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William E. Keeney

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Preaching

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The Sprouting Fig Tree -- Luke 21:25-36 -- William E. Keeney -- First Sunday of Advent - C -- 1997
25"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
The Blind Guiding The Blind -- Luke 6:39-49 -- William E. Keeney -- Epiphany 8 | Ordinary Time 8 - C -- 1997
39He also told them a parable: "Can a blind person guide a
The Barren Fruit Tree -- Luke 13:1-9 -- William E. Keeney -- Third Sunday in Lent - C -- 1997
1At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate h
A Father And Two Sons -- Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 -- William E. Keeney -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1997
1Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to
Forgiving Debts -- Luke 7:36--8:3 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 1997
36One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he
The Neighborly Samaritan -- Luke 10:25-37 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 1997
25Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus.
Persistent Praying -- Luke 11:1-13 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C -- 1997
1He was praying in a certain place, and after he had
The Unwise Farmer -- Luke 12:13-21 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - C -- 1997
13Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my
The Price Of Discipleship -- Luke 14:25-33 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C -- 1997
25Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned
Recovering The Lost -- Luke 15:1-10 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 1997
1Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to
The Rich Man And Poor Beggar -- Luke 16:19-31 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C -- 1997
19"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine
The Servant's Duty -- Luke 17:5-10 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C -- 1997
5The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 6The Lord replied, "If you had faith
A Widow And A Bad Judge -- Luke 18:1-8 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - C -- 1997
1Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray
Two Men Praying -- Luke 18:9-14 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - C -- 1997
9He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves
Prepared Servants -- Luke 12:32-40 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - C -- 1997
Watching. Waiting. Preparedness. Servanthood. These are
The Shrewd Steward -- Luke 16:1-13 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 1997
1Then Jesus said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who
Honor Or Humility -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 1997
Emily Post was a well-known expert on etiquette. She would
Weather Signs -- Luke 12:49-56 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 1997
49"I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were
The Fig Tree Lesson -- Mark 13:24-37 -- William E. Keeney -- 1996
We were traveling in the dark.
The One Shepherd -- John 10:11-18 -- William E. Keeney -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1996
The Good Shepherd parable comes on the fourth Sunday of Easter.
Eating Living Bread -- John 6:51-58 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 1996
Most Americans eat well. Three square meals a day is not uncommon.
Tying Up A Strong Man -- Mark 3:20-35 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 1996
Mark's gospel account very quickly gets into the conflict that will eventually culminate in the deat
Seeds And The Kingdom -- Mark 4:26-34 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - B -- 1996
At this writing the U.S.
The Fruitful Vine -- John 15:1-8 -- William E. Keeney -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1996
What is a preacher to make of a parable or extended allegory about a vine in an urban and industrial

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The Neighborly Samaritan -- Luke 10:25-37 -- William E. Keeney -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 1997
The parable of the neighborly Samaritan demonstrates the enduring and provocative power of a good st
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 20 | OT 25 | Pentecost 15
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 21 | OT 26 | Pentecost 16
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 22 | OT 27 | Pentecost 17
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...

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For September 21, 2025:

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Frank Ramirez
Well, it’s autumn, and by now the seeds we planted in the spring either took root and produced or else the weather, pests, rabbits, or our own laziness conspired to make this year’s garden less than a success. But at one point we had to get started and actually plant seeds for the future.

Jeremiah is looking back from the perspective of our spiritual well-being and laments than our spiritual harvest has all been for naught. He wonders if it is now too late for a recovery. Is there no healing, no balm in Gilead, to apply to our wounds?
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Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 8:18--9:1 and Psalm 79:1-9
In the spring as farmers and gardeners prepare to plant we are looking at a summer of possibilities. Hard work, to be sure, but also potential. What will happen? What will this season be like? At summer’s end there will be no more questions. We’ll know. Maybe it was a great season, and we have canned or frozen many vegetables. Maybe the farmers have brought in a bumper crop and they got a good price besides.

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: This message will be based on a game you will play. See the note below.

NOTE: Ask three or more adults to come up and play the role of Simon for your group. Tell them to all speak at once, asking the children to do different things. The goal is to create a nice bit of confusion for the children to experience.

* * *

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

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
“Hey!” Annie waved at the woman standing next to the open doorway. “Can you come here?”

The woman made her way past the other nursing home residents and stood next to Annie’s wheelchair.

“What can I do for you?”

“You look familiar.” Annie squinted at her. “Do I know your name?”

“I’m Brenda.” The woman pointed at her name tag. “I work in the kitchen and sometimes help serve the meals when they are ready.”

“That’s right. I think we’ve met before.” Annie tapped her lips with her finger. “You have the nice smile.”

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus said, “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much.” In our worship today let us remember the little things in our lives and ask God to help us to be utterly faithful in them.



Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes we pretend that little sins don't matter.

Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we imagine that you don't notice little sins.

Christ, have mercy.

SermonStudio

James Evans
This poignant prayer of lament and community grief gives expression to what it feels like to suffer as a person of faith. If we believe we are truly part of God's community, then the destruction of that community -- as was the case with Israel in 587 B.C. -- becomes a time for doubt, anger, and confusion. Furthermore, if we believe we are individual members of that community, our personal suffering also creates an opportunity for a crisis of faith: "Why didn't God protect me?" Of course, it does not take a national catastrophe to raise those sorts of questions.
Kirk R. Webster
If feedback is the breakfast of champions, perhaps we would do well to examine some of our prayer habits. If you have ever heard someone use The Just Really Prayer, you know exactly what problem we are talking about.

That prayer goes something like this, "Lord, we just really thank you for this day. We come before you and just really pray for mercy. We offer ourselves to you and just really ask that your will be done in our lives. Amen." I'm thankful this particular Just Really prayer was mercifully short, unlike the next example, The Good Guilt-Based Prayer.
John W. Wurster
Another season has come and gone. Promises that were made have not been fulfilled. Good intentions haven't yielded any tangible results. Dreams have not come true. High hopes have proven to be only wishful thinking. Nothing has really changed; nothing has really improved. The time keeps moving along, but we seem stuck in the same ruts. Old routines remain, prejudices persist, dullness and anxiety continue to be constant companions. Lingering in the air is that nagging sense that things aren't quite right, not as they could be, not as they should be.
R. Robert Cueni
In the scripture lesson for today Jesus tells a perplexing parable about a thoroughly dishonest employee who was praised for his dishonesty. In this story Jesus not only seems comfortable suggesting that it is acceptable to compromise with moral failings, but our Lord appears to commend his disciples to "go and do likewise." For centuries, preachers, commentators, and scholars have struggled to make sense of this outrageous tale.

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