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David Kalas

David Kalas is pastor of First United Methodist Church in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and Union Theological Seminary of Virginia. David has been a contributing writer for Emphasis Preaching Journal and has authored several books.
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Commentary

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Under Attack -- 2 Samuel 11:26--12:13a, Ephesians 4:1-16, John 6:24-35 -- David Kalas -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2024
I asked the folks in my congregation once whether they struggled with sin.
Consider the Source -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13, James 1:17-27, Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- David Kalas -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2024
I was a young man and fairly new to the ministry.
Blameless and Upright, But... -- Mark 10:2-16, Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12, Job 1:1; 2:1-10 -- David Kalas -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 2024
I heard a sad story today about a pastor whose church essentially had to close as a result of a scan
How Much I Love You -- Ruth 1:1-18, Hebrews 9:11-14, Mark 12:28-34 -- David Kalas -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - B -- 2024
Young children are often fascinated by the effort to quantify love.
Lectionary With A View -- Luke 1:39-45 (46-55), Micah 5:2-5a, Hebrews 10:5-10 -- David Kalas -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C -- 2024
Not many things are quite as common — and, for that matter, quite as predictable — as the sunrise an
Hear Ye -- Isaiah 40:21-31, 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, Mark 1:29-39 -- David Kalas -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2024
Church announcements are an uphill battle. We print them in bulletins and newsletters.
When Good News is Inexplicable -- Numbers 21:4-9, Ephesians 2:1-10, John 3:14-21 -- David Kalas -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2024
I spent a couple of days recently in a hospital room with a two-year-old grandson.
Our Three Course Meal -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14 -- David Kalas -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 2024
Perhaps your family, like mine, has certain traditional meals throughout the year.
The God of Fruition -- Acts 8:26-40, 1 John 4:7-21, John 15:1-8 -- David Kalas -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2024
In the sometimes-tiresome debate over science and scripture with respect to creation, it’s easy to b
Listening for a Motif -- Isaiah 6:1-8, Romans 8:12-17, John 3:1-17 -- David Kalas -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2024
In preaching about a certain passage once, I freely made reference to the Trinity.
Have a Heart -- 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27, 2 Corinthians 8:7-15, Mark 5:21-43 -- David Kalas -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2024
Some years ago, a few of my kids and I embarked on a little exercise.
Jesus in the Middle -- Isaiah 49:1-7, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, John 1:29-42 -- David Kalas -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - A -- 2023
The medieval proverb declared that “all roads lead to Rome.” For a thousand years or so, Rome was t
What the Choir Needs to Hear -- Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12), 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16), Matthew 5:13-20 -- David Kalas -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - A -- 2023
We have an idiom in our day that was born in the church but has worked its way into the broader cult
Rendezvous With God -- John 4:5-42, Exodus 17:1-7, Romans 5:1-11 -- David Kalas -- Third Sunday in Lent - A -- 2023
A colleague of mine and I decided to meet one day for lunch.
A Love Relationship, More or Less -- John 18:1--19:42, Hebrews 10:16-25, Isaiah 52:13--53:12 -- David Kalas -- Good Friday - A -- 2023
I have lived long enough to discover the truth of this principle time and again.
Living Toward a Destination -- John 14:1-14, Acts 7:55-60, 1 Peter 2:2-10 -- David Kalas -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2023
Every day, multiple times a day, we are on our way somewhere.
What He Has to Say for Himself -- Genesis 1:1--2:4a, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Matthew 28:16-20 -- David Kalas -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A -- 2023
For so many Christians, including likely most of the people in our pews this Sunday, there are a han
Things That Need Fixing -- Genesis 25:19-34, Romans 8:1-11, Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 -- David Kalas -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2023
Perhaps you have a list of things at home that need to be fixed, either when you get the time and op
When Nothing Else Can Help -- Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28, Romans 10:5-15, Matthew 14:22-33 -- David Kalas -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A -- 2023
When I was a little boy, my dad would sometimes sing me to sleep at night, and he would usually sing
All Rise -- Exodus 14:19-31, Romans 14:1-12, Matthew 18:21-35 -- David Kalas -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A -- 2023
I was summoned for jury duty recently.
B.C. and A.D. -- Exodus 33:12-23, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Matthew 22:15-22 -- David Kalas -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 2023
We were looking through some family photos the other evening, pictures taken from when we first move
Watching and Waiting -- Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Matthew 25:1-13 -- David Kalas -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - A -- 2023
When I was in elementary school, the boy who was my best friend and favorite playmate at the time mo
More to Unwrap -- Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, John 1:6-8, 19-28 -- David Kalas -- Third Sunday of Advent - B -- 2023
From time to time, my wife and I have held back some Christmas gift or another until all the others

