Sermon Brainwave from Working Preacher

Sermon Brainwave 1093: Eighth Sunday after Pentecost - July 19, 2026 02.07.2026 29min

Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders tackle Matthew's parable of the wheat and the weeds and its unsettling questions about judgment and impostors in the community of faith. They turn to Isaiah 44's witness against idols, Jacob's dream at Bethel and God's promise to migrants, Psalm 86's memorable use of the word "ruffians," and Paul's rare focus on creation's groaning for redemption in Romans 8. Along the way, they connect that cosmic vision to modern issues like environmental harm and data center water usage, giving preachers rich homiletical angles for July 19, 2026.

Sermon Brainwave 1094: Ninth Sunday after Pentecost - July 26, 2026 30.06.2026 27min

Cody Sanders, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner unpack the lectionary texts for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost. They dig into the parables of the mustard seed, the yeast, the hidden treasure, the pearl, and the dragnet from Matthew 13. The hosts explore why Jesus chose strange, subversive images to describe the kingdom of heaven. They discuss the woman who hides yeast in an enormous amount of flour, connecting the parable to Gospel of Thomas variants. The team wrestles with the dragnet's uncomfortable sorting imagery and warns against easy allegorization. They turn to Solomon's request for an understanding mind in 1 Kings 3 and connect it to Psalm 119's themes of memory and discernment. The conversation moves to Jacob, Rachel, and Laban in Genesis 29, addressing marriage, gender, and power in the ancient world. They close with Romans 8:26-39, highlighting its pastoral power for people who have experienced religious condemnation. Cody shares a story about the MCC Church of San Francisco during the AIDS epidemic. This episode offers preachers fresh angles on parables, wisdom, and grace for July 26.

Sermon Brainwave 1092: Seventh Sunday after Pentecost - July 12, 2026 25.06.2026 28min

Titles matter. So does the soil. On this episode of Sermon Brainwave, Matt Skinner, Caroline Lewis, and Cody Sanders dig into the texts for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (July 12, 2026).The team wrestles with Matthew's Parable of the Sower and asks what it really means to "bear fruit." Is it congregational growth? Spiritual maturity? Something else entirely? Cody points out the parable's strange, almost anti-strategic logic: why would a sower scatter seed on every kind of ground, including the bad soil? The hosts connect this to Jesus' own approach to ministry and mission.The conversation moves through Isaiah 55's image of creation itself rejoicing, then into Genesis 25's story of Jacob and Esau, a text the hosts caution can easily be misused to justify xenophobia and tribal hatred if preached without care. From there, they turn to Psalm 65 and its language of a God who answers prayer, before closing with Romans 8 and Paul's teaching on flesh and spirit. Cody offers an important corrective here, naming how "flesh" language has historically been weaponized against bodies, women, and queer people, and pointing preachers toward a healthier way to handle the text.Whether you're preaching the parable, the psalm, the epistle, or the Genesis narrative this week, this episode offers grounded, honest reflection to help shape your sermon.

Sermon Brainwave 1091: Sixth Sunday after Pentecost - July 5, 2026 18.06.2026 24min

What does it mean to come to Jesus weary and burdened? In this episode of the Sermon Brainwave podcast, Karoline Lewis, Cody Sanders, and Matt Skinner dig into a rich set of texts for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Year A. The conversation centers on Matthew 11:28–30 and the promise of rest — but not the kind that soothes middle-class stress. These are beatitude people, crushed under systemic weight, for whom Jesus offers liberation one act of mercy at a time.The hosts unpack the yoke imagery, explore what "rest" means for bodies burdened by imperial economies (ancient and modern), and consider the book Rest Is Resistance as a lens for prophetic preaching. They also take on a challenging passage from Romans 7, where Paul's portrait of a divided self opens an unexpected window into addiction, neurobiology, and how sin operates not just through personal moral failure but through systems — from opioid distribution networks to algorithmically engineered technology. The Pope's recent encyclical on AI even makes an appearance.Along the way, the group touches on Zechariah 9's post-exilic vision of a humble king riding a donkey (and why that image matters beyond Palm Sunday), the often-overlooked agency of Rebekah in Genesis 24, and how Psalm 145 might work better as liturgy than as sermon text.

