Church bulletin covers and other art by artist Stushie. Unique crayon and digital worship art
Summer design for Communion – representing the changeover of the season from light to dark. Liturgical colors are used throughout the drawing. Created with markers and some digital.
Paid subscribers and donors can copy and download various sizes for use.
Bulletin covers and coloring pages for Ordinary 12B/ Pentecost 4.
Paid Subscribers and donors may click, copy, and download as per instructions.
Gospel: Mark 4:35- 41
Stained Glass type drawing based on medieval church windows of Jesus calming the Storm. Coloring page or B&W bulletin cover also below
Window
Coloring page
Psalm 9
Psalm 107 (alternate psalm)
Mark 4:31 The kingdom of God is similar to a mustard seed, which, when sown into the ground, is one of the smallest the seeds on earth.
Recently, I was traveling back from a church committee meeting with two other pastors. As we drove home, we talked about how a word preached at the right time to the right person can have a profound effect on the lives of others. A short phrase, sentence, or illustration could impact someone in the pew and change their lives forever. The Word of God, no matter how insignificant to other folks, never returns to Him empty.
I remember many years ago preaching in the Scottish country church that I served. I thought my sermon was mediocre, a wee bit long-winded, and perhaps even boring. In the congregation that day was a visitor from Northern Ireland whom I had never met. Something I said clicked with him and when he went home, he gave up his successful job and business because he decided that his talents would better be used to help other people in places where war and famine occurred. Within a couple of months, he used his skills to prepare, organize, and build 250,000 temporary shelters for refugees in Africa. Almost a million people were physically saved through his work and all because some wee word of hope and challenge had been given in an unexceptional sermon. A mustard seed of faith had been planted in his heart and it blossomed into an amazing work of deliverance given by God.
Whenever we sincerely share God’s Word in preaching or conversation, with words of comfort or challenge, the potential to change things for the better is always present. Perhaps something that you share today – an exchange of ideas, a social media post, a phone conversation, or even a text – will have a profound effect on someone else’s life. A mustard seed of faith may be included in your message and God knows that it will not return to Him empty.
Point to ponder: With whom can I share God’s Word today?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your words of life have won our hearts and changed our lives. You have implanted seeds of faith within each of us. May we now sow those same seeds in the lives of others who need them, too. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
Gospel and Psalm drawings with coloring pages for Ordinary 11B. Mustard seed parable art.
Paid subscribers and donors may click to copy and download, as per subscription instructions.
My new Study Book on the Lord’s Prayer is now available as a paperback, as well as an eBook on Kindle. ‘Praying with Jesus’ is a series of seven short Bible studies which are focused on the Lord’s Prayer. The study can be completed individually, with family, or small Church group.
You can view it on Amazon at this highlighted link:
The Lord’s Prayer is recited by Christians all over the world and can be used to help us focus on how to ask God to help us on a daily basis. The study includes questions to ponder, as well as some background material about its context, along with some information on the Greek and Hebrew words which Christ would have originally used. A short devotion is also included at the end of each study.
Liturgical art which I have created is used throughout the book and it ends with worship prayers based on the Lord’s prayer, as well as a special section on the prayer from the Shorter Catechism.
Enjoy!
Mark 3:25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
Have you ever seen the old movie “Fall of the House of Usher?” It starred Vincent Price, in what was his only role with blonde hair. It’s based on Edgar Allen Poe’s short story of the same name and was what we called a “Creepie” back in Scotland. If ever a movie was rated by stars, this one was a Black Hole. It was terrible, full of overacting, cheap scenery, and clumsy effects. The best part of the movie comes at the very end, when the old house sinks into the mire it is built upon, and some Gothic text appears on the screen, quoting today’s verse. They don’t make them like that nowadays – and as my father used to say, “That movie was never released in theaters, it must have escaped.”
When Jesus spoke those words so long ago, He was referring to the unpleasant fact that His religious enemies were calling His miracles acts of demonic possession. Instead of glorifying God for His compassion in helping sick and sorrowful people, the scribes and Pharisees were trying to turn the people against Jesus. In other words, they were causing a division amongst God’s people. It must have been a sad time for Christ because He was doing His best to make the world around Him a better place with healthier people, both physically and spiritually. To be condemned for doing something good by religious leaders who should have known better, must have impacted Jesus emotionally.
There’s a lot of fearful talk about civil war coming to the US after the forthcoming election. We used to be a nation that accepted the outcome and strove to upbuild one another, but ever since the turn of this new century, we have let the demons of distrust and deceit damage our souls. I wish we could get back to moving forward and not give in to those who promote division, hostility, and violence. I pray each day that our nation will not become a house divided, but rather that the teachings, compassion, and love of Christ will impact and influence us all. For the sake of our dear children and grandchildren, we must be better than this.
Point to ponder: Am I contributing to the hostility and division among us? What would Jesus do?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help Your church here on Earth to overcome our differences and divisions. Let a united witness be evident in every congregation and community. Keep us more in tune with Your ways, so that we may turn our lives around and make the entire world a better place, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Drawings and coloring pages for Psalm 138 – Ordinary 10B psalm.
Paid Subscribers and donors may copy and download for use.
Mark 3:5 Jesus looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. (NIV)
Jesus was ticked off. Someone needed help and the religious folks wanted to keep their religious rules intact instead of reaching out to the man with the withered hand. Their lack of compassion in a House of God is what made Jesus angry. In a sacred place where the community worshiped God, compassion was meant to be available to everyone. Instead, the regular attenders closed their hearts and minds to what was needed because they only wanted their religious rules to be strictly heeded.
Despite their lack of compassion and stubborn pride, which incidentally, embarrassed the man with the withered hand, Jesus broke all of the rules and customs to do what was right, rather than pander to what was so obviously wrong to Him. We tend to think that Jesus only got angry in the Temple when He overturned the moneychangers’ tables in the sacred courts, but here we have Jesus getting angry because good people – good religious people – were doing nothing to help and justified it by hiding behind their sacred rules.
The world throws a similar angry accusation at the Church today. How many issues and problems could be solved in our communities, as well as all over this planet, if Church people – Christ’s followers – were to help those in need instead of hindering the outcast, the alien, the different, the poor, the hungry, the war-trapped, and the unloved? Sometimes church people – even me – get angry when faced with other people’s problems because it would offend our moral or religious codes that we keep inside of ourselves. But instead of us getting angry, we should ask ourselves this honest question: is Christ angry with us because we say or do nothing?
Point to ponder: Who needs my help today?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, following You leads us into difficult situations and causes us a great deal of discomfort. Challenge our indifferent ways and change us so that we may help those in need whom we encounter. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Summer series: The Lord’s Prayer Bulletin art
Some churches have special sermon and study series during summer. I’ve created a series of bulletin covers for The Lord’s Prayer. The same design is used but with different colors each week. I’ve added a coloring page for church kids or meditation.
I’ve also written an eBook and published it via Amazon which contains seven small group/family studies on the Lord’s Prayer. You can check it out at this link: Praying with Jesus. The eBook was written for Kindles – the free Kindle app can be downloaded to any device or computer.
God bless you all. I hope you have a wonderful summer!
John Stuart
Ordinary 9B bulletin art and coloring pages – Gospel, 1 Samuel, 2 Corinthians, and Psalm 139.
Paid subscribers and donors can copy and download various sizes for use.
Suggested donation for Individual images – $5.
2 Corinthians 4 – Jars of clay
Psalm 139
Stushie Art 