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Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Unless the Lord builds the... -- Genesis 18:20-32 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
Unless the Lord builds the house,those who build it labor in vain.
Par Lagerkvist's novel, The Sibyl... -- Genesis 18:20-32 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
Par Lagerkvist's novel, The Sibyl, is a parable in which the Swedish author proposes that the
The philosophy professor grinned as... -- Genesis 18:20-32 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
The philosophy professor grinned as he ripped off one of his favorite lines.
In contrast to revenge, which... -- Colossians 2:6-15 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
In contrast to revenge, which is the natural, automatic reaction to transgression and which, beca
The colossal Christ of Colossians... -- Colossians 2:6-15 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
The colossal Christ of Colossians, chapters one and two --that's the theme before us.
Never weep over the loss... -- Colossians 2:6-15 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
"Never weep over the loss of something that cannot weep for you."Sophia Loren
A great war has... -- Colossians 2:6-15 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
A great war has just ended, and the Evil Empire which had initiated the war with arrogant dem
It might have been wise... -- Genesis 29:15-28 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
It might have been wise if Jacob had learned the wedding customs that prevailed in Haran before his
James (Quick) Tillis, a former... -- Genesis 29:15-28 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
James (Quick) Tillis, a former heavyweight boxer, told the story of how he arrived in Chicago from h
Sue and Bill were married... -- Genesis 29:15-28 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
Sue and Bill were married for 59 years.
A teacher asked her students... -- Genesis 29:15-28 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
A teacher asked her students, "Do you know the difference between being nice to someone and truly lo
The word Paul uses to... -- Romans 8:26-39 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
The word Paul uses to describe God's working for goodness in the creation is sunergei and it
When Tom was 24 years... -- Romans 8:26-39 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
When Tom was 24 years old he borrowed $7,000 from his parents to pay for a year of adult vocational
When we don't know how... -- Romans 8:26-39 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
When we don't know how to pray ... we go to "sighs too deep for words."
This text is a favorite... -- Romans 8:26-39 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
This text is a favorite for those who are ministering to the sick and dying.
A mother of three young... -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
A mother of three young children who also taught Sunday school had just finished a lesson on heaven.
Little things matter a lot... -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
Little things matter a lot and can make a huge difference in how things turn out:
Would anyone notice if your... -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
Would anyone notice if your church closed down tomorrow? Harvard University researcher Robert D.
A tiny mustard seed grows... -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
A tiny mustard seed grows to produce a huge shrub; a little effort produces great results.

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In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
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Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
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Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
34 – Sermons
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Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Thomas Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
For July 6, 2025:

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: This is a role play activity for the children.

Note: You will need an older volunteer to help with this activity. One option would be to find a teenager with some physical ability. If a teen is not available, an adult could be used instead. For simplicity here, I will refer to my older volunteer as “TOM”. You will also need to select three of your younger children to serve as volunteers in the story.

* * *

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
2 Kings 5:1-14
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
Bonnie Bates
2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30
Naaman seeks healing. He travels hoping healing will come to him when he visits the king of Israel. Yet, healing does not come in that way. Rather healing comes through Elishah. Healing comes from believing and being cleansed in the River Jordan. Healing comes through Naaman’s faithfulness and through God’s grace. Psalm 30 also reminds us to seek healing; to seek God and God will heal and restore us. Do we believe that? Do we believe that God can bring healing?

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ (vv. 10-11)

When I visit your church for the first time, consider the possibility that I might be looking for a church home. I am a good-looking old guy, but I have gray hair and I dress down in the summer, so don’t be put off by my cargo shorts and tank top. Talk to me!

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Damien and Ora grinned at each other in excitement. The time had come - at last! They'd been with the Leader for months and months, waiting for this moment. Not that it had felt much like training. They'd simply lived with the Leader, listening to his stories, hearing about the Kingdom, learning to get along really well with all the other people at Mission Headquarters. Now all seventy of them were ready, the spaceship had docked, and the Mission was about to begin. Ora was glad she'd been paired up with Damien again.

SermonStudio

James Evans
Stan Purdum
Carlos Wilton
(See Epiphany 6/Ordinary Time 6, Cycle B, and Easter 3, Cycle C, for alternative approaches.)

Anyone who has ever had the experience of losing a friend because of some conflict or dispute, and then has had the friendship restored because of love and forgiveness, has a unique insight into the meaning of this psalm. Although the poem begins and ends with praise, there is in the middle of the poem a brief moment of confession and contrition that puts the praise portions of the psalm in an entirely different light.

April Yamasaki
A word of encouragement came from an unlikely source the other day in a television interview with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The former football player, wrestler, and now actor was asked about a low time in his life when he was very discouraged about his career and future.

"How did you make your way back from that?" he was asked.

The Rock replied, "You have to put yourself out there. You have to get out there and fail, and learn from your failures."

Larry D. Powell
In the summer of 1983, I participated in a ministerial exchange program sponsored by my denomination. My assignment was to a circuit of churches on the Isle of Man, a tiny island located in the Irish Sea. The months preceding the exchange included considerable correspondence with the minister on the island with whom I would exchange pastoral duties for six weeks.
Richard E. Gribble, CSC
A wealthy businessman decided to take a walk and eat his lunch at the same time. He strolled by a park. There he purchased a hot dog and a soft drink. As he walked through the park two different "street people" approached him one by one. Each asked, "Can