Working Preacher's Sermon Brainwave
Working Preacher's Sermon Brainwave is a weekly conversation on upcoming Revised Common Lectionary readings. The conversations (featuring Luther Seminary faculty) are fun, informative, and creative—and just may give you the spark that ignites your own sermon brainwave!
Episodes
Join Profs. Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Rolf Jacobson as they explore the lectionary readings for the First Sunday of Christmas on December 28, 2025.
⏰Timecodes⏰
00:00 Introduction to the Christmas Podcast
01:06 Exploring the Texts for the First Sunday of Christmas
03:06 The Character of Herod and His Role in the Christmas Story
06:00 The Threat of Jesus to Tyranny and Power
09:08 God's Subversive Action in the Christmas Narr...
Join Profs. Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Rolf Jacobson as they explore the lectionary readings for Christmas Day (Proper III), Year A.
Read the commentaries for Christmas Day (Proper III) for December 25, 2025 at https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/christmas-day-nativity-of-our-lord-iii/commentary-on-john-11-14-11.
⏰Timecodes⏰
00:00 Introduction to Christmas Day Podcast
03:00 Exploring John ...
Join Profs. Rolf Jacobson, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for Christmas Eve: Nativity of Our Lord on December 24, 2025.
Commentaries for Christmas Eve: Nativity of Our Lord can be found on the Working Preacher website at https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/christmas-eve-nativity-of-our-lord/commentary-on-luke-21-14-15-20-28.
Join Profs. Rolf Jacobson, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for the Fourth Sunday of Advent on December 21, 2025.
Commentaries for the Fourth Sunday of Advent can be found on the Working Preacher website at https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-of-advent/commentary-on-matthew-118-25-11.
⏰Timecodes⏰
00:00 Introduction to Advent and Scripture Readings
02:59 John the Baptist's Doubts and...
Join hosts Rolf Jacobson, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for this Third Sunday of Advent episode as they explore John the Baptist's profound question from prison: "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" (Matthew 11:2-11)
The hosts examine John's struggle with doubt and disappointment while imprisoned by Herod Antipas, offering a deeply human perspective on faith when reality doesn't match expectations. Th...
Join Profs. Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Rolf Jacobson as they explore the lectionary readings for the Second Sunday of Advent, Year A, featuring John the Baptist's prophetic ministry and Isaiah's vision of the peaceable kingdom.
In this episode, the hosts examine John the Baptist's dramatic appearance in Matthew's gospel, styled after Elijah as the forerunner to the Messiah. They discuss why John positions himself in the wild...
Join Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Rolf Jacobson for the Sermon Brainwave podcast as they explore the texts for the First Sunday of Advent, Year A. This episode kicks off the new church year with a deep dive into themes of watchfulness, waiting, and Christ's coming in history, mystery, and majesty.
In this episode, the hosts discuss:
* Isaiah 2:1-5 and the vision of peace among nations
* Psalm 122 and Jerusalem as a means of gr...
Join Rolf Jacobson, Caroline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for Sermon Brainwave as they explore the texts for Christ the King/Reign of Christ Sunday (November 23, 2025) - the final Sunday of the church year and Year C.
In this episode, the hosts dive deep into what it means for Jesus to be called "king" and how we understand Christ's reign in a world unfamiliar with monarchies. They examine the Gospel reading from Luke 23:33-43, where Je...
Join Profs. Karoline Lewis, Rolf Jacobson, and Matt Skinner for Sermon Brainwave as they explore the texts for the Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost (November 16, 2025). This episode dives into Luke 21:5-19, focusing on Jesus's apocalyptic speech about the destruction of the temple and the call to bear witness through endurance.
The hosts discuss what it means to testify in times of difficulty, how endurance is not just about get...
Join Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Rolf Jacobson as they explore the lectionary texts for the Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost (November 9, 2025). This episode dives deep into Luke 20:27-38, where the Sadducees challenge Jesus with a seemingly absurd question about resurrection and marriage. Is there such a thing as a stupid question?
