Workingpreacher.org Sermon Brainwave

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.Mentioned in this episode:May 2026 WP Campaign

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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,

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.

"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.

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.

In this episode of Sermon Brainwave, Karoline Lewis, Matt Skinner, and Cody Sanders discuss the readings for the Fourth Sunday in Lent, focusing on the Gospel of John 9:1-41, Psalm 23, and Ephesians 5:8-14. They explore themes of healing, disability, community, and the role of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. The conversation delves into the implications of the blind man's healing, the significance of testimony in faith communities, and the challenges of interpreting scripture in the context of leadership and moral dualism. The hosts emphasize the importance of recognizing God's initiative in choosing leaders and the call to awaken to the light of Christ in a world filled with darkness.

This conversation between hosts Karoline Lewis, Matt Skinner, and Cody Sanders for the Sermon Brainwave podcast delves into the readings for the third Sunday in Lent, focusing on John 4:1-42, Exodus 17, and Psalm 95. The discussion highlights the significance of the woman at the well as a model of evangelism, the role of the disciples, and the importance of the incarnation. It also connects the themes of wilderness experiences and divine provision, emphasizing the need for witness and testimony in faith, and reflecting on endurance in light of Romans 5:1-5.

In this episode of Sermon Brainwave, hosts Cody Sanders, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner delve into the readings for the Second Sunday in Lent, focusing on the Gospel of John, particularly the encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus. The conversation highlights the complexities of faith, the nature of understanding Jesus' teachings, and the significance of personal journeys in faith. Cody shares his insights on the Gospel of Mark and the importance of recognizing the subtlety of Nicodemus' confusion rather than labeling it as outright resistance. The hosts explore themes of light versus darkness, the nature of eternal life, and the relational aspect of faith, emphasizing that faith is an active journey rather than a mere cognitive exercise.

Sermon Brainwave Episode 1069: Ash Wednesday — Practicing Righteousness in Times of CrisisJoin hosts Karoline Lewis, Matt Skinner, and new co-host Cody Sanders for this Ash Wednesday podcast as they explore the lectionary readings for February 18, 2026. This episode introduces Cody Sanders, Associate Professor of Congregational and Community Care Leadership at Luther Seminary, who brings a Baptist perspective and pastoral care voice to the Sermon Brainwave team.The hosts examine Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, Psalm 51:1-17, 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10, and Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21, exploring critical questions about righteousness, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Karoline highlights the significant translation shift in Matthew 6:1 from "piety" to "righteousness" in the NRSVUE, connecting it to the Sermon on the Mount's opening theme of hungering and thirsting for righteousness.Matt and Cody discuss the distinction between forgiveness and reconciliation, emphasizing the importance of careful, compassionate preaching on these top