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Richard A. Jensen

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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!
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
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 5 -- Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1998
The Gospel text appointed for this week comes from Matthew 9.
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 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 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.
Proper 23 -- Luke 17:11-19 -- Richard A. Jensen -- 1997
This week's familiar story of the ten lepers begins with a travel marker.
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.

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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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Easter 2
31 – Sermons
170+ – Illustrations / Stories
31 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
27 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Easter 3
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
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25 – Worship Resources
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Easter 4
29 – Sermons
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28 – Worship Resources
32 – Commentary / Exegesis
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and more...
Easter 5
27 – Sermons
140+ – Illustrations / Stories
29 – Children's Sermons / Resources
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30 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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New & Featured This Week

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John Jamison
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (v. 25)

The Immediate Word

Dean Feldmeyer
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
Christopher Keating
George Reed
For April 11, 2021:

StoryShare

C. David Mckirachan
Jesus said to Thomas, ‘Do not be faithless, but believing.’ That’s pretty rough when all he did was insist on proof. When I was growing up, I was taught to rely on the scientific method, a type of inductive reasoning — the bedrock of all of that is proof. When you discover something in an experiment, you’ve got to be able to repeat it, or it’s at best an interesting coincidence. Everything is suspect until you’ve got evidence, and it’s got to be good evidence. In debate, the easiest attack on your opponents is to question the solidity of their sources.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Historically, this is the first Sunday during which newly baptized members on Easter would be admitted into the fellowship as full members of the church, so this theme of community and unity is most appropriate.

Acts 4:32-35
Bill Thomas
Bonnie Bates
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Acts 4:32-35
This is the scripture we make excuses for or insist that the peculiar financial arrangement of the first disciples was for their time, not ours. We give examples from the Acts of the Apostles that demonstrate private ownership so we can state that this was a temporary state of affairs. It makes us uncomfortable, especially in this country where we have more than most people around the world. I’m not sure what to say to encourage you to challenge your congregation to work harder at mutual aid. Perhaps it begins by preaching your message in a mirror.

SermonStudio

John Jamison
It was Sunday evening. Easter morning had come and gone, and the disciples had spent the entire day talking about the fact that Jesus had actually been raised from the dead. They were all fired up and making plans for how they were going to go out and spread the word of God and continue the ministry that Jesus had taught them to perform. Right?

Not quite.
Elaine M. Ward
The psalmist says that God gives good gifts. There is an old Jewish story that tells of two beggars, people who beg for their food in order to live. Each day the beggars came to the king, and he would give them bread. One of them praised and thanked the king. The other did not. Instead he prayed, "Thank you, God, for blessing the king so that he can help others." The king said to that beggar, "It is I who give to you, and you thank someone else." The beggar replied, "If God did not bless you, you could not bless others."
Ron Lavin
A bully in a small town resented the man everyone looked up to as the wisest man in town. He decided to teach the wise man a lesson. He held a chicken behind his back and asked the wise man, "Is this chicken dead or alive?" Of course, if the wise man said, "Dead" the bully would show him a live chicken. If the wise man said, "Alive" the bully would strangle the chicken and show up the wise man by producing a dead chicken.

"Well," said the impatient bully, "Is the chicken dead or alive? Let's hear your answer."

Mark J. Molldrem
The most personal question anyone can ask is "Who am I?" It is the fundamental question of our human existence.

Who is this person whose face reflects in the mirror every morning? Who is this person who laughs and cries, who works and plays, who eats and drinks and goes to the bathroom? Who is this person who hears and sees, smells, tastes and touches the world around?

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

When Jesus appeared, he said "Peace be with you." Let us take hold of his peace today and share it with each other.

(The children could be encouraged to share the Peace at this point)

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes we don't bother to think about you.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we we get things wrong.
Christ, have mercy.

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