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Arley K. Fadness

Arley K. Fadness is a retired ELCA pastor who has served numerous Lutheran parishes in South Dakota and Minnesota. He is currently a member of Custer Lutheran Fellowship in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. Pastor Fadness is a congregational consultant who coaches churches in visioning processes, and he also conducts leadership retreats and workshops on “Finding Your True Flair.” A graduate of Augustana College, Luther Theological Seminary, and McCormick Theological Seminary, Fadness is the author of several CSS titles, including Blueprints For Advent and Christmas, Blueprints for Lent, Six Spiritual Needs in America Today, Holy Moses, Hey Joseph!, and Where’s Noah? He is also a contributing author to Sermons on the First Readings (Series I, Cycle A).
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Children's sermon

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The Little Bible -- John 3:14-21 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2018
“For God so loved the world He gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may n
Blind Beggar Bartimaeus Believes -- Mark 10:46-52 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2018
“And immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.”  (v.
A Miracle Seed -- John 12:20-33 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2018
“Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains ju
Love in Two Colors -- Mark 12:28-34 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - B -- 2018
“You shall love the Lord your God....and your neighbor as yourself.” (v.
Betrayed! -- Mark 14:1--15:47 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2018
“Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betra
Jesus' New Math -- Mark 12:38-44 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 2018
“...this poor widow has put in more...all she had to live on.” (v.
The Last Commandment: Love One Another -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 2018
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.
Be Calm -- Mark 13:1-8 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 2018
“...do not be alarmed...” (v. 7a)
Finished! -- John 18:1--19:42 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Good Friday - B -- 2018
“When Jesus had received the wine, he said, 'It is finished.' Then he bowed his head and gav
Thank you, God -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2018
“Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (v.
Doubt Or Dare (to believe) -- John 20:19-31 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 2018
“Do not doubt but believe.” (v. 27b)
The Truth King -- John 18:33-37 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2018
“My kingdom is not from this world” (v. 36a)
No Ghost But God -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2018
“Touch me and see: for a ghost does not have flesh and bone.” (v.
Watching -- Luke 21:25-36 -- Arley K. Fadness -- First Sunday of Advent - C -- 2018
“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”
The Very, Very Good Shepherd -- John 10:11-18 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2018
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (v.
Connected -- John 15:1-8 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2018
“I am the vine, you are the branches.
A Road For The King -- Luke 3:1-6 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 2018
Good morning boys and girls,
Protect Them -- John 17:6-19 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - B -- 2018
“Holy Father, protect them in your name....” (v.11a)
You've Got A Friend -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2018
“When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth;” (v.
Closer And Closer -- Luke 3:7-18 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 2018
“...but one who is more powerful than I is coming..” (V. 16a)
God In A Teacup? -- John 3:1-17 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2018
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.... (v.
Mother's Day -- Luke 1:39-45 (46-55) -- Arley K. Fadness -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C -- 2018
“...blessed are you among women...” (V. 42b)
Who, Who, Who Is Jesus' Family? -- Mark 3:20-35 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 2018
“Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” (v.35)
The Gift That Never Ceases Giving -- Luke 2:(1-7) 8-20 -- Arley K. Fadness -- The Nativity of our Lord - C -- 2018
“...and Mary gave birth to her first born son...and laid him in a manger..”
The Kingdom Grows -- Mark 4:26-34 -- Arley K. Fadness -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - B -- 2018
“The kingdom of God... is like a mustard seed....” (v.31)

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John Jamison
Object: You may present this message as a simple story, or have the children act it out as a role-play. I will show the role-play version, but you can ignore the acting pieces and just tell the story if you prefer.

Note: For the role-play version, you will need to select two girls and one boy to play the roles. You might also have a broom and a dust rag if you want to.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! Let’s get started.

The Immediate Word

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For July 20, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
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Bonnie Bates
Amos 8:1-12, Psalm 52
Amos proclaims the word from God that punishes the people. The people are to be punished for their lack of faith, for their focus on practicing deceit, betraying honesty to their neighbors, and being impatient for the time after the Sabbath when they can focus on profit and selling their crops and wares. Oh, my! What a terrible message for people. You have been unfaithful so I will punish you. And then in the psalm, God is proclaimed to be the olive tree, that which brings blessing.
David Kalas
I have tried to find different ways of saying it so that my children don’t tire of hearing it. But the basic principle remains the same, and my kids have heard it a ton. “First things first.” They ask if they can do this or they start to do that, and I will endeavor to redirect them, saying, “Why don’t we make sure we’re doing first things first!”

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. (v. 24)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
One of Martha's earliest memories was of her little sister Mary singing and dancing in the middle of an admiring crowd of friends. Mary had always been a dancer, from the time she could walk. Privately, Martha thought she'd always been something of a show-off and ought to go on the stage, for Mary loved an audience.

SermonStudio

John E. Sumwalt
Jeanne Jones
Several years ago, before we moved to Wisconsin, I was an honorary nanny for our pastor's son, Jonathan. I took care of him from the time he was able to walk until our pastor moved, when Jonathan was about five. We had wonderful times together. One time, when I was at their house, and we had been doing some spiritual direction together, Pastor Michael asked me if I knew the name of my guardian angel.
James Evans
We are not surprised when we learn about crooks and robbers boasting about "mischief done against the godly" or "plotting destruction" all day long. The image we have in our minds about who "bad" people are, and how they conduct themselves, make such accusations completely plausible. We are less inclined to believe such things about leaders, especially respected leaders among us. We have difficulty believing someone with wealth and power would deliberately plot to do someone else harm.
Arley K. Fadness
Today's gospel from Luke 10 follows the parable of the good Samaritan. Luke positions the good Samaritan and the Mary-Martha story back to back for good reason. The parable and the story are examples of the Great Commandment "to love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself." The good Samaritan parable illustrates "love to neighbor," whereas the Mary-Martha story illustrates "love to God."
Kirk R. Webster
In the early 1990s, Wesley Nunley of Dallas completed a project he had dreamed of for decades. "I tell you, this could be a big thing," he explained. Wes then walked out to a concrete octagon in the middle of his backyard. With a beaming smile, arms raised up in excitement, the energetic retiree said, "This welcomes the UFO to land, which has never been done before."
John W. Wurster
It was the best of times. A time of prosperity and confidence, a time of relative peace, a time when most everything looked pretty good, a time when most everyone felt pretty good. It was a time maybe not unlike our own time.
H. Burnham Kirkland
Words Of Assurance
Our God is both wise and caring: afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted.

Pastoral Prayer
God, we bow before you this morning, knowing that you hear every prayer. We know that in all of Creation, you are the source of life. You are the one who set the light swirling between the galaxies. The breath of your Spirit pulses through all life. You have even become flesh among us. We praise you, Lord, that in all your wonder, you have not forgotten us.

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