Sermons Based on Readings from The Revised Common Lectionary

December 4, 2022

First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 11:1-10

Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19

Second Reading

Romans 15:4-13

Gospel Reading

Matthew 3:1-12

• The Kingdom of God is Near

December 11, 2022

First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 35:1-10

Psalm 146:5-10

Second Reading

James 5:7-10

• While We Are Waiting, Love People

Gospel Reading

Matthew 11:2-11

December 18, 2022

First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 7:10-16

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

Second Reading

Romans 1:1-7

Gospel Reading

Matthew 1:18-25

• Your Big Moment: Meeting God In Person

December 24 & 25, 2022

First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 62:6-12

Psalm 97

Second Reading

Titus 3:4-7

Gospel Reading

Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20

December 24 & 25, 2022

First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 52:7-10

Psalm 98

Second Reading

Hebrews 1:1-4, (5-12)

Gospel Reading

John 1:1-14

January 1, 2023

First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 63:7-9

Psalm 148

Second Reading

Hebrews 2:10-18

Gospel Reading

Matthew 2:13-23

January 1, 2023

First Reading and Psalm

Numbers 6:22-27

Psalm 8

Second Reading

Galatians 4:4-7
or
Philippians 2:5-11

Gospel Reading

Luke 2:15-21

January 1, 2023

First Reading and Psalm

Ecclesiastes 3:1-13

Psalm 8

Second Reading

Revelation 21:1-6a

Gospel Reading

Matthew 25:31-46

January 8, 2023

First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 42:1-9

Psalm 29

Second Reading

Acts 10:34-43

Gospel Reading

Matthew 3:13-17

January 15, 2023

First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 49:1-7

Psalm 40:1-11

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Gospel Reading

John 1:29-42

January 22, 2023

First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 9:1-4

• Walking with God Through Life’s Deepest Shadows

Psalm 27:1, 4-9

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Gospel Reading

Matthew 4:12-23

January 29, 2023

First Reading and Psalm

Micah 6:1-8

• What God Really Requires from Us

Psalm 15

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Gospel Reading

Matthew 5:1-12

February 2, 2023

First Reading and Psalm

Malachi 3:1-4

Psalm 84
or
Psalm 24:7-10

Second Reading

Hebrews 2:14-18

Gospel Reading

Luke 2:22-40

February 5, 2023

First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)

• Real Worship Looks a Lot Like Working Toward Justice

Psalm 112:1-9 (10)

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)

• Thinking Deeper with the Holy Spirit

Gospel Reading

Matthew 5:13-20

February 12, 2023

First Reading and Psalm

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Psalm 119:1-8

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Gospel Reading

Matthew 5:21-37

February 19, 2023

First Reading and Psalm

Exodus 24:12-18

Psalm 2
or
Psalm 99

Second Reading

2 Peter 1:16-21

Gospel Reading

Matthew 17:1-9

December 10, 2022

First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 40:1-11

Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13

Second Reading

2 Peter 3:8-15a

Gospel Reading

Mark 1:1-8

December 17, 2022

First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

Psalm 126
or
Luke 1:46b-55

Second Reading

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Gospel Reading

John 1:6-8, 19-28

December 24, 2022

First Reading and Psalm

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16

Luke 1:46b-55
or
Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26

Second Reading

Romans 16:25-27

Gospel Reading

Luke 1:26-38

June 22, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

1 Kings 19:1-4, (5-7), 8-15a

• Living with Hope in the Valley of Depression

Psalm 42 and 43

• Hope, When Your Soul Feels Low

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 65:1-9

• God Promises Both Justice and Mercy

Psalm 22:19-28

• All.

Second Reading

Galatians 3:23-29

• Before the Cross, and After

Gospel Reading

Luke 8:26-39

• Are You Afraid of Real Change?