Sermon Brainwave 1089: Fourth Sunday after Pentecost - June 21, 2026 04.06.2026 30min

What does it mean to take up the cross in a world that rewards safety and silence? Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders dig into the lectionary texts for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (June 22, 2026), exploring the missionary discourse in Matthew 10, the prophet Jeremiah's anguished vocation, the casting out of Hagar and Ishmael in Genesis 21, Psalm 69's theology of complaint, and the "with Christ" language of Romans 6.The conversation wrestles with fear as a communal emotion, the two historical horizons behind Matthew's hard sayings, what it means that God makes a covenant with Ishmael, and how baptism in Romans 6 plants us together with Christ in a death like his. Along the way: a remarkable story of Danish Christians defying Nazi deportations, a reframing of judgment as being seen rather than punished, and honest reflection on what prophetic courage and prophetic silence have each cost the church.

Sermon Brainwave 1090: Fifth Sunday after Pentecost - June 28, 2026 02.06.2026 25min

What does it mean to truly welcome someone? In this episode of Sermon Brainwave, Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders dig into a compact but dense set of texts for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (June 28). The gospel reading — just three verses from Matthew 10 — uses the word "welcome" six times and raises big questions about hospitality, belonging, and who the "little ones" really are. The hosts also wrestle with Jeremiah 28's portrait of prophetic conflict and the politics of legitimating power, explore the Akedah in Genesis 22 through the lens of a God who sees (not just provides), and follow Paul's argument in Romans 6 toward a conversation about sanctification that Lutherans might find surprising.

Sermon Brainwave 1088: Third Sunday after Pentecost - June 14, 2026 28.05.2026 24min

What does it mean to be sent? In this episode of Sermon Brainwave, Cody Sanders, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner dig into the lectionary texts for the Third Sunday after Pentecost: Matthew 9:35–10:8, Exodus 19:2–8a, Romans 5:1–8, and Psalm 100 (with the alternate first reading from Genesis 18:1–15 also in view).The conversation moves from Jesus's missionary discourse in Matthew and what it means that the disciples are sent not to convert but to heal and restore, to the stunning proclamation of Exodus and what "good news" is actually contextualized to say. The hosts explore laughter and impossibility in Genesis 18, the multi-generational witness of Psalm 100, and the pastoral dangers of reading Romans 5 as a formula for self-improvement. Cody offers a grounded, communal take on hope as something that germinates in despair, not optimism.

Sermon Brainwave 1087: Second Sunday after Pentecost - June 7, 2026 21.05.2026 28min

What does it mean to faith your way toward healing? On this episode of Sermon Brainwave, Karoline Lewis, Cody Sanders, and Matt Skinner dig into the lectionary texts for the Second Sunday after Pentecost (June 7, 2026): Matthew 9:9–13, 18–26; Hosea 5:15–6:6; Genesis 12:1–9; Psalm 50:7–15; and Romans 4:13–25.The conversation moves from the unlikely calling of Matthew the tax collector to the woman who reached for healing in secret, to Abram's costly and risky act of faithfulness. Along the way, the hosts explore what mercy looks like in practice, how "faith" functions more as a verb than a noun, and why a God who can be counted on matters deeply for preachers and congregations right now.They also note that Romans begins a 15-week summer run through the lectionary, and offer a preview of rich Matthean material ahead through the fall.

Sermon Brainwave 1086: Holy Trinity - May 31, 2026 14.05.2026 23min

Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders dig into one of the most theologically demanding Sundays of the church year.The lectionary texts span Genesis 1:1–2:4a, Psalm 8, 2 Corinthians 13:11–13, and Matthew 28:16–20. The hosts explore what it means to preach a doctrine that Scripture imprints rather than spells out, and why the Trinitarian formula in the Great Commission sends disciples not after their doubts are resolved, but right in the middle of them.

Sermon Brainwave 1085: Day of Pentecost - May 24, 2026 07.05.2026 25min

The Day of Pentecost offers preachers more than one path in. Matt, Karoline, and Cody explore all four lectionary texts for this week and find each one illuminating a different dimension of the Spirit's work.John 20 gets special attention: instead of the dramatic rush of wind and fire in Acts, the risen Jesus enters a room of grieving, frightened disciples and breathes the Spirit into them at close range. The contrast is striking. Acts invites awe and wonder. John offers intimacy. Both are worth preaching.The conversation ranges across all four texts, with discussion of the Spirit's creative power in Psalm 104, the radical inclusivity of Joel's prophecy poured out on all flesh, and Paul's vision in 1 Corinthians 12 of diverse gifts working together for the common good. Cody offers a "telescoping lens" framework for preachers who want to weave all four readings together.

