April 19th, Sermon & Ministry Resources

"The Stranger on the Road" (Luke 24:13-35)

Lectionary Readings — Third Sunday of Easter — April 19, 2026

Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 116:1-4; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35

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Call to Worship (based on Luke 24:13-35)

Leader: On that same day, two disciples were walking to a village called Emmaus, talking with each other about all the things that had happened.

People: Lord, we come to You today carrying our own conversations — our questions, our confusion, our searching for answers.

Leader: While they were talking, Jesus Himself came near and walked with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.

People: Open our eyes, Lord! You are walking with us even now. Do not let us miss Your presence among us.

Leader: He said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” And they stood still, looking sad.

People: We confess, Lord, that we have carried our sorrows as though You were not near. We have walked in sadness when You were right beside us.

Leader: Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them the things about Himself in all the Scriptures.

People: Speak to us through Your Word today, O Christ! Unfold the Scriptures before us, that we might see You on every page.

Leader: As He sat at table with them, He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him.

People: In the breaking of the bread, we see You, Lord! In the fellowship of this house, reveal Yourself to us again.

Leader: They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking to us on the road, while He was opening the Scriptures to us?”

People: Set our hearts on fire, Lord! Burn within us as You speak. May we never be the same for having been in Your presence today.

All: Come, let us worship the Risen Christ — who draws near to us on the road, opens the Scriptures to our understanding, and reveals Himself in the breaking of bread. Our Lord is alive, and He walks among us still! Amen.

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Opening Prayer (based on Acts 2:14a, 36-41)

Let us pray:

Gracious and Sovereign God, we come before You this morning as a people who have heard the good news and believed. Like those gathered in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, we have been confronted with a truth that demands a response — that this Jesus, whom the world rejected, You have made both Lord and Messiah.

We thank You, Father, that Your Word still has the power to cut us to the heart. In a world that has grown dull to truth and deaf to conviction, we pray that You would pierce us again with the sharp edge of Your gospel. Do not let us sit comfortably in our religion. Disturb us with Your grace. Awaken us with Your mercy. Remind us that the message Peter preached in the streets of Jerusalem is the same message that calls to us today: Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We rejoice, Lord, that Your promise is for us and for our children and for all who are far away — everyone whom You, the Lord our God, call to Yourself. What a breathtaking promise! No one is beyond the reach of Your grace. No one is too far gone for Your mercy. No one stands outside the circle of Your invitation.

Father, just as three thousand souls were added to the church that day, we pray that You would still draw men and women to Yourself through the preaching of Your Word. Save us from this corrupt generation — not by our own strength, but by the power of Your Spirit and the authority of the risen Christ.

Now speak to us, Lord. Open our hearts to receive what You have for us today. May we leave this place as those first believers did — changed, committed, and on fire with the message of the gospel.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Messiah, we pray. Amen.

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[NOTE to Paid subscribers — scroll down for the full manuscript sermon]

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Sermon Outline: "THE STRANGER ON THE ROAD"

Based on Luke 24:13-35

I. The Companion Who Came Alongside (vv. 13-16)

II. The Conversation That Confronted Them (vv. 17-27)

III. The Communion That Changed Everything (vv. 28-31)

IV. The Compulsion That Couldn’t Wait (vv. 32-35)

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Full Manuscript Sermon Below for Paid Subscribers