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Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

When Henry Gockel was 32... -- Romans 8:26-39 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1999
When Henry Gockel was 32, he lost his voice.
I was living my dream... -- Romans 8:26-39 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1999
I was living my dream of owning a business in my birthplace of Cincinnati, Ohio.
So it will be, says... -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1999
"So it will be," says our text for today, "at the end of the age.
Jesus had the knack of... -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1999
Jesus had the knack of taking common things (like seeds, yeast, hidden treasure, pearls, and nets) a
A large crowd was gathered... -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1999
A large crowd was gathered outside a small store that sold children's toys.
Jesus points out two elements... -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1999
Jesus points out two elements that are essential in understanding the Kingdom of Heaven: the mysteri
After seeing a bumper sticker... -- Romans 8:26-39 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1996
After seeing a bumper sticker that read, "God Is Love," a man remarked, "I wish I could feel God's l
This story comes out of... -- Romans 8:26-39 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1996
This story comes out of World War II (I know not the source).
The first time I ever... -- Romans 8:26-39 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1996
The first time I ever experienced an automatic door opener was years ago in New York City.
Ever GreenToday I... -- Romans 8:26-39 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1996
Ever GreenToday I saw Him, Christ ... body broken,
A college professor gave an... -- Romans 8:26-39 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1996
A college professor gave an assignment to his class.
A man went into the... -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1996
A man went into the appliance section of a department store.
Dave found himself wandering through... -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1996
Dave found himself wandering through a maze of tables and stacks and racks piled high with things ma
Bob had his sights on... -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1996
Bob had his sights on a Ph.D. in engineering. He wanted to teach and do research.
My friend, who was also... -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1996
My friend, who was also raised in a parsonage, told me that someday he wanted to be like his father
Although the word Father can... -- Luke 11:1-13 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
Although the word "Father" can be problematic if it is too closely associated with a male person, it
A Lutheran pastor, Robert Herhold... -- Luke 11:1-3 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
A Lutheran pastor, Robert Herhold, shared some of his feelings on prayer in a little book called
Grace Easley has written a... -- Luke 11:1-13 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
Grace Easley has written a poem that states this text beautifully.
Once there was ab... -- Luke 11:1-13 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
Once there was a family who used the Lord's Prayer as their table grace.
With great regularity we receive... -- 2 Kings 4:8-17 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
With great regularity we receive invitations to this and to that. Some are downright oblique.
One of the most recurring... -- 2 Kings 4:8-17 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
One of the most recurring themes throughout the Old and the New Testaments is that God can change ba
The tale is quite famous... -- 2 Kings 4:8-17 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
The tale is quite famous now, concerning the story of how George C.
During the Great Depression, ministers... -- 2 Kings 4:8-17 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
During the Great Depression, ministers often proclaimed the Word at great personal sacrifice.
The Assyrian came down like... -- Genesis 18:20-32 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,

The Immediate Word

Constructing Community -- Genesis 29:15-28, Psalm 128, Romans 8:26-39, Psalm 105:1-11, 45b -- Chris Ewing -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
The shock of betrayal that Jacob experienced the morning after his wedding resonates all too easily

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New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Nazish Naseem
Mary Austin
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
For October 12, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 29:1,4-7

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
As he entered a village, ten men with a skin disease approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (vv. 12-13)

“I wouldn’t touch that with a ten-foot pole.”

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: This message is a role-play story. If you have enough children, you could have them play the roles of the ten lepers. However, for the most fun, I suggest planning ahead and recruiting ten adults from your congregation to play the roles.

* * *

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott

Call to Worship:

Jesus healed ten sick people, but nine of them were only interested in themselves and their own condition. Just one was able to look beyond his own concerns and say thank you. In our worship today let us look beyond ourselves and see God.

Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, sometimes we are consumed by ourselves and fail to really care about other people.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes we focus so intently on ourselves that we forget to say thank you.
Christ, have mercy.

SermonStudio

James Evans
(See Easter 6, Cycle A for an alternative approach to vv. 8-20.)

Schuyler Rhodes
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (v. 10). "Perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). These two powerful statements reveal for us the inadequacies of the translation process of the English language. These two juxtaposing passages reveal only a tiny fraction of the contradictions and conflicts found within our holy Word. No wonder people have trouble reading and understanding.
Scott Suskovic
"... suffer as I do" (2 Timothy 1:12).

It was in 1965 that the Rolling Stones recorded the song, "I Can't Get No Satisfaction." Even today, over forty years later, we are still saying the same words and feeling the same emptiness of trying and trying, but getting no satisfaction. Commercials promise it with whiter teeth and fresher breath. Wall Street promises it with higher returns. Soap operas promise it with a dynamic love life. Yet those who have conquered each of those summits come up with the same cry, "I can't get no satisfaction." Can you?

Stephen M. Crotts
Have you ever had this experience? You walk into a dark room to do something, flick on the light switch, and nothing happens. I suspect a lot of our Thanksgivings are like that. Thursday late in November rolls around and suddenly it's Thanksgiving! So everybody gives thanks! But quite often the gratitude is just not there. Like the light switch, we reach for it at the appropriate time and it won't work. It's burned out.
Richard E. Gribble, CSC
Once there was a wise king who died. His son, who was young and rather brash, came to the throne and after only two months ordered a review all of his father's appointments. He called in the royal secretary, the royal treasurer, and the viceroy for interviews. He found them all to be unworthy and sent them into exile with only the shirts on their backs. Next he decided to interview the local bishop. A courier was sent to the bishop's residence with this message: "You are to report to the palace and answer the following three questions: 1) What direction does God face? 2) What am I worth?

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