Psalm 116:1-9 Sermon Commentary
Proper 19B
One of the benefits of the fact that psalms are not tied to any obvious specific set of circumstances is that they can be applied to a wide variety of experiences whether or not those exactly match whatever any given psalmist was talking about. In the case of Psalm 116, one could surmise this was…
James 3:1-12 Sermon Commentary
Proper 19B
It’s not a little ironic that most of us who preach this Sunday on the potential dangers and blessings of the use of our tongues will do so with our tongues. So we do well to let the Spirit speak to us through James 3 before we even begin to preach. After all, it strongly…
Proverbs 1:20-33 Sermon Commentary
Proper 19B
Wisdom Personified Tackling this week’s lectionary text from the first chapter of Proverbs, with next week’s text from the last chapter in mind, it may be worth considering making a short series out of the two together. The first thing that holds them both together is the theme of wisdom and, particularly, the way wisdom…
Mark 8:27-38 Sermon Commentary
Proper 19B
This week’s text is a masterclass in understanding confession and repentance in the grandest sense possible. When it comes down to what we confess with our mouths, what do we believe in our hearts and minds? And what consequences does it have in our lives? Jesus asks his disciples what they’ve heard other people believe…
Mark 7:24-37 Sermon Commentary
Proper 18B
Past sermon commentaries have talked about the uneasy conversation between Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman so I invite you to explore those by using the passage filter on our website. This week, I’d like to think about the things that are similar in both of the healings in our lectionary passage. In Mark the Messianic…
Psalm 146 Sermon Commentary
Proper 18B
As we often note here on the CEP website and in our various sermon commentaries on the Psalms, we use the word “Hallelujah” as an expression of praise. For us it is synonymous with the sentiment, “I am praising God right now!” And sometimes we use it as a way to express gratitude and relief,…
Isaiah 35:4-7 Sermon Commentary
Proper 18B
Is the Anger of God Good News? All the way back in Isaiah 27, the sword of the Lord’s wrath is brought out. We are told in verse 4 that thorns and briers will war against Israel’s enemies, that unless there is peace, God will bring judgment. All of these images are picked back up…
James 2:1-10 (11-13), 14-17 Sermon Commentary
Proper 18B
“Faith without works is dead.” In a world where so many things divide Christians, nearly all sides unite to claim this famous verse for themselves. Both “progressives” and “traditionalists” cling tenaciously to this profession. While some see it as a call to a strict(er) obedience to God in response to God’s grace, others focus on…
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 Sermon Commentary
Proper 17B
Commentary: Hear and Live “Hear” is a key word in all of Hebrew Scripture, most notably in the Shema, which is the central prayer of Judaism. Perhaps Christians might think of it also as a credal formulation. It goes like this: “hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love…
Sermon Commentary Library
Our weekly sermon commentaries are Lectionary-based, which across its three-year cycle, encompass a vast array of biblical texts. Filter the Sermon Commentary Library to search Scripture texts by book and chapter to find commentary, illustrations, and reflections to spark ideas.
Looking for something else? View our Heidelberg Catechism sermon resources and our Reformed Connections to the RCL section that traces Lectionary texts to specific parts of the Heidelberg Catechism and the Belgic Confession.