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The situation in Amos' context...

Illustration
Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
Amos 8:1-12
Mark Ellingsen
The situation in Amos' context was like our own: Free market capitalism exploits the poor, while the rich get richer (Herbert Marcuse, An Essay on Liberation, esp. pp. 11ff). Most recent U.S. Census Bureau data bears out the truth of this observation, as nearly 33% of all working families live near poverty, and the top 20% of Americans received 48% of all income, while the bottom 20% of Americans received less than 5% of the total national income! What can the church do about such economic realities? John Calvin offers sound advice:

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The Immediate Word

Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Christopher Keating
Ron Love
George Reed
Bethany Peerbolte
Thomas Willadsen
For September 29, 2019:
  • The Backfire Effect by Dean Feldmeyer — When we hold an erroneous belief and are proven wrong, we tend to hang onto that belief even more fervently than before. That’s called the “Backfire Effect,” and Jesus knew about it.

StoryShare

Keith Hewitt
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Contents
What's Up This Week
"Treasures" by Keith Hewitt
"Recognizing the Truth" by Peter Andrew Smith


Treasures
Keith Hewitt
Jeremiah 32:1-3, 6-15

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Wayne Brouwer
Remember the story of Robin Hood? Robin Hood was no common thief; he was a distinguished social savior serving as an agent of the proper redistribution of wealth. “I take from the rich and give to the poor,” he said. Robin Hood believed Nottinghamshire should be one big, happy family, and he patrolled the highways and byways to make it so for the children and the peasants.

Mark Ellingsen
Bob Ove
Bonnie Bates
Ron Love
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
This was said to be President Ronald Reagan’s favorite joke. It’s a good one, but I think it also speaks to how we look at things.

There were twin boys about six years old. Worried that they had developed extreme personalities — one was a total pessimist, the other a total optimist — their parents took them to a doctor.

CSSPlus

Arley K. Fadness
“No slave can serve two masters...you cannot serve God and money.” (v. 13)

Good morning children,

I’m so glad to see you. How are you? (children respond)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Our Sunday paper is so full of glossy magazine extras of various sorts, that it practically requires a wheel barrow to carry it all. I never get through all that is offered, but I do like to spend a leisurely hour or so reading some of the paper and flicking through the magazines, marvelling at the bizarre and flamboyant life-style apparently enjoyed by some people. Occasionally there are more serious articles as well and sometimes there can be quite a strange combination of articles, such as an article on diet immediately followed by several pages on chocolate cookery.

SermonStudio

Lee Ann Dunlap
What is the most ludicrous business deal you ever got into (or out of) just in time?

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