Sermon Brainwave from Working Preacher

The Day of Pentecost offers preachers more than one path in. Matt, Karoline, and Cody explore all four lectionary texts for this week and find each one illuminating a different dimension of the Spirit's work. John 20 gets special attention: instead of the dramatic rush of wind and fire in Acts, the risen Jesus enters a room of grieving, frightened disciples and breathes the Spirit into them at clo...

What does "eternal life" actually mean? In this episode, Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders dig into the texts for the Seventh Sunday of Easter (May 17, 2026): Acts 1:6–14, Psalm 68:1–10, 32–35, 1 Peter 4:12–14 and 5:6–11, and John 17:1–11. The conversation opens with a close look at the High Priestly Prayer in John 17 and a reframe of eternal life as a quality of relationship with God...

What does it mean to abide in love when Jesus is leaving? On this Sixth Sunday of Easter, Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders explore the farewell discourse in John 14:15-21, where Jesus promises the Advocate — the Paraclete — and calls his disciples into an active, world-directed form of love. The hosts trace what "keeping the commandments" really means in John's Gospel, connect the Pa...

What does Jesus actually mean when he says "I am the way, the truth, and the life"? And what about those troubling words: "no one comes to the Father except through me"? In this episode of Sermon Brainwave, Cody Sanders, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner explore the Fifth Sunday of Easter texts: John 14:1–14, Acts 7:55–60, Psalm 31, and 1 Peter 2:1–10. Together, they unpack the farewell discourse a...

The Fourth Sunday of Easter is Good Shepherd Sunday, but in Year A, the primary image isn't the shepherd. It's the door. In John 10:1–10, Jesus describes himself as the gate that protects the vulnerable and invites the imperiled into safety. Hosts Karoline Lewis, Cody Sanders, and Matt Skinner explore what that image means for preaching today: Who are the thieves and bandits? What does it look lik...

What does it mean to recognize the risen Christ? And why is resurrection faith never automatic? In this episode of the Sermon Brainwave podcast, Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders dig into the Third Sunday of Easter texts: the Emmaus road story in Luke 24, Peter's Pentecost sermon in Acts 2, Psalm 116, and 1 Peter 1. The disciples on the road to Emmaus don't recognize Jesus, and the ho...

In this episode of Sermon Brainwave, hosts Karoline Lewis, Cody Sanders, and Matt Skinner dig into the lectionary texts for Easter Sunday and explore what it means to preach resurrection to a congregation carrying both fear and joy.

Good Friday arrives with some of the heaviest texts of the liturgical year — and Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders are here to help you preach them well. This episode covers all four lectionary readings for Good Friday (April 2, 2026): Isaiah 52:13–53:12, Psalm 22, Hebrews 10:16–25, and John 18–19. The hosts explore where preachers might "drop into" the long Johannine passion narrativ...

Love, Feet, and the Table. What if Maundy Thursday isn't just somber — but also joyful? In this episode, Cody Sanders, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner explore the rich intimacy of John 13 and its foot washing scene, unpacking why embodiment matters in preaching, how Judas's betrayal is really an act of walking away from intimacy, and why the farewell discourse (chapters 14–17) is essential contex...

"The Passion story is a story about us." This episode of the Sermon Brainwave podcast explores the significance of Palm Sunday and Passion narratives, emphasizing the earth's role in biblical stories, the political and theological implications of Jesus' trial, and how these texts challenge our understanding of power, trust, and God's presence.

The Intersection of Grief and Faith. In this episode of Sermon Brainwave, hosts Karoline Lewis, Matt Skinner, and Cody Sanders discuss the readings for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, focusing on the raising of Lazarus from the dead, the complexities of grief, and the interplay between the divine and human aspects of Jesus. They explore how these themes relate to the community's understanding of resurre...

In this episode of Sermon Brainwave, Karoline Lewis, Matt Skinner, and Cody Sanders discuss the readings for the Fourth Sunday in Lent, focusing on the Gospel of John 9:1-41, Psalm 23, and Ephesians 5:8-14. They explore themes of healing, disability, community, and the role of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. The conversation delves into the implications of the blind man's healing, the significance of...