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Under Attack -- 2 Samuel 11:26--12:13a, Ephesians 4:1-16, John 6:24-35 -- David Kalas -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2024
I asked the folks in my congregation once whether they struggled with sin.
Listening for a Motif -- Isaiah 6:1-8, Romans 8:12-17, John 3:1-17 -- David Kalas -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2024
In preaching about a certain passage once, I freely made reference to the Trinity.

Sermon

SermonStudio

A Stupid Question -- Acts 1:1-11 -- David Kalas -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2009
Generous teachers sometimes assure their students that there is no such thing as a stupid question.
The Place Of Prayer -- Acts 16:16-34 -- David Kalas -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2009
"Where is the place of prayer?" they asked. "We're looking for the place of prayer."
Prelude To A Sacrament -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14 -- David Kalas -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2009
We have a table before us.
The Man Who Wasn't There -- Acts 16:9-15 -- David Kalas -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2009
I've never had a vision -- at least not of the sort that Paul had.
Trumpet Medley -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 -- David Kalas -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2009
Listen to the sound of the trumpet. What do you hear?
Anatomy Of A Testimony -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11 -- David Kalas -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2009
You see a man busily writing. His face reveals the intensity of his focus.
A Resume Of Righteousness -- Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 -- David Kalas -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2009
Statues don't perspire. The characters portrayed in stained-glass windows don't blink.
RSVP -- Isaiah 55:1-9 -- David Kalas -- Third Sunday in Lent - C -- 2009
When you and I send out invitations to events we are hosting, we typically include at the bottom of
Joshua's New Diet -- Joshua 5:9-12 -- David Kalas -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2009
What do you or your family pray at mealtime?
Heisman In The Hudson -- Isaiah 43:16-21 -- David Kalas -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2009
In December of every year, the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City awards the coveted Heisman Tr
Profile Of A Savior -- Isaiah 50:4-9a -- David Kalas -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2009
In the century and a half that cameras have been around, photographers have done us the great favor
That's Why We Call It Good -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12 -- David Kalas -- Good Friday - C -- 2009
At the end of the day, God saw that it was good.
The Gospel According To Pronouns -- Acts 10:34-43 -- David Kalas -- Easter Day - C -- 2009
The gospel of Jesus Christ is personal.
A Tale Of Two Peters -- Acts 5:27-32 -- David Kalas -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2009
When the curtain opens on Scene Two, we see a familiar scene.
God All Along -- Acts 9:1-6 (7-20) -- David Kalas -- Third Sunday of Easter - C -- 2009
See him as he travels along the road to Damascus: the intensity in his eyes, the purposefulness of h
The Good Works We Leave Behind -- Acts 9:36-43 -- David Kalas -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2009
It's a poignant scene: the gathering place of mourners.
Look Who's Talking -- Acts 11:1-18 -- David Kalas -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2009
Professional sports has no statistic for measuring talking.
A Match Made In Heaven -- Genesis 29:15-28 -- David Kalas -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2007
One of the great privileges of being a parish pastor is the opportunity to officiate at weddings.
A Blessing In Disguise -- Genesis 32:22-31 -- David Kalas -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A -- 2007
I wonder how many of us here are named after someone.
Do You See What I See? -- Exodus 14:19-31 -- David Kalas -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A -- 2007
In 1956, director/producer Cecil B.
Sentimental Slaves -- Exodus 16:2-15 -- David Kalas -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - A -- 2007
Let me ask you to do a little remembering today.
The Proof Is In The Pudding -- Exodus 17:1-7 -- David Kalas -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A -- 2007
It is an incongruous scene: a multitude in the desert.
Appointment With Thunder -- Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 -- David Kalas -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A -- 2007
If you're like me, then you've spent your whole life in the church.