Sermon Brainwave 1084: Seventh Sunday of Easter - May 17, 2026 30.04.2026 28min

What does "eternal life" actually mean? In this episode, Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders dig into the texts for the Seventh Sunday of Easter (May 17, 2026): Acts 1:6–14, Psalm 68:1–10, 32–35, 1 Peter 4:12–14 and 5:6–11, and John 17:1–11.The conversation opens with a close look at the High Priestly Prayer in John 17 and a reframe of eternal life as a quality of relationship with God rather than a quantity of time. Cody's Working Preacher commentary on this passage shapes much of the discussion, including the insight that eternal life is a matter of identity, not duration.The hosts also explore the Ascension text in Acts 1, where wonder becomes a spiritual posture and witness becomes a charge to the whole church. On Psalm 68, the group pushes back against triumphalism by centering the psalm's vision of God as protector of orphans, widows, and the desolate. And in 1 Peter, a sharp discussion of solidarity and suffering asks what it truly means to stand beside those whose backs are against the wall.New episodes of Sermon Brainwave drop weekly. Subscribe and visit workingpreacher.org for commentaries, sermon resources, and more.Mentioned in this episode:Support Working Preacher

Sermon Brainwave 1083: Sixth Sunday of Easter - May 10, 2026 23.04.2026 23min

What does it mean to abide in love when Jesus is leaving? On this Sixth Sunday of Easter, Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders explore the farewell discourse in John 14:15-21, where Jesus promises the Advocate — the Paraclete — and calls his disciples into an active, world-directed form of love. The hosts trace what "keeping the commandments" really means in John's Gospel, connect the Paraclete to Ascension and Pentecost, and consider how the Spirit keeps equipping the church to love.They also dig into Paul's speech at the Areopagus in Acts 17, examining his surprising respect for his audience's spiritual curiosity and what that might mean for preachers today. Plus: the household codes in 1 Peter, a spacious-place connection between Psalm 66 and Psalm 23, and a mention of Mother's Day for preachers navigating that Sunday dynamic.Mentioned in this episode:Support Working Preacher

Sermon Brainwave 1082: Fifth Sunday of Easter - May 3, 2026 07.04.2026 25min

What does Jesus actually mean when he says "I am the way, the truth, and the life"? And what about those troubling words: "no one comes to the Father except through me"?In this episode of Sermon Brainwave, Cody Sanders, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner explore the Fifth Sunday of Easter texts: John 14:1–14, Acts 7:55–60, Psalm 31, and 1 Peter 2:1–10. Together, they unpack the farewell discourse as a post-Easter text, the meaning of "dwelling places" and the Greek root meno (abide), the mysticism of John's Gospel, and what it means to hear Jesus' "I am" statements as a promise rather than an act of exclusion.They also discuss Stephen's martyrdom in Acts 7, its striking parallels to the death of Jesus in Luke's Gospel, and how Psalm 31 bridges the two texts. They close with 1 Peter 2 and how a letter written to exiles can speak to communities facing questions of identity, belonging, and solidarity, without tipping into Christian exceptionalism or nationalism.Mentioned in this episode:Support Working Preacher

Sermon Brainwave 1081: Fourth Sunday of Easter - April 26, 2026 07.04.2026 30min

The Fourth Sunday of Easter is Good Shepherd Sunday, but in Year A, the primary image isn't the shepherd. It's the door. In John 10:1–10, Jesus describes himself as the gate that protects the vulnerable and invites the imperiled into safety. Hosts Karoline Lewis, Cody Sanders, and Matt Skinner explore what that image means for preaching today: Who are the thieves and bandits? What does it look like to imitate Jesus' open-door posture in our communities right now?The conversation moves through all four lectionary texts for the day. Psalm 23 gets a fresh look, not as a sentimental comfort, but as a bold, radical claim of faith in the darkest valleys. The hosts examine the complex preaching challenges of 1 Peter 2:19–25, including how to handle a text that has historically been used to keep people in abusive situations, and how reading it as crisis survival literature changes everything. Acts 2:42–47 rounds out the discussion with a vision of the early church as a counter-community of mutual aid, awe, and wonder, and what that means for congregations engaged in healing ministries today.Mentioned in this episode:Support Working Preacher

