Sermons on Twelve Ordinary Men:

From John And Water To Paul And Fire

Contributed by Howard Gunter on Jan 6, 2018

Paul's first encounter with the twelve disciples. Paul's instruction and laying on of hands.

Weekend Message/Devotion January 7, 2018 Reading: Acts 19:1-7 COMMUNION SUNDAY From John and Water to Paul and Fire We read here of Paul’s missionary trip to Ephesus. Without going into a lot of geographical detail, I just want to emphasize the lengths that Paul went to in traveling all over ...read more

Scripture: John 5:9-13, 1 John 5:9-13, Acts 19:1-7

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Seventh Sunday In Ordinary Time -- 7th Sunday, Year A

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jan 27, 2020

Love your enemies

There is a sign in the Princeton University Store basement which cleverly suggests: "Love your enemies—it will drive them crazy." Jesus’ ethical teaching is higher than this example because love of enemies is not a consequentialist ethic, hoping that the other person will change. Love ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:38-48

Denomination: Catholic

Moving In The Opposite Spirit— 6th Sunday In Ordinary Time

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jan 27, 2019

A “Manual” for Escaping Our Vicious Cycles through non-violence is what the Sermon on the Mount has been called; to transform the adversary - and, in the process, to be transformed ourselves.

1). Mary Lou Kownacki relates the following tale: It seems that in a certain village a snake had bitten so many people that few dared to go into the fields. Finally, it was taken to a wise person who tamed the snake and persuaded it to practice the discipline of nonviolence. When the villagers ...read more

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

Denomination: Catholic

Eleventh Sunday In Ordinary Time- B Mustard Seed Cooperation

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jun 13, 2021

The Atlantic began to come in; its mighty shoulders underneath the boats lifted—lifted until the derelict had to come. The youth had harnessed infinite energy to his task.

Working in harmony with the processes of life in co-operation with God is how the Kingdom of God works, Jesus says. Its methods may be illustrated by the case of an old derelict ship that was to be lifted-up from the bottom of the sea. In one of the tidal rivers near New York, the building of a ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:26-34, Ezekiel 17:22-24

Denomination: Catholic

Eighteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time, Cycle B-- New Manna

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jul 31, 2021

Complaining became the rubric under which the journey was interpreted.

In our First Reading we heard Exodus 16:2, “The whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.” It reminds me of the story of a lady who was a veritable fount of complaints. Her pastor came by to see her one day and she began to enumerate some of her complaints: “The neighbor’s ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 16:2-15, John 6:24-35

Denomination: Catholic

Nineteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year B: Food For The Journey

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jul 5, 2024

[Bless those] who…know the depths of [the] sacrament.

Elijah went a day's journey into the desert, until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath it. He was the last remaining Prophet of the true religion left. He had just stood his ground against four-hundred pagan prophets of the fertility god Baal. Today’s pagan fertility god is In-Vitro ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:4-8, John 6:41-51

Denomination: Catholic

Thirty-First Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year A- Hypocrites

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Oct 8, 2023

We ask for the daily grace to walk the talk.

Have you heard the one about the priest, the minister, and the rabbi?” A rabbi and a priest were talking about the perks of each job. The priest mentioned that he gets a rectory to live in that comes with a housekeeper and a cook, all paid for by the church. The rabbi responded by asking if ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 23:1-12

Denomination: Catholic

Fourth Sunday In Ordinary Time, B-- My Inner Demons

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Dec 26, 2023

The demon uses the object pronoun “us,” which is non-binary.

I saw a sweatshirt that said, “I Stopped Fighting My Inner Demons because I realized we’re On the Same Side.” Although most deviant behavior may be explained by natural causes, psychotics, for example, suffer from a loss of object reality while demons are separate spiritual beings. Psychology can ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:21-28

Denomination: Catholic

Tenth Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year B: Combat Boots

Contributed by Paul Andrew on May 4, 2024

“feet shod with the kind of shoe created for the Gospel of peace.”

General Douglas MacArthur wrote that there are 4 things necessary to win any battle. One is strength-- We hear Mark 3:27 in our Gospel, “no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder the house.” Jesus explains that ...read more

Scripture: Mark 3:27, Genesis 3:15, Ephesians 6:15, Ephesians 4:27

Denomination: Catholic

Thirty-Second Sunday In Ordinary Time, C--The Sadducees

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Oct 12, 2022

I believe the question I would have asked the Sadducees would be, “Was this woman taking out life insurance policies on all these husbands?”

One of my seminary professors said that it’s easy to remember who the Sadducees were because since they denied that there is a resurrection, they were “so sad you see.” The Sadducees were the ancient version of modern liberal theologians. They were anti-supernaturalistic. They only accepted the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 20:27-38

Denomination: Catholic

Peter: Sifted As Wheat Series

Contributed by Jeff Simms on Aug 10, 2003

God’s allows a sifting process to make us into what he desires for us to be and do

Peter: Shifted as Wheat Luke 22:31-32 Primary Purpose: God’s allows a sifting process to make us into what he desires for us to be and do. We are going to look at the example of Peter this morning and see how God desires to mold us into Christlikeness just as he did with Peter. He uses trials ...read more

Scripture: Luke 22:31-32

Denomination: Baptist

2nd String Series

Contributed by Dean Rhine on Aug 5, 2019

God uses ordinary individuals

Acts 1 - January 8, 2017 Turn with me this morning to Acts 1.  It is good to be back with you today as we come out in a new year and celebrate all that our God is doing.  We’ve had just one week go by - and if you made new year’s resolutions, I hope you have been keeping them.  If ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

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

The Kind Of People God Invests In

Contributed by Phil Morgan on Apr 7, 2002

God uses ordinary people.

READ: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 What kind of people does God invest in? Paul’s words here in this passage might well come as a bit of a shock. They’re shocking because they run COUNTER-CULTURALLY against most of the ideas that we’ve all been raised with. Our society values those who have the right ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Exodus 4:2

Denomination: Pentecostal

Power, Authority, And Love

Contributed by Dr John Singarayar Svd on Jan 28, 2021

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Power, Authority, and Love Scripture: Mark 1:21-28. Reflection My dear sisters and brothers, “Then they came to Capernaum,    and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching,    for he taught them as one having ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:21-28

Denomination: Other