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Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Most preachers have had the... -- Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Most preachers have had the experience of going to the congregation where they grew up and pr
If you've ever driven in... -- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
If you've ever driven in New England, you know the roads are narrow, hilly, winding and very busy.
Father Elias Chacour is one... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Father Elias Chacour is one of the most fascinating figures in Israel.
The local Roman Catholic pastoral... -- Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
The local Roman Catholic pastoral team and the Lutheran team began to meet monthly to talk about a c
There is a great power... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
There is a great power in words.
Release to the captives and... -- Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
"Release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind" was Jesus' proclamation (Luke 4:18) i
In the recent film, Lost... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
In the recent film, Lost in Translation, the character portrayed by Bill Murray is an America
Ever had a book written... -- Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Ever had a book written just for you? Or, perhaps dedicated to you by the author?
If you take a walk... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
If you take a walk on the Boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, you may discover, tucked aw
Jeremiah's call to ministry is... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Jeremiah's call to ministry is a familiar scenario. The call of Moses reads much the same.
Countless descriptions of call stories... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Countless descriptions of "call stories" or instances of select individual being set apart for speci
As you travel down the... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
As you travel down the freeway you generally keep your eyes peeled for all the road signs you need t
A theological issue that continues... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
A theological issue that continues to separate Christians is that of predestination.
And all spoke well of... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
"And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth." (L
A study of military recruiting... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
A study of military recruiting posters over the last forty or fifty years would provide interesting
All ministers know the truth... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
All ministers know the truth of the statement of Jesus that no prophet is honored in his own hometow
In The Irony of American... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
In The Irony of American History, Rinhold Niebuhr makes the point that anything worth accompl
When President Reagan celebrated his... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
When President Reagan celebrated his election victory late in 1984, 3,000 supporters crowded into th
The Iran-Contra affair was... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
The Iran-Contra affair was one story that occupied the media for a prolonged period of time.
There are several points of... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
There are several points of interest in this week's Gospel, which is a sequel to the last week's.
Dear Cindy and Tom,br... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Dear Cindy and Tom,
Jeremiah was a prophet... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Jeremiah was a prophet who acknowledged that the source of his eloquence was God.
Johann Sebastian Bach dedicated his... -- 1 Corinthians 14:12b-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Johann Sebastian Bach dedicated his The Little Organ Book "In praise of the Almighty's Will a
I was fifteen years old... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
I was fifteen years old, riding the city bus towards downtown and my 4:00 p.m.
Why do we so often... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Why do we so often get stuck on the marginal, the side-issue, the unimportant, and miss Christ?

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Easter 4
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160+ – Illustrations / Stories
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34 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
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30 – Worship Resources
35 – Commentary / Exegesis
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New & Featured This Week

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
In the sometimes-tiresome debate over science and scripture with respect to creation, it’s easy to become distracted. While the argument typically requires a focus on the how, we may lose sight of the what. And so, for just a moment, let me invite us to think for a moment about what God created.
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
Acts 8:26-40
As a local church pastor, I was often asked if I would baptize a child whose family were not members of the church. Some churches rebelled against this, but I remember this scripture — the hunger for understanding and inclusion of the Eunuch and Philp’s response — to teach and share and baptize in the name of our God. How could we turn anyone away from the rite of baptism?

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
“Dad, I think you worked a miracle.” Rolf slowly walked around the tree. “After that windstorm, I assumed this tree was as good as gone.”

“We just needed to give the branches time to heal and come back,” Michael replied.

 “I know, but so many of them were battered and broken I figured that it couldn’t recover. Now though it looks just like it did before the storm.” Rolf paused. “Do you think it will bear any fruit this summer?”

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A live plant that produces fruit, and a broken branch from that plant. I used a tomato plant from a local greenhouse. Ideally, find a plant with blossoms or small fruit already growing. If you use a different kind of fruit-producing plant, just change the script to fit.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent!

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
Elena Delhagen
Dean Feldmeyer
Quantisha Mason-Doll
For April 28, 2024:
  • On The Way To Gaza by Chris Keating based on Acts 8:26-40. On the way to Gaza, Philip discovers the startling ways the Spirit of God moves across borders, boundaries, customs, and traditions.
  • Second Thoughts: Abiding by Katy Stenta based on John 15:1-8.
  • Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Tom Willadsen, Elena Delhagen, Dean Feldmeyer.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. In our service today, let us absorb from the vine all the nourishment we need.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes our branches become cut off from the vine.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes our branches are withered.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we fail to produce good fruit.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Stan Purdum
We will meet Psalm 22 in its entirety on Good Friday, but here the lectionary designates just verses 23-31. The lectionary psalms generally illuminate the week's First Lesson, which in this case is about the covenant initiated by God with Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17. The nine verses from this psalm, while not inappropriate, nonetheless leave us looking for an obvious connection with the First Lesson.

John S. Smylie
I think some people are natural-born gardeners. Our Lord grew up in a society that was familiar with agriculture. The images that he used to explain the ways of his Father in heaven are familiar to his audience. Growing up, my closest experience to agriculture was living in, "the Garden State." Most people, when they pass through New Jersey, are surprised to see that expression on the license plates of vehicles registered in New Jersey. Most folks traveling through New Jersey experience the megalopolis, the corridor between New York City and Washington DC.
Ron Lavin
A pastor in Indiana went to visit an 87-year-old man named Ermil, who was a hospital patient. A member of his church told the pastor about this old man who was an acquaintance. "He's not a believer, but he is really in need," the church member said. "I met him at the county home for the elderly. He's a lonely old man with no family and no money."

Paul E. Robinson
"Love is a many splendored thing...." Or so we heard Don Cornwall and the Four Aces sing time and again. Of course you or I might have other words to describe love, depending on our situation.

Love. "I love you." "I love to play golf." "I just love pistachio lush!" "It's tough to love some people." "Jesus loves me, this I know."

Love.

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