -- Exodus 12:1-14, Romans 13:8-14 -- William H. Shepherd -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
Good old golden rule days.
"X" marks the spot -- Genesis 29:15-28, Romans 8:26-39, Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52, Psalm 119:129-136 -- William H. Shepherd -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
God works in hidden ways.
Show me your ways -- Exodus 33:12-23, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Matthew 22:15-22 -- William H. Shepherd -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
I have to admit that I have absolutely no interest in preserving the institution of the church.
The jar left behind -- Exodus 17:1-7, Romans 5:1-11, John 4:5-42, Psalm 95 -- William H. Shepherd -- Third Sunday in Lent - A
I was reading the work of a well-known biblical critic who said, "Adequate water sources were crucia
The deed in the jar -- Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15, 1 Timothy 6:6-19, Luke 16:19-31, Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16 -- William H. Shepherd -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C
If I've read it once, I've read it a dozen times: the religious thriller, where the plot hinges on a
Mountaintop experience -- Exodus 24:12-18, 2 Peter 1:16-21, Matthew 17:1-9 -- William H. Shepherd -- Transfiguration Sunday - A
It was the most boring sermon I ever heard, until it became the most interesting.
Read the manual -- Acts 2:14a, 36-41, 1 Peter 1:17-23, Luke 24:13-35 -- William H. Shepherd -- Third Sunday of Easter - A
My friend was overwhelmed by his first church convention.
Covenant: the next generation -- Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67, Romans 7:15-25a, Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 -- William H. Shepherd -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A
One of the central concepts of the Bible is the "covenant." A covenant is a contract-plus.
Search and preserve mission -- Isaiah 63:7-9, Hebrews 2:10-18, Matthew 2:13-23, Psalm 148 -- William H. Shepherd -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A
"Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty," says the bumper sticker.
The wrong anthem -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 26:14-27:66 -- William H. Shepherd -- Passion Sunday - A
The choir director was aghast. "I just didn't realize," she said. "It was totally inappropriate.
It was good -- Genesis 1:1-2:4a, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Matthew 28:16-20, Psalm 8 -- William H. Shepherd -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A
The more I listened, the more I heard desperation.
God I ain't -- Hosea 1:2-10, Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19), Luke 11:1-13, Psalm 85 -- William H. Shepherd -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
The movie Rudy (1993) is about a football player who refuses to quit.
It came from beneath the sea -- Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18, Ephesians 1:11-23, Luke 6:20-31, Psalm 149 -- William H. Shepherd -- All Saints Day - C
Theaters in the 1950s were deluged with "wildlife-gone-amok" disaster films ...
It could happen to you -- Genesis 45:1-15, Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32, Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28, Psalm 133 -- William H. Shepherd -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
There is a chain of tradition.
By what authority? -- Exodus 17:1-7, Philippians 2:1-13, Matthew 21:23-32 -- William H. Shepherd -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A
They rang the church doorbell insistently.
Called before born -- Isaiah 49:1-7, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, John 1:29-42, Psalm 40:1-11 -- William H. Shepherd -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - A
"Who's your family?" Southerners know this greeting well, but it is not unheard of above, beside, an

Preaching

SermonStudio

Compose -- William H. Shepherd -- 2004
One who preaches without a net must have something memorable to say.
Overview: In A Nutshell -- William H. Shepherd -- 2004
Preaching without a net involves the mastery of the five acts of traditional rhetoric (see Ch
Sample Sermon Manuscripts -- William H. Shepherd -- 2004
Preaching cannot be taught in the abstract, but only in the doing.
The Secret of Preaching Without a Net -- William H. Shepherd -- 2004
Prepare like crazy, so that you areoverprepared.
Stand And Speak -- William H. Shepherd -- 2004
We are coming to the end of the week -- Friday, if not Saturday.
Study -- William H. Shepherd -- 2004
The preacher who would work without a net, like all preachers, will need to pay attention to the act
UPCOMING WEEKS
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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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