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Richard A. Jensen

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The Sermon On The Mount -- Matthew 5:1--7:27 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
Our outline of Matthew's Gospel presented Matthew 1:1--4:16 as Part One which introduces Jesus of Na
The Epiphany Of The Lord -- Matthew 2:1-12 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
The focus in Matthew 1 was on names. Name after name after name culminating in THE Name: Jesus!
Proper 5 -- Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
The Gospel text appointed for this week comes from Matthew 9.
Proper 15 -- Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
The assigned Gospel text for this week skips over a couple of sections in Matthew's story.
Proper 20 -- Matthew 20:1-16 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
We come this week to one of the most memorable stories in all of Matthew's Gospel: the parable of th
Proper 16 -- Matthew 16:13-20 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
With the text appointed for this week we come to the climax of Part Two of Matthew's Gospel.
Proper 17 -- Matthew 16:21-28 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
With this week's text we enter Part Three of Matthew's story.
Transfiguration -- Matthew 17:1-9 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
We need to say at the outset of our comments for this pericope that the transfiguration text contain
Advent 4 -- Matthew 1:18-25 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
Our Matthew text for this week comes from the first chapter of Matthew.
Proper 11 -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
Matthew 13 contains the parabolic ministry of Jesus as Matthew tells the story.
Proper 18 -- Matthew 18:15-20 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
Matthew 18 is of crucial importance to the structure of Matthew's Gospel.
Proper 19 -- Matthew 18:21-35 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
In our previous chapter we discussed the importance of Matthew 18 as a whole.
Palm/Passion Sunday -- Matthew 21:1-11, Matthew 26:14--27:66, Matthew 27:11-54 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
Proper 21 -- Matthew 21:23-32 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
Jesus enters the temple: Matthew 21:12.
Proper 22 -- Matthew 21:33-46 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
This week's text has important narrative connections in Matthew's story.
Christmas 1 -- Matthew 2:13-23 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
The Matthean text assigned for the First Sunday after Christmas is very difficult to dislodge from i
Proper 23 -- Matthew 22:1-14 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
"Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables...." That's how this week's appointed text begins.
Proper 24 -- Matthew 22:15-22 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
The opening words of this week's text indicate a change of venue and actor.
Proper 25 -- Matthew 22:34-36 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
This week's text includes the third and fourth controversies between Jesus and the religious leaders
Proper 26 -- Matthew 23:1-12 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
There is much material that is unique to Matthew in the final chapters of his Gospel.
Advent 1 -- Matthew 24:36-44 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
As we indicated in the Preface we have chosen to arrange the chapters of this work in their Matthean
Proper 20 -- Luke 16:1-13 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1997
We have made reference to these verses in Chapter 11 and in Chapter 24.
Proper 21 -- Luke 16:19-31 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1997
The assigned Lukan text for this week is another uniquely Lukan story which is so very well known.
Advent 2 -- Luke 3:1-6 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1997
Many commentators note that these verses are really the begin-ning of Luke's Gospel.
Proper 23 -- Luke 17:11-19 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1997
This week's familiar story of the ten lepers begins with a travel marker.

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From All Nations, Tribes, Peoples, Languages -- Revelation 7:9-17 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1994
Mina lived in Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
A New Heart -- Jeremiah 31:27-34 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - C -- 1994
It was the religious program she had heard on the radio a few weeks back that sent Shawn Rose on a m
No More Tears -- Revelation 21:1-6 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1994
Can you imagine a four-year-old boy falling to his death from the 53rd floor of a New York City apar
Ready For Worship -- Luke 18:9-14 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - C -- 1994
Ernie, Madge and Todd Applegate always took their place in a front pew just as the bell was ringing.
Paths Of Desperation -- John 5:1-9 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1994
Where do you go when you feel hopeless? Dick learned something about that when he was 13.
''Who Can Be Saved?'' -- Luke 19:1-10 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - C -- 1994
"Zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he...." Many people have learned that song in
God's Evangelism Plans -- Acts 16:16-34 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 1994
The fall of Haile Selassie in 1974 did not bring the kind of peace that the Ethiopians had hoped mig
''You Are God'' -- Luke 20:27-38 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C -- 1994
Out On A Limb, Shirley MacLaine's spiritual odyssey, was first published in 1983.
The Holy Spirit Doesn't Have A Copy Machine -- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1994
The wind of the Spirit blew through St.
A Vision For The Future -- Isaiah 65:17-25 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C -- 1994
A few years back a west coast bishop returned home from a meeting of his denomination's bishops in K
The Greater Honor -- 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a -- Richard A. Jensen -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 1994
It was to be "Spiritual Gift" Sunday in Corinth of old.
''Only Speak The Word'' -- Luke 7:1-10 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C -- 1994
Luke is fond of telling stories of faith.
The Greatest Of These -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1994
In the midwest the summer of 1993 was the summer of the "great flood." The rains, it seemed, would n
''A Great Prophet Has Arisen Among Us'' -- Luke 7:11-17 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C -- 1994
"Shunem: Site of the Prophet Elisha's Resurrection Miracle." If they had had road signs in the days
How The Mighty Have Fallen! -- Luke 5:1-11 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 1994
"How the mighty have fallen." King David of old once spoke those words concerning the death of King
Forgiven Much! -- Luke 7:36--8:3 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 1994
The life of a prostitute is a hateful way of life.
With Fire In His Eyes -- Luke 6:17-26 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 1994
There was fire in his eyes as Dr. Yacob spoke. Dr.
The Collapsing Circle -- Galatians 3:23-29 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 1994
Allan Nelson is a consultant to business operations throughout the world.
Exchanging A Smile -- Luke 6:27-38 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - C -- 1994
He smiled when we would have expected him to cry. He smiled when we expected him to hate.
He Set His Face -- Luke 9:51-62 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C -- 1994
He had just finished feeding the 5,000 men plus women and children when he asked them the question (
A Man Who Would Be God -- Luke 4:1-13 -- Richard A. Jensen -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 1994
It was to be his first trip back to China. He was born in China to missionary parents in the 1930s.
''God's Gonna Trouble The Water'' -- 2 Kings 5:1-14 (15-19) -- Richard A. Jensen -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C -- 1994
"What difference is a little water going to make anyway?" Ken Taufler thundered at his friend Jim Ka
A Mother's Tears -- Luke 13:31-35 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 1994
Gertrude Schmidt loved being a mother.
The Glory And The Pain -- Richard A. Jensen -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 1994
His given name was Leslie Leonard but everyone just called him "Pete." Pete was the son of very devo
A Modern Day Job -- Luke 13:1-9 -- Richard A. Jensen -- Third Sunday in Lent - C -- 1994
American culture is a culture of fixing blame -- fixing blame on others.

