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David O. Bales

David Bales was a Presbyterian pastor for 33 years. He is a graduate of San Francisco Theological Seminary. In addition to his ministry he also has taught college: World Religions, Ethics, Biblical Hebrew and Biblical Greek (lately at College of Idaho, Caldwell). He has been a freelance writer for Stephen Ministries. His sermons and articles have appeared in Interpretation, Lectionary Homiletics, Preaching the Great Texts and other publications. For a year he wrote the online column "In The Original: Insights from Greek and Hebrew for the Lectionary Passages." His books include: Gospel Subplots: Story Sermons of God's Grace, Toward Easter and Beyond, Scenes of Glory: Subplots of God's Long Story, and To the Cross and Beyond and Beyond: Cycle A Sermons for Lent and Easter. Dave has been a writer for the CSS online subscription, StoryShare, for five years. He can be reached at dobales.com.

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Fifty Feet Below Molly's Face -- John 3:6-8 -- David O. Bales -- 2008
Emphasis or special occasion: ChristmasChapter 23
Lazarus: Second Death, Third Life -- John 11:1-13, 38-44 -- David O. Bales -- 2008
Emphasis or special occasion: Resurrection SundayChapter 25
John's Final Revision -- John 21:20-25 -- David O. Bales -- 2008
Chapter 26John's Final Revision
The Seminarian -- 1 Corinthians 2:12 -- David O. Bales -- 2008
Emphasis or special occasion: OrdinationChapter 27
What A Rotten Text For Today -- 1 Corinthians 13 -- David O. Bales -- 2008
Emphasis or special occasion: Church ConflictChapter 29
Search For The True Believer -- 2 Corinthians 11:29 -- David O. Bales -- 2008
Emphasis or special occasion: FaithChapter 30
Languishing Legend -- Galatians 3:28 -- David O. Bales -- 2008
Emphasis or special occasion: Thanksgiving or Martin Luther King Day
How Are Things In Guanajuato? -- Ephesians 3:14-19 -- David O. Bales -- 2008
Emphasis or special occasion: Father's DayChapter 32
Team Bus -- Ephesians 4:15-16 -- David O. Bales -- 2008
Emphasis or special occasion: FootballChapter 33
Doctor Of Divinity -- 1 Peter 5:1-4 -- David O. Bales -- 2008
Emphasis or special occasion: Seminary Sunday, Ordination, or Installation of Pastor
The Most Faithful Nonbeliever -- 1 John 3:11 -- David O. Bales -- 2008
Emphasis or special occasion: Installation of Pastor or Ordination