This conversation between hosts Karoline Lewis, Matt Skinner, and Cody Sanders for the Sermon Brainwave podcast delves into the readings for the third Sunday in Lent, focusing on John 4:1-42, Exodus 17, and Psalm 95. The discussion highlights the significance of the woman at the well as a model of evangelism, the role of the disciples, and the importance of the incarnation. It also connects the th...

In this episode of Sermon Brainwave, hosts Cody Sanders, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner delve into the readings for the Second Sunday in Lent, focusing on the Gospel of John, particularly the encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus. The conversation highlights the complexities of faith, the nature of understanding Jesus' teachings, and the significance of personal journeys in faith. Cody shares hi...

Sermon Brainwave Episode 1069: Ash Wednesday — Practicing Righteousness in Times of Crisis Join hosts Karoline Lewis, Matt Skinner, and new co-host Cody Sanders for this Ash Wednesday podcast as they explore the lectionary readings for February 18, 2026. This episode introduces Cody Sanders, Associate Professor of Congregational and Community Care Leadership at Luther Seminary, who brings a Baptis...

Sermon Brainwave dives into the First Sunday in Lent exploring Jesus' testing in the wilderness from Matthew 4:1-11. Hosts Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and new co-host Cody Sanders examine what this familiar text reveals about power, identity, and God's empire versus earthly empire. The conversation moves through wilderness, temple, and mountain—locations that speak to where we expect to find God...

In this Sermon Brainwave episode, hosts Rolf Jacobson, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner explore the Transfiguration of Jesus from Matthew 17:1-9 for Transfiguration Sunday (February 15, 2026). The team examines how this pivotal moment bridges the season of Epiphany and the journey into Lent, highlighting God's voice declaring "This is my son, the beloved" and the crucial addition: "listen to him."...

Join hosts Rolf Jacobson, Matt Skinner, and Karoline Lewis as they explore the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany lectionary readings for February 8, 2026. This episode dives into Matthew 5:13-20, where Jesus declares "You are the salt of the earth" and "You are the light of the world" - not as invitations, but as statements of fact about Christian identity. The hosts unpack what these metaphors meant in...

Join Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Rolf Jacobson for an exploration of the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany lectionary texts. This episode unpacks the Beatitudes as Jesus' mission statement and inaugural address, revealing where God's kingdom breaks into the world. The hosts discuss how Matthew's Beatitudes function as Jesus' announcement of the people he will be found with—those the world overloo...

Join hosts Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Rolf Jacobson for Sermon Brainwave as they explore the readings for the Third Sunday after Epiphany (January 25, 2026).

Join hosts Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Rolf Jacobson for Sermon Brainwave as they explore the readings for the Second Sunday after Epiphany (January 18, 2026). This episode examines how John the Baptist serves as the primary witness to Jesus' identity in John's Gospel, highlighting the importance of testimony and discipleship. The hosts dive deep into John 1:29-42, examining how John the Bap...

Join Karoline Lewis, Matt Skinner, and Rolf Jacobson as they explore the lectionary texts for the Baptism of Our Lord (January 11, 2026), diving deep into what makes this pivotal moment in Jesus' ministry more than just a baptismal event. The hosts examine why this Sunday marks the beginning of Epiphany rather than simply a theology of baptism. Jesus undergoes John's baptism of repentance—not Chri...

Join hosts Rolf Jacobson, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner as they explore the profound themes of divine guidance, resistance, and illumination in the story of the Magi for the Day of Epiphany, January 6th. This episode unpacks how the Magi's journey represents not just a physical pilgrimage but a theological model for following God's leading—even when it requires non-compliance with earthly power...

Join hosts Rolf Jacobson, Karoline Lewis, and Matt Skinner for the Second Sunday of Christmas on January 4, 2025 ⏰Timecodes⏰ 00:00 Introduction to the Second Sunday of Christmas 01:30 Exploring the Texts: John 1 and Its Significance 05:33 The Nature of God: Intimacy and Relationality in Jesus 08:35 The Incarnation: Understanding Flesh and Humanity 12:20 Cosmic Implications: Ephesians and the Sco...

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.