challenges on Resurrection

Keywords

Scripture

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1, 2 Corinthians 4:13-18, 2 Corinthians 5:1, Acts 9:1-18, Hebrews 12:2, Psalm 116:null, Romans 12:2, Colossians 3:9-10

Notes on the Passage Besieged from All Angles: The context of this passage is best summed up with the words recorded throughout the letter: Trouble, Distress, Suffering, Hardship, Death at work, Ja...

lectionary

24th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Keywords

Scripture

Hebrews 9:24-28, Hebrews 1:1-4

Preaching Commentary Jesus, Not Nero, is Supreme To understand any written document one must understand the purpose for which it was written. Sometimes this is stated overtly, as in the Preamble t...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Hebrews 9:24-28

Author

Keywords

Scripture

Hebrews 9:24-28, Hebrews 1:1-4

Jesus, Not Nero, is Supreme To understand any written document one must understand the purpose for which it was written. Sometimes this is stated overtly, as in the Preamble to The Constitution; som...

lectionary

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Galatians 6:1-6, 7-16, 1 Corinthians 9:24-26

preaching commentary A Tough Way to Start Ministry You don’t have to spend much time on Twitter or Facebook to be reminded that schadenfreude (taking joy from another's misfortune) is alive a...

liturgy

Father God, we live in a world

Author

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 61:1-3 , Ezekiel 37:1-14 , Habakkuk 2:2-4 , Romans 1:16-17, Philippians 2:1-4, Psalm 34:17-19

Pastor: Father God, we live in a world where good news is rare. Help us always to remember the Good News of Your Son, who by His life, death, and resurrection brought into the world the hope of a ne...

lectionary

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Author

C. Hassell Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 10:24-39, Matthew 13:44-46, Psalm 73:null

Preaching Commentary Expect Suffering, but Do Not Fear This text shines its light on two critical truths of the gospel: suffering for and with Christ, and Christ as our most priceless treasure. Fi...

series

Psalm 22 | Feeling Forsaken by God

Author

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 22:, Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34, Hebrews 2:12

Ancient lens What’s the historical context? A Structured Complaint The Psalmist organizes his complaint against God in three sections. The first two sections dramatize the complaint (vv. 1-11 and...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Psalm 22 (Guide B)

Author

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 22:, Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:34, Hebrews 2:12

Ancient lens What’s the historical context? A Structured Complaint The Psalmist organizes his complaint against God in three sections. The first two sections dramatize the complaint (vv. 1-11 and...

lectionary

Good Friday

Author

Scripture

Psalm 22:, Mark 15:34, Matthew 27:46, Psalm 30:5

Preaching Commentary What is “Good” about Friday? For the work-a-day world in the United States of America, Fridays are good. TGIF, “Thank God It’s Friday!” is an interjection we use to convey reli...

Quote

Author

Vincent van Gogh

Keywords

In spite of everything I shall rise again: I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing.

Quote

Author

Catherine Booth

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 18:16-19, 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Isaiah 43:2

The waters are rising, but so am I. I am not going under, but over.

lectionary

Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Author

Mark Brewer

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 4:14-21

Preaching Commentary A Tough Way to Start Ministry In this captivating passage Jesus’ new followers discovered early on this was not going to be a ‘pleasure cruise.’ Jesus’ inaugural ‘sermon event...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Luke 4:14-21

Author

Mark Brewer

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 4:14-21

A Tough Way to Start Ministry In this captivating passage Jesus’ new followers discovered early on this was not going to be a ‘pleasure cruise.’ Jesus’ inaugural ‘sermon event’ back home in Nazareth...

lectionary

Second Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Keywords

Scripture

Galatians 3:23-39, Galatians 3:null, Romans 3:20, Revelation 5:9-10

Preaching commentary The Law The ambiguous place of the law in Christian thought can be seen historically in battles between antinomians and legalists, each side finding New Testament support, and ...

lectionary

14th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Keywords

Scripture

James 1:17-27, Psalm 1:null

Preaching Commentary Summary of the Text James, the brother of Jesus, the leader of the earliest Christian church in Jerusalem, writes this letter to scattered Jewish believers who are going throug...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Psalm 22 (Guide A)

