Sermon Resources on Translation

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Why Are Our Bibles Different? Part 2: Let's Talk Translations

Author

Keywords

KJV, ESV, NIV, NLT, NASB, RSV, NRSV, the Message—What's the Difference? If the people we serve are to be a people of the Book, they need to be a people who know the Book. Of course...

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Why Are Our Bibles Different? Part 1: Our Bibles' Sources

Author

Brian Dembowczyk

Keywords

Why Are Our Bibles Different? Wait a minute… why does your Bible have lowercased lord while mine has capitalized Lord ? That was a question one of my small group members asked as we studied Ge...

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Author

Lamin Sanneh

Keywords

The original language of Christianity is translation.

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A Savior Who Was a Spitter

Author

Steve Arterburn and Jack Felton

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 2:21–23, Exodus 3:7–10, Isaiah 55:10–11, John 9:1–7 , Acts 10:34–35 , Psalm 19:3–4

Some time ago, I read about the work of a Wycliffe Bible translator in a remote village in Papua New Guinea. When the opening chapters of Genesis were first translated into the native language, the at...

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Success through Empathy

Author

Judith Valente

Keywords

Scripture

1 Peter 3:8, Psalm 133:1, Philippians 2:2, Acts 2:1-47

One of the most critically acclaimed fantasy films in recent years was a piece of science fiction called Arrival . It is the story of beings from outer space who arrive on earth, igniting a wildfire ...

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Where is the Money?

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Keywords

Years ago, the story goes, a San Diego bank hired a private investigator to track down a bank robber and retrieve stolen funds. The search led to Mexico. The investigator crossed the border and then, ...

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St. Valentine & The Origin of Being “Your” Valentine

Author

Ben Lansing and D. J.Marotta

Keywords

Scripture

1 Kings 17:17–24, Isaiah 6:8, Exodus 24:3–4, John 15:12–13 , Acts 13:46–49, Psalm 119:105

[Saint] Valentine was a priest in Rome when Emperor Claudius II began his hostile reign. Valentine was arrested for performing Christian weddings. While imprisoned, Valentine befriended the jailer’s d...

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A Remote Village

Author

Timothy Jennings

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Scripture

1 John 4:9-10, Romans 8:3, Colossians 1:19-20, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Isaiah 53:4-5, Hebrews 2:14

Imagine a remote village in Africa. No modern Westerner has ever set foot there. The natives live off the land, using the same ancient methods and tools as their forefathers used for the last thousand...

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Written for Us, Not to Us

Author

Jonathan Walton

Keywords

We like to think of the Bible possessively—my Bible, a rare heritage, a holy treasure, a spiritual heirloom. And well we should. The Bible is fresh and speaks to each of us as God’s revelation of hims...

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Author

Latin Saying

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Scripture

Joshua 24:14–15, 1 Kings 3:5–14, Proverbs 4:10–19, Matthew 7:13–14, Philippians 3:12–14, Psalm 1:1–2

Quod vitae sectabor iter. Translation: Who do I want to be? And: What path will I take?

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Set Aside Your Culture when Reading the Bible

Author

Jonathan Walton

Keywords

Rather than translating the culture, then, we need to try to enter the culture. When people want to study the Bible seriously, one of the steps they take is to learn the language. As I teach language ...

liturgy

Psalm 23, The Message translation

Author

Eugene Peterson

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 23:null

Leader: God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. People: You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. Leader: True to your word, you let me catch my breath and se...

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The Definition of Repentance

Author

Frank Viola

Keywords

Scripture

2 Corinthians 5:17

If you could reduce the gospel to one word, most scholars would choose metanoia—the Greek word translated “repentance” in the New Testament… Most of the time we translate both “meta-noeo” and “meta-no...

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Smiling & Giving a Big Okay

Author

E. Randolph Richards and Richard James

Keywords

When we tell a story, a lot goes without being explained. For example, I might say, “After I finished speaking, I looked at the audience. They were all smiling. Someone in the back shot me a big okay....

