Our title is all too familiar in this day and age. We’ve all seen the scandalous headlines, a preacher caught with a prostitute! Simon was troubled, possibly disgusted by the intrusion of the sinner woman. This woman had a reputation in the town and she wasn’t called “sinner” for nothing.

I imagine that her behavior was a bit distracting. Sobbing loudly, massaging Jesus’ feet with some perfumed ointment, drying them with her hair and generally making quite a scene. She didn’t seem to know her place or the rules of etiquette for this crowd. Simon wanted to get rid of her as quickly as possible. Her behavior was too embarrassing.

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Sermon seeds for Trinity Sunday.

The Trinity is one of the most important doctrines of the Church.

Now, there are a lot of people today who don’t have much time for doctrine. Such people are often into spirituality. They like phrases such as “I am a spiritual person. I have a spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus and that is enough for me. I don’t need doctrines.”

Such attitudes of spirituality without doctrine are not wise. For example, every car has a chassis. What is a car without a chassis? You have to have a chassis to on which to put the fenders, the engine and wheels. You need to have something which holds the whole car together and that is the chassis.

Or, what is my body without a skeleton? Without a skeleton, the knees would be flopping around along with the legs and arms. You need to have a skeleton within the human body for that human body to stand up on its own two feet and legs.

Or, what is a fish without a backbone? We all know what it is. It is a jellyfish. A jellyfish has no backbone. That is what a lot of Christians are: they are spiritual jellyfish. They are “a blob of spirituality, a blob of me and Jesus, a blob of inner spirituality. I am a spiritual person and that doctrine stuff is not very important to me.”

I believe that doctrine is like a chassis which holds the car together. I believe that doctrine is like the skeleton within the human body that holds the body together and allows us to stand up. I believe that doctrine is like the backbone of a fish and that inner backbone gives the fish strength. So it is with doctrine. Doctrine gives our Christian faith an inner strength and holds the different parts of our beliefs together.

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“Same Genetic Code” is a sermon interpretation of John 14: 23-29.  Parents and children share the same genetics. 

I have this strange sensation that overcomes me occasionally. Perhaps you have had similar experiences. I think you have. Sometimes, I will be using my hands. I will be using my hands and fingers to hold a newspaper, type on the computer, work with the calculator, and as I look at my hands and fingers, my hands and fingers move in such a way that they are my father’s hands. They are no longer my hands but my father’s hands. The hairs on my hands, the fingernails, the ways my hands and fingers move, these hands and fingers are identical to my father’s and sometimes I have that strange sensation that these hands and fingers are not my own but my father’s from years ago.  We share the same genetics.

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“See the home of God is among mortals. God will dwell with them; they will be God’s peoples, and God will be with them; God will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”

Use this image to illustrate the truth of “no more suffering, sorrow or pain.”

Sermons are much more effective when illustrated with an appropriate image.  See Ministry Depot’s Image Gallery

“True Identity” is a sermon interpretation of John 10: 1-30.
Today is better known as Good Shepherd Sunday. It has been Good Shepherd Sunday for centuries. Today, I would like to focus on three characteristics that we human beings share with sheep.

          
The first is this: we human beings are vulnerable to the wolves of life. We know that our lives are essentially and intrinsically vulnerable to death, disease, and injury. We know that. We know that life is infinitely fragile and easily broken and hurt. Our lives are like beautiful dainty glass sculptures.

While on vacation one time, I was watching a glass blower. He was blowing this glass and started to make a glass plate. No, not a solid glass plate but he was making a glass plate that looked like a lacey spider web. He took a piece of molten glass; it was like a dot. He then took a fine instrument and started to pull the glass out of the dot and he wove it like a spider web.

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When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ My guess is that Jesus was referring all of these things that were there on the shore: boats, nets, fish, food, family and friends. Why did Peter deny Jesus three times in the first place? Wasn’t it to protect his skin, to protect his own life? Wasn’t it because he instinctively did not want to die? Why didn’t Peter want to die? I think it was because he, like all of us, loved life and the things of this life such as family, friends, fish, boats, nets, etc. Peter loved this life and he didn’t want to die. It is simple as that. That is why I think Peter denied Jesus in the first place. He loved the things of life way more than the possibility of his premature death.

Jesus also asks us that same basic question: Do you love me more than these? Do you love me more than your family, your friends, your occupation? This is a personal question for each one of us. We, too, like Peter, will come to that time and place in our lives when Jesus will ask us that fundamental question: Do you love me more than these things and people?

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“Recovering Skeptic” is a sermon interpretation of John 20: 19-31. 

Thomas was the type of person who had lots of questions.  Doubts, questions and skepticism often lead to deeper faith and larger faith.

    
Let me give you some illustrations of this. As you know, we pastors teach confirmation to your kids and some of your kids can be at a phase in their lives that they “bug” us and this is normal. Some kids bug us because they chatter too much and need their lips sewn up. Other kids bug us because they are a little more snarly and rebellious and refuse to do their homework. And still other kids bug us because they have thousand and one questions about God, Jesus, the Bible and every aspect of the Christian faith. One of the worst kids in my memory was a kid named Duane who had thousands of questions about God, the Bible, Christ, etc. That was some twenty years ago now and I feel that there is justice that he is preaching in a church this morning as a pastor of a congregation in Spokane, Washington. The thousands of questions and doubts that he had as a youth were leading him to a deeper understanding of the Christian faith. And that is what doubts and questions often do: they lead us to a deeper and larger faith.

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This was posted on Craigs List in Oklahoma City, author and Reverend Rod unknown in Mustang, OK.  I wonder if this is for real?

