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Bob Ove

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Robert S. Ove is a retired Lutheran pastor who serves as interim pastor where and when needed. He has written for various publications, including Guideposts, Reminisce, and Lutheran Partners. A native of Wisconsin, Ove received his BA from Carthage College and did a year of graduate work at the University of Iowa. His first job was teaching on the Mescalero Apache reservation. Ove's first book, Geronimo's Kids, tells of this experience. Following a brief career in film and photography, he left his business to attend Hamma School of Theology at Wittenberg University for his M. Div., becoming a pastor. During his pastoral career, Ove has served churches in nine different states from New York to California and Canada. Upon "retirement," Bob served as a missionary to Nepal. His latest book, In the Shadow of Everest, relates many of his Nepalese adventures. He is a member of Christ the Ray of Hope Lutheran Church where he does some supply preaching, teaching, and writing.
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Emphasis Preaching Journal

I have a Baptist pastor friend... -- 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - A -- 2014
I have a Baptist pastor friend who is so proud of the fact that he has a job on the side and gets no
There are two ways people... -- Romans 10:5-15 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A -- 2014
There are two ways people think you come to God.
Now that the... -- Exodus 17:1-7 -- Bob Ove -- Third Sunday in Lent - A -- 2014
Now that the Russians finally got rid of the communist regime, they are complaining that there is no
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 (2014) -- Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Matthew 25:1-13 -- Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - A -- 2014
Joshua 24:1-3a
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 (2013) -- Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15, 1 Timothy 6:6-19, Luke 16:19-31 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Scott A. Bryte, Ron Love, Mark J. Molldrem -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C -- 2013
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
NULL -- Romans 5:1-5 -- Bob Ove -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 2013
Being justified is what faith is all about.
I just received a letter from a fellow missionary in Nepal... -- Isaiah 43:1-7 -- Bob Ove -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2013
What a positive uplifting passage! The part of coming through the waters reminds us of our baptism.
That first sentence... -- Matthew 24:36-44 -- Bob Ove -- First Sunday of Advent - A -- 2013
That first sentence should make fools of the ones who claim to know more than our Lord, who, this pa
Be content with what... -- 1 Timothy 6:6-19 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C -- 2013
Be content with what you have! How many times have you heard that -- even as children growing up!
Sermon illustrations for Easter 4 (2013) -- Acts 9:36-43, Revelation 7:9-17, John 10:22-30 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bob Ove, Mark J. Molldrem -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2013
Acts 9:36-43
No, we are no longer bound... -- Galatians 6:(1-6) 7-16 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C -- 2013
No, we are no longer bound by the law, but the law shows us that we have messed up!
One child coming out of church after service asked the pastor, Are you God?... -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- Bob Ove -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2013
One child coming out of church after service asked the pastor, "Are you God?" When we wear our cleri
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 3 (2014) -- Isaiah 9:1-4, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, Matthew 4:12-23 -- Derl G. Keefer, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bob Ove -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - A -- 2013
Isaiah 9:1-4
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 2 (2013) -- Isaiah 11:1-10, Romans 15:4-13, Matthew 3:1-12 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer -- Second Sunday of Advent - A -- 2013
Isaiah 11:1-10
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 22 | OT 27 (2013) -- Lamentations 1:1-6, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Luke 17:5-10 -- Mark J. Molldrem, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Scott A. Bryte -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C -- 2013
Lamentations 1:1-6
Wow!... -- Acts 2:1-21 -- Bob Ove -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2013
Wow! Wouldn't you like to live then to see all those miracles?
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 10 | OT 15 (2013) -- Amos 7:7-17, Colossians 1:1-14, Luke 10:25-37 -- Mark J. Molldrem, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Scott A. Bryte -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2013
A builder uses a plumb line to determine true vertical from the gravitational center of the earth, n
Can you imagine standing all day while someone read the Bible to you?... -- Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 -- Bob Ove -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2013
Can you imagine standing all day while someone read the Bible to you? That in itself shows faith!
That passage can't... -- 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 -- Bob Ove -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - A -- 2013
That passage can't help but make me think: I follow Luther! I follow Peter! I follow Calvin!
The instruction... -- Romans 15:4-13 -- Bob Ove -- Second Sunday of Advent - A -- 2013
The instruction book for life is our Bible.
How sad a passage... -- Lamentations 1:1-6 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C -- 2013
How sad a passage! It looks like there is no hope for God's people. Can we ever relate to that?
We need to emphasize that we have only one God... -- John 14:8-17 (25-27) -- Bob Ove -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2013
We need to emphasize that we have only one God. The Trinity means that he is in three persons.
Even though the Lord is merciful... -- Amos 7:7-17 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2013
Even though the Lord is merciful and loving, He still has his exact requirements for us.
Why was the whole countryside so excited about Jesus coming?... -- Luke 4:14-21 -- Bob Ove -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2013
Why was the whole countryside so excited about Jesus coming? Was it because he gave good sermons?

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Sermon Illustrations for Christ The King (Proper 29) (2014) -- Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24, Ephesians 1:15-23, Matthew 25:31-46 -- Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A -- 2014
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Baptism of Our Lord
29 – Sermons
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
40 – Children's Sermons / Resources
25 – Worship Resources
27 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Epiphany 2 | OT 2
30 – Sermons
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
39 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Epiphany 3 | OT 3
30 – Sermons
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
31 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
25 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified." But I said, "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and my reward with my God." And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him ...
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E-mail
From: KDM
To: God
Subject: Enriched
Message: I could never be a saint, God. Lauds, KDM

The e-mail chats KDM has with God are talks that you or I might likely have with God. Today's e-mail is no exception: I could never be a saint, God. Lauds, KDM. The conversation might continue in the following vein: Just so you know, God, I am very human. Enriched, yes; educated, yes; goal-oriented, yes; high-minded, yes; perfect, no.
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Charles Swindoll in his popular book, Improving Your Serve, tells of how he was at first haunted and then convicted by the Bible's insistence that Jesus came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)." The more he studied what the Bible says about servanthood, the more convinced Swindoll became that our task in this world, like that of Jesus, is not to be served, not to grab the spotlight, and not to become successful or famous or powerful or idolized.
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Do not keep the goodness of God hidden in your heart: proclaim God's faithfulness and saving power.

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Good morning, boys and girls. Do you remember a few weeks ago when we were talking about the meaning of names? (let them answer) Some names mean "beautiful" or "bright as the morning sun." Almost every name has a special meaning.

Good morning! What do I have here? (Show the stuffed animal
or the picture.) Yes, this is a lamb, and the lamb has a very
special meaning to Christians. Who is often called a lamb in the
Bible? (Let them answer.)

Once, when John the Baptist was baptizing people in the
river, he saw Jesus walking toward him and he said, "Here is the
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" Why do you
think he would call Jesus a lamb? (Let them answer.)

To understand why Jesus is called a lamb, we have to go back
Good morning! How many of you are really rich? How many of
you have all the money you could ever want so that you can buy
anything you want? (Let them answer.) I didn't think so. If any
of you were that rich, I was hoping you would consider giving a
generous gift to the church.

Let's just pretend we are rich for a moment. Let's say this
toy car is real and it's worth $50,000. And let's say this toy
boat is real and it's worth $100,000, and this toy airplane is a

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