June 29, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14

• A Prophetic Passion to Pursue More

Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20

• When You Wander,  Remember God’s Wonders

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21

• The Forgotten Trait of Great Kingdom Leadership: Humility

Psalm 16

• The Real Source of Deep, Abiding Joy

Second Reading

Galatians 5:1, 13-25

• Set Free to Love

Gospel Reading

Luke 9:51-62

• Following Jesus for the Kingdom’s Sake

July 6, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

2 Kings 5:1-14

• The Broken Side of Every Leader

Psalm 30

• God is Bigger Than All Our Pain

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 66:10-14

• God Has a Plan to Save the World

Psalm 66:1-9

• The Open Invitation of God to All People

Second Reading

Galatians 6:(1-6), 7-16

• 6:1-5 Bearing the Burdens of the Broken

Gospel Reading

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

• What Everyone Needs to Know About the Kingdom of God

July 13, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Amos 7:7-17

• A Time to Keep on Preaching

Psalm 82

• The God of Justice Will Judge Righteously

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Deuteronomy 30:9-14

• The World is a Mess, but We Know What to Do

Psalm 25:1-10

• Grace and Guidance for the Journey

Second Reading

Colossians 1:1-14

• We Have Been Rescued!

Gospel Reading

Luke 10:25-37

• Love ALL of Your Neighbors

July 20, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Amos 8:1-12

• How to Survive a Spiritual Drought

Psalm 52

• Thriving in Truth in a World of Falsehood

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Genesis 18:1-10a

• How We Treat Strangers

Psalm 15

• The Power of Consistently DOing the Next Right Thing

Second Reading

Colossians 1:15-28

• How God is Reconciling ALL That is Lost

Gospel Reading

Luke 10:38-42

• The Dispute Between Mary and Martha

July 27, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Hosea 1:2-10

• God Never Gives Up On His People

Psalm 85

• Oh God of Our Salvation

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Genesis 18:20-32

• Raising an Outcry to God for Justice

Psalm 138

• Keep Going, Remembering What God Has Told You

Second Reading

Colossians 2:6-15, (16-19)

• Reasons to Keep Going in Your Faith

Gospel Reading

Luke 11:1-13

• Prayer: How to Keep Holding On

August 3, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Hosea 11:1-11

• God is Like a Patient Parent

Psalm 107:1-9, 43

• Listen to the Loving Voice of God

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23

• When Everything Seems Pointless

Psalm 49:1-12

• The Pricelessness of Every Person You’ll Ever Meet

Second Reading

Colossians 3:1-11

• You Were Made for More Than the Mess

Gospel Reading

Luke 12:13-21

• How to Be Spiritually Rich

August 10, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 1:1, 10-20

• What Love Requires of Us

Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23

• The God Who Speaks

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Genesis 15:1-6

• Believing God and Being Declared Righteous

Psalm 33:12-22

• Our Real Source of Strength

Second Reading

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

• Faith is Always the Way

Gospel Reading

Luke 12:32-40

• Investing With Your Whole Heart

August 17, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 5:1-7

• What God Expects from His Beloved People

Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19

• The Shepherd Who Comes to Save

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Jeremiah 23:23-29

• The God Who Is Both Near and Far

Psalm 82

• The God of Justice Will Judge Righteously

Second Reading

Hebrews 11:29-12:2

• Have Faith That God Isn’t Finished Yet

Gospel Reading

Luke 12:49-56

• How Jesus Disrupts Everything

August 24, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Jeremiah 1:4-10

• The Point of Prophecy

Psalm 71:1-6

• God Has Always Been There

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 58:9b-14

• How to Make Your Light Shine

Psalm 103:1-8

• Why We Bless the Lord

Second Reading

Hebrews 12:18-29

• Worship, In Light of What Jesus Has Done

Gospel Reading

Luke 13:10-17

• Worshipping the God Who Heals All

August 31, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Jeremiah 2:4-13

• From Broken Buckets to God’s Best Blessings

Psalm 81:1, 10-16

• The Sweetest Life Possible

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Proverbs 25:6-7

• The Wisdom of Waiting for the Invitation

Psalm 112

• The Real Pathway to a Happy Life

Second Reading

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

• Be Good for God’s Sake

Gospel Reading

Luke 14:1, 7-14

• The Dangerous Calling to Challenge Power and Privilege

September 7, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Jeremiah 18:1-11

