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Timothy Smith

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

NULL -- Galatians 2:15-21 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2010
Verna along with her mother was shopping at local specialty shops in a revitalized downtown area of
NULL -- 1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2010
Lynn recalls seeing a cartoon in a magazine with a small child asking, "Do caterpillars know they're
NULL -- 2 Kings 5:1-14 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C -- 2010
Shawn almost forgot about a meeting he said he would attend at his church.
NULL -- Colossians 1:1-14 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2010
Todd was sitting at his desk filled with despair.
NULL -- Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19) -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C -- 2010
It was one of those Sunday mornings we all have from time to time.
It all began at a red light... -- Amos 8:1-12 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2010
It all began at a red light.
The women's and children shelter became a mission project... -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2010
The women's and children shelter became a mission project for the women's circle at church.
NULL -- Hosea 11:1-11 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - C -- 2010
Several years ago Jackie was traveling with her two young children to visit her parents who lived an
NULL -- Luke 12:13-21 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - C -- 2010
Eric will admit that he is a collector who hates to throw anything away, even if the clothes no long
NULL -- Isaiah 5:1-7 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2010
A retired pastor tells of an experience when he was just starting out in ministry.
NULL -- Luke 12:49-56 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2010
A friend from work asked Denny if he would like to go on a mission trip with him and other members o
NULL -- Hebrews 12:18-29 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - C -- 2010
Helena was excited about her vacation near historic Savannah, Georgia.
NULL -- Jeremiah 2:4-13 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2010
Mike grew up in the church and like many people began drifting away after graduating from high schoo
NULL -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2010
One Sunday morning Greg was struck by something his pastor said in his message.
Joanne had been away from the church for too many years... -- Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - C -- 2010
Joanne had been away from the church for too many years.
NULL -- Luke 15:1-10 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 2010
Karen asked her parents if they would be able to keep her cat while she and her family were away on
NULL -- 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 2010
Michelle knows first hand the power of prayer. She remembers the time when she was newly married.
David's family had gone though some hard times... -- Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C -- 2010
David's family had gone though some hard times.
Ashley never knew her mother... -- Luke 16:19-31 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C -- 2010
Ashley never knew her mother, her parents divorced when she was very young.
NULL -- 2 Timothy 1:1-14 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C -- 2010
Linda knows first hand the value of having a supportive family.
NULL -- Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C -- 2010
Jordon honestly admits that he has always been skeptical about matters of faith.
NULL -- Luke 17:11-19 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C -- 2010
It was a chance encounter that Joanne would later recognize as a God moment.
NULL -- Joel 2:23-32 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - C -- 2010
Cathy and her sister were asked to clear their mother's vegetable garden.
NULL -- Isaiah 65:17-25 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C -- 2010
Charity Bell is a graduate student who is also a foster parent.
NULL -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11 -- Timothy Smith -- Thanksgiving Day - C -- 2010
Thanksgiving is always a special day for Alan and his extended family.

Stories

StoryShare

Testing One, Two, Three... -- John 4:5-42, Romans 5:1-11, Exodus 17:1-7, Psalm 95 -- Keith Hewitt, Timothy Smith -- Third Sunday in Lent - A -- 2008
ContentsWhat's Up This Week
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 23 | OT 28 | Pentecost 18
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 24 | OT 29 | Pentecost 19
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 25 | OT 30 | Pentecost 20
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 November 2, 2025:
Thomas Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
For November 2, 2025:

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: This message involves roleplay. You will need a chair for Zach to stand on, unless it is ok for him to stand on a front pew. For the best fun, you will also want to have an adult volunteer play the role of Jesus and walk in when it is time. Whether he is in costume is up to you.

* * *
John Jamison
Object: You will need one or more pictures of people recognized as saints. You may find some pictures by Googling “public domain pictures of saints” and printing images from the results.

* * *

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4 and Psalm 119:137-144
Walter Elwell in the Shaw Pocket Bible Handbook notes of righteousness that it is, “Right standing, specifically before God. Among the Greeks, righteousness was an ethical virtue. Among the Hebrews it was a legal concept; the righteous man was the one who got the verdict of acceptability when tried at the bar of God’s justice.” God is a righteous God, even when is people are not righteous.
Frank Ramirez
One of the features of synagogue worship is the Shema. The Hebrew word is “Hear!” and is the opening for Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” God’s people are commanded to “hear” these words. They come from the Lord. And these three scriptures invite us to hear God and each other, something that is lacking in our society today.
Wayne Brouwer
Fred Craddock tells of a vacation encounter in the Smokey Mountains of eastern Tennessee years ago that moved him deeply. He and his wife took supper one evening in a place called the Black Bear Inn. One side of the building was all glass, open to a magnificent mountain view. Glad to be alone, the Craddocks were a bit annoyed when an elderly man ambled over and struck up a nosey conversation: “Are you on vacation?” “Where are you from?” “What do you do?”
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 and Psalm 149

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.
Frank Ramirez
Call them the good old days. Call it the Golden Age. It’s not unusual for people to look back in their youth, or to the youth of their country, as somehow more perfect, honorable, or simpler. C.S. Lewis was always skeptical about claims that chocolate was better in one’s youth. It wasn’t better. Our taste buds were stronger and more receptive.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
The Roman Catholic Church's canonisation of Edith Stein some years ago, fuelled considerable controversy. Edith Stein was born and bred into a Jewish family, becoming a Roman Catholic Christian at the age of 31. She was also a leading German intellectual in the early thirties, during the run-up to World War 2, although she gave up that career in order to become a Carmelite nun. But she didn't deny her Jewish roots, for in 1933 she petitioned the Pope, Pious XI to write an encyclical in defence of the Jews.
Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus didn't reject anyone, even those who were liars and cheats. By a simple act of friendship Jesus turned Zaccheus' life around. In our worship today let us consider friendship and all that it means.


Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, there are some people I don't like.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, there are some people I reject.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, there are some people I keep out of my circle of friends.
Lord, have mercy.


Reading:

SermonStudio

Carlos Wilton
Theme For The Day
The world offers many blessings, but none of these things will save us: only the blessing of God in Jesus Christ can do that.

Old Testament Lesson
Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18
Daniel's Apocalyptic Dream
Perry H. Biddle, Jr.
Comments on the Lessons
John W. Clarke
This chapter of Luke brings us ever closer to the end of Jesus' public ministry. Jesus enters Jericho, just fifteen miles or so from the holy city of Jerusalem. It is here that Jesus transforms the life of Zacchaeus, the tax collector. This is one of the few stories that is peculiar to Luke and is a wonderful human-interest story. The fact that Zacchaeus is willing to climb a tree to see Jesus is a clear indication that he really wanted to see and meet the carpenter from Nazareth. His eagerness to see Jesus is rewarded in a very special way.
Scott A. Bryte
Then he looked up at his disciples and said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
Mark Ellingson
This is a story written for people who had been or were about to be persecuted, if not enslaved. (The book of Daniel was probably written in the mid-second century B.C. during a period of Seleucid [Syrian] domination in Palestine.) It tells them and us how their ancestors had once faced a similar slavery under the oppression of the Babylonians centuries earlier. The implication was that if these ancestors could endure and overcome such bondage, so could they and so can we.
Gary L. Carver
Ulysses S. Grant fought many significant battles as commander of the Union forces in the War Between the States. He also served as President of the United States where he probably engaged in as many battles as he did while he was a general. Toward the end of his life he fought his toughest battle -- with cancer and death.

Special Occasion

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