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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

John Wesley had firmly established his societies... -- Isaiah 61:10--62:3 -- Ron Love -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - B -- 2011
John Wesley had firmly established his societies of believers who became known as Methodists for the
Gary Player, the professional golfer... -- Romans 12:1-8 -- Ron Love -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A -- 2011
Gary Player, the professional golfer who was called the "Black Knight," looked back on his life at t
NULL -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12 -- Ron Love -- Good Friday - A -- 2011
Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote a poem honoring the heroics of the British light cavalry at the Battle of
Before they were to wed, Kat von D got a tattoo... -- Luke 2:22-40 -- Ron Love -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - B -- 2011
Before they were to wed, Kat von D got a tattoo of her betrothed Jesse James, underneath her left ar
Boastful of his drug addictions... -- Matthew 16:21-28 -- Ron Love -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A -- 2011
Charlie Sheen, boastful of his drug addictions, parties with porn stars, and confrontations with CBS
NULL -- John 18:1--19:42 -- Ron Love -- Good Friday - A -- 2011
In January 2011, three Christian missionaries were murdered in India.
Friday, July 22, 2011, made it one year -- Revelation 21:1-6a -- Ron Love -- New Year's Day - A, New Year's Day - B, New Year's Day - C -- 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011, made it one year. A year that is a testimony of love.
Early politicians required feedback from the public... -- Romans 13:8-14 -- Ron Love -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A -- 2011
Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what the people considered importan
NULL -- Colossians 3:1-4 -- Ron Love -- Easter Day - A -- 2011
Lou Holtz, the renowned coach of Notre Dame, concluded his autobiography with this message: "God ans
During the Revolutionary War... -- Exodus 14:19-31 -- Ron Love -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A -- 2011
During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington knew how important it was to be a God-fearin
NULL -- Acts 2:14-32 -- Ron Love -- Second Sunday of Easter - A -- 2011
A very long and controversial hearing was held in the Senate before Clarence Thomas was approved as
There is a company in Florence, South Carolina... -- Matthew 18:21-35 -- Ron Love -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A -- 2011
There is a company in Florence, South Carolina, that has been making bricks for 125 years.
NULL -- John 20:19-31 -- Ron Love -- Second Sunday of Easter - A -- 2011
On January 14, 2011, President Barack Obama issued his proclamation for Religious Freedom Day.
In the 1700s many women had blemishes and pale skin... -- Philippians 1:21-30 -- Ron Love -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - A -- 2011
In the 1700s many women had blemishes and pale skin that they wanted to enliven.
NULL -- 1 Peter 1:17-23 -- Ron Love -- Third Sunday of Easter - A -- 2011
During the assassination attempt on Congresswoman Giffords in Tucson, six other individuals were kil
In the October 1739 edition of Poor Richard's Almanac... -- Exodus 17:1-7 -- Ron Love -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A -- 2011
In the October 1739 edition of Poor Richard's Almanac, Benjamin Franklin made this astute obs
NULL -- Acts 2:42-47 -- Ron Love -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2011
Coincidentally at the time of the Tucson assassination attempt on Congresswoman Giffords, a report w
In the late 1700s, many houses consisted of a large room... -- Matthew 21:23-32 -- Ron Love -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A -- 2011
In the late 1700s, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair.
NULL -- John 10:1-10 -- Ron Love -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2011
In the mid 1800s, Gustave Dore wore a book on his observations of life in London.
President John Adams described himself as... -- Philippians 3:4-14 -- Ron Love -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A -- 2011
President John Adams described himself as "a church-going animal." He and his wife Abigail believed
NULL -- 1 Peter 2:2-10 -- Ron Love -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2011
Sarah Palin placed on her website a map indicating the districts where liberal congressmen must be r
When Benjamin Franklin died... -- Matthew 22:1-14 -- Ron Love -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A -- 2011
When Benjamin Franklin died, late in the evening of April 17, 1790, he had a picture of the Day of J
NULL -- Acts 17:22-31 -- Ron Love -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2011
In this year's voting for players to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame, sluggers were absent from the
In the late 1800s... -- Exodus 32:1-14 -- Ron Love -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A -- 2011
In the late 1800s, Native Americans were considered "wards" of the federal government.
Charles Darwin remains a controversial individual... -- 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 -- Ron Love -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 2011
Charles Darwin remains a controversial individual because of his theory of evolution.

