July 20th, Sermon & Ministry Resources

"THE GOOD PORTION" (Luke 10:38-42)

Lectionary Readings — Sixth Sunday after Pentecost — July 20, 2025

Amos 8:1-12; Psalm 52; Colossians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42

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Call to Worship (based on Luke 10:38-42)

Leader: Come, all who are weary from the busyness of life.

People: We come, longing for rest and renewal.

Leader: Come, all who are distracted by many worries and tasks.

People: We come, seeking the one thing that is needed.

Leader: Jesus calls us to sit at his feet and listen.

People: We choose the good portion that will not be taken away.

Leader: In this place, we set aside our anxious thoughts.

People: In this moment, we focus our hearts on Christ.

Leader: Here we find welcome, as Mary and Martha welcomed Jesus.

People: Here we find the Word made flesh, dwelling among us.

Leader: Let us worship the Lord with hearts and minds attentive to his voice.

People: Let us worship the Lord, who teaches us what truly matters. Amen.

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Opening Prayer (based on Amos 8:1-12)

Let us pray:

Almighty God, Creator and Sustainer of all life,

We gather this morning to worship you, to offer our praise and thanksgiving, and to seek your presence in our midst. You are the God who knows us completely—our hearts, our intentions, and our deepest needs.

We come with grateful hearts for this opportunity to worship together, to hear your word proclaimed, and to be renewed by your Spirit. Thank you for gathering us as your people, called by your name and beloved by you.

As we enter into worship, we ask that you would prepare our hearts to receive what you have for us today. Help us to worship you not with eager anticipation for the service to end, but with genuine desire to encounter you. May our time together be authentic and pleasing to you, rooted in hearts that truly seek your face.

We acknowledge, O Lord, that you call us to lives of integrity both in worship and beyond these walls. Forgive us when we have been more concerned with our own comfort than with caring for those who struggle. Help us to remember the poor and needy, not trampling on them in our pursuit of success, but lifting them up in love and justice.

We confess that too often we hunger and thirst for many things, yet neglect our deep need for your word. Do not let us experience a famine of hearing from you, O God. As we gather today, satisfy our spiritual hunger. Open our ears and hearts to receive your truth with joy and humility. May we not wander seeking your word in vain, but find it here in abundance.

Speak to us today, Lord. Let your presence fill this place, transform our hearts, and send us forth to serve you faithfully in all aspects of our lives.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Amen.

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Sermon Outline: [NOTE to Paid subscribers — scroll down for the full manuscript sermon].

[Note: All Scripture is taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.]

Sermon Outline: "THE GOOD PORTION"

Based on Luke 10:38-42

INTRODUCTION:

In our hyperconnected, productivity-obsessed world, we often measure our worth by our busyness. We wear exhaustion like a badge of honor and equate activity with spirituality. But in this familiar story from Luke's Gospel, Jesus challenges our assumptions about what truly matters. In a simple scene from a Bethany home, we discover profound truths about priorities, presence, and the good portion that lasts forever.

I. ATTENTIVE ADORATION (Luke 10:39)

A. The Posture of a Disciple

B. The Priority of Listening

C. The Practice of Contemplation

II. ANXIOUS ACTIVITY (Luke 10:40-41)

A. The Heart of Hospitality

B. The Distraction of Many Tasks

C. The Burden of Resentment

III. AUTHORITATIVE ANSWER (Luke 10:41-42)

A. The Gentle Rebuke

B. The Accurate Diagnosis

C. The Essential Priority

D. The Eternal Promise

CONCLUSION:

• The Both/And of Christian Living

• The Call to Choose

• The Promise of Grace

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Full Manuscript Sermon Below for Paid Subscribers