“Reverend Rod is your minister for wedding"s if you have a redneck fantasy wedding or just want to get married at the lake on a pontoon boat i am a flexible Reverend can also provide whole roast pig complete with apple in mouth or luau style and smoked turkey cakes desserts just ask catering photography flowers reception bartenders reception halls and service you let me know what needs are… I can bring and put on my boots and as always prayers and miracles are absolutely free please no wedding ceremonies jumping out of plane but most everything else can be arranged well OK jumping out of planes too what am I going to die and go to heaven i can show you how to go also but anyway i hope you two happiness to both of you with however you choose to get married GOD bless .”

Theme: this image reinforces the spiritual theme that death has lost its power, lost its sting (empty tomb background with stingerless bee).
       

Easter holds wonderful promise! It is the day in which God is convincing us of the resurrection and on that same day is challenging the skeptic that lives in the corner of every one of our hearts.

Death does not have the final word. Easter proclaims that death has lost its power. Life triumphs over death. We no longer have to be quite so afraid. Death loses some of its power and sting.

A father and his seven-year old daughter were riding around in the car. It was a hot summer day, and one of those great big yellow bees flew into their car. The little seven- year old daughter was very much afraid, and so was the father, and so he said: let’s get that bee out of here. But they couldn’t. It went ZZZZZZZZ, scaring them both.

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“Exalted or Humbled” is a sermon interpretation of Philippians 2:5-11.  The theme image plays on the common misunderstanding that Jesus came to be a political king, a Jewish ruler.  It seeks to raise the question about what kind of “King” is Jesus really?

As we hear those familiar words from Philippians, I have to ask myself, “why did God exalt Jesus Christ to be King?”

Why is it that at the name of Jesus, we and all heavenly angels are to fall on our knees? At the name of Jesus, we are to lift up our hands and say, “Jesus Christ is king.” Why? What did Jesus do that was so utterly important? What did Jesus do that placed him in such high esteem before all angels and all people?

Was it because of the quality of his miracles? Was it because he was so magical? Because he was the Happy Houdini of the Holy Land? He walked on water. He turned the water into wine. He raised Lazarus from the dead. Because Jesus was the best miracle worker who ever lived, God has exalted Jesus and made his name greater than all other names. Is that the reason why God exalted Jesus?

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Theme: the Lord God said, “Behold, I make all things new.” ” I restore that which is old, corroded and scarred into someone/something new.

That phrase is found throughout the whole Bible, including the Old Testament lesson for today in Isaiah, chapter 43. In Isaiah 43, we hear that phrase again that God makes all things new. … Isaiah 43 is read often in our church. That is, it is read every year on New Year’s Eve. “Don’t brood over past history. Don’t brood over the mistakes of the years gone by. I the Lord God am doing a new thing in your life. Can’t you see it? Can’t you perceive it? It is like a bud springing forth from the ground. It is like a small crocus poking its head through the dirt. I the Lord God am doing a new thing in your life. Don’t you see it?

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“The Prodigal Son” is a sermon interpretation of Luke 15.  The following image portrays the rebellious son wining and dining and then a forgiving father and repentant son in the foreground.

What does this old classic parable of Jesus have to do with us? Obviously, there are three complex characters: the prodigal son, the older brother, and the father.

First, the youngest son, the prodigal himself. Here in this story we see the story of a human being like you and me, a common and ordinary person who wanted his independence. Who wanted his freedom. Who wanted to do what he wanted to do and not to have to listen to his father and older brother tell him what is right and wrong anymore. He didn’t want to live in the father’s house; he didn’t want to live in the father’s love. He wanted to go out and make it on his own, using his father’s inheritance.

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Theme:  Jesus gives humanity a “Last Chance” to be productive and bear fruit.

Every month, most of us receive a utility bill in the mail.  If you miss just one payment, your next bill will look something like this (see image), which includes a warning of disconnection!  This is your Last Chance to pay up or be disconnected!  No kidding!  Its important to pay attention when you are on your last chance!

Jesus told a parable about Last Chances. According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus was traveling from Galilee up north to Jerusalem down south. It was an eighty mile journey.

While on that journey to Jerusalem, some unnamed people  came up to Jesus and told them about two nasty disasters which apparently had recently occurred.

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Our prayers surround the people of Haiti during this time of tragedy and sorrow.  We carry them in our minds and hearts.  More importantly, relief and assistance is on its way.

These images were taken by a U.S. Navy photographer and composited by Ministry Depot.  It is free to our registered users on www.ministrydepot.com   Please use it when providing updates to your congregation or soliciting ministry donations for the people of Haiti. 

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“Violence Epidemic” is a sermon interpretation of Luke 13:31-35.

While it is difficult to see in the smaller image above, the middle teen has a handgun in his back pocket.

I do not need to tell you the stories about Waco, Oklahoma City, Columbine, Virginia Tech, because those words symbolize the violence found in our American society. Columbine was the seventh school in less than a decade to experience mass murders, and now we have more schools to add. Today, we are more keenly aware that we live in a culture of violence.

In l984, Dr. Everett Koop was Surgeon General of the United States. You remember the fellow, the Surgeon General with the chiseled gray beard and old-fashioned face. In 1984, he said that the number one health problem in America was the rising epidemic of violence. In years past, the United States had faced other epidemics e.g. small box and diphtheria, and these past epidemics had to be contained and controlled. Dr. Koop felt the same way about violence in America. Violence had reached epidemic proportions. Of course, almost nothing was done about this rising tide of American violence, and since 1984, we have learned new names like Waco, Oklahoma City, Columbine and Virginia .

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