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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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Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Sermon Illustrations for Lent 4 (2019) -- Joshua 5:9-12, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2019
Joshua 5:9-12
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 5 (2019) -- Isaiah 43:16-21, Philippians 3:4b-14, John 12:1-8 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2019
Isaiah 43:16-21
Sermon Illustrations for Palm/Passion Sunday (2019) -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Luke 22:14--23:56 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2019
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Sermon Illustrations for Maundy Thursday (2019) -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2019
Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 4 (2018) -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Mark 1:21-28 -- Ron Love, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2018
Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 27 | OT 32 (2018) -- Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17, Hebrews 9:24-28, Mark 12:38-44 -- Bob Ove, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 2018
Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17
Sermon Illustrations for the Seventh Sunday of Easter (2018) -- Acts 1:15-17, 21-26, 1 John 5:9-13, John 17:6-19 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - B -- 2018
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 5 (2018) -- Isaiah 40:21-31, 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, Mark 1:29-39 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2018
Isaiah 40:21-31
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 (2018) -- 1 Samuel 1:4-20, Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25, Mark 13:1-8 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 2018
1 Samuel 1:4-20 and 1 Samuel 2:1-10
Sermon Illustrations for Pentecost (2018) -- Acts 2:1-21, Romans 8:22-27, John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2018
Acts 2:1-21
Sermon Illustrations for The Transfiguration (2018) -- 2 Kings 2:1-12, 2 Corinthians 4:3-6, Mark 9:2-9 -- Bonnie Bates, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2018
2 Kings 2:1-12
Sermon Illustrations for Christ the King Sunday (Proper 29) (2018) -- 2 Samuel 23:1-7, Revelation 1:4b-8, John 18:33-37, Psalm 132:1-12 (13-18) -- Bob Ove, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2018
2 Samuel 23:1-7 and Psalm 132:1-12, (13-18)
Sermon Illustrations for Trinity Sunday (2018) -- Isaiah 6:1-8, Romans 8:12-17, John 3:1-17 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Ron Love -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2018
Psalm 29
Sermon Illustrations for Ash Wednesday (2018) -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21, Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12) -- Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2018
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
Sermon Illustrations for Thanksgiving (2018) -- Joel 2:21-27, 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Matthew 6:25-33, Psalm 126 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2018
Joel 2:21-27 and Psalm 126
Illustrations for Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 (2018) -- Mark 2:23--3:6, 2 Corinthians 4:5-12, 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20), Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Ron Love -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - B -- 2018
1 Samuel 3:1-10
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 1 (2018) -- Genesis 9:8-17, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:9-15 -- Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2018
Genesis 9:8-17
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 1 (2018) -- Jeremiah 33:14-16, 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13, Luke 21:25-36 -- Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love -- First Sunday of Advent - C -- 2018
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Illustrations for Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 (2018) -- 1 Samuel 8:4-11 (12-15) 16-20, 2 Corinthians 4:13--5:1, Mark 3:20-35 -- Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 2018
1 Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11:14-15) and Psalm 138
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 2 (2018) -- Mark 8:31-38, Romans 4:13-25, Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 2018
Genesis 17:1-7 15-16

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Sermon Illustrations for Proper 22 | OT 27 (2019) -- Lamentations 1:1-6, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Luke 17:5-10 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C -- 2019
Lamentations 1:1-6
Sermon Illustrations for Baptism of Our Lord (2019) -- Isaiah 43:1-7, Acts 8:14-17, Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2019
Isaiah 43:1-7
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 2 | OT 2 (2019) -- Isaiah 62:1-5, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2019
Isaiah 62:1-5
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 12 | OT 17 (2019) -- Hosea 1:2-10, Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19), Luke 11:1-13 -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C -- 2019
Hosea 1:2-10
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 (2019) -- Isaiah 65:17-25, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, Luke 21:5-19 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C -- 2019
Isaiah 65:17-25
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 23 | OT 28 | Pentecost 18
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 24 | OT 29 | Pentecost 19
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 25 | OT 30 | Pentecost 20
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...

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For October 12, 2025:

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Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7
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StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
As he entered a village, ten men with a skin disease approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (vv. 12-13)

“I wouldn’t touch that with a ten-foot pole.”

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: This message is a role-play story. If you have enough children, you could have them play the roles of the ten lepers. However, for the most fun, I suggest planning ahead and recruiting ten adults from your congregation to play the roles.

* * *

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott

Call to Worship:

Jesus healed ten sick people, but nine of them were only interested in themselves and their own condition. Just one was able to look beyond his own concerns and say thank you. In our worship today let us look beyond ourselves and see God.

Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, sometimes we are consumed by ourselves and fail to really care about other people.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes we focus so intently on ourselves that we forget to say thank you.
Christ, have mercy.

SermonStudio

James Evans
(See Easter 6, Cycle A for an alternative approach to vv. 8-20.)

Schuyler Rhodes
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (v. 10). "Perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). These two powerful statements reveal for us the inadequacies of the translation process of the English language. These two juxtaposing passages reveal only a tiny fraction of the contradictions and conflicts found within our holy Word. No wonder people have trouble reading and understanding.
Scott Suskovic
"... suffer as I do" (2 Timothy 1:12).

It was in 1965 that the Rolling Stones recorded the song, "I Can't Get No Satisfaction." Even today, over forty years later, we are still saying the same words and feeling the same emptiness of trying and trying, but getting no satisfaction. Commercials promise it with whiter teeth and fresher breath. Wall Street promises it with higher returns. Soap operas promise it with a dynamic love life. Yet those who have conquered each of those summits come up with the same cry, "I can't get no satisfaction." Can you?

Stephen M. Crotts
Have you ever had this experience? You walk into a dark room to do something, flick on the light switch, and nothing happens. I suspect a lot of our Thanksgivings are like that. Thursday late in November rolls around and suddenly it's Thanksgiving! So everybody gives thanks! But quite often the gratitude is just not there. Like the light switch, we reach for it at the appropriate time and it won't work. It's burned out.
Richard E. Gribble, CSC
Once there was a wise king who died. His son, who was young and rather brash, came to the throne and after only two months ordered a review all of his father's appointments. He called in the royal secretary, the royal treasurer, and the viceroy for interviews. He found them all to be unworthy and sent them into exile with only the shirts on their backs. Next he decided to interview the local bishop. A courier was sent to the bishop's residence with this message: "You are to report to the palace and answer the following three questions: 1) What direction does God face? 2) What am I worth?

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