Sermons on Ordinariness:

Twenty-Fifth Sunday In Ordinary Time, C- Pink Slip; You're Fired!

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Aug 23, 2022

In Luke 16:8, the dishonest manger is called “Commended”, “Prudent,” which is to be “Clever,” “Resourceful.”

Pink slip in hand, which is a notice of dismissal, given to this employee, who was a top manager; now this manager has to figure out fast how to get significant benefits from the soon-to-be former clients before he or she is terminated. The words “You’re fired” packs more of a punch than “You ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:1-13

Denomination: Catholic

Twenty-Eighth Sunday Ordinary Time, C-- Get Out Of The "Christian Bubble” For Blessings And Thanksgiving

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Sep 12, 2022

Of the ten healed, only one came back and gave thanks to Jesus. A Samaritan, who had imperfect faith and belief.

“Where are the other nine?” Jesus asks. I read that nine out of ten husbands agreed that their wives are always right. The tenth one hasn’t been seen since the study was conducted. Luke 17:11 says that Jesus “traveled through Samaria and Galilee.” Jesus grew up in Nazareth, which was around ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19, 2 Kings 5:14-17

Denomination: Catholic

Thirty-Third Sunday In Ordinary Time, C: The Three Huge Apocalyptic Stones Of Jesus Christ

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Oct 15, 2022

“THE STONE IS COMING! “THE STONE IS COMING!”

Wheeler Winston Dixon is the chair of the Film Studies Program at the University of Nebraska. In his book, “Disaster and Memory”, he writes, “People go to disaster movies to prove to themselves that they can go through the worst possible experience but somehow that they’re immortal.” (The Lure ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:5-19, Daniel 2:34-35, Luke 20:17-18, Matthew 28:2, 1 Corinthians 15:14, Luke 12:11  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Catholic

Seventh Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year C -- The Word Nonviolent Can Be An Adjective, It Modifies How

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jan 20, 2025

Jesus is asking us today not so much as “how can I find a gracious God? But “How can I find God in my enemy?” And, how can we be children of God in real life without loving our enemies?

The fictional Klingon language from Star Trek has no words for love. Of course, the Klingons were creatures of pure logic, not emotion. So, the closest words for “love” in their language were “honor” or “unhate.” That would be easy for us if we could define love simply as “unhating” others. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 26:2-23, Luke 6:27-38

Denomination: Catholic

Fifth Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year C: Fishers: The Call, Objection, Assurance, And Commissioning Stories

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jan 8, 2025

“You got it bad and that ain’t good. But there is a doctor in the house and his name is Jesus."

Robert Coles, a Pulitzer Prize winner who taught at Harvard, believes that “the characters in novels can be persistent voices reminding us of the constant temptation toward egotism, and self-deception to which the mind is heir,’ and exhorting us to live lives that are morally inspired.”1 For ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8, Luke 5:1-11

Denomination: Catholic

Water To Wine. Series

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Feb 14, 2014

The first of a five part series on how Jesus takes ordinary stuff the base and turns it into an extraordinary thing. How he will take lives that have nothing to offer, lives washed in doubt and have those people do extraordinary things.

In John’s gospel we find Jesus doing the first extraordinary thing of his ministry, his first miracle. This is a miracle that has a few stumped as it involves the manufacture of wine from water. I get the distinct view that many would not really approve. But this miracle is not just about ...read more

Scripture: John 2:1-11

Denomination: Salvation Army

Tipping Points

Contributed by William Mouser on Oct 25, 2005

In the final days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the Jews reached a tipping point in their rebellion against God. Nations, kings, and ordinary men arrive at tipping points, from which they retreat, or pass on to judgment.

Matthew 21:33-43 Tipping Points The gospel for today recounts yet another parable which Jesus told against the religious establishment of Israel. After he had spoken the parable, Matthew records these words: 45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:33-43

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Love With A Purpose Series

Contributed by Jason Powers on May 3, 2003

Discovering the purpose of our "personal relationship with our Lord and Savior" by looking at Exodus 3:1-10. God wants to save His people, and He chooses the ordinary things to be His spokesmen.

