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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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Commentary

Children's sermon

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Sermon Illustrations for Advent 1 (2014) -- Isaiah 64:1-9, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 13:24-37 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove -- First Sunday of Advent - B -- 2014
Isaiah 64:1-9
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 -- Genesis 22:1-14, Romans 6:12-23, Matthew 10:40-42 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2014
Genesis 22:1-14
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 -- Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20, Philippians 3:4b-14, Matthew 21:33-46 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A -- 2014
Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 (2014) -- Genesis 29:15-28, Romans 8:26-39, Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer, Scott A. Bryte -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2014
Genesis 29:15-28
Sermon Illustrations for Easter Sunday (2014) -- Acts 10:34-43, Colossians 3:1-4, John 20:1-18 -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Derl G. Keefer, Ron Love -- Easter Day - A -- 2014
Acts 10:34-43
In the comic strip... -- Isaiah 64:1-9 -- Ron Love -- First Sunday of Advent - B -- 2014
In the comic strip Frank & Ernest by Bob Thaves, we have Frank and Ernie sitting all rump
On April 14, 1902... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Ron Love -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2014
On April 14, 1902, J.C. Penney opened his first Golden Rule store in Kemmerer, Wyoming.
The United States Constitution... -- Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 -- Ron Love -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A -- 2014
The United States Constitution is not a religious document but a political treatise assuring that th
Philipp Melanchthon was a... -- Genesis 29:15-28 -- Ron Love -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2014
Philipp Melanchthon was a German reformer who became a strong advocate and supporter of Martin Luthe
Envy is also determined... -- Colossians 3:1-4 -- Ron Love -- Easter Day - A -- 2014
Envy is also determined by "proximity." This hypothesis was put forth by David Hume, the 18th-centur
When Pope Francis visited... -- Mark 13:24-37 -- Ron Love -- First Sunday of Advent - B -- 2014
When Pope Francis visited South Korea in August 2014 he made his strongest gesture yet to reach out
On November 28, 1660... -- Genesis 1:1--2:4a -- Ron Love -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A -- 2014
On November 28, 1660, a group of twelve men met at Gresham College in London to listen to a lecture
On June 8, 1980, Martyn Lloyd-Jones... -- Matthew 21:33-46 -- Ron Love -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A -- 2014
Matthew 21:33-46
Corrie ten Boom was... -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Ron Love -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2014
Corrie ten Boom was transferred to Ravensbruck Concentration Camp.
Sermon Illustrations for Easter 2 (2014) -- Acts 2:14a, 22-32, 1 Peter 1:3-9, John 20:19-31 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove -- Second Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
Acts 2:14a, 22-32
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 2 (2014) -- Isaiah 40:1-11, 2 Peter 3:8-15a, Mark 1:1-8 -- Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Second Sunday of Advent - B -- 2014
Isaiah 40:1-11
James Edwin Orr was... -- Matthew 28:16-20 -- Ron Love -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A -- 2014
James Edwin Orr was born on January 15, 1912, in Belfast, Ireland.
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 -- Exodus 32:1-14, Philippians 4:1-9, Matthew 22:1-14 -- Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A -- 2014
Exodus 32:1-14
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 (2014) -- Genesis 32:22-31, Romans 9:1-5, Matthew 14:13-21 -- Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove, Scott A. Bryte, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A -- 2014
Genesis 32:22-31
As all the other... -- Acts 2:14a, 22-32 -- Ron Love -- Second Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
As all the other Anglicans in church knelt at their pews, during prayer George Washington would stan
When the Panama Canal... -- 2 Peter 3:8-15a -- Ron Love -- Second Sunday of Advent - B -- 2014
When the Panama Canal was originally built it was designed to accommodate a ship three times larger
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
Egerton Ryerson at the age of... -- Philippians 4:1-9 -- Ron Love -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A -- 2014
Egerton Ryerson at the age of twelve lay in bed, deathly ill.
The term "Protestant"... -- Romans 9:1-5 -- Ron Love -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A -- 2014
The term "Protestant" was first used at the Second Diet of Speyer on April 20, 1529.
Transactional analysis (TA)... -- John 20:19-31 -- Ron Love -- Second Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
Transactional analysis (TA) is an integrative approach to the theory of psychology and psychotherapy

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UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
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

Thomas Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
For July 6, 2025:

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: This is a role play activity for the children.

Note: You will need an older volunteer to help with this activity. One option would be to find a teenager with some physical ability. If a teen is not available, an adult could be used instead. For simplicity here, I will refer to my older volunteer as “TOM”. You will also need to select three of your younger children to serve as volunteers in the story.

* * *

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
2 Kings 5:1-14
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
Bonnie Bates
2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30
Naaman seeks healing. He travels hoping healing will come to him when he visits the king of Israel. Yet, healing does not come in that way. Rather healing comes through Elishah. Healing comes from believing and being cleansed in the River Jordan. Healing comes through Naaman’s faithfulness and through God’s grace. Psalm 30 also reminds us to seek healing; to seek God and God will heal and restore us. Do we believe that? Do we believe that God can bring healing?

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ (vv. 10-11)

When I visit your church for the first time, consider the possibility that I might be looking for a church home. I am a good-looking old guy, but I have gray hair and I dress down in the summer, so don’t be put off by my cargo shorts and tank top. Talk to me!

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Damien and Ora grinned at each other in excitement. The time had come - at last! They'd been with the Leader for months and months, waiting for this moment. Not that it had felt much like training. They'd simply lived with the Leader, listening to his stories, hearing about the Kingdom, learning to get along really well with all the other people at Mission Headquarters. Now all seventy of them were ready, the spaceship had docked, and the Mission was about to begin. Ora was glad she'd been paired up with Damien again.

SermonStudio

James Evans
Stan Purdum
Carlos Wilton
(See Epiphany 6/Ordinary Time 6, Cycle B, and Easter 3, Cycle C, for alternative approaches.)

Anyone who has ever had the experience of losing a friend because of some conflict or dispute, and then has had the friendship restored because of love and forgiveness, has a unique insight into the meaning of this psalm. Although the poem begins and ends with praise, there is in the middle of the poem a brief moment of confession and contrition that puts the praise portions of the psalm in an entirely different light.

April Yamasaki
A word of encouragement came from an unlikely source the other day in a television interview with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The former football player, wrestler, and now actor was asked about a low time in his life when he was very discouraged about his career and future.

"How did you make your way back from that?" he was asked.

The Rock replied, "You have to put yourself out there. You have to get out there and fail, and learn from your failures."

Larry D. Powell
In the summer of 1983, I participated in a ministerial exchange program sponsored by my denomination. My assignment was to a circuit of churches on the Isle of Man, a tiny island located in the Irish Sea. The months preceding the exchange included considerable correspondence with the minister on the island with whom I would exchange pastoral duties for six weeks.
Richard E. Gribble, CSC
A wealthy businessman decided to take a walk and eat his lunch at the same time. He strolled by a park. There he purchased a hot dog and a soft drink. As he walked through the park two different "street people" approached him one by one. Each asked, "Can you help me? I am hungry." Each time the businessman looked straight ahead and kept walking. After finishing his lunch, he stopped and bought a chocolate eclair for dessert. As he was about to take the first bite, he was forced to jump out of the way as a young boy raced by on his skateboard. The eclair went flying and landed on the ground.

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