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New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Quantisha Mason-Doll
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
George Reed
Dean Feldmeyer
For October 24, 2021:
  • Vision Check by Chris Keating — Jesus’ question of Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” becomes an invitation to a joyful, life-giving transformation experience of discipleship.
  • Second Thoughts: Don’t Let Go of My Hand by Quantisha Mason-Doll — In God’s future no one is left behind — even those who would be considered burdens.

StoryShare

David O. Bales
Peter Andrew Smith
Contents
“Full-Throated Joy?” by David O. Bales
“With Weeping And Joy” by David O. Bales
“Second Chances” by Peter Andrew Smith


Full-Throated Joy?
by David O. Bales
Jeremiah 31:7-9

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Frank Ramirez
Sooner or later, we see life as it really is. Job sees clearly that the universe is greater than he can imagine. It’s not all about him. Something great and wonderful is going on, and though he has suffered tremendous loss, he is to reject dust and ashes and live authentically. He is free to be alive.

The author of Hebrews makes it clear that we don’t have to jump through anyone’s hoops anymore. We have the perfect priest and the perfect sacrifice and as a result we have perfect access to God, unfiltered, unimpeded. That’s how it is.
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Mark Ellingsen
Job 42:1-6, 10-17
Job teaches us that being in the presence of God is an impressive experience. It is beyond what we can think or express. Author Christopher Morley in his book Inward Ho expressed this awesomeness: “I had a thousand questions to ask God; but when I met him they all fed and didn’t seem to matter.” Everything that we thought was so important vanishes in the presence of God. John Wesley put it this way:

CSSPlus

John Jamison

Object: A cloak, or something to use as a cloak, an old bowl, and a handful of pennies.

Note: If you believe your children can do it, this is a great message to have them role-play. Have one child play Bartimaeus, one play Jesus, and the other play the ‘crowd’. Depending on your group, you can ask for volunteers or select specific children for the roles of Jesus and Bartimaeus. If you don’t think role-play will work, just share the story without the role-play pieces.

* * *

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

They said to the blind man, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you." Jesus continues to call us today, so in our worship let us take heart, get up and respond to him.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes we don't hear you when you call.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes our hearts are low and we feel fed up and depressed.
Christ, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Wesley T. Runk
Good morning, boys and girls. Today, we are talking about a very big word, and also a very important one. The word is intercession. What do you think the word intercession might mean? (let them answer) Those were all good tries, but they are not the answers. I said it was a big word and not one that we use very often. I think that I can help you learn what it means in just a minute. First of all, I want to tell you that Jesus is our intercession. That will help us to learn more about what the word means.
David E. Leininger
Christmas is such a beautiful time of the year. Physically beautiful with the color and light; spiritually beautiful with story and song. Then there is the special baby -- a baby whose birth was greeted by angels, a baby whose birth meant tidings of joy for all people everywhere, a baby who would save the world. We gather for worship, enjoy familiar company, exchange holiday wishes, then go home, drink eggnog, and eat Christmas treats. God is in heaven and all is right with the world. Or so it often seems.

Stephen M. Crotts
A young man visiting a very small town in Virginia struck up a conversation with an older gentleman sitting on a loafers' bench outside the gas station. "Just look at this town!" The young fellow remarked. "Fresh air, no traffic, you sure don't have much of a population problem around here!" "Wrong, son!" The old man replied. "Dang near every problem we have here is caused by the population!"

It's true everywhere, isn't it? Man's greatest problem is man himself.

The Population Problem

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