Sermon Brainwave from Working Preacher

Planning your Mark 13 sermon for the first Sunday of Advent, Year B?Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders explore Jesus’ call to keep awake in Mark 13:24-37. They wrestle with apocalyptic hope, numbness to the world’s horrors, and what it means to stay alert today. The hosts also dig into Isaiah 64’s cry for God to tear open the heavens. They explore Psalm 80’s prayer for restoration and Paul’s words of partnership in 1 Corinthians 1:3-9. Along the way, they reflect on memory, hope, and the difference between faithful remembrance and nostalgia.

Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders explore the parable of the sheep and the goats for Reign of Christ Sunday. In Matthew 25:31-46, nobody knows why they landed on their side, and grace shows up in surprising places. The hosts ask what it means to name Christ as king today, from anti-imperial roots to modern misuses. They wrestle with the hard second half of the parable and reframe judgment as truth-telling. Ezekiel 34 offers a tender shepherd who feeds the flock with justice. Psalm 95 works as a call to worship, and Ephesians 1 grounds Christ’s reign in the resurrection.

What if the parable of the talents isn’t about hard work at all? Karoline Lewis, Cody Sanders, and Matt Skinner dig into Matthew 25:14-30 for the 25th Sunday after Pentecost. They unpack why one talent equaled fifteen years of a laborer’s wages. They also explore the fear of the servant who buried his share. The hosts invite preachers to see the parable as a call to risk and joy in God’s kingdom. They connect it to Zephaniah’s warning against people who “settle like dregs.” Then they turn to Psalm 90, Deborah in Judges 4, and a powerful benediction from 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11.

What does the parable of the ten bridesmaids teach us about living eschatologically? Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders dig into Matthew 25:1-13 for the 24th Sunday after Pentecost. They notice that all ten bridesmaids look alike except for one detail: the extra oil. They explore why Jesus says the kingdom of heaven “will be like” this. They also ask what keeping awake means when lives and well-being are at stake.Amos 5 warns that the day of the Lord brings darkness, not light. Instead, Amos calls for justice to roll down like waters. Joshua 24 presses the question of which Lord we choose to serve. Psalm 70 invites preachers to listen for the lament of others. Paul’s word in 1 Thessalonians 4 shows what grief inflected with hope looks like.

Preaching Matthew 5:1-12 on All Saints Sunday? Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders explore the Beatitudes as apocalyptic promises, not a checklist for Christian living.They unpack the great reversal at the heart of Jesus’ blessings. They also dig into Revelation 7:9-17, Psalm 34, and 1 John 3:1-3 for November 1, 2026. Discover why the Lamb still stands as if slain. Learn how remembering the dead becomes an act of hope and resistance. Plus, see how Psalm 34 can shape your communion liturgy.