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John Jamison

John B. Jamison served as a pastor of United Methodist churches in Illinois for over twenty years. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary as well as a masters and a Ph.D. in Education. John spent extended time studying in the Holy Land and uses that experience as a source for his sermons and children's sermons. John has written for radio and television, has authored three novels, and is an award-winning children’s book author. When he is not writing, John enjoys painting, gardening, playing the guitar, and spending time with his wife Patricia, their adult daughter, Tricia, and two grandchildren, Ben and Emily.

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Children's sermon

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Getting Even! -- Matthew 28:16-20 -- John Jamison -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A -- 2023
Object: We want something to represent a club to give to each child.
God's Surprise: God's Craziness! -- Mark 1:1-8 -- John Jamison -- Second Sunday of Advent - B -- 2023
Object: You need pieces of clothing to dress two children.
Take Off the Gloves! -- Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 -- John Jamison -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - A -- 2023
Object: A pair of medical gloves for each child.
Leaving A Trail! -- Matthew 4:12-23 -- John Jamison -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - A -- 2023
Object: See the notes.
The Bee-Attitudes -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- John Jamison -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 2023
Object:  A jar of honey.
God's Garden -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 -- John Jamison -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2023
Object: For the most fun and impact, use a weed-eater.
God's Math -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- John Jamison -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2023
Object: A blank piece of poster paper, markers, and the attached list of numbers.
Transfiguration -- Matthew 17:1-9 -- John Jamison -- Transfiguration Sunday - A -- 2023
Object: A bright flashlight.
Tempting! -- Matthew 4:1-11 -- John Jamison -- First Sunday in Lent - A -- 2023
Object:  A cookie, a trophy or award of some kind, and a pair of socks.
The Real Law! -- Matthew 22:15-22 -- John Jamison -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 2023
Object: A dollar bill, or any bill with a president’s image on it.

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Tickets Please! -- Luke 12:32-40 -- John Jamison -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - C -- 2022
Object: A ticket to give to each child.
Measuring Forgivness -- Luke 6:27-38 -- John Jamison -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - C -- 2022
Object: A measuring cup that you might use for cooking, and something to put in the
First Responders! -- Luke 12:49-56 -- John Jamison -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2022
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) I have a question for you today.
Is God Here? -- Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) -- John Jamison -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 2022
Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory
A Pretty Special Gift #2! -- Matthew 3:1-12 -- John Jamison -- Second Sunday of Advent - A -- 2022
Object: You need just a few pieces of clothing to dress six children.
Rule Number One! -- Luke 13:10-17 -- John Jamison -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - C -- 2022
Object: A list of rules, or a book of rules.
Influencers! -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- John Jamison -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2022
One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully
SHHHhhhhh! -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- John Jamison -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2022
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogu
A Pretty Special Gift #3! -- Matthew 11:2-11 -- John Jamison -- Third Sunday of Advent - A -- 2022
Object: A video camera. One on your phone is just fine.
Getting Ready! -- Luke 14:25-33 -- John Jamison -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C -- 2022
Object: Building blocks for the children to use to build something.
Tempted! -- Luke 4:1-13 -- John Jamison -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2022
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answe
A Pretty Special Gift #4! -- Matthew 1:18-25 -- John Jamison -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A -- 2022
Object: An empty plastic jug, like a plastic milk jug from the store.
Lost and Found! -- Luke 15:1-10 -- John Jamison -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 2022
Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one.
Seeing Things! -- Luke 13:31-35 -- John Jamison -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2022
At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere el
A Pretty Special Gift #5! -- Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- John Jamison -- The Nativity of our Lord - A -- 2022
Object: A cardboard box about the size of a small cradle, filled with straw or shre

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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

The Immediate Word

Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Tom Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
George Reed
Christopher Keating
For September 14, 2025:

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John Jamison
Object: A sheep stuffy or toy.

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Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! Let’s get started!

Did you know that Jesus traveled around and hunted for people who were doing something illegal and breaking the laws? (Let them respond.) He really did.And when he found someone who was doing something illegal, do you know what he did with them? (Let them respond.)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
Our text tells us that we are skilled in doing evil (v.22). An anonymous late medieval treatise titled German Theology tells us why:

It is the nature and property of the creature to seek itself and its own things, and this and that, here and there, and in all that it does and leaves undone as desire is to its own advantage and benefit. (Varieties of Mystic Experience, p.162)

Martin Luther King, Jr. offers an alternative to this vision:
David Coffin
All three of today’s texts can be viewed as good news that God never gives up on God’s people. This is despite their resistance to repent or simple straying from the community of faith. We can observe family and loved ones at various points of their faith journey through the lens of each of these texts. Jeremiah 4 informs the people their neglect of honoring their covenant with God is about to result in disastrous consequences. Paul recalls in 1 Timothy 1 how he thought he was falling God’s will until he had his literal come to Jesus moment!

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (vv. 6-7)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus told stories to illustrate to the people God's gladness whenever anyone turned to him and chose life. There is still rejoicing in heaven whenever any one of us turns to God.



Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes I think I'm too insignificant for you to bother with me.

Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes I don't bother with you.

Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes I don't bother with other people, but only with myself.

SermonStudio

James Evans
(See Proper 12/Pentecost 10/Ordinary Time 17, Cycle B, for an alternative approach.)

The psalm writer has an interesting perspective on the origin of injustice in our world. He begins this psalm with the assertion that those who do not believe in God are "fools." He goes on to accuse them of corruption and of being incapable of doing good. Later on he writes, "Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon the Lord?" (v. 4).

Elizabeth Achtemeier
"Now it is I who speak in judgment upon them" (v. 12). Ours is a society that does not accept that as the Word of God. Many people do not believe that God judges anyone. Rather, the Lord is a forgiving God, a kindly deity who overlooks all wrong. As in the Gospel lesson for the morning, the Lord searches for the one lost sheep and returns it gently to the fold, or he hunts for the one lost coin until he finds it. God accepts the lost as they are, we think, overlooking Jesus' teaching about repentance and transformation of life.
Scott Suskovic
We usually don't spend too much time thinking about our own sinfulness. On occasion, of course, our feelings of guilt overwhelm us. We can't stop thinking about our sinfulness. If we are in that situation, we may need to talk that out with someone. Apart from times like that, we don't think much about our own sinfulness. We have ways of getting around that.

R. Robert Cueni
Back before the ways of the Taliban became common knowledge, there was a fascinating little article about how they jailed barbers when they didn't do culturally correct haircuts.1 The newspaper reported that young men in Kabul, Afghanistan, have started wearing their hair the way the actor Leonardo DiCaprio wears his. Long, not only on the sides, but so long in the front that hair can drop over the eyes. They call the style, "the Titanic," named for the blockbuster movie starring DiCaprio about the 1912 sinking of the cruise ship by that name.

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