StoryShare

Anticipation -- John 20:1-18, Colossians 3:1-4, Acts 10:34-43, Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 -- Argile Smith, David O. Bales -- Easter Day - A -- 2008
Contents What's Up This Week "Anticipation" by Argile Smith
Throwing The Thompson's -- Matthew 28:16-20, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Genesis 1:1--2:4a, Psalm 8 -- C. David Mckirachan, David O. Bales -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A -- 2008
Contents What's Up This Week
Glenda's Surprise -- Matthew 17:1-9, 2 Peter 1:16-21, Exodus 24:12-18, Psalm 27:1, 4-9 -- Argile Smith, Keith Hewitt, Peter Andrew Smith, David O. Bales -- Transfiguration Sunday - A -- 2008
Contents What's Up This Week "Glenda's Surprise" by Argile Smith
The Terrible Dark Day -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21, 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10, Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, Psalm 51:1-17 -- Peter Andrew Smith, David O. Bales, Argile Smith, Keith Hewitt -- Ash Wednesday - A -- 2008
Contents What's Up This Week "Glenda's Surprise" by Argile Smith
Upwards Motion -- Matthew 26:14--27:66, Philippians 2:5-11, Isaiah 50:4-9a, Psalm 31:9-16 -- Bryan Meadows, David O. Bales -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2008
Contents What's Up This Week "Upwards Motion" by Bryan Meadows
Sin That Grace Abound? -- Matthew 10:24-39, Romans 6:1b-11, Genesis 21:8-21, Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17 -- David O. Bales, Bryan Meadows, Keith Hewitt -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2008
Contents What's Up This Week "Sin that Grace Abound?" by David O. Bales
Never Again Separate -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52, Romans 8:26-39, Genesis 29:15-28, Psalm 105:1-11, 45b -- David O. Bales, Craig Kelly -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2008
Contents What's Up This Week "Never Again Separate" by David O. Bales
It Was A Long Time Ago -- Matthew 16:13-20, Romans 12:1-8, Exodus 1:8--2:10, Psalm 124 -- David O. Bales, John E. Sumwalt, Craig Kelly -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A -- 2008
Contents What's Up This Week "It was a Long Time Ago" by David O. Bales
A Born Leader -- Matthew 22:34-46, Deuteronomy 34:1-12, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17 -- Sandra Herrmann, Argile Smith, David O. Bales, Craig Kelly -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2008
Contents What's Up This Week "A Born Leader" by Sandra Herrmann
A Born Leader -- John 8:31-36, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Romans 3:19-28, Psalm 46 -- Sandra Herrmann, Argile Smith, David O. Bales, Craig Kelly -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 2008
Contents What's Up This Week "A Born Leader" by Sandra Herrmann
Be Joyful -- Luke 17:11-19, Deuteronomy 8:7-18, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Psalm 65 -- John S. Smylie, Craig Kelly, David O. Bales, Keith Hewitt -- Thanksgiving Day - A -- 2008
ContentsWhat's Up This Week "Be Joyful" by John Smylie
Be Joyful -- Matthew 25:31-46, Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24, Ephesians 1:15-23, Psalm 100 -- John S. Smylie, Craig Kelly, David O. Bales, Keith Hewitt -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A -- 2008
ContentsWhat's Up This Week "Be Joyful" by John Smylie
The Gift Of A John The Baptist -- John 1:6-8, 19-28, Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, Psalm 126 -- David O. Bales, John S. Smylie -- Third Sunday of Advent - B -- 2008
Contents What's Up This Week
Sons From Far Away, Daughters In Nurses' Arms -- John 1:(1-9) 10-18, Jeremiah 31:7-14, Ephesians 1:3-14, Psalm 147:12-20 -- David O. Bales, Frank Ramirez, Timothy F. Merrill -- Second Sunday after Christmas - B -- 2008
ContentsWhat's Up This Week
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Lent 2
20 – Sermons
170+ – Illustrations / Stories
26 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
20 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Lent 3
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Lent 4
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
27 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A rock about the size of a tennis ball, baseball, or even a softball.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent!

The Immediate Word

Dean Feldmeyer
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Christopher Keating
George Reed
Mary Austin
For March 30, 2025:

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
Paul reread the parable again and sighed. Why had he agreed to lead the Bible study this week? When Pastor Luke asked him, he had been all excited and enthusiastic. He knew the parable of the prodigal son inside and out having read commentaries and stories about it before. He had actually preached a sermon on the passage when Pastor Luke was away and received great feedback from the congregation.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Joshua 5:9-12
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
Joshua 9:5-12

SermonStudio

Bonnie Bates
It is a well-known cliché that “God never gives us more than we can handle”, but I have sometimes found that not to be so. When my youngest brother died of brain cancer at age five, it was more than I could handle. When my first husband was emotionally and physically abusive, it was more than I could handle. When my second husband and I lost our twin sons at birth, it was more than I could handle. The COVID pandemic was more than we could handle. Wars and violence are often more than we can handle. Homelessness, poverty, grief, and loss are often more than we can handle.
John N. Brittain
I suppose we are all a little bit nervous about the prospect of a sermon on a Bible story as familiar and sometimes as overworked as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. "What can I possibly say that hasn't been said before?" And I know what's going through your minds: "Are we going to be subjected to the same old sermon yet another time?" Confronting a familiar Bible passage like this mid-Lent really serves to address the discipline of reading Scripture as part of our devotional life, particularly passages that are very familiar.
Charles D. Reeb
A. A. Milne, the creator of Winnie the Pooh, wrote a simple, yet telling poem in his work, Now We Are Six:

When I was One, I had just begun.
When I was Two, I was nearly new.
When I was Three, I was hardly Me.
When I was Four, I was not much more.
When I was Five, I was just alive.
But now I am Six, I'm as clever as ever.
So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.1

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to worship:

 While the Prodigal Son was still far off, his father saw him, ran to him, put his arms around him and kissed him. In our worship today, let us turn to God so that he may run to us, put his arms around and kiss us.

Invitation to confession:

 Jesus, for the times when we run away from you,

Lord, have mercy.

 Jesus, for the times when we have wasted our inheritance on dissolute living,

Christ, have mercy.

 Jesus, when we return to you,

Lord, have mercy.

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