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 (Guide C)

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

At this point in the Gospel we move out of the streets into the quiet of a room. “The noise of the cosmos has died away: the stillness of night prevails” (Bultmann). And yet, in [that] quiet room, Jes...

lectionary

Maundy Thursday

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

This guide has been updated and expanded. Our Maundy Thursday guide for 2026 on John 13 incorporates this material along with additional commentary, illustrations, and discussion questions. Check ...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, 1 Peter 2:18-25

Author

William Rowley

Keywords

Scripture

1 Peter 2:18-25

What do you say to someone who is suffering? And what do you say when it is not just that they are in pain, but that they are being harassed and singled out for violence or slander because of their fa...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, 1 Peter 1:17-25

Author

Paul Koptak

Keywords

Scripture

1 Peter 1:13-25

(Scripture quotations below are from ESV unless noted otherwise.) Author and Audience Acknowledging the scholarly debate over whether the letter comes directly from the apostle or from the traditio...

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A Theology of Mourning and the Civil Rights Movement

Author

Esau McCaulley

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 5:4, 6

Jesus explains what undergirds the actions of Paul, Isaiah, and Rev. Dr. King in two of his Beatitudes. He says, “Blessed are those who grieve, for they will be comforted. . . . Blessed are those who ...

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Smells Hack Our Memory

Author

Casey K. Tygrett

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 8:21, Exodus 30:34-38, Leviticus 1:9, John 12:3, 2 Corinthians 2:14-16

The Forming of a Memory Before we truly remember anything, it starts as an experience. It is a moment when our senses (sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch) interact with the world around us. Those ...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Psalm 51:1-17 (Guide B)

Author

Rachel Clark

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 51:1-17

Introduction A Common Lent Reading and A Model for Confession The season of Lent often begins with a call to repentance, and it is a season of reflection and contrition. Ash Wednesday's reading...

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The Lamb at the Center

Author

Derek Vreeland

Keywords

A few years ago, my daily Bible reading had me in Revelation, perhaps the trickiest New Testament book to read and interpret. As I have taught this book in small groups and in sermons, I often advise ...

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How to Write a Great Call to Worship for Lent

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

So, you’re staring at your laptop screen. It’s later at night than you’d like to admit. The Word document is blank and that vertical bar is flashing, daring you to write the first word. You need to st...

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To Magnify the Lord

Author

Nancy Guthrie

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 1:46, Luke 1:39-56, Psalm 145:3, Psalm 48:1, Psalm 34:3

Another Bible translation says that Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord” (NKJV, emphasis added). What did she mean by magnifies? When you look at something through a magnifying glass, it looks much...

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Advent Responsive Reading: Free Song of Mary (Magnificat) + Quotes

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

The Song of Mary—also known as the Magnificat —has been prayed by Christians for centuries, especially during Advent. To support your worship services this season, we’ve created a free responsive rea...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Matthew 1:18-21 (Guide B)

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 1:18-21

Sometimes, even if we're "doing everything right," life just turns upside down and we're left scrambling to find our footing. This is one of those stories. In Luke's gospel, ...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Luke 17:1-10

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 14:1-10, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, John 15:15

Introduction Sometimes verses 1-4 are separated from 5-10 in preaching. N. T. Wright points out, however, that in both sections, the need for humility binds the passages together. A teacher must prac...

liturgy

Blessing of the Animals Service

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 148:, Genesis 1:20-26

Order of Service Greet those gathered and invite them to make a circle with their animals. This is designed as a responsive service between the leader and people, but the reading and prayers could ...

lectionary

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Author

William Rowley

Keywords

Scripture

1 Peter 2:19-25

What do you say to someone who is suffering? And what do you say when it is not just that they are in pain, but that they are being harassed and singled out for violence or slander because of their fa...

lectionary

Third Sunday of Easter

Author

Paul Koptak

Keywords

Scripture

1 Peter 1:17-23, Isaiah 40:6-8

(Scripture quotations below are from ESV unless noted otherwise.) Liturgical Context On this Third Sunday of Easter, the Revised Common Lectionary texts harmonize with the epistle’s praise of Jesus...

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