Jesus spoke to people whose "hearts have grown dull, and their ears hard of hearing" -- like today's churchgoers who think they know what the preacher is going to say before the sermon begins. These sermons use parable and paradox, narrative and humor, imagination and solid biblical scholarship to tell the good news people don't expect to hear.
"I hear best what I want to hear and I shut out the things I don't want to hear. I hear, "Great sermon, Pastor " better than I hear, "I notice your hair is getting thinner..". I have no problem at all hearing the good news that I am forgiven. I have a really hard time hearing a parable that tells me I will suffer the tortures of the damned until I forgive. These sermons have been influenced by preachers who have gotten through to me despite my spiritual hearing impairment. Craddock, Buechner, and Lowry... David Buttrick... Harry Emerson Fosdick..." (from author's Preface)
Sermons in this book are based on lections for the middle third of the season after Pentecost.
Sermon titles include:
Prayer and Compassion Fatigue -- Matthew 14:13-21
Love Without Limits -- Matthew 15:10-28
Good News: Life Is Not Fair -- Matthew 20:1-16
Why Do We Ignore Warning Signs? -- Matthew 21:33-46
Roger Talbott is pastor of North Olmsted United Methodist Church in North Olmsted, Ohio. He has served congregations in Ohio and western New York. He earned his M.Div. degree from Colgate Rochester Divinity School and is currently enrolled in the D.Min. program at Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, Michigan.

Jesus' resurrection is a time for setting earthquakes shaking in the soul. The seven excellent Easter messages in this book will help to make that happen in your congregation. Leonard Budd and Roger Talbott have combined well-crafted stories, most of them imaginative fiction pieces, with solid exposition of texts from Old and New Testaments. These messages will provide preaching resources for the entire Easter season.
Two additional resources expand the usefulness of this volume:
- Prayers and readings for each Sunday follow each message.
- There are study/discussion questions for an adult forum group which can assemble following worship, or in the week following, to discuss the message. Each set of questions is preceded by "group-builder" get-acquainted and growth exercises.
Leonard H. Budd is pastor of Lakewood United Methodist church in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. Roger G. Talbott is a United Methodist pastor in North Madison, Ohio.