Sermon Brainwave 1080: Third Sunday of Easter - April 19, 2026 23.03.2026 22min

What does it mean to recognize the risen Christ? And why is resurrection faith never automatic? In this episode of the Sermon Brainwave podcast, Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders dig into the Third Sunday of Easter texts: the Emmaus road story in Luke 24, Peter's Pentecost sermon in Acts 2, Psalm 116, and 1 Peter 1.The disciples on the road to Emmaus don't recognize Jesus, and the hosts explore why that matters for preaching today. Resurrection reveals itself slowly, through long walks, honest grief, and the intimacy of a shared meal. The table becomes the place of recognition, connecting Emmaus to the Feeding of the 5,000 and the Lord's Supper. The conversation also surfaces a provocative question from Margaret Ami's commentary: what does it mean that the risen Christ appears as a migrant or resident foreigner?From Acts, the hosts ask what "repentance" really means in response to the resurrection, and how Peter's audience models the question preachers still face: What should we do? Psalm 116 and 1 Peter 1 deepen that question, pointing toward holy living, genuine mutual love, and a faith grounded in the living word of God.Mentioned in this episode:Support Working Preacher

Sermon Brainwave 1078: Resurrection of Our Lord - April 5, 2026 16.03.2026 25min

In this episode of Sermon Brainwave, hosts Karoline Lewis, Cody Sanders, and Matt Skinner dig into the lectionary texts for Easter Sunday and explore what it means to preach resurrection to a congregation carrying both fear and joy.

Sermon Brainwave 1077: Good Friday - April 3, 2026 13.03.2026 21min

Good Friday arrives with some of the heaviest texts of the liturgical year — and Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders are here to help you preach them well.This episode covers all four lectionary readings for Good Friday (April 2, 2026): Isaiah 52:13–53:12, Psalm 22, Hebrews 10:16–25, and John 18–19. The hosts explore where preachers might "drop into" the long Johannine passion narrative, discuss Jesus' three last words in John ("I thirst," "Woman, here is your son," and "It is finished"), and reflect on what they reveal about Jesus' full humanity and divinity.The conversation also takes up Pilate's conflicted role as a study in the corrupting logic of power, René Girard's scapegoat theory as a lens on Jesus' innocence, the underrepresentation of lament in the lectionary (30 of 45 omitted psalms are lament psalms), and how Hebrews 10 speaks both to the meaning of the cross and to the life of the community gathered around it.Whether you're preaching a full sermon, leading a Seven Last Words service, or simply holding space for grief this Good Friday, this episode offers rich theological grounding and pastoral encouragement.

Sermon Brainwave 1076: Maundy Thursday - April 2, 2026 09.03.2026 17min

Love, Feet, and the Table.What if Maundy Thursday isn't just somber — but also joyful? In this episode, Cody Sanders, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner explore the rich intimacy of John 13 and its foot washing scene, unpacking why embodiment matters in preaching, how Judas's betrayal is really an act of walking away from intimacy, and why the farewell discourse (chapters 14–17) is essential context for understanding the night's meaning.They also dig into Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 11, reading the Lord's Supper not as liturgical formula, but as a communal act of resistance against social fracture — and a source of strength in the face of coming trauma. Plus: how Mary's anointing of Jesus connects to his washing of the disciples' feet, and why a jail chapel hymn sing brings it all home.

Sermon Brainwave 1075: Sunday of the Passion (Palm Sunday) - March 29, 2026 05.03.2026 23min

"The Passion story is a story about us."This episode of the Sermon Brainwave podcast explores the significance of Palm Sunday and Passion narratives, emphasizing the earth's role in biblical stories, the political and theological implications of Jesus' trial, and how these texts challenge our understanding of power, trust, and God's presence.

Sermon Brainwave 1074: Fifth Sunday in Lent - March 22, 2026 04.03.2026 27min

The Intersection of Grief and Faith.In this episode of Sermon Brainwave, hosts Karoline Lewis, Matt Skinner, and Cody Sanders discuss the readings for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, focusing on the raising of Lazarus from the dead, the complexities of grief, and the interplay between the divine and human aspects of Jesus. They explore how these themes relate to the community's understanding of resurrection and the importance of acknowledging grief in the context of faith.The conversation also delves into Ezekiel's vision of dry bones and the significance of the body in spiritual life, culminating in a discussion of Romans 8 and the promise of life and peace through the spirit.