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Paul A. Laughlin

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God's fat and lean sheep -- Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24, Psalm 23, 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, Matthew 25:31-46 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: Speaking as God's voice, Ezekiel lambasts the kings ("shepherds") of Israel whose p
The life-breathing God -- Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 116, Romans 8:6-11, Psalm 116 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: This passage from the early exilic period records the well-known (through song) "dr
Faithful obedience to God's call -- Genesis 12:1-9, Psalm 33, Romans 3:21-28 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: What is most striking about this account of God's call and Abraham's response is th
The active, ascended Christ -- Acts 7:55-60, Psalm 31, 1 Peter 2:2-10, Psalm 31 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: Stephen's vision of the ascended Christ in heaven prior to his own martyrdom is cur
God will provide -- Genesis 22:1-18, Psalm 13, Matthew 9:9-13 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: Behind this well-known story of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his own son at G
God's saving presence -- Isaiah 63:7-9, Psalm 111, Hebrews 2:10-18, Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: This passage is a typical introduction for a psalm of intercession in that it prefa
Materialism versus what really matters -- Genesis 25:19-34, Psalm 46, Romans 5:6-11, Matthew 9:35-10:8 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: Neither of the principals in this story comes out looking very good: Jacob is portr
The transcendent, immanent God -- Deuteronomy 4:32-40, Psalm 33, 2 Corinthians 13:5-14, Matthew 28:16-20 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: This passage clearly attests the two basic components of Judaeo-Christian theism.
The subtle presence of God -- Genesis 28:10-17, Psalm 91, Romans 5:12-19, Matthew 10:24-33 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: Jacob's response to his dream-theophany - that God had been in that place all along
Universal peace from God's unitive power -- Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 122, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- First Sunday of Advent - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: This eschatological ("latter days") vision, the core of which also appears in the o
Wrestling with God -- Genesis 32:22-32, Psalm 17, Matthew 10:34-42 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: The identity of Jacob's opponent is uncertain here, both to the patriarch and to th
Self-awareness as sin-awareness -- Genesis 2:4b-9, 15-17, 25-3:7, Psalm 130, Romans 5:12-19, Matthew 4:1-11 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- First Sunday in Lent - A -- 1989
First Sunday in LentFirst Lesson: Genesis 2:4b-9, 15-17, 25-3:7Theme:
Godly civil disobedience -- Exodus 1:6-14, 22-2:10, Psalm 124, Matthew 11:25-30 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: The story of the Pharaoh’s ineffective plot to decimate the burgeoning Hebrew popul
The Church as community -- Acts 2:42-47, Psalm 23, 1 Peter 2:19-25, John 10:1-10 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: The picture of the earliest Church painted here refers almost exclusively to its li
God's safe-keeping Spirit -- Exodus 14:19-31, Psalm 106, Romans 9:1-5, Matthew 14:22-33 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: Although Paul made the crossing of the Red Sea a type for Christian baptism (1 Cori
God's "X-ray" vision -- 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Ephesians 5:8-14, Psalm 23, John 9:1-41 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: The key contrast in this wonderful story of Samuel's anointing of David as God's ha
God's nurturing salvation -- Jeremiah 31:7-14, Psalm 147, Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18, John 1:1-18 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Second Sunday after Christmas - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: This portion of a homecoming hymn, part of the so-called "Book of Consolation," loo
The suffering substitute -- Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Psalm 22, Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9, John 18:1-19:42 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Good Friday - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: This Fourth Servant Song is not without its difficulties, not the least of which is
Called from the womb for the world -- Isaiah 49:1-7, Psalm 40, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, John 1:29-34 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: In this second Servant Song of Isaiah II, the Servant makes a public announcement o
The power of God's name -- Numbers 6:22-27, Philippians 2:9-13, Luke 2:15-21, Psalm 67 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- 1989
Exegetical note: The famous tripartite (so-called "Aaronic" or "Priestly") blessing in this passage
God's outlandish promises -- Genesis 12:1-4a (4b-8), Psalm 33, John 3:1-17 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Second Sunday in Lent - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: This passage, which begins the Abraham narratives of Genesis, shows the great patri
God's incarnate Light -- 2 Peter 1:16-21, Matthew 17:1-9 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Transfiguration Sunday - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: Since the Second Coming of Jesus is a central concern of this very late pseudonymou
Reestablishing the covenant -- 1 Kings 8:55-61, Psalm 138, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Matthew 6:25-33 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Thanksgiving Day - A -- 1989
Thanksgiving DayFirst Lesson: 1 Kings 8:55-61Theme:
Hardening hearts and testing God -- Exodus 17:3-7, Romans 5:1-11, Psalm 95, John 4:5-26 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Third Sunday in Lent - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: It is interesting that the only reference to this incident in the Old Testament (Ps
God's Lamb, God's liberation -- Exodus 12:1-14, Psalm 89, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-15 -- Paul A. Laughlin -- Maundy Thursday - A -- 1989
Exegetical note: When the Synopticists (especially) depicted Jesus as celebrating the Seder meal wit
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...

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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!

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For March 30, 2025:

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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.

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Joshua 5:9-12
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SermonStudio

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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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