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Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

The writer, Annie Dillard, tells... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2006
The writer, Annie Dillard, tells in The Writing Life of an event that comes out of
The United States Secret Service... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2006
The United States Secret Service, responsible for guarding the integrity of our nation's
In 2005, Harold Printer, the... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2006
In 2005, Harold Printer, the irascible British playwright, was awarded the Nobel Prize for
It has been said that... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2006
It has been said that familiarity breeds contempt. When we think we know someone we
As a beauty I'm... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2006
As a beauty I'm not a star, There are others more handsome by far;
In the movie Election... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2001
In the movie Election, we are introduced to Tracy Flick, who is the very definition of an ove
John Leo, in U.S... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2001
John Leo, in U.S.
RCA used the image of... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2001
RCA used the image of a dog sitting attentively next to a record player and the caption was, "His ma
Small town memories can be... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2001
Small town memories can be long and brutal. Michael was a troubled child.
Howard, don't you think it's... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2001
"Howard, don't you think it's about time?" Jerry, Howard's best friend, was concerned about the sign
Paul talks about authentic love... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2001
Paul talks about authentic love and its place in the Christian faith.
John and April, the pastor... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2001
"John and April," the pastor began, "the building blocks on the altar are my wedding gift to you.
Mothers teach children that people... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2001
Mothers teach children that "people pay more attention to what we do than what we say." Believers mi
Robin Williams in the movie... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1998
Robin Williams in the movie Dead Poet's Society was instrumental in helping his students see
Spiritual leadership is an impossible... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1998
Spiritual leadership is an impossible job.
We tend to think of... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1998
We tend to think of love as emotion, as opposed to idea or reason or will.
Paul's words on love in... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1998
Paul's words on "love" in 1 Corinthians are among the most famous ever written.
Who pays any attention to... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1998
Who pays any attention to Number 2? Well, Babe Ruth is Number 2.
Whenever I drive into Pittsburgh... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1998
Whenever I drive into Pittsburgh, I travel past three church buildings that always catch my attentio
When Rosa Parks declined to... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1995
When Rosa Parks declined to move and stand at the back of the bus, the driver and some passengers we
This is a true story... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1995
This is a true story. Tom Kelker was an over-the-road salesman, home only on weekends.
Some 400 volumes about the... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1995
Some 400 volumes about the presidency of John Fitzgerald Kennedy are now available.
A child leaves home to... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1995
A child leaves home to live the kind of life that comes to poverty and near destruction.
The obscurity and apparent heterodoxy... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1995
The obscurity and apparent heterodoxy of much of the work of the English poet, artist and visionary
Love is patient. I have... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1995
Love is patient. I have an aunt who is in her 90s.

Intercession

Prayer

Preaching

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The Village Shepherd

Bit-Part Characters -- Luke 2:22-40 -- Janice B. Scott -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
We watched a re-run of "Oliver" on television recently.
God's House -- Ezekiel 43:27-44:4 -- Janice B. Scott -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Although church attendance is down dramatically compared with fifty years ago, there is one sure way

Stories

Worship

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John Jamison
Object: You may present this message as a simple story, or have the children act it out as a role-play. I will show the role-play version, but you can ignore the acting pieces and just tell the story if you prefer.

Note: For the role-play version, you will need to select two girls and one boy to play the roles. You might also have a broom and a dust rag if you want to.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! Let’s get started.

The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
Nazish Naseem
For July 20, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Amos 8:1-12, Psalm 52
Amos proclaims the word from God that punishes the people. The people are to be punished for their lack of faith, for their focus on practicing deceit, betraying honesty to their neighbors, and being impatient for the time after the Sabbath when they can focus on profit and selling their crops and wares. Oh, my! What a terrible message for people. You have been unfaithful so I will punish you. And then in the psalm, God is proclaimed to be the olive tree, that which brings blessing.
David Kalas
I have tried to find different ways of saying it so that my children don’t tire of hearing it. But the basic principle remains the same, and my kids have heard it a ton. “First things first.” They ask if they can do this or they start to do that, and I will endeavor to redirect them, saying, “Why don’t we make sure we’re doing first things first!”

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. (v. 24)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
One of Martha's earliest memories was of her little sister Mary singing and dancing in the middle of an admiring crowd of friends. Mary had always been a dancer, from the time she could walk. Privately, Martha thought she'd always been something of a show-off and ought to go on the stage, for Mary loved an audience.

SermonStudio

John E. Sumwalt
Jeanne Jones
Several years ago, before we moved to Wisconsin, I was an honorary nanny for our pastor's son, Jonathan. I took care of him from the time he was able to walk until our pastor moved, when Jonathan was about five. We had wonderful times together. One time, when I was at their house, and we had been doing some spiritual direction together, Pastor Michael asked me if I knew the name of my guardian angel.
James Evans
We are not surprised when we learn about crooks and robbers boasting about "mischief done against the godly" or "plotting destruction" all day long. The image we have in our minds about who "bad" people are, and how they conduct themselves, make such accusations completely plausible. We are less inclined to believe such things about leaders, especially respected leaders among us. We have difficulty believing someone with wealth and power would deliberately plot to do someone else harm.
Arley K. Fadness
Today's gospel from Luke 10 follows the parable of the good Samaritan. Luke positions the good Samaritan and the Mary-Martha story back to back for good reason. The parable and the story are examples of the Great Commandment "to love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself." The good Samaritan parable illustrates "love to neighbor," whereas the Mary-Martha story illustrates "love to God."
Kirk R. Webster
In the early 1990s, Wesley Nunley of Dallas completed a project he had dreamed of for decades. "I tell you, this could be a big thing," he explained. Wes then walked out to a concrete octagon in the middle of his backyard. With a beaming smile, arms raised up in excitement, the energetic retiree said, "This welcomes the UFO to land, which has never been done before."
John W. Wurster
It was the best of times. A time of prosperity and confidence, a time of relative peace, a time when most everything looked pretty good, a time when most everyone felt pretty good. It was a time maybe not unlike our own time.
H. Burnham Kirkland
Words Of Assurance
Our God is both wise and caring: afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted.

Pastoral Prayer
God, we bow before you this morning, knowing that you hear every prayer. We know that in all of Creation, you are the source of life. You are the one who set the light swirling between the galaxies. The breath of your Spirit pulses through all life. You have even become flesh among us. We praise you, Lord, that in all your wonder, you have not forgotten us.

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