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Merle G. Franke

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I Am -- John 10:1-10, 1 Peter 2:19-25, Acts 2:42-47, Psalm 23 -- C. David Mckirachan, Merle G. Franke -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
Contents What's Up This Week "I Am" by C. David McKirachan

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A Woman Had Two Daughters ... -- Luke 15:11-32 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
Erick Nielson became acquainted firsthand with the Great Depression of the 1930s on a farm in North
Blind In One Eye ... -- Luke 16:19-31 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
The Downtown Club was an old and well-established bastion for the shakers and movers in Dallas, Texa
Impatient Planter -- Matthew 13:1-23 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
Parallel Parable: Matthew 13:1-23The Sower
A Question Of Identity -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
The Weeds Among The Wheat
Role Model Ignored -- Matthew 18:23-35 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
Parallel Parable: Matthew 18:23-35The Unforgiving Servant
The Bishop And The Lady -- Luke 7:36-50 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
Parallel Passage: Luke 7:36-50A Sinful Woman Forgiven
The Contractor"s Choice -- Matthew 20:1-16 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
Parallel Parable: Matthew 20:1-16The Laborers In The Vineyard
Midas -- Luke 12:13-21 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
Parallel Parable: Luke 12:13-21The Rich Fool
I've Heard That Song Before -- Luke 14:16-24 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
Parallel Parable: Luke 14:16-24The Great Dinner
Impatient Planter -- Matthew 13:1-23 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
''I guess I wanted to be a preacher from the time I was a little kid.'' It was the newly-ordained Ca
A Woman Had Two Daughters ... -- Luke 15:11-32 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
Erick Nielson became acquainted firsthand with the Great Depression of the 1930s on a farm in North
Blind In One Eye ... -- Luke 16:19-31 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
The Downtown Club was an old and well-established bastion for the shakers and movers in Dallas, Texa
Perfect In Every Way -- Luke 18:9-14 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
Karl Schmidt loved to sing, and for good reason.
A Question Of Identity -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
Ginger Jorgenson was an eager young Lutheran pastor just six years out of seminary.
Role Model Ignored -- Matthew 18:23-35 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
What is it that leads a person to lie or cheat or steal in order to accumulate more -- more of anyth
The Bishop And The Lady -- Luke 7:36-50 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
''Say, that's quite an enterprise so near to your church,'' the bishop kidded his host pastor.
Midas -- Luke 12:13-21 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
The spirit of the 1980's had penetrated far deeper into the life style of Americans than even most e
I've Heard That Song Before -- Luke 14:16-24 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
''I suppose you're aware of the fact that Uncle Henry's annual bash is coming up soon,'' Chad said t
The Contractor's Choice -- Matthew 20:1-16 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
George Gustafson had been a builder in central Texas nearly 40 years.
Which Ones Were Lost? -- Luke 15:1-10 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
The first time I set eyes on that grand old church building was in the cool of a January evening.
Neighbor To The Man -- Luke 10:25-37 -- Merle G. Franke -- 1993
Minneapolis is a cool city to live in. In more than one sense is it cool.
UPCOMING WEEKS
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Easter 4
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34 – Commentary / Exegesis
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33 – Sermons
140+ – Illustrations / Stories
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30 – Worship Resources
35 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
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Easter 6
30 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
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5 – Pastor's Devotions
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Call to Worship:

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. In our service today, let us absorb from the vine all the nourishment we need.

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Jesus, sometimes our branches become cut off from the vine.
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Jesus, sometimes our branches are withered.
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Jesus, sometimes we fail to produce good fruit.
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We will meet Psalm 22 in its entirety on Good Friday, but here the lectionary designates just verses 23-31. The lectionary psalms generally illuminate the week's First Lesson, which in this case is about the covenant initiated by God with Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17. The nine verses from this psalm, while not inappropriate, nonetheless leave us looking for an obvious connection with the First Lesson.

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Love.

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