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Bob Ove

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

The word was Jesus... -- John 1:(1-9) 10-18 -- Bob Ove -- Second Sunday after Christmas - B -- 2014
The word was Jesus. He was with God in the beginning and he was God. There is only one God.
Sermon Illustrations for All Saints Day (2014) -- Revelation 7:9-17, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12 -- Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- All Saints Day - A -- 2014
Revelation 7:9-17
Sermon Illustrations for Good Friday (2014) -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1--19:42 -- Derl G. Keefer, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove -- Good Friday - A -- 2014
Isaiah 52:13--53:12
How would we feel if there... -- Exodus 14:19-31 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A -- 2014
How would we feel if there were two walls of water on either side of us, and a whole army chasing af
We are still paying... -- Genesis 21:8-21 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2014
We are still paying for Abraham's and Sarah's mistake with Hagar.
Sermon Illustrations for Easter 5 (2014) -- Acts 7:55-60, 1 Peter 2:2-10, John 14:1-14 -- Bob Ove, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Derl G. Keefer -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
Acts 7:55-60
Sermons Illustrations for Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 (2014) -- Exodus 17:1-17, Philippians 2:1-13, Matthew 21:28-32 -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Derl G. Keefer -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A -- 2014
Exodus 17:1-7
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany of Our Lord (2015) -- Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove -- Epiphany of the Lord - B -- 2014
Isaiah 60:1-6
Some translations say "happy"... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- Bob Ove -- All Saints Day - A -- 2014
Some translations say "happy" instead of blessed.
This is probably... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Bob Ove -- Good Friday - A -- 2014
This is probably a quote from Jeremiah. Don't try to hurry God. He does things in his good time.
I feel the same about my wife... -- Philippians 1:21-30 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - A -- 2014
I feel the same about my wife.
Jesus' life could... -- Matthew 10:24-39 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2014
Jesus' life could shame us all. We might not stoop to wash anyone's feet.
When someone today... -- Acts 7:55-60 -- Bob Ove -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
When someone today claims to have a vision of Jesus and God, we don't drag them off to be stoned.
How many I knew in Nepal... -- Ephesians 3:1-12 -- Bob Ove -- Epiphany of the Lord - B -- 2014
How many I knew in Nepal who were prisoners because of Jesus.
Shouldn't Thanksgiving be a... -- 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 -- Bob Ove -- Thanksgiving Day - A -- 2014
Shouldn't Thanksgiving be a happy time?
Sermon Illustrations for Easter Sunday (2014) -- Acts 10:34-43, Colossians 3:1-4, John 20:1-18 -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Derl G. Keefer, Ron Love -- Easter Day - A -- 2014
Acts 10:34-43
That passage sounds familiar... -- Exodus 17:1-17 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A -- 2014
That passage sounds familiar.
That biblical word... -- 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 -- Bob Ove -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A -- 2014
That biblical word "perfection" has puzzled me.
When I found a home... -- John 14:1-14 -- Bob Ove -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
When I found a home that we could retire to, my wife had never seen it.
Sermon Illustrations for Baptism of Our Lord (2015) -- Genesis 1:1-5, Acts 19:1-7, Mark 1:4-11 -- Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2014
Genesis 1:1-5
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 1 (2014) -- Isaiah 64:1-9, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 13:24-37 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove -- First Sunday of Advent - B -- 2014
Isaiah 64:1-9
This was a shocking message... -- Acts 10:34-43 -- Bob Ove -- Easter Day - A -- 2014
This was a shocking message to the Jews, especially the Pharisees who hated all Gentile outsiders.
In seminary we read many deep... -- Matthew 21:23-32 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A -- 2014
In seminary we read many deep theological books going into great intellectual detail, but Jesus only
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 (2014) -- Genesis 21:8-21, Romans 6:1b-11, Matthew 10:24-39 -- Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2014
Genesis 21:8-21
Sermon Illustrations for Easter 7 (2014) -- Acts 1:6-14, 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11, John 17:1-11 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
Acts 1:6-14
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 16 | OT 21 | Pentecost 11
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 17 | OT 22 | Pentecost 12
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 18 | OT 23 | Pentecost 13
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

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John Jamison
Object: This message is a role play. You can do this with only two children playing the parts of the two women, but if you have more children, you could have two more playing the parts of the children, another playing the part of the synagogue leader, and another playing the part of the country’s leader. You can also add any other roles you might want to add to make it interesting. Also, I have created places for your characters to speak, but you can add more of those to make it all more fun and memorable.

