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Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

William Barclay has told... -- Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
William Barclay has told that one of the most dangerous jobs during World War II was sailing i
One of the most popular... -- Luke 11:1-13 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
One of the most popular musicals on Broadway in recent years has been Les Miserables based on
The lyrics of Keith... -- Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
The lyrics of Keith Green‚--ôs song, "So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt," catches the spirit of th
In order for a door... -- Luke 11:1-13 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
In order for a door to be opened, someone must have the key.
In the Wilderness of... -- Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
In the Wilderness of Sin, the Israelites made the mistake of measuring their life in terms of
One of the best... -- Ephesians 4:1-6 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
One of the best examples of a group working together for the benefit of everyone in the group
Oliver Wendell Holmes once... -- Ephesians 4:1-6 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
Oliver Wendell Holmes once said that the power of the Gulf Stream would flow through an ordina
Since they share a... -- Ephesians 4:1-6 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
Since they share a 2,000--mile border, it‚--ôs not strange that the South Amenican lands of Ch
Paul chooses strong and... -- Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
Paul chooses strong and vivid words to picture the heathen way of life: "Having lost all sensi
When the Germans had... -- Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
When the Germans had surrendered and World War II had come to a close, General Dwight Eisenhow
Last summer a teenager... -- Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
Last summer a teenager found the Lord; it was one of those shoutin' kind of experiences for hi
David continued to live... -- 2 Samuel 12:1-14 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
David continued to live in the palace and to rule the land.
Two days before she died... -- Colossians 2:12-14 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
Two days before she died in a fire, a nine-year-old girl wrote in a school essay, "My best friend is
Gary Dotson spent seven years... -- Colossians 2:12-14 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
Gary Dotson spent seven years in prison for a crime which he did not commit.
In the 1983 movie A... -- Luke 11:1-13 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
In the 1983 movie A Christmas Story, young Ralphie tries everything he can think of to get a
Some of the feeling and... -- Colossians 2:12-14 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
Some of the feeling and meaning of this passage were expressed in one of the freedom songs of
When we are forgiven our... -- Luke 11:1-13 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
When we are forgiven our trespasses, what is broken is made right and the perpetrator is made whole
During Great Britain's colonial rule... -- Colossians 2:12-14 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
During Great Britain's colonial rule in India, a British magistrate who was on duty there conducted
An October, 2003 Associated Press... -- Luke 11:1-13 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
An October, 2003 Associated Press story tells of how many letters to God end up each year at an Isra

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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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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180+ – Illustrations / Stories
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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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