• Yes, People Can Change for the Better in God’s Hands

Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18

• The Deep Joy of Being Fully Known by God

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

• Choosing the Path of Life Over the Path of Death

Psalm 1

• Walking in the Godly Way

Second Reading

Philemon 1:1-21

• We Are Called to More Than the Minimum

Gospel Reading

Luke 14:25-33

• Be a Peace Maker, Not a Peace Keeper

September 14, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Numbers 21:4b-9

Psalm 98:1-5
or
Psalm 78:1-2, 34-38

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 1:18-24

Gospel Reading

John 3:13-17

September 14, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28

• Why the World Falls Apart

Psalm 14

• The Answer to Our Universal Human Predicament

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Exodus 32:7-14

• When God Changes His Mind

Psalm 51:1-10

• When You Know You’ve Blown It

Second Reading

1 Timothy 1:12-17

• In Spite of What I Used to Be

Gospel Reading

Luke 15:1-10

• You and I Are Really the Prize

September 21, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Jeremiah 8:18-9:1

• When Our Hearts Should Be Broken

Psalm 79:1-9

• Praying Based on the Goodness of God

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Amos 8:4-7

• Why Does God Get Angry?

Psalm 113

• God Pays Attention to the Forgotten

Second Reading

1 Timothy 2:1-7

• Praying is Practicing the Presence of God Together

Gospel Reading

Luke 16:1-13

• What Jesus Had to say About Wealth, Wisdom, and Generosity

September 28, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15

• Don’t Stop Believing – Our Best Days Are Yet to Come

Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16

• Knowing God as Our Great Protector

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Amos 6:1a, 4-7

• The Real Problem with Privilege

Psalm 146

• The Global Issues that Move God to Action

Second Reading

1 Timothy 6:6-19

• How to BE Rich When You Already Are

Gospel Reading

Luke 16:19-31

• A Warning for the Rich, a Promise for the Poor

October 5, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Lamentations 1:1-6

• Weeping Over What Once Was

Lamentations 3:19-26

• The Ultimate Cure for Most Negative Thoughts

OR

Psalm 137

• Weeping in Babylon and Remembering Zion

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4

Psalm 37:1-9

Second Reading

2 Timothy 1:1-14

• The God Who Has Proven Worthy of Full, Total, All-In Commitment

Gospel Reading

Luke 17:5-10

October 12, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

Psalm 66:1-12

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c

Psalm 111

Second Reading

2 Timothy 2:8-15

Gospel Reading

Luke 17:11-19

• The Connection Between Your Faith and Your Wholeness

October 19, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Jeremiah 31:27-34

Psalm 119:97-104

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Genesis 32:22-31

Psalm 121

Second Reading

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

• Keep On Keeping On

Gospel Reading

Luke 18:1-8

October 26, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Joel 2:23-32

Psalm 65

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22

Psalm 84:1-7

Second Reading

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

Gospel Reading

Luke 18:9-14

• From Trusting in ME to Trusting in God’s Mercy

November 1, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18

Psalm 149

Second Reading

Ephesians 1:11-23

Gospel Reading

Luke 6:20-31

November 2, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4

Psalm 119:137-144

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 1:10-18

Psalm 32:1-7

Second Reading

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

Gospel Reading

Luke 19:1-10

November 9, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Haggai 1:15b-2:9

Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21
or
Psalm 98

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Job 19:23-27a

• This One Thing I Know – My Redeemer Lives

Psalm 17:1-9

Second Reading

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

Gospel Reading

Luke 20:27-38

November 16, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Isaiah 65:17-25

Isaiah 12

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Malachi 4:1-2a

Psalm 98

Second Reading

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Gospel Reading

Luke 21:5-19

November 23, 2025

First Reading and Psalm

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Luke 1:68-79

Alternate First Reading and Psalm

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Psalm 46

Second Reading

Colossians 1:11-20

Gospel Reading

Luke 23:33-43