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First Sunday in Lent - C

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

We bought a bug in... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
We bought a bug in 1960 -- a used Volkswagen beetle. A friend painted it for us. Its
Jeremy, at sixteen, had his... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
Jeremy, at sixteen, had his first job: scooping ice cream and making iced drinks. He'd
Temptations are always before me... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
Temptations are always before me. My driving habits have caused more than one angel to
An old story reminds us... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
An old story reminds us of the dangerous tricks the devil tries. At one time, goodness on
If the Lenten season is... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
If the Lenten season is a time of remembering the stories of our faith, surely Luke's story
Several years ago there were... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2001
Several years ago there were four Orthodox Jewish students who sued Yale University.
Because the devil was not... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2001
Because the devil was not depicted in Christian art until an illustrated manuscript known as the
I have always believed that... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2001
I have always believed that God could speak through any medium including books, television, movies,
At Christmastime, a Midwestern radio... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2001
At Christmastime, a Midwestern radio station ran a contest to increase its audience.
Ronald was a dying man... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2001
Ronald was a dying man. He knew it. The doctors knew it.
Military aircraft and ships must... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2001
Military aircraft and ships must be prepared to operate amid hostile situations.
Passwords have always been important... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2001
Passwords have always been important.
In 1567, Saint Teresa of... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2001
In 1567, Saint Teresa of Avila set out to establish a monastery of poverty in Medina.
In The Phantom of... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 1998
In The Phantom of the Opera, Christine is finally in the presence of the angel of music.
The opportune time presented itself... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 1998
The "opportune time" presented itself. His wife was gone across the country to her parents' place.
Passages such as this, in... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 1998
Passages such as this, in which Paul focuses upon what we believe in our hearts and say with our mo
If at this moment the... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 1998
If at this moment the population of earth was shrunk to the size of a village with a population of 1
Zephyr Wright was for many... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 1998
Zephyr Wright was for many years the housekeeper-cook at the LBJ Ranch in Stonewall, Texas.
We live now by faith... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 1998
We live now by faith. But our faith is a simple precursor to sight.
Some people driving through Montana... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 1998
Some people driving through Montana are surprised to find out that state troopers are pulling cars o
When the new pastor arrived... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 1998
When the new pastor arrived at his first parish, he formed an immediate relationship with the "chief
A writer once spoke of... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
A writer once spoke of his "starving artist" period as a young man in a large city, and described a
Power, prestige and money -- the... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
Power, prestige and money -- the three great temptations of our day.
Among the feats for which... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
Among the feats for which Mohawks among the Native American population are known and widely-respecte
From her kitchen window, Mary... -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
From her kitchen window, Mary looked out at her garden and noted the squirrel cavorting around the e

Intercession

Prayer

Preaching

Sermon

The Village Shepherd

The Nature Of Temptation -- Luke 4:1-13 -- Janice B. Scott -- First Sunday in Lent - C
I've never been very clear about the difference between temptation and sin.
Thanking God Appropriately -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11 -- Janice B. Scott -- First Sunday in Lent - C
As a young and relatively newly qualified physiotherapist, I was privileged to treat an elderly, ret
Constant Protection And Shining Health -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- Janice B. Scott -- First Sunday in Lent - C
Every time I turn on my television I see adverts for face creams to reduce signs of aging, alcohol

Stories

Worship

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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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