Lectionary Readings — Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost — November 9, 2025
Haggai 1:15b-2:9; Psalm 145:1-5,17-21; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5,13-17; Luke 20:27-38
Call to Worship (based on Luke 20:27-38)
Leader: We gather to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—
People: The God of the living, not the dead.
Leader: For all who belong to God are alive to Him,
People: We are children of the resurrection, children of God.
Leader: In this life, we marry and are given in marriage,
People: But God has prepared for us a life beyond this age.
Leader: Death no longer has dominion over those who trust in the Lord,
People: For we serve a God who raises the dead to life.
Leader: We are counted worthy not by our own merit,
People: But by God’s grace and power.
Leader: So let us worship the God of the living,
People: Who holds our past, our present, and our future in His eternal hands.
All: To the God who was, and is, and is to come—the God of resurrection and life—be glory and praise forever! Amen.
Opening Prayer (based on 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5,13-17)
Let us pray:
Gracious and loving God,
We gather before You this day with grateful hearts, giving thanks that You have called us and chosen us to be Your people. In a world that often shakes with uncertainty and confusion, we thank You for being our firm foundation, our rock, and our hope.
Lord, when anxious thoughts threaten to overwhelm us, and when false voices call out from every direction, help us to stand firm in the truth of Your gospel. Anchor us in Your Word, which does not shift or change with the times. May we not be easily shaken or alarmed, but instead find our peace in Your steadfast love.
We praise You for Your Spirit who sanctifies us and makes us holy, and for the truth that sets us free. Thank You for calling us through the good news of Jesus Christ, that we might share in His glory.
Now, Lord, we ask that You would comfort our hearts and strengthen us in every good word and deed. Encourage us to hold fast to what is true, good, and eternal. Fill this time of worship with Your presence, and may our hearts be opened to receive what You would speak to us today.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior,
Amen
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 GOD OF THE LIVING"
Based on Luke 20:27-38
I. THE PUZZLE: A Riddle Designed to Ridicule (vv. 27-33)
A. The Doubters Who Ask
B. The Dilemma They Construct
C. The Danger of the Question
II. THE PRINCIPLE: A Reality Beyond Our Imagination (vv. 34-36)
A. The Premise Jesus Corrects
B. The People Jesus Describes
C. The Particulars Jesus Explains
III. THE PROOF: A God Who Raises the Dead (vv. 37-38)
A. The Passage Jesus Cites
B. The Point Jesus Makes
C. The Pronouncement Jesus Declares
CONCLUSION
The Sadducees came with a riddle. Jesus left them with a reality.
Our God is not the God of the dead. He doesn’t preside over cemeteries and eulogies. He’s the God of the living—the One who breathes life, sustains life, and restores life.
Full Manuscript Sermon Below for Paid Subscribers
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