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Illustration
Christ The King (Proper 29) - B
2 Samuel 23:1-7
Mark J. Molldrem
The image of a rock is often used in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy, Psalms, Isaiah) to speak of God's steadfastness, reliability, and strength. One can get a profound sense of the appropriateness of this reference touring the Black Hills of South Dakota, viewing the two and a half billion-year-old granite monoliths erupting all throughout the hills, standing bold and undaunted over the Ponderosa pine forests. Mount Rushmore is carved out of one of these -- the faces of four American presidents who spoke guiding words at critical times in our history.
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Advent 2
29 – Sermons
100+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
31 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Advent 3
27 – Sermons
110+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
30 – Worship Resources
26 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Advent 4
29 – Sermons
110+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Christmas Eve/Day
29 – Sermons
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
36 – Children's Sermons / Resources
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Are We There Yet?
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James 5:7-10

Did you ever wonder where they get the kids for the TV ads, you know the ones that are always smiling, and sitting next to parents on the couch, or at the table? Maybe your kids are like that. Maybe there are kids like that somewhere. But mine… well let’s say they were more likely to be involved in other activities.

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When a woman is pregnant, we often say she is "expecting." That is a good term for it, because she's expecting or anticipating that a baby will be born at some appointed time in the future, and along with that baby will come a whole wealth of other expectations. There will be expectations about who the baby will look like, and what that baby will be like. There will be expectations about the baby's future -- the kind of life he or she will live; the kind of person the child will become. As V. S. Naipaul once said, "One isn't born one's self.

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