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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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The Immediate Word

Free Illustrations For October 17, 2010 -- Luke 18:1-8, 2 Timothy 3:14--4:5, Jeremiah 31:27-34, Psalm 119:97-104 -- Ron Love, Dean Feldmeyer -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - C -- 2010
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Responsibility -- Luke 16:1-13, 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Jeremiah 8:18--9:1, Psalm 79:1-9 -- Ron Love, Mary Austin, George Reed -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 2010
This week's gospel text can be a difficult one to approach -- while the final verse, in which Jesus
Spiritual Wanderlust -- Luke 18:1-8, 2 Timothy 3:14--4:5, Jeremiah 31:27-34, Psalm 119:97-104 -- Dean Feldmeyer, Ron Love, George Reed -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - C -- 2010
Humanness Vs. Godliness -- Luke 22:14--23:56, Philippians 2:5-11, Isaiah 50:4-9a, Psalm 31:9-16 -- Ron Love, Dean Feldmeyer, George Reed -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2010
The events of Holy Week, from the triumphal entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday through the Last
The Necessity Of Original Sin -- Luke 18:9-14, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18, Joel 2:23-32, Psalm 65 -- Kate Murphy, Mary Austin, George Reed, Ron Love -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - C -- 2010
This week's gospel text brings us the familiar parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector -- and
Seeing, Hearing, Discovering -- John 21:1-19, Revelation 5:11-14, Acts 9:1-6 (7-20), Psalm 30 -- Ron Love, Mary Austin, George Reed -- Third Sunday of Easter - C -- 2010
This week's lectionary texts feature the story of Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus, and the
Who Gets To Be Mad? -- Luke 19:1-10, Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4, Psalm 119:137-144 -- Mary Austin, Ron Love, George Reed -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - C -- 2010
As if there weren't already enough reason to be outraged at the havoc the bad economy has wreaked on
Conquering Fear -- John 10:22-30, Revelation 7:9-17, Acts 9:36-43, Psalm 23 -- Dean Feldmeyer, Ron Love, George Reed -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2010
This week's lectionary texts, particularly Psalm 23 and the Revelations passage, are often used at f
A Different Plane Of Now -- Luke 20:27-38, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17, Haggai 1:15b--2:9, Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 -- Dean Feldmeyer, Kate Murphy, George Reed, Ron Love -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C -- 2010
The lectionary gospel text assigned for Proper 27 brings us a curious scene, as some Sadducees attem
Do We Really Want To Be Made Well? -- John 5:1-9, Revelation 21:10, 22--22:5 -- Kate Murphy, Ron Love, George Reed -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2010
In the alternate gospel text (John 5:1-9) for this Sunday, Jesus heals a man "who had been ill for 3
Intimidation Or Imitation -- Luke 21:5-19, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, Isaiah 65:17-25, Isaiah 12 -- Ron Love, Mary Austin, George Reed -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C -- 2010
This week's Gospel text depicts a traumatic scene, as Jesus prophesies the destruction of the temple
Who Do You Trust? -- Acts 16:16-34 -- Dean Feldmeyer, Ron Love, George Reed -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2010
The news has recently been dominated by stories that are quite disturbing, from the attempt to set o
A Love-Hate Relationship -- Matthew 3:1-12, Romans 15:4-13, Isaiah 11:1-10, Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 -- Kate Murphy, Ron Love, George Reed -- Second Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
The figure of John the Baptist is one that seems oddly discordant in the middle of our "holiday" sea
Will We Suffer? -- Romans 5:1-5, John 16:12-15, Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31, Psalm 8 -- Kate Murphy, Ron Love, George Reed -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 2010
In this week's epistle text, Paul notes that "since we are justified by faith, we have peace with Go
And God Turned My Wailing Into Dancing -- Luke 7:11-17, Galatians 1:11-24, 1 Kings 17:1-24, Psalm 146 -- Ron Love, Mary Austin, George Reed -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C -- 2010
This week's texts feature a pair of stories involving widows (the 1 Kings account of Elijah assistin
What Have You Done For Me Lately? -- 1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a, Luke 8:26-39, Galatians 3:23-29 -- Mary Austin, Ron Love, George Reed -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2010
This week's Old Testament lesson addresses a problem that seems endemic to modern life -- burnout.
Transitions -- Luke 9:51-62, 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14, Galatians 5:1, 13-25, Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20 -- Dean Feldmeyer, Ron Love, George Reed -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C -- 2010
As we journey through life, it seems we find ourselves in a series of transitions.
God's Plumb Line -- Luke 10:25-37, Amos 7:7-17, Colossians 1:1-14, Psalm 82 -- Ron Love, Dean Feldmeyer, George Reed -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2010
This week's Old Testament passage offers us the striking imagery of one of the oldest and most vener
The Bucket List Vs. The Gutter List -- Luke 12:13-21, Hosea 11:1-11, Colossians 3:1-11, Psalm 107:1-9, 43 -- Ron Love, George Reed -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - C -- 2010
This week's texts from Colossians and Luke call us to live in a Christ-like manner -- and both Paul
The Unnamed 72 -- Luke 12:32-40, Isaiah 1:1, 10-20, Genesis 15:1-6 -- Ron Love, Mary Austin, George Reed -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - C -- 2010
This week's texts all have a common theme -- a call to a life of faith, and a forthright discussion
Free Sermon Illustrations For September 5, 2010 From The Immediate Word -- Luke 14:25-33, Philemon 1:1-21, Jeremiah 18:1-11, Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 -- Ron Love -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C -- 2010
Pope Benedict XVI is often seen wearing his signature ruby red leather shoes.
Hating Enough To Love Completely -- Luke 14:25-33, Philemon 1:1-21, Jeremiah 18:1-11, Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 -- Mary Austin, Kate Murphy, George Reed, Ron Love -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C -- 2010
Jesus stuns us this week with some words that seem at first hearing to denigrate the role of the fam
When Faithfulness Counts As Righteousness -- Luke 15:1-10, Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28, Psalm 14 -- Dean Feldmeyer, Ron Love, George Reed -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 2010
Whether we look to the headlines or in the particulars of our own experiences, life is full of diffi
Faith And Trust In A World Of Fractured Relationships -- Luke 17:5-10, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Lamentations 1:1-6, Lamentations 3:19-26 -- Mary Austin, Ron Love, George Reed -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C -- 2010
Playing The Hand We're Dealt -- Luke 17:11-19, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, Psalm 66:1-12 -- Dean Feldmeyer, Mary Austin, George Reed, Ron Love -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C -- 2010
As you well know, these are often challenging days for the church.

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