March 23rd, Sermon & Ministry Resources

"Time for Transformation" Text: Luke 13:1-9

Lectionary Readings — Third Sunday in Lent — March 23, 2025

Isaiah 55:1-9; Psalm 63:1-8; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-9

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Call to Worship (based on Luke 13:1-9)

Leader: We gather in the presence of our God, who sees beyond our outward appearances.

People: The Lord looks at our hearts and examines the fruit of our lives.

Leader: Jesus teaches us that misfortune is not punishment, but all are called to turn toward God.

People: Unless we repent, we too will perish. Now is the time to bear good fruit.

Leader: Like a gardener with a barren fig tree, God is patient with us.

People: The Master has given us another year, another chance to grow and flourish.

Leader: Our God digs around our roots and fertilizes our soil.

People: God nurtures us with love and grace, that we might yield the fruits of righteousness.

Leader: Let us not waste this season of mercy.

People: Let our lives be fertile ground for God's transforming work.

Leader: Come, let us worship the Lord who tends us with care.

All: We come to worship the God of second chances, whose mercy endures forever.

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Opening Prayer (based on Isaiah 55:1-9)

Let us pray:

Gracious and Merciful God,

Today we come before You as thirsty souls seeking the living water that only You can provide. Like travelers in a desert, we arrive at Your sanctuary, longing for refreshment and renewal.

"Come, all you who are thirsty," You call to us. "Come to the waters." You invite us to drink deeply without cost, to feast at Your table of grace. Why, Lord, do we spend our resources on that which does not satisfy? Why do we labor for bread that does not nourish our souls?

God of abundant mercy, as we journey through this Lenten season, this time of reflection and repentance, forgive us when we turn away from Your freely given grace. Forgive us when we seek satisfaction in the empty promises of this world rather than in Your eternal Word.

On this third Sunday in Lent, we remember that Your thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are Your ways our ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are Your ways higher than our ways and Your thoughts than our thoughts.

Draw us near to You in this season of spiritual discipline. Help us to incline our ears and come to You, that our souls may live. Lead us to forsake our unrighteous thoughts and return to You, for You will abundantly pardon.

Like rain and snow that water the earth, making it bud and flourish, let Your Word accomplish what You desire in our hearts. May it not return to You empty, but achieve the purpose for which You sent it.

Fill us with joy as we await the resurrection celebration. May our Lenten journey lead us to a deeper communion with You and with one another. As we approach Your table, remind us that You have prepared a feast of rich food for all peoples.

We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, who fasted in the wilderness and taught us to hunger and thirst for righteousness,

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: "Time for Transformation" (Luke 13:1-9)

Introduction:

• In a world where we often seek to make sense of tragedy by assigning blame

• Jesus challenges our assumptions about suffering and divine punishment

• This passage reveals Christ's call to universal repentance and God's patient grace

• Today we explore what it means to bear fruit in a time of judgment and mercy

I. Assumptions We Make (vv. 1-3)

A. Ancient belief that suffering indicated divine punishment

B. Brutal examples Jesus addresses

C. Calculated distance people create from victims ("they deserved it")

D. Direct challenge from Jesus: "Do you think they were worse sinners?"

E. Everyday examples of how we rationalize modern tragedies

II. Repentance We Need (vv. 3, 5)

A. Repeated warning from Jesus: "Unless you repent, you will all perish"

B. Real meaning: not physical death but spiritual perishing

C. Radical inclusivity: the universal call to repentance – no exemptions

D. Redirection toward God, not merely feeling regret

E. Renewed urgency in Jesus' call – present tense, not future

F. Reflection: Areas in our lives requiring immediate turning

III. Grace We Receive (vv. 6-8)

A. Genre shift to parable format – Jesus as master storyteller

B. Grim reality of the barren fig tree – Israel, the Church, or individuals?

C. Growing frustration after three years of barrenness

D. Grave judgment proposed: "Cut it down!"

E. Generous intercession: "Let it alone for one more year"

F. Gift of God's patient grace in our spiritual barrenness

IV. Time We're Given (vv. 8-9)

A. Temporary nature of "one more year"

B. Thoughtful balance: not unlimited patience, but extended opportunity

C. Tending commitment: the gardener's promise of active intervention

D. Digging around roots – the uncomfortable work of spiritual growth

E. Fertilization through difficulty – how challenges nurture growth

F. Final expectation: eventual fruitfulness or judgment G. Faithful use of our "one more year"

Conclusion:

• Jesus calls us away from judging others' tragedies to examining our own lives

• God's patience is purposeful – not to delay judgment but to enable transformation

• The question is not "Why did they suffer?" but "What fruit am I bearing?"

• The gardener (Christ) is actively working for our fruitfulness

• Will we cooperate with his cultivating work?

• This Lenten season is our "one more year" – a time for transformation

Full Manuscript Sermon Below for Paid Subscribers