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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

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
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.
This is not a passage... -- 1 Peter 4:12-14; 15:6-11 -- Bob Ove -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
This is not a passage we want to happen to us.
Sermon Illustrations for Trinity Sunday (2014) -- Genesis 1:1--2:4a, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Matthew 28:16-20 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A -- 2014
Genesis 1:1--2:4a
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 2 (2014) -- Isaiah 40:1-11, 2 Peter 3:8-15a, Mark 1:1-8 -- Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Second Sunday of Advent - B -- 2014
Isaiah 40:1-11
His message is one of baptism... -- Mark 1:4-11 -- Bob Ove -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2014
His message is one of baptism. That seems to be the beginning our Christian walk.
Isn't Jesus saying that people... -- Matthew 18:21-35 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A -- 2014
Isn't Jesus saying that people are more important than principles? The Pharisees were the
As the whole account... -- John 20:1-18 -- Bob Ove -- Easter Day - A -- 2014
As the whole account of the resurrection seems to indicate, no one, family or disciples, seemed to h
Sermon Illustrations for Easter 2 (2014) -- Acts 2:14a, 22-32, 1 Peter 1:3-9, John 20:19-31 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove -- Second Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
Acts 2:14a, 22-32
Sermon Illustrations for Trinity Sunday (2014) -- Acts 2:1-21, 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13, John 20:19-23 -- Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2014
Acts 2:1-21
We have a confession... -- Micah 6:1-8 -- Bob Ove -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 2014
We have a confession in the common service.
Sometimes there is hard... -- Isaiah 40:1-11 -- Bob Ove -- Second Sunday of Advent - B -- 2014
Sometimes there is hard service we are asked to perform for our sins.
We can see what Paul is... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Bob Ove -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2014
We can see what Paul is complaining about here.
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 -- Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20, Philippians 3:4b-14, Matthew 21:33-46 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A -- 2014
Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20
Our first assignment... -- 1 Peter 1:3-9 -- Bob Ove -- Second Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
Our first assignment is to give praise to God the Father of Jesus.
On the day of... -- Acts 2:1-21 -- Bob Ove -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2014
On the day of Pentecost they spoke in many languages so that all the visitors there heard and unders
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 (2014) -- Deuteronomy 30:15-20, 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, Matthew 5:21-37 -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Derl G. Keefer -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - A -- 2014
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
So often we find the... -- Mark 1:1-8 -- Bob Ove -- Second Sunday of Advent - B -- 2014
So often we find the fulfillment of the Old Testament in the New.
Sermon Illustrations for Christmas 1 -- Isaiah 61:10--62:3, Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 2:22-40 -- Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - B -- 2014
Isaiah 61:10--62:3
Can we start out like Paul?... -- Philippians 3:4b-14 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A -- 2014
Can we start out like Paul?
Sermon Illustrations for Easter 3 -- Acts 2:14a, 36-41, 1 Peter 1:17-23, Luke 24:13-35 -- Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Third Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Not all the disciples... -- John 20:19-23 -- Bob Ove -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2014
Not all the disciples had seen the risen Lord, so they were still frightened of the powers that be.
It looks like we... -- Deuteronomy 30:15-20 -- Bob Ove -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - A -- 2014
It looks like we have two options: life or death. That should be a simple choice!
Sermon Illustrations for Third Sunday of Advent (2014) -- Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, John 1:6-8, 19-28 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer -- Third Sunday of Advent - B -- 2014
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
I'm sure we delight... -- Isaiah 61:10--62:3 -- Bob Ove -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - B -- 2014
I'm sure we delight in the Lord or we wouldn't be here on Sunday morning, but do we delight "greatly
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...

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
George Reed
Nazish Naseem
For February 1, 2026:
  • What the Lord Requires by Dean Feldmeyer. The world’s requirements are often complex and difficult. God’s requirements are simple and easy. Kinda.
  • Second Thoughts: Resisting The Storms of Winter by Chris Keating. Jesus does not offer a cheery optimism to those enduring the cold blasts of injustice. More than an insulating blanket of hope, the Beatitudes create communities of resistance.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told the people how they could be blessed by God and experience God's kingdom. In our worship today let us explore the Sermon on the Mount.

Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, sometimes I'm full of pride instead of being poor in spirit.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes I'm overbearing and pushy, instead of being meek.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes I'm not exactly pure in heart.
Lord, have mercy.

