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Wesley T. Runk

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Children's sermon

SermonStudio

Make A List For God -- Philippians 4:4-7 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a shopping list
Jumping With Help -- Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: string or rope
God Sees Right Through -- Hebrews 4:9-16 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a big piece of clear plastic used to cover many or all of the children
A Man Who Changed His Mind -- Mark 3:13-19 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: none
What Do You Do With The Leftover Jelly Beans? -- Luke 12:13-21 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a large bag of jelly beans
An Empty Box -- John 20:1-2, 11-18 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a new, empty crayon box
God Is Like A One--A--Day -- Philippians 4:10-13, 19-20 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: some vitamins
You're Worth A Million -- Romans 5:1-11 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a make--believe check for $1,000,000 (be sure to void the check!) and an old rag
We Are The Church -- Hebrews 3:1-6 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: some bricks, wood, a miniature tent
Why Is Sunday Special? -- Mark 2:23-28 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: some aspirin or some other kind of pill or capsule
Snakes On Your Plate -- Luke 11:1-13 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a plastic or rubber snake and spider
The Spear -- John 19:31-35 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a spear
The Clean Plate Club -- Matthew 15:21-28 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: bread crumbs
Cold Water And Kindness -- Matthew 10:34-42 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: cups of cold water to be shared with all of the children
Jesus Was A Pioneer -- Hebrews 2:9-11 (12-18) -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: an antique that would be representative of the pioneer period of our country, such a
Standing Room Only -- Mark 2:1-12 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: some signs ("Standing Room Only," "Full," or "Sold Out")
Do You Choose Marge Or Chris? -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a candy bar and a glass of milk
Christ The King -- John 18:33-37 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a crown and a map of the world or a globe
A Lesson From Lettuce -- Philippians 3:17--4:1 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a good head of lettuce and a spoiled head of lettuce (or some other produce)
Paul Shipwrecked -- Acts 27:1-28:16 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: some broken boards and a torn piece of canvas
Friends And Favors -- Philemon 8-10 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: none
A Treasure Hunt -- Mark 1:29-39 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a jewelry box hidden somewhere in the chancel
You Need All The Pieces -- Luke 10:25-37 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a jigsaw puzzle
You Are Jesus' Magnifying Glass -- John 17:20-26 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a magnifying glass
Jesus Clears The Clutter -- Philippians 3:8-14 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a lot of clutter: some books, puzzles, toys, balls and bat, a radio, and the funny pa

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The Immediate Word

Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Tom Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
George Reed
Christopher Keating
For October 26, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
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.
Bill Thomas
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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:

CSSPlus

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.
Robert R. Kopp
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.
John E. Berger
Today's sermon begins with this little one-person drama.
Mark Ellingson
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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