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Ron Love

Ronald H. Love was called into the ordained ministry from a career as a state trooper. He has served Methodist churches in rural, inner-city and suburban settings for 20 years, and also served for four years as an Army chaplain. Dr. Love has also been a corporate librarian for a Fortune 500 company and been a university professor for ten years, teaching history and theology. His writing experience includes denominational publications, magazine articles on religion, and a newspaper devotional column. He holds a bachelor's degree in sociology (Slippery Rock State College), master's degrees in library and information science (University of Pittsburgh), secondary education (Duquesne University), church history (Indiana University of Pennsylvania), and theology (Wesley Theological Seminary), as well as a doctorate in homiletics (Pittsburgh Theological Seminary). Dr. Love now resides in South Carolina.
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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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 Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 (2014) -- Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28, Romans 10:5-15, Matthew 14:22-33 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Scott A. Bryte, Bob Ove, Derl Keffer -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A -- 2014
Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28
The Ice Bucket Challenge... -- Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 -- Ron Love -- Third Sunday of Advent - B -- 2014
The Ice Bucket Challenge was on social media for several weeks before it became associated as a way
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
Alfred Hitchcock before filming... -- Exodus 33:12-23 -- Ron Love -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 2014
Alfred Hitchcock before filming any movie would draw sketches of every scene, meticulously listing e
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
Reverend Dudley Tyng was... -- Genesis 27:1-4, 12-28 -- Ron Love -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A -- 2014
Reverend Dudley Tyng was an Episcopal priest serving a church in Philadelphia.
In a The Family Circus... -- John 1:6-8, 19-28 -- Ron Love -- Third Sunday of Advent - B -- 2014
In a The Family Circus comic strip by Bil Keane, Billy and Jeffy are walking on the sidewalk.
Democratic President Harry... -- 1 Peter 1:17-23 -- Ron Love -- Third Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
Democratic President Harry Truman so disliked Robert Taft, the Republican Senator from Ohio, that he
When Alfred Hitchcock was asked... -- Matthew 22:15-22 -- Ron Love -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 2014
When Alfred Hitchcock was asked to sum up his approach to making a movie he replied, "Some films are
A few years ago... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 2014
A few years ago Paris Hilton, while promoting her ITV2 program Paris Hilton's British Best Friend
I don't think it's a stretch... -- Matthew 14:22-33 -- Ron Love -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A -- 2014
I don't think it's a stretch to say that the western world is enamored with Pope Francis.
Sermon Illustrations for Fourth Sunday of Advent (2014) -- 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16, Romans 16:25-27, Luke 1:26-38 -- Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 2014
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Sermon Illustrations for Easter 4 (2014) -- Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 2:19-25, John 10:1-10 -- Derl G. Keefer, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
Acts 2:42-47
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 -- Deuteronomy 34:1-12, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Matthew 22:34-46 -- Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2014
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
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
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 (2014) -- Genesis 45:1-15, Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32, Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28 -- Derl G. Keefer, Scott A. Bryte, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 2014
Genesis 45:1-15
In a Frank & Ernest comic... -- Romans 16:25-27 -- Ron Love -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 2014
In a Frank & Ernest comic strip by Bob Thaves, two little boys are sitting in a backyard.
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
Philosopher and theologian... -- Acts 2:42-47 -- Ron Love -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
Philosopher and theologian Saint Thomas Aquinas was born circa 1225 in Roccasecca, Italy.
Aldhelm was a gifted musician... -- 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 -- Ron Love -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2014
Aldhelm was a gifted musician.
An infirm lady... -- 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - A -- 2014
An infirm lady from a nursing home wrote Billy Graham a letter asking his permission to die, as her
Thascius Cyprian, born into... -- Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 -- Ron Love -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 2014
Thascius Cyprian, born into a well-educated family that afforded him the same opportunity,
Sermon Illustrations for Christmas Day (2014) -- Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2014
Isaiah 9:2-7
Robert and Helen Lynds... -- John 10:1-10 -- Ron Love -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
Robert and Helen Lynds were sociologists who studied the lifestyles of Middle America, selecting the

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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
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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...

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Christopher Keating
Dean Feldmeyer
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
Nazish Naseem
For November 16, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Coffin
Another natural disaster has flattened a number of coastal communities. Despite the weather and major television station warnings, and government disaster preparations, the dystopian destruction nightmare of Luke 21 has decimated another community. Also, it is reasonable to believe that this is not the last year for hurricanes, Tsunami’s, wild fires, mudslides and tornados. They will occur again. However as weary citizens are interviewed in one group of people with the background of homes in rubble and streets still draining flood waters, they will not leave. This is their home.
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Isaiah 65:17-25 and Isaiah 12

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
“The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD. (v. 25)

A week after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, country singer Toby Keith — who died Feb. 5, 2024 — wrote a patriotic ballad titled “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.” It was filled with populist fighting rhetoric that matched the mood of a nation shaken by the shocking death and destruction of that day.

CSSPlus

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Object: A blood pressure monitor. It is actually called a sphygmomanometer, and is pronounced “sfig·mow·muh·naa’·muh·tr”.

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The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Prayers usually include these concerns and may follow this sequence:

The Church of Christ

Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

The local community

Those who suffer

The communion of saints


These responses may be used:


Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

SermonStudio

Stephen P. McCutchan
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
-- Isaiah 12:3

John W. Clarke
No reading of Luke is complete without coming to realize that Luke is concerned that the world understands that Jesus is the hope of the world and that any teaching that leads away from that fact is a false teaching. No matter what, no matter when, Jesus will be there to give us life.

Scott Suskovic
Whoever does not work should not eat!
-- 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (NLT)

Wow! Kind of takes your breath away, doesn't it? Not a lot of ambiguity in that rule. "You don't work, you don't eat." For a religion based on grace, it seems a bit unyielding.

Mark Ellingson
Freedom is such a lovely word, a compelling image. What is freedom? How would you define it? What does it mean to you? Webster's New World Dictionary defines freedom as being exempt from control or from arbitrary restrictions. Freedom is said to be the ability to choose or determine one's own actions.

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