Year A, Easter 5

Year A, Proper 10 / Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

“The Generous Sower and the Good Soil” Main point: Our prayer is to ask God to make us good soil. INTRODUCTION This morning Jesus gives us an illustration of how God’s good news is received by people in the world. He compares the good news being spread around to seed being spread by a sower. And when that seed falls on the earth, it is received differently by various types of earth.  The seed hits hard/compacted ground, rocky/shallow ground, thorny ground, and finally good soil. And St. Matthew, the one who relays this illustration to us leaves us wondering: What kind of soil am I? What is the condition of my heart?  * Am I the hard, compacted ground that wont receive the seed?  * Am I the rocky, shallow ground that receives the seed but has no root? * Am I the thorny ground that stifles the growth of the seed? * Or am I the good soil that receives the good word from Jesus and produces fruit for the kingdom of God?

Year A, Lectionary 14 / Sixth Week after Pentecost

“Struggle” Main point:  INTRODUCTION In our second reading from the Epistle of Romans, Paul, the writer says some very personal things about his struggle to do good. He says, “the good thing I want to do, I don't do, and the evil thing that I don't want to I end up doing, even though I don't want to do it!” Have you ever felt that way yourself? I know I have. And I'm coming off of a week when I've felt that a lot. Paul struggles. I've struggled. And I imagine you've struggled too.

Year A, Proper 8 / Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

“In the Name Of” Main point: We bring good news in the name of the Apostles. INTRODUCTION Today is the third in our three-week set of reading together the “Sending Discourse” between Jesus and the 12 disciples here in Matthew, Chapter 10. The shortness and simplicity of today’s text come as a relief compared to the longer, more complex texts of the last two weeks.

Year A, Proper 7 / 4th Sunday After Pentecost

“Good News for Family Systems” Main point: Our family systems can train us to oppose the good news. Awareness and grace lead us to salvation.

Year A, Proper 6 / 3rd Sunday After Pentecost

“Share the Good News” Main point: The kingdom of heaven has come near. Share the good news. INTRODUCTION Is there anything better and receiving good news? There seems to be so much struggle, and hardship, and pain, and violence, and anger in the world that I sometimes wonder where the good news is hiding. * John Krasinski (Jack Ryan and The Office) with Some Good News (SGN) during the pandemic. * Good News Network [https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/woman-who-rescued-injured-crow-keeps-getting-thank-you-gifts-from-other-birds/]