The hosts discuss what it means to live without fear of death, how to sit in the promise o...
Join Karoline Lewis, Rolf Jacobson, and Matt Skinner for Sermon Brainwave as they explore the texts for All Saints Sunday (Year C). In this episode, the hosts dive deep into Luke 6:20-31 (the Beatitudes and Woes), Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18, Psalm 149, and Ephesians 1:11-23.
The conversation examines Luke's unique "Sermon on the Plain" where Jesus comes down to be with the people, addressing them directly with "blessed are you" (all y'all...
Join Profs. Rolf Jacobson, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner as they explore the powerful story of Zacchaeus and discuss the Revised Common Lectionary texts for the Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost.
In this episode, the hosts dive deep into Luke 19:1-10, wrestling with a critical translation question in verse 8: Is Zacchaeus announcing a conversion, or revealing his existing practices? This interpretive choice completely changes ...
Join Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Rolf Jacobson for another insightful episode of Sermon Brainwave as they explore the texts for Reformation Sunday (October 26, 2025). This episode dives deep into the themes of freedom, truth, and God's covenant faithfulness through the lens of Jeremiah 31:31-34, Psalm 46, Romans 3:19-28, and John 8:31-36.
The hosts discuss the complex theological debates in John 8, often avoided in the lectio...
Join Rolf Jacobson, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for another engaging episode of Sermon Brainwave as they dive deep into the lectionary texts for the 20th Sunday after Pentecost (October 26, 2025).
In this thought-provoking discussion, the hosts wrestle with Luke's parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, exploring the complexities that make this story both challenging and rewarding for preachers. Karoline shares insights...
Join Karoline Lewis, Rolf Jacobson, and Matt Skinner for this episode of Sermon Brainwave as they explore the lectionary readings for the 19th Sunday after Pentecost (October 19, 2025).
The conversation gets particularly rich around themes of persistence in prayer, wrestling with God and Scripture, and what discipleship really looks like in Luke's gospel. The hosts offer practical homiletical directions and insights that will help ...
Welcome to Sermon Brainwave! Join hosts Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Rolf Jacobson as they dive deep into the lectionary readings for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost (October 12th, 2025).
In this episode, we explore the powerful theme of unexpected faith through the story of Jesus healing ten men with a skin disease in Luke 17:11-19, where a Samaritan becomes the unlikely exemplar of gratitude and praise.
The hosts conne...
Join hosts Rolf Jacobson, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for another engaging episode of Sermon Brainwave as they tackle the challenging texts for October 5th, 2025.
In this episode, the hosts dive deep into Luke 17:5-10, exploring the disciples' request to "increase our faith" and Jesus' puzzling response about mustard seeds and mulberry trees. They grapple with the difficult connection between faith and obedience, and whether J...
Join Karoline Lewis, Matt Skinner, and Rolf Jacobson for Sermon Brainwave as they dive deep into the lectionary readings for the 16th Sunday After Pentecost (September 28, 2025).
In this thought-provoking episode, the hosts explore the parable of the rich man and Lazarus from Luke 16:19-31, examining themes of wealth, justice, and what it truly takes for someone to repent. They discuss how this challenging parable connects to broad...
Join Rolf Jacobson, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for another insightful episode of Sermon Brainwave as they dive deep into the challenging lectionary readings for September 21st, 2025. This week's discussion tackles some of the most complex biblical texts around wealth, justice, and faithful living.
Our hosts offer practical preaching insights while acknowledging the complexity of these texts, especially the puzzling parable in...
Join Profs. Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Rolf Jacobson for another insightful episode of Sermon Brainwave as they dive deep into the lectionary texts for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost (September 14, 2025).
In this episode, the hosts explore the powerful contrast between grumbling and joy found in Luke 15:1-10, where Jesus tells the parables of the lost sheep and lost coin. They discuss how these stories reveal God's characte...
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