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Russell F. Anderson

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Preaching

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The Lord's saving help for the downtrodden and the weak -- Isaiah 40:21-31, 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, Mark 1:29-39 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: The Lord's saving help for the downtrodden and the weak.
Purity is an inside job -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13, James 1:17-27, Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: Purity is an inside job.BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Christ calls us to take up our cross and follow him -- Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16, Romans 4:13-25, Mark 8:31-38 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: The road to God's kingdom is the way of obedience, suffering and death, th
God's cleansing presence and power, with or without water -- 2 Kings 5:1-14, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Mark 1:40-45 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: God's cleansing presence and power, with or without water.
Building the kingdom of God -- 2 Samuel 7:1-14a, Ephesians 2:11-22, Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: Building the kingdom of God.
Forgiveness of sins -- Isaiah 43:18-25, 2 Corinthians 1:18-22, Mark 2:1-12 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: Forgiveness of sins.
The call of God -- 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20), 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, John 1:43-51 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: The call of God.
The marriage covenant -- Hosea 2:14-20, 2 Corinthians 3:1-6, Mark 2:13-22 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Epiphany 8 | Ordinary Time 8 - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: The marriage covenant in both the First Lesson and the Gospel provides an image
The Lord sends his spokesmen to speak words of judgment against religious authorities -- 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20), 2 Corinthians 4:5-12, Mark 2:23--3:6 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: The Lord sends his spokesmen to speak words of judgment against religious author
The Epiphany Season -- Russell F. Anderson -- 1996
Epiphany Through The Centuries
The difficulty of entering the kingdom of heaven when material things have a hold on you. -- Job 23:1-9, 16-17, Hebrews 4:12-16, Mark 10:17-31 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: The difficulty of entering the kingdom of heaven when material things have a hol
Healing and eternal life through the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ -- Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1-19:42 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Good Friday - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: Healing and eternal life through the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ, God's
Our human pride gets in the way of our worshiping and serving the Lord -- Job 38:1-7 (34-41), Hebrews 5:1-10, Mark 10:35-45 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: Our human pride gets in the way of our worshiping and serving the Lord.
God's good news -- Genesis 9:8-17, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:9-15 -- Russell F. Anderson -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: God's good news.
God in Christ is ever available to hear and heed our cries for mercy. -- Job 42:1-6, 10-17, Hebrews 7:23-28, Mark 10:46-52 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: God in Christ is ever available to hear and heed our cries for mercy.
A call to spiritual renewal and cleansing -- Exodus 20:1-17, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, John 2:13-22 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: A call to spiritual renewal and cleansing.
Getting back to the basics -- Ruth 1:1-18, Hebrews 9:11-14, Mark 12:28-34 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: Getting back to the basics, to love God with one's entire being and to love the
We are saved by grace through faith -- Numbers 21:4-9, Ephesians 2:1-10, John 3:14-21 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: We are saved by grace through faith.
The Church is renewed -- Romans 3:19-28, Jeremiah 31:31-34, John 8:31-36 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: The Church is renewed as it opens itself to the transforming power of the gospel
The heart of Jesus was broken in death so that he might create within us a new heart. -- Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 5:5-10, John 12:20-33 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: The heart of Jesus was broken in death so that he might create within us a new h
The saints of God, past, present and future -- Revelation 7:9-17, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12 -- Russell F. Anderson -- All Saints Day - A -- 1995
Lesson 1: Revelation 7:9-17 (C); Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 (RC)
God's saints are humble in spirit -- Micah 6:1-8, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Matthew 5:1-12 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 1995
BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONSLesson 1: Micah 6:1--8 (C, E, L)

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Christ as our Shepherd King -- Isaiah 40:1-11, 2 Peter 3:8-15a, Mark 1:1-8 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Second Sunday of Advent - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: Christ as our Shepherd King.
Purity is an inside job -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13, James 1:17-27, Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: Purity is an inside job.BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Brand Name Or Generic? -- Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22, James 5:13-20, Mark 9:38-50 -- Russell F. Anderson -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1996
Theme For The Day: Providing a preserving and redemptive effect on the world.
UPCOMING WEEKS
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Easter 4
28 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
23 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
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Easter 5
33 – Sermons
140+ – Illustrations / Stories
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30 – Worship Resources
35 – Commentary / Exegesis
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Easter 6
30 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
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In the sometimes-tiresome debate over science and scripture with respect to creation, it’s easy to become distracted. While the argument typically requires a focus on the how, we may lose sight of the what. And so, for just a moment, let me invite us to think for a moment about what God created.
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Acts 8:26-40
As a local church pastor, I was often asked if I would baptize a child whose family were not members of the church. Some churches rebelled against this, but I remember this scripture — the hunger for understanding and inclusion of the Eunuch and Philp’s response — to teach and share and baptize in the name of our God. How could we turn anyone away from the rite of baptism?

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“Dad, I think you worked a miracle.” Rolf slowly walked around the tree. “After that windstorm, I assumed this tree was as good as gone.”

“We just needed to give the branches time to heal and come back,” Michael replied.

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Object: A live plant that produces fruit, and a broken branch from that plant. I used a tomato plant from a local greenhouse. Ideally, find a plant with blossoms or small fruit already growing. If you use a different kind of fruit-producing plant, just change the script to fit.

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Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent!

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For April 28, 2024:
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The Village Shepherd

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Call to Worship:

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. In our service today, let us absorb from the vine all the nourishment we need.


Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes our branches become cut off from the vine.
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Jesus, sometimes our branches are withered.
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Jesus, sometimes we fail to produce good fruit.
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SermonStudio

Stan Purdum
We will meet Psalm 22 in its entirety on Good Friday, but here the lectionary designates just verses 23-31. The lectionary psalms generally illuminate the week's First Lesson, which in this case is about the covenant initiated by God with Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17. The nine verses from this psalm, while not inappropriate, nonetheless leave us looking for an obvious connection with the First Lesson.

John S. Smylie
I think some people are natural-born gardeners. Our Lord grew up in a society that was familiar with agriculture. The images that he used to explain the ways of his Father in heaven are familiar to his audience. Growing up, my closest experience to agriculture was living in, "the Garden State." Most people, when they pass through New Jersey, are surprised to see that expression on the license plates of vehicles registered in New Jersey. Most folks traveling through New Jersey experience the megalopolis, the corridor between New York City and Washington DC.
Ron Lavin
A pastor in Indiana went to visit an 87-year-old man named Ermil, who was a hospital patient. A member of his church told the pastor about this old man who was an acquaintance. "He's not a believer, but he is really in need," the church member said. "I met him at the county home for the elderly. He's a lonely old man with no family and no money."

Paul E. Robinson
"Love is a many splendored thing...." Or so we heard Don Cornwall and the Four Aces sing time and again. Of course you or I might have other words to describe love, depending on our situation.

Love. "I love you." "I love to play golf." "I just love pistachio lush!" "It's tough to love some people." "Jesus loves me, this I know."

Love.

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