“First Love: Love with a Purpose One of the catch phrases of Christianity is the phrase, “personal Lord and Savior.” It’s a good phrase; it implies several things: § It implies that Jesus and God are personal, that they’re intimately concerned with the very smallest details of your life. It ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 3:1-10

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Who Needs A Boat

Contributed by Mark Aarssen on Apr 22, 2005

We may live a life of Christian comfort with friends and fellow church members until one day God calls us from our everyday existance into His extra ordinary service.

Who Needs A Boat? - Mark Aarssen May 2004 My friends I want to talk today about stepping out. I don’t mean out to dinner or out on the town but stepping out in faith. Has there been a time when you were a witness to one of God’s miracles? A time when you stood and watched in absolute ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:24-29

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

What Do I Expect To Hear?

Contributed by Don Hawks on Jul 13, 2008

A Sermon for Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time(A) "As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit" Matthew 13:23

let me ask a question of all you who are here today—What did you come expecting here to hear? In a fascinating story of his journey across the United States with his pet dog, John Steinbeck tells of a Church service he attended during his travels in the State of Vermont. Tongue in cheek, he says, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Denomination: Methodist

It's About Your Heart

Contributed by Eloy Gonzalez on Aug 22, 2009

Ordinary Proper 16: Christ came to set us free from blind traditionalism. His liberating Spirit frees our hearts to serve Him and the neighbor out of a spirit of love and forgiveness.

There’s a story about how in 1903 the Russian Czar noticed a sentry posted on the Kremlin grounds for no apparent reason. When he inquired, he discovered that in 1776 Catherine the Great found on that very spot the first flower of spring. She ordered that a sentry be posted there so that no one ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:1-8

Denomination: Lutheran

Stretching My Imagination

Contributed by Randy Hamel on Sep 15, 2008

Sermon shows how God wants to use ordinary people based on Joshua 1:5-9; and shows how we will have success based on the promises of God. Acknowledgement: Rick Warren

STRETCHING MY IMAGINATION 50 Days of Faith Part 2 of 8 - Joshua 1:5-9 Last week we launched our 50 days of faith series. The keynote passage is ‘Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).’ I am asking God to stretch my faith, your faith, and our faith as a Faith Community. Have ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:5-9

Divine Touch - The Finger Of God

Contributed by Oluwadamilola Daramola on Dec 25, 2009

Divine touch is a heavenly touch, it is touch of power and a transforming touch. It a touch that produces change and it is different from an ordinary touch of a friend, a spouse or colleagues. A touch could be by laying of hand or through spoken

Divine touch is a heavenly touch, it is touch of power and a transforming touch. It a touch that produces change and it is different from an ordinary touch of a friend, a spouse or colleagues. A touch could be by laying of hand or through spoken word, deeds or action. This morning we shall examine ...read more

Scripture: Mark 5:25-34

Denomination: Pentecostal

It's Still About Your Heart

Contributed by Eloy Gonzalez on Aug 27, 2009

Ordinary Proper 17: A continuation of last weeks lesson about the need for new hearts. Here Jesus directs his words at the disciples (and us) as he shares the darkness in the human heart.

A couple of cows were grazing in a lovely pasture. They were standing by a fence alongside a road. Right in front of them passes a large semi truck. It was hauling a bright, shiny, chrome tanker trailer. On the side of the trailer - printed in big red letters - were the words: “Grade A Milk. ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:14-23

Denomination: Lutheran

Tongue Taming Challenges

Contributed by Eloy Gonzalez on Sep 12, 2009

Ordinary Proper 19: We face an uphill battle as we consider the challenge of getting our tongue - our speech - under control. But that is precisely what St. James exhorts us to do!

Words matter - they matter a lot. In order to uncover the processes that destroy unions, marital researchers studied couples over the course of years, and even decades, and retraced the star-crossed steps of those who had split up back to their wedding day. What they discovered is unsettling. None ...read more

Scripture: James 3:1-12

Denomination: Lutheran