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David E. Leininger

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Water Into Wine -- John 2:1-11 -- David E. Leininger -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2009
Weddings are special.
It's All In The Perspective -- Psalm 8 -- David E. Leininger -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 2009
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have se
The Body Of Christ -- 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a -- David E. Leininger -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2009
Have you ever wished that you were something you were not? I suspect we all have.
Life In The Valley -- Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) -- David E. Leininger -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 2009
The story of the transfiguration is one of those passages that have given the phrase "mountaintop ex
The Call Of God -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- David E. Leininger -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2009
If you were to ask a group of people to take pencil and paper and sketch a portrait of an Old Testam
Dorcas -- Acts 9:36-43 -- David E. Leininger -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2009
Women have always been uniquely important in the life of the church, whether or not men want to admi
They Are Biting -- Luke 5:1-11 -- David E. Leininger -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2009
Two guys go on a fishing trip.
Trouble In The Parsonage -- Hosea 1:2-10 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C -- 2009
There once was a retreat attended by the clergy of a community for the purpose of establishing suppo
Life After Life -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 -- David E. Leininger -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2009
In an ever-lengthening pastoral ministry, I have had occasion to officiate more funerals than I can
A Fool And His Money -- Luke 12:13-21 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - C -- 2009
A fool and his money are soon parted, right?
Love Your Enemy? -- Luke 6:27-38 -- David E. Leininger -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - C -- 2009
Are You Kidding, Lord?
Religion And Politics -- Isaiah 1:1, 10-20 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - C -- 2009
Religion and politics -- in years past we were told those were two subjects that were not good for p
The Jump To Judgment -- Luke 6:39-49 -- David E. Leininger -- Epiphany 8 | Ordinary Time 8 - C -- 2009
Mr.
Pax Christi Or Pox Christi? -- Luke 12:49-56 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2009
This is not a favorite passage for preaching.
The Business Of The Church -- Galatians 1:1-12 -- David E. Leininger -- 2009
Is there one simple answer to the question "What is the business of the church"?
Dinner Guests -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2009
The lectionary uses verse 1 of Luke chapter 14 to set the scene: "When Jesus went to eat in the hous
The Truth, The Whole Truth, And Nothing But The Truth -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- David E. Leininger -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2009
Several years ago there was a huge literary uproar over A Million Little Pieces (New York: An
A Place At The Table -- Philemon 1:1-21 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C -- 2009
This comes under the category of "Flattery will get you everywhere." Or "You get more flies with hon
The Church Should Go To Hell! -- Luke 4:1-13 -- David E. Leininger -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2009
Many churches, as part of their routine of worship, engage in the "passing of the peace." The practi
Hoping For A Hug -- Luke 13:31-35 -- David E. Leininger -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2009
Jerusalem was not far now.
When Faith Faces Disaster -- Luke 15:1-10 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 2009
This text appears in the lectionary cycle just about the time of the America's remembrance of the Se
The Fig Tree -- Luke 13:1-9 -- David E. Leininger -- Third Sunday in Lent - C -- 2009
An intriguing text.
Prayers For The President -- 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 2009
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for eve
Sonny Moneybags -- Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 -- David E. Leininger -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2009
This text has been described as the greatest short story ever written.
Would A Loving God Really Let Anyone Go To Hell? -- Luke 16:19-31 -- David E. Leininger -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C -- 2009
This is a question to which almost all of those reading this book already have an answer.

Worship

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 16 | OT 21 | Pentecost 11
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 17 | OT 22 | Pentecost 12
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 18 | OT 23 | Pentecost 13
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

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John Jamison
Object: This message is a role play. You can do this with only two children playing the parts of the two women, but if you have more children, you could have two more playing the parts of the children, another playing the part of the synagogue leader, and another playing the part of the country’s leader. You can also add any other roles you might want to add to make it interesting. Also, I have created places for your characters to speak, but you can add more of those to make it all more fun and memorable.

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The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Nazish Naseem
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
For August 24, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Wayne Brouwer
C. Knight Aldrich, a medical doctor and the first chairperson of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Chicago (1955-1964), was a keen analyst of the motivations for our behaviors. He worked with the social services agencies of Chicago for a time, particularly spending hours with teenagers who had been arrested for shoplifting or other theft. Aldrich interviewed them to find out how they had come to this. He also talked with the parents, attempting to discover how they had handled the problem from the first time they knew about it.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 1:4-10 and Psalm 77:1-6

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
“We have questions about your conduct as our pastor,” Carl announced as soon as Pastor John sat down at the hastily called board meeting. “We have received complaints about you from the congregation.”

“Complaints?” Pastor John frowned. “From whom and about what?”

“Mrs. Finnigan saw you coming out of what she politely described as ‘A Gentleman’s Club’ last Thursday night when she was driving downtown.” Bruce scowled. “Do you deny this?”

“Not at all,” Pastor John said. “I did have to go to that place on Thursday evening.”

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:
Jesus was aware of people's deepest needs and what prompted their actions. In our worship today let us consider how we can discover people's deepest needs and the motives for their actions.

Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, sometimes we see only the surface and condemn without real understanding.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes we are afraid to get sufficiently close to other people to see their inner needs.
Christ, have mercy.

SermonStudio

James Evans
(See Epiphany 4/Ordinary Time 4, Cycle C, for an alternative approach.)

The old saying, "experience is the best teacher," could serve as a subtitle for this psalm. Written as a prayer for help in a time of distress or oppression, the psalm subtly hints at a recognition and awareness that only comes with time. There is a track record, so to speak, that the psalmist is aware of: God's record of dependability. Based on God's proven record of saving power and grace, the psalmist is able to pray for salvation, but at the same time celebrate the certainty of its arrival.
Lee Ann Dunlap
Carrie's1 high school guidance counselor noticed she had been acting out a bit in school recently. She had appeared depressed and had been having some authority issues over rules and such. The guidance counselor set Carrie up with a local pastor who had been volunteering a few hours each Friday after a teen suicide a few months before. Most of the other students who came to see the pastor just needed someone to listen to their usual teen issues and heartaches. But, shortly into their time together, Carrie began to open up about some real grown-up problems.
Kirk R. Webster
It's a typical Sunday morning at St. Stephen Presbyterian Church in Orlando, Florida. The people file in and sit down in plush pews. Their attention is drawn to the chancel where they see choir members calmly seated, robed in dark blue and white. The mahogany altar table is draped with a silk parament. Two bronze candleholders stand guard at the table edges.
R. Robert Cueni
As was his custom, Jesus went that Sabbath morning to the synagogue for worship. As he was preaching and teaching, he happened to glance toward the fringe of the crowd where he saw a very crippled woman. She was bent over and was unable to stand up straight. When he inquired, Jesus was told the woman had been that way for eighteen years.
John H. Will
Call to Worship
Indeed, this is a day of rest and gladness.
This is God's Sabbath, created for our reflection and renewal.
Let us then not profane it, but keep it holy.
We do this as we honor God and commit ourselves to the well--being of God's creation.
Each of us individually needs a personal rejuvenation of spirit.
Together we seek a strengthening of community, a community that continues to build itself in love.
So do we come as one people to worship God, our Maker and our Sustainer.

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