#1092: Seventh Sunday after Pentecost – July 12, 2026

Titles matter. So does the soil. Matt Skinner, Caroline Lewis, and Cody Sanders explore the texts for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (July 12, 2026).

The team digs into Matthew's Parable of the Sower. What does it mean to "bear fruit"? Does it mean congregational growth? Spiritual maturity? Something else? Cody highlights the parable's strange logic. Why would a sower scatter seed on every kind of ground, even bad soil? The hosts connect this to Jesus' own approach to ministry.

The conversation moves through Isaiah 55's image of creation rejoicing. Then the hosts turn to Genesis 25 and the story of Jacob and Esau. They caution that preachers can easily misuse this text to justify tribal hatred. Next, they explore Psalm 65 and its language of a God who answers prayer. They close with Romans 8 and Paul's teaching on flesh and spirit. Cody offers a key corrective here. He names how people have weaponized "flesh" language against bodies, women, and queer people. He points preachers toward a healthier approach to the text.

Whether you're preaching the parable, the psalm, the epistle, or the Genesis text this week, this episode offers grounded, honest reflection for your sermon.