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Tim Smith

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

NULL -- 1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24) -- Tim Smith -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C -- 2010
Lilia felt empty following her divorce. Her friends stood by her but she felt alone nonetheless.
NULL -- Luke 7:11-17 -- Tim Smith -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C -- 2010
When Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, lost their five-year-old daught
NULL -- Luke 8:26-39 -- Tim Smith -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2010
It had been several years since Patricia had been in contact with any of her family.
NULL -- Galatians 5:1, 13-25 -- Tim Smith -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C -- 2010
Tensions were running high among members of the family.
NULL -- Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 -- Tim Smith -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C -- 2010
Linda Graham believes in miracles.
NULL -- Philemon 1:1-21 -- Tim Smith -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C -- 2010
It is not always easy to do the right thing.
NULL -- Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 -- Tim Smith -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 2010
Someone asked in an adult Sunday school class if there were prophets today.
NULL -- 2 Timothy 3:14--4:5 -- Tim Smith -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - C -- 2010
Kelly feels the pressure teaching in a public school to not share her faith.
NULL -- Luke 18:9-14 -- Tim Smith -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - C -- 2010
Gail was upset over the girl her son was dating. She knew that she was all wrong for him.
NULL -- 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 -- Tim Smith -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - C -- 2010
It was one of those moments when we ask ourselves "What am I doing here?" Pam was clearly out of her
NULL -- Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 -- Tim Smith -- All Saints Day - C -- 2010
The day after his father's funeral Gary visited with his mother.
NULL -- Luke 6:20-31 -- Tim Smith -- All Saints Day - C -- 2010
Often we do not realize the influence we have on other people.
NULL -- Luke 21:5-19 -- Tim Smith -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C -- 2010
Harold remembers the time when he was serving in the Navy almost fifty years ago.
NULL -- John 6:25-35 -- Tim Smith -- Thanksgiving Day - C -- 2010
Robin remembers one Thanksgiving years ago when she and her children
NULL -- Colossians 1:11-20 -- Tim Smith -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C -- 2010
Sara remembers her parents insisting that she and her sister attend Sunday school and church each we
Tomorrow Dick will be ringing a bell... -- Romans 13:11-14 -- Tim Smith -- First Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
Tomorrow Dick will be ringing a bell in front of a local store for the
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
and more...
Easter 5
33 – Sermons
140+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
30 – Worship Resources
35 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 6
30 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
23 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
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(No credit card needed.)

New & Featured This Week

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
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.
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
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?

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
“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.

 “I know, but so many of them were battered and broken I figured that it couldn’t recover. Now though it looks just like it did before the storm.” Rolf paused. “Do you think it will bear any fruit this summer?”

CSSPlus

John Jamison
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.

* * *

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

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
Elena Delhagen
Dean Feldmeyer
Quantisha Mason-Doll
For April 28, 2024:
  • On The Way To Gaza by Chris Keating based on Acts 8:26-40. On the way to Gaza, Philip discovers the startling ways the Spirit of God moves across borders, boundaries, customs, and traditions.
  • Second Thoughts: Abiding by Katy Stenta based on John 15:1-8.
  • Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Tom Willadsen, Elena Delhagen, Dean Feldmeyer.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
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.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes our branches are withered.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we fail to produce good fruit.
Lord, have mercy.

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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