Proper 19 • James 3:1–12
Christians are absolutely forbidden to speak evil of other people—even if what they say is technically “true.”
Proper 19 • Genesis 50:15–21 • September 14, 2014
Filled with fear before the power of Joseph to kill them, and in the absence of Jacob to protect them, they come face-to-face with the temporal consequences of their sins
Proper 19 · Romans 14:1–12 · September 17, 2017
Editor’s note: the following homiletical help is taken from David Schmitt’s sermon series “God’s Greater Story: A Sermon Series on Romans 6–14,” which is available for download here. By David Schmitt This morning, Paul’s words to us are strange. Strange, in that he joins two very different things together. In just a few short verses, Paul ..
Proper 19 • Luke 15:1–10 • September 11, 2016
By Erik Herrmann Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” The parables of the “lost” in Luke 15—the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son—are perhaps the most well-known parables of ..
Proper 19 • James 3:1–12 • September 13, 2015
By William W. Schumacher The text of this passage from the Epistle of James is interesting both grammatically and lexically. The passage is rich in imagery, and the vocabulary is rather unusual. The preacher is invited to echo the colorful, creative language in a sermon that does not reduce the message to simplistic platitudes and ..
Proper 19 • Genesis 50:15–21 • September 14, 2014
By Paul Philp A lot has happened since Joseph’s brothers left him for dead in the desert. The brothers have been reunited with Joseph, and now their father, Jacob, has died. It is as if they are back in the desert staring into the pit where they left Joseph dying. Joseph’s brothers are face-to-face with the guilt of their ..
Proper 19 • 1 Timothy 1:(5–11) 12–17 • September 15, 2013
By William W. Schumacher The two alternatives for this pericope suggest rather different directions for a sermon, with the briefer reading perhaps lending itself to a clearer focus on the gospel and the longer risking a distraction by vivid depictions of sins. The shorter version (vv. 12–17) is preferred, in which Paul offers himself as ..
Genesis 50:15-21
Genesis 50:15-21 is appointed for Proper 19, Series A. Joseph points to Jesus, who suffered wickedness, yet accomplished God’s plan of salvation and declares forgiveness
Ezekiel 34:11-24
Ezekiel 34:11-24 is appointed for Proper 19, Series C. Yahweh says that He Himself and His servant David will be the one shepherd of His people. This is fulfilled by Christ
Proper 19 • Isaiah 50:4–10 • September 16, 2012
By Travis J. Scholl Allow me a roundabout way to this text from Isaiah. Because I find today’s epistle lesson (James 3:1–12) to be a deeply incriminating word, especially to the preacher who, as Frederick Buechner so evocatively describes him, pulls the little cord that turns on the lectern light and deals out his note ..
Proper 19 • Matthew 18:21–35 • September 11, 2011
By Dale A. Meyer “In this Christian church, he…” Though not our usual style, this text invites an expository approach. The familiar subsections of this reading could lead you to preach a sermon narrowly focused on one aspect of repentance, but neglect the depth of care that Jesus shows for sinners throughout the whole lesson. This ..
Proper 19 • Ezekiel 34:11–24 • September 12, 2010
by Jonathan F. Grothe Editor’s Note: The following homiletical help is adapted from Concordia Journal, March 1984. Please note that the homiletical help covers only verses 11–16 in detail. Introductory remarks Chapters 33–48 of Ezekiel are dominated by the themes of restoration and renewal. But the corruption of the recent past is always in the picture, ..
Proper 19 · Mark 9:14-29 · September 13, 2009
By Tim Saleska Sermon Notes The question that presses the characters in this text is the same one that often presses modern Christian readers of this text. It is the question that the preacher himself must face and answer: What authority does Jesus really have? Put more simply: Can Jesus help us or not? The question ..