In this episode of How then Shall we Preach? Sam and Jolley explore the lections for 19 July 2026. Sam confronts the two anxieties most people have about God: Does God exist? Is God on our side? He uses Romans to explore both adoption and ecology. And... argues that the whole of American 20th-century foreign policy comes from our Gospel reading.

Readings:
Genesis 28.10-19a

Isaiah 44.6-8
Romans 8.12-25
Matthew 13.24-30,36-43

In this episode of 'How then Shall we Preach?' Sam and Jolley look at the lectionary readings for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity on 12 July 2026, and answer a listener question about 'Sea Sunday'!

Readings:

Genesis 25.19-end

Isaiah 55.10-13

Romans 8.1-11

Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23

Mentioned in this episode:

Make Me an Island - Lucy Walker https://open.spotify.com/track/6iY6d4Juet8YhwZXD8qeon

Binding the Strong Man: A Political Reading of Mark's Story of Jesus https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/77411.Binding_the_Strong_Man

In this episode of 'How Then Shall We Preach?', hosts Jolley Gosnold and Revd Dr Sam Wells dive into the readings for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity. They talk about 4th July, Sin, the Holy Spirit and a very memorable wedding ceremony!

We are exploring the lectionary readings for Trinity 5 (Year A):

Genesis 23.34-38, 42-9, 58-end
Song of Solomon 2.8-13

Zechariah 9.9-12
Romans 7.15-25a
Matthew 11.16-19, 25-end

In this episode of 'How Then Shall We Preach?', hosts Jolley Gosnold and Revd Dr Sam Wells dive into the readings for the Fourth Sunday after Trinity, tackling that challenging Abraham and Isaac passage, considering what it means to be a constructive prophet, exploring how to preach on slavery, and whether it is ever right to preach about football!

They explore the lectionary readings for Trinity 4 (Year A):

Genesis 22.1-14
Jeremiah 28.5-9
Romans 6.12-end
Matthew 10.40-end

In this episode of 'How Then Shall We Preach?', hosts Jolley Gosnold and Revd Dr Sam Wells dive into the readings for the Third Sunday after Trinity, illustrating the Christological heart of the Hagar story, what it means to be united in Christ's resurrection, and what it feels like to be truly seen and loved by God.

They explore the lectionary readings for Trinity 3 (Year A):

Genesis 21.8-21
Jeremiah 20.7-13
Romans 6.1b-11
Matthew 10.24-39

In this episode of 'How Then Shall We Preach?', hosts Jolley Gosnold and Revd Dr Sam Wells introduce this new podcast and share their hope to help make the sermon-writing process a joy.

They explore the lectionary readings for Trinity 2 (Year A):

Genesis 18.1-15 [21.1-7]
Exodus 19.2-8a
Romans 5.1-8
Matthew 9.35-10.8 [9-23]

Sam provides insights on how to approach these texts in a meaningful way for contemporary preaching.