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John Jamison
Object: You may present this message as a simple story, or have the children act it out as a role-play. I will show the role-play version, but you can ignore the acting pieces and just tell the story if you prefer.

Note: For the role-play version, you will need to select two girls and one boy to play the roles. You might also have a broom and a dust rag if you want to.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! Let’s get started.

The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
Nazish Naseem
For July 20, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Amos 8:1-12, Psalm 52
Amos proclaims the word from God that punishes the people. The people are to be punished for their lack of faith, for their focus on practicing deceit, betraying honesty to their neighbors, and being impatient for the time after the Sabbath when they can focus on profit and selling their crops and wares. Oh, my! What a terrible message for people. You have been unfaithful so I will punish you. And then in the psalm, God is proclaimed to be the olive tree, that which brings blessing.
David Kalas
I have tried to find different ways of saying it so that my children don’t tire of hearing it. But the basic principle remains the same, and my kids have heard it a ton. “First things first.” They ask if they can do this or they start to do that, and I will endeavor to redirect them, saying, “Why don’t we make sure we’re doing first things first!”

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. (v. 24)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
One of Martha's earliest memories was of her little sister Mary singing and dancing in the middle of an admiring crowd of friends. Mary had always been a dancer, from the time she could walk. Privately, Martha thought she'd always been something of a show-off and ought to go on the stage, for Mary loved an audience.

SermonStudio

John E. Sumwalt
Jeanne Jones
Several years ago, before we moved to Wisconsin, I was an honorary nanny for our pastor's son, Jonathan. I took care of him from the time he was able to walk until our pastor moved, when Jonathan was about five. We had wonderful times together. One time, when I was at their house, and we had been doing some spiritual direction together, Pastor Michael asked me if I knew the name of my guardian angel.
James Evans
We are not surprised when we learn about crooks and robbers boasting about "mischief done against the godly" or "plotting destruction" all day long. The image we have in our minds about who "bad" people are, and how they conduct themselves, make such accusations completely plausible. We are less inclined to believe such things about leaders, especially respected leaders among us. We have difficulty believing someone with wealth and power would deliberately plot to do someone else harm.
Arley K. Fadness
Today's gospel from Luke 10 follows the parable of the good Samaritan. Luke positions the good Samaritan and the Mary-Martha story back to back for good reason. The parable and the story are examples of the Great Commandment "to love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself." The good Samaritan parable illustrates "love to neighbor," whereas the Mary-Martha story illustrates "love to God."
Kirk R. Webster
In the early 1990s, Wesley Nunley of Dallas completed a project he had dreamed of for decades. "I tell you, this could be a big thing," he explained. Wes then walked out to a concrete octagon in the middle of his backyard. With a beaming smile, arms raised up in excitement, the energetic retiree said, "This welcomes the UFO to land, which has never been done before."
John W. Wurster
It was the best of times. A time of prosperity and confidence, a time of relative peace, a time when most everything looked pretty good, a time when most everyone felt pretty good. It was a time maybe not unlike our own time.
H. Burnham Kirkland
Words Of Assurance
Our God is both wise and caring: afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted.

Pastoral Prayer
God, we bow before you this morning, knowing that you hear every prayer. We know that in all of Creation, you are the source of life. You are the one who set the light swirling between the galaxies. The breath of your Spirit pulses through all life. You have even become flesh among us. We praise you, Lord, that in all your wonder, you have not forgotten us.

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