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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

NULL -- Romans 8:26-39 -- Ron Love -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2011
Everyone in the village believed Pendle Hill was haunted by demons.
NULL -- Genesis 12:1-4a -- Ron Love -- Second Sunday in Lent - A -- 2011
Mohandas Gandhi once said, "Prayer is not an old woman's idle amusement.
Prominent on the upper left arm of Angelina Jolie... -- Isaiah 40:1-11 -- Ron Love -- Second Sunday of Advent - B -- 2011
Prominent on the upper left arm of Angelina Jolie was the name of her husband, Billy Bob Thornton.
Comedian David "Sinbad" Adkins owed $8.15 million in back taxes -- Mark 1:40-45 -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2011
Comedian David "Sinbad" Adkins owed $8.15 million in back taxes.
NULL -- Genesis 32:22-31 -- Ron Love -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A -- 2011
In 1614, Pocahontas married English colonist John Rolfe in Jamestown.
NULL -- John 3:1-17 -- Ron Love -- Second Sunday in Lent - A -- 2011
Mother Teresa once said, "Be kind and merciful.
Paul Revere was employed by the Boston Committee... -- Mark 1:1-8 -- Ron Love -- Second Sunday of Advent - B -- 2011
Paul Revere was employed by the Boston Committee on Correspondence and the Massachusetts Committee o
The movie Sarah's Key... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Ron Love -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2011
The movie Sarah's Key is based on the novel of the same title.
NULL -- Matthew 14:13-21 -- Ron Love -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A -- 2011
"Stand Down" is a program sponsored by the American Legion for homeless veterans.
NULL -- 1 Samuel 16:1-13 -- Ron Love -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2011
David Livingston was placed gently on his bed. Ill, few believed he could live until morning.
Unique. Controversial. That is the label often... -- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 -- Ron Love -- Third Sunday of Advent - B -- 2011
Unique. Controversial.
In the early days of World War II... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ron Love -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2011
In the early days of World War II, Ruth Handler and her husband Elliott designed plastic picture fra
NULL -- Romans 10:5-15 -- Ron Love -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A -- 2011
Middleweight boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was sentenced to death on a 1966 conviction of a triple
NULL -- John 9:1-41 -- Ron Love -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2011
In order to foster congeniality and cooperation among various Christian denominations, the World Cou
In September of 1985 my church burnt to the ground... -- 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 -- Ron Love -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 2011
In September of 1985 my church burnt to the ground.
Jeret Peterson was a gifted freestyle skier... -- 1 Peter 3:18-22 -- Ron Love -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2011
Jeret Peterson was a gifted freestyle skier who seemed to defy the law of gravity, especially with h
NULL -- Genesis 45:1-15 -- Ron Love -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 2011
Sophia Gimenez, of Denver, has been keeping a continuous blog on her journey to be admitted to colle
NULL -- Romans 8:6-11 -- Ron Love -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2011
In the movie The Devil's Advocate (1997) Kevin Lomax is a defense lawyer who specializes in j
The Republican Party seemed assured of victory... -- Luke 1:26-38 -- Ron Love -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 2011
The Republican Party seemed assured of victory in the 1948 Presidential election.
When the armistice was signed... -- Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12) -- Ron Love -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2011
When the armistice was signed that ended the Spanish-American War, which was fought in 1898, the Ame
NULL -- Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28 -- Ron Love -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 2011
Dennis McClung, of Mesa, Arizona, believes that the world is going to end on December 12, 2012 -- 12
NULL -- Isaiah 50:4-9a -- Ron Love -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2011
After the Tucson shootings in front of the Safeway Store, where there was an attempted assassination
In the opening decades of Methodism, it was not... -- Titus 2:11-14 -- Ron Love -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2011
In the opening decades of Methodism, it was not a church but a religious society focused on spiritua
NULL -- Exodus 3:1-15 -- Ron Love -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A -- 2011
Stephen Harold Spender (1909-1995) was an English poet, novelist, and essayist who concentrated on t
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

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Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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For October 26, 2025:

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I am a scoreboard watcher. I follow a lot more games than I actually watch, but since technology makes it easy to check scores on a moment’s whim, I watch a lot of scoreboards of teams and games that I am at least mildly interested in. And as I check those scores, I find myself having immediate reactions: “Great!” “Oh, that's too bad.” “Excellent!” “Nuts.” And in the midst of that sports-fan roller coaster, I must continually remind myself that not all scores are final.
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Joel 2:22-32
Martin Luther sings the praises of God’s love revealed in this lesson. He wrote:

The love of God which lives in man loves sinners, evil persons, fools and weaklings in order to make them righteous, good, wise, and strong. Rather than seeking its own good, the love of God flows forth and bestows good. (Luther’s Works, Vol. 31, p.57)

John Wesley nicely summarizes the Spirit’s role in fighting the lure of our old sinful habits:

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John Jamison
Object: This message is a role-play story. You will need two children to play the roles of the Pharisee and the tax collector. I usually ask two children if they will help me as they are all coming forward for the message, but you may select them however you choose.

* * *

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, but your commandments are my delight.
Your statutes are always righteous; give me understanding that I may live. (vv. 143-144)

When I was an associate pastor in Janesville, Wisconsin one of my responsibilities was to give a lecture on spirituality once a month at a drug treatment facility. The students who attended were persons who had been convicted of drunk driving and were required to attend the class as a condition of their sentence. Attendance was always good.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

We all dislike people who blow their own trumpets, although sometimes we may be in awe of them. Jesus too deplored such behaviour and was never in awe of those who practised it. In our worship today let us open ourselves to Jesus, allowing him to see what is in our hearts.



Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes we allow other people's behaviour to intimidate us.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes we refuse to reach our own fullest potential because we are afraid.

SermonStudio

Schuyler Rhodes
Every morning when sleep leaves and waking comes there is cause for praising God. Caught up, as we are, in the currents and eddies of our lives, this is easy to forget. This wonderful psalm is a reminder. God's bounty and abundance spill into our lives like waters over a causeway. God's delight in creation explodes in a million different colors. In every moment there is reason to give God praise.
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When I was a little boy growing up in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania's First Presbyterian Church, one of those Christian chalk artists with black light, neon colors, and black felt canvas who made pictures of Jesus look like those Elvis portraits for sale on the side of the road at the beach showed up as entertainment for a Sunday evening potluck dinner.
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Today's sermon begins with this little one-person drama.
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Have you ever felt that you were absolutely at the end of your rope, left without hope? Sometime during the years of 539 B.C. to 331 B.C. that is the way the people of Judah felt. It seems that their land had been ravaged by a plague of locusts which had had catastrophic consequences.

Once a harvest has been destroyed, you cannot repair it. If a building has burned to the ground, you cannot repair it. In those instances you need to start from scratch with a fresh start.

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