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The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Nazish Naseem
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
For August 24, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Wayne Brouwer
C. Knight Aldrich, a medical doctor and the first chairperson of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Chicago (1955-1964), was a keen analyst of the motivations for our behaviors. He worked with the social services agencies of Chicago for a time, particularly spending hours with teenagers who had been arrested for shoplifting or other theft. Aldrich interviewed them to find out how they had come to this. He also talked with the parents, attempting to discover how they had handled the problem from the first time they knew about it.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 1:4-10 and Psalm 77:1-6

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
“We have questions about your conduct as our pastor,” Carl announced as soon as Pastor John sat down at the hastily called board meeting. “We have received complaints about you from the congregation.”

“Complaints?” Pastor John frowned. “From whom and about what?”

“Mrs. Finnigan saw you coming out of what she politely described as ‘A Gentleman’s Club’ last Thursday night when she was driving downtown.” Bruce scowled. “Do you deny this?”

“Not at all,” Pastor John said. “I did have to go to that place on Thursday evening.”

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:
Jesus was aware of people's deepest needs and what prompted their actions. In our worship today let us consider how we can discover people's deepest needs and the motives for their actions.

Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, sometimes we see only the surface and condemn without real understanding.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes we are afraid to get sufficiently close to other people to see their inner needs.
Christ, have mercy.

SermonStudio

James Evans
(See Epiphany 4/Ordinary Time 4, Cycle C, for an alternative approach.)

The old saying, "experience is the best teacher," could serve as a subtitle for this psalm. Written as a prayer for help in a time of distress or oppression, the psalm subtly hints at a recognition and awareness that only comes with time. There is a track record, so to speak, that the psalmist is aware of: God's record of dependability. Based on God's proven record of saving power and grace, the psalmist is able to pray for salvation, but at the same time celebrate the certainty of its arrival.
Lee Ann Dunlap
Carrie's1 high school guidance counselor noticed she had been acting out a bit in school recently. She had appeared depressed and had been having some authority issues over rules and such. The guidance counselor set Carrie up with a local pastor who had been volunteering a few hours each Friday after a teen suicide a few months before. Most of the other students who came to see the pastor just needed someone to listen to their usual teen issues and heartaches. But, shortly into their time together, Carrie began to open up about some real grown-up problems.
Kirk R. Webster
It's a typical Sunday morning at St. Stephen Presbyterian Church in Orlando, Florida. The people file in and sit down in plush pews. Their attention is drawn to the chancel where they see choir members calmly seated, robed in dark blue and white. The mahogany altar table is draped with a silk parament. Two bronze candleholders stand guard at the table edges.
R. Robert Cueni
As was his custom, Jesus went that Sabbath morning to the synagogue for worship. As he was preaching and teaching, he happened to glance toward the fringe of the crowd where he saw a very crippled woman. She was bent over and was unable to stand up straight. When he inquired, Jesus was told the woman had been that way for eighteen years.
John H. Will
Call to Worship
Indeed, this is a day of rest and gladness.
This is God's Sabbath, created for our reflection and renewal.
Let us then not profane it, but keep it holy.
We do this as we honor God and commit ourselves to the well--being of God's creation.
Each of us individually needs a personal rejuvenation of spirit.
Together we seek a strengthening of community, a community that continues to build itself in love.
So do we come as one people to worship God, our Maker and our Sustainer.

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