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3rd
Sunday in Lent (cycle c)
 
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NexGen Preaching
| St. Patrick's Day

Texts & Discussion:

Isaiah 55:1-9
Psalm 63:1-8
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Luke 13:1-9

Other Resources:

Commentary:

Matthew Henry,    Wesley

Word Study:
Robertson

This Week's Themes:

Second Chances
Trust in God
God's Covenant of Love

 



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 Texts in Context | Text Commentary - First Lesson; PsalmEpistleGospel
Prayer&Litanies
| Hymns & Songs | Children's Sermon | Sermons based on Texts 

 

Sermons:

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Second Chances
based on Luke 13:1-9
by Rev. Randy L Quinn

Once there was a couple who won a free two week trip to Ireland. They had a whole year to make the trip.  "Well," said the wife, "let's not do it this summer, because we don't want to interfere with our summer at the lake.  And we can't go in September because that's when the kids go back to school."

Then it came to be late October, before anyone knew it, and the husband said, "Well we can't go over the holidays."

"That's right," his wife agreed.  "Let's wait till after the first of the year."

However, someone told them that the days were terribly short in Ireland in January and February and besides the weather wasn't very good (as though it is predictably good any time!).  So they said, "Well, let's wait till spring when we know there'll be good weather and we won't have to worry about the snow closing airports in this country."

So finally they made reservations for the first week in May.  The weather was supposed to be good in Ireland and the days were long and it was the best time in the year to go (and if you believe there is any best time, you'll believe that chickens have lips!).  They admitted they were cutting it close because their prize ran out on June 1, but they were sure nothing would go wrong.

When April was almost over, the husband had a gallbladder attack and required surgery.  The doctors said he would be able to travel, oh, by the middle of June[1].

There was a time, not so long ago, that we made weekly trips to the "day old" bread store; and if we lived closer or had more reasons to go to Yakima, we might still do it today.

Having worked in a grocery store years ago, I know where the "day old" bread comes from -- it is unsold bread from the shelves of stores in the region. As the bread approaches it's "best sold by" date, it is replaced in the store with fresher bread. But since there is still the possibility that someone might buy it the bread is made available to people who use a lot of bread and aren't concerned that it will "go bad" before being eaten.

Our problem was we didn't always eat it in time. We'd reach for a slice of bread and realize the mold had beaten us in the race of time

In various eras of history, and by a handful of theologians throughout history, people were encouraged to be baptized as near their death bed as possible so as to limit the possibilities of offending God by sinning again.

The problem was that people often died before they had time to be baptized. It's hard to procrastinate and put things off until the last minute if you don't know when the last minute is. That's true for those "once in a lifetime" opportunities to travel and day-old bread as well as God's saving grace   [continue]