Reading:

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt
Contents
What's Up This Week
Stories to Live By: "You Fool"/ "Us Who Are Being Saved"
Shining Moments: "A Comforting Dream" by Harold Klug
Good Stories: "Mercy, Mercy" by John Sumwalt
Scrap Pile: "The Souper Bowl of Caring" by Jo Perry-Sumwalt


What's Up This Week
by John Sumwalt

Sandra Herrmann
John Jamison
Contents
"Child Sacrifice" by Sandra Herrmann (Micah 6:1-8)
"Ka-Chang" by John B. Jamison (Matthew 5:1-12)


* * * * * * * *


Child Sacrifice
Sandra Herrmann
Micah 6:1-8

SermonStudio

Stephen P. McCutchan
For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles....
-- 1 Corinthians 1:23-24

Russell F. Anderson
BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS

Lesson 1: Micah 6:1--8 (C, E, L)
John N. Brittain
The other day I stumbled onto a Discovery Channel show about underwater archaeology (not basket weaving). The archaeologist described the process of identifying the probable location of an underwater wreck site, the grueling work involved in beginning the process, and the same kind of methodical work that characterizes all scientific archaeology. But then her eyes twinkled as she described the joy of uncovering the first artifact, or recognizing a significant discovery. And that of course is what it is all about, the final product of discovery.
Tony S. Everett
Late one night, Pastor Bill was driving home after spending the past 23 hours in the hospital with his wife, celebrating the birth of their son. It had been a glorious day. His wife was peacefully resting. His extended family was ecstatic. His son was healthy. Surely God was in heaven and all was right with the world.

Linda Schiphorst Mccoy
When I'm teaching a class, and want to get a discussion going, I often begin with something that's called a sentence stem. I start a sentence and let the participants complete it. This morning, if I were to ask you to complete this sentence, what would you say? "Happy are those who...." What would you use to complete the thought?
Dallas A. Brauninger
E-mail
From: KDM
To: God
Subject: Demands On God
Message: All these demands don't make sense, God. Lauds, KDM
R. Glen Miles
What does God want from us? The answer is simple, but it is not easy to put into practice. What God wants is you. What God wants is me. God wants our whole selves. The prophet Micah makes it fairly clear that ultimately God does not care too much about religion and the things that come with it. Religion isn't a bad enterprise. It is okay as a way of reminding us about what God wants, but in the long run being good at religion is not what God desires. What God requires is us. It is simple to understand but not necessarily the thing we would offer to God first.
John B. Jamison
It was a strange sound. Some said it was a kind of "clanging" sound, while others said it was more of a "ka-ching," or more accurately, a "ka-chang!" It sounded like the result of metal hitting metal, which is exactly what it was.

In the valley off to the west from the hillside is a steep cliff rising up the face of Mount Arbel. The face of the cliff is covered with hundreds of caves, with no good way to get to them without climbing straight up the cliff. That's why the Zealots liked them. They were safe.
Amy C. Schifrin
Martha Shonkwiler
Prayer Of Dedication/Gathering
P: Our Lord Jesus calls each of us to a life of justice, kindness, and humility. We pray that in this hour before us our defenses would fall and your love would be set free within us.
Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit, your mercy knows no end.
C: Amen.

Intercessory Prayers

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
We have a prejudice in favor of things complex. Not that we necessarily desire complexity, but somehow we trust it more. We figure that complexity is the prevailing reality in our world, and so we feel obliged to be in touch with it. We would love to hear that this thing or that is really quite simple, but doctors, politicians, futurists, ethicists, economists -- and even some preachers -- keep discouraging us. It's actually quite complicated, we are told, and there is no simple answer.
People tend to say in times of personal or community disaster, "God works in mysterious ways." The point they are making is that when we can't figure out any logical answer to a situation, it must be the work of God. It is one way of making sense out of an inexplicable event.
Schuyler Rhodes
In 1993 brothers Tom and David Gardner began a financial information service they named The Motley Fool. Dressed in their trademark court jester hats, the motley fools can be seen and heard offering their advice and warnings concerning the stock market on a variety of talk shows and financial news channels.

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Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have spent time around babies? (let them answer) Babies are so cute when they are happy but hard to please when they are upset. Babies can't talk, can they? (let them answer) So when they don't get what they want they cry. When they are hungry they cry. When they are sleepy they cry. When a stranger tries to hold them they cry. How do we know if babies are sick, hungry, or tired? (let them answer) Most of the time a baby's mom can figure out what's wrong even when we can't.
Teachers or Parents: Have the children sit on the floor and pretend that they are on a mountaintop and learning at Jesus' feet. Ask: "How is this classroom different from classrooms you have seen?" "How is it like them?" Read various portions of the "Sermon on the Mount" (Matthew 5-7) that they might understand (such as Matthew 7:7-11 -- prayer; 7:12 -- the Golden Rule; 7:15 -- being true). Be careful -- many parts of the Sermon on the Mount are difficult for children to understand and may lead to great misunderstanding and perhaps fear.

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