Author

Scripture

Psalm 22:null, Mark 15:34, Matthew 27:46, Psalm 30:5

What is “Good” about Friday? For the work-a-day world in the United States of America, Fridays are good. TGIF, “Thank God It’s Friday!” is an interjection we use to convey relief that the work week i...

liturgy

Our Father, Lord, the world is sometimes a dragon

Author

Calvin Miller

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 6:4, 1 Peter 5:8, Deuteronomy 6:6-7, 2 Corinthians 3:18

Our Father, Lord, the world is sometimes a dragon with teeth set to devour the dreams of our children. Help our little ones go softly from our homes remembering all we taught them of your great love a...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Galatians 6:1-16

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Galatians 6:1-16, 1 Corinthians 9:24-26

A Tough Way to Start Ministry You don’t have to spend much time on Twitter or Facebook to be reminded that schadenfreude (taking joy from another's misfortune) is alive and well. Depending on w...

liturgy

Like Pharoah, We Have Hard Hearts

Author

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 1:17-2:14, Exodus 5:, Exodus 7:

Father God, we confess that our shortcomings are far more than we care to admit. Like Pharaoh, our hearts are often hardened and we don’t always look to you as the God who Saves. Like the people...

lectionary

17th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Keywords

Scripture

James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a, James 3:13-18, James 4:1-3, 7-8, James 1:16-27, Galatians 5:22, Proverbs 1:7, Psalm 37:4, James 4:3, Philippians 2:1-5, Psalm 121:null, Psalm 30:null, Jeremiah 11:18-20, Psalm 54:null, James 1:16-27, Galatians 5:22, Proverbs 1:7, Psalm 37:4, James 4:3, Philippians 2:1-5, Psalm 121:null, Psalm 30:null

Preaching Commentary James' Intent James, the brother of Jesus, the leader of the earliest Christian church in Jerusalem, writes this letter to scattered Jewish believers who were going through...

Quote

Author

Alan Redpath

Keywords

Circumstances which we have resented, situations which we have found desperately difficult, have all been the means in the hands of God of driving the nails into the self-life which so easily complain...

Quote

Author

Tod E. Bolsinger

Keywords

Scripture

Numbers 20:1–13, Nehemiah 6:3, Jeremiah 20:7–18, Mark 8:31–33, 2 Timothy 4:1–8, Psalm 78:70–72

Resilience for faith leaders is the ability to wisely persevere toward the mission God has put before them amid both the external challenges and the internal resistance of the leader’s followers.

series

Psalm 121 | God as Our Help and Keeper

Author

C. Hassell Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 121:, Jeremiah 16:14-15, Matthew 6:25-34, Matthew 6:30, Psalm 91:11-12

Ancient lens What’s the historical context? Historical Background In our modern world we know so much about our universe that it is easy to forget that in the Bible there is a connection between ...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide James 1:17-27

Author

Keywords

Scripture

James 1:17-27, Psalm 1:null

Summary of the Text James, the brother of Jesus, the leader of the earliest Christian church in Jerusalem, writes this letter to scattered Jewish believers who are going through very difficult times....

Quote

Author

Tod E. Bolsinger

Keywords

Scripture

Daniel 1:8, Genesis 37:39–50, Exodus 2:4, 14–17, Matthew 4:1–11, 2 Corinthians 11:23–29, Psalm 46:

Resilience is not something that can be mustered in a moment of “rising to the occasion.” It is formed over a long period before the crisis of testing so that it can continue the transformation during...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Galatians 3:23-29

Author

Keywords

Scripture

Galatians 3:23-29, Galatians 3:null, Romans 3:20, Revelation 5:null

The Law The ambiguous place of the law in Christian thought can be seen historically in battles between antinomians and legalists, each side finding New Testament support, and the present text would ...

Quote

Author

Andrew Arndt

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 41:39-43 , Exodus 4:22-23, 2 Samuel 9:6-7, Luke 15:17-24, Galatians 4:6-7 , Psalm 103:13-14

When he [the prodigal son] found himself desiring to be treated as one of the pigs, he realized that he was not a pig but a human being, a son of his father. . . . Once he had come again in touch with...

series

Psalm 91 | God as Dwelling Place Against

Author