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The Man Who Wasn't There -- Acts 16:9-15 -- David Kalas -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2009
I've never had a vision -- at least not of the sort that Paul had.
The Gospel According To Pronouns -- Acts 10:34-43 -- David Kalas -- Easter Day - C -- 2009
The gospel of Jesus Christ is personal.
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Advent 3
31 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
2 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Advent 4
36 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
19 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
3 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Christmas!
27 – Sermons
100+ – Illustrations / Stories
31 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
33 – Commentary / Exegesis
3 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A crèche, or manger scene. Any size and style is fine as long as it includes shepherds. Have the creche set up before you begin.

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StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.” (vv. 13-14)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Frank Ramirez
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Isaiah 62:6-12
Isaiah proclaims, “Look, your savior comes.” We celebrate on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day the coming of our savior into the world – not as one full of power, but as a babe, vulnerable and human, as one born among us. Yes, God has great things in store for this babe, great lessons to teach us and for us to absorb as we watch this babe become a child and then a man. But in this quiet moment, this moment in a stable, born of indigent, immigrant parents, we see our own vulnerability portrayed in the Christ child.
Wayne Brouwer
There is a powerful scene in Herman Melville’s great epic, Moby Dick, where Captain Ahab stands peg-legged on the deck of the Pequod during a violent storm (chapter 119). His obsession with the White Whale has carried the craft and crew to exotic and frightening locales, and now it seems as if divine providence might be unleashing furious anger against this ill-fated quest.

The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
For December 22, 2024:
Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
For December 22, 2024:

SermonStudio

Derl G. Keefer
I read an old legend about a Christmas party that Satan and his pack of demons were having in hell. As the demonic guests were departing, one laughed and grinned and sarcastically said to Satan, “Merry Christmas your majesty!” At that, Satan replied with a growl, “Yes, keep it merry. If they ever get serious about it, we’ll all be in trouble.”

Today the focus is all about the Messiah and we need to be serious about it. It is the birth of the baby Jesus, the Messiah. It is the coming of God…the doctrine of incarnation. It is the intervention of God’s presence among humanity.
Stephen P. McCutchan
... He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.
-- Psalm 96:13

Gregory L. Tolle
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.
James Evans
This psalm gives us the proper theme for a Christmas Day celebration: "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises" (v. 4).

Carlos Wilton
(Occurs in all three cycles of the lectionary; see Christmas Day, Cycle A; see also Easter 7, Cycle C, for an alternative approach.)

The lectionary includes two sets of readings for Christmas Day: those appointed for dawn services, and those appointed for services that take place later in the day. Psalm 97 is designated as one of these early-morning readings.

William Powell Tuck
Christmas is usually associated in our memory as a time of great joy. But for many it is also a time for cynicism. There are some people for whom Christmas is difficult. It is a time of struggle, depression, loneliness, and anxiety. There are more suicides during the holiday season than at any other time of the year. A comment by a woman in a nursing home indicates the feeling of some: "No one really cares. No one cares about me now.
Mark Wm. Radecke
Because Jesus was Mary's firstborn, there were four words that she and Joseph did not have to hear as they made the arduous trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Four words that make long journeys longer. Four words that strike terror in the hearts of parents of every time and every place. Four words from which even the youngest child seems to be able to craft a sentence: Are we there yet?

I am struck this year by the number of journeys the narratives of Jesus' birth and infancy entail:

* Mary and Joseph's journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem;
Julia Ross Strope
Gathering music
Christmas medley

(Light the Christ candle.)

(Invite adults, children, and youth ahead of time to bring a favorite gift for a one-sentence show and tell.)

Greeting
Leader: Merry Christmas!

People: Merry Christmas!

Leader: Settle your Christmas gifts on the pew beside you and find the space within your minds and hearts to sing, pray, listen, and talk.
James R. Wilson


Call To Worship
Leader: Come, let us celebrate, for Christ our savior has been born!
People: Is our Messiah, the promised one, among us this day?
Leader: Surely I say unto you, Christ the Lord is with us even as we speak.
People: Are even sinners such as we welcome in Christ's kingdom?
Leader: Praise to the Lord God Almighty, for in Christ we are all welcome!
All: Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Collect

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
After baby Jesus grew up to be a man, he got into terrible trouble, and wicked people killed him. But a good man called Joseph of Arimathea laid Jesus's body gently in his own grave, which he'd made ready for when he should die. After that the wicked people searched for Joseph of Arimathea, and so he ran away from Jerusalem carrying with him a special cup like this one, which contained some of Jesus's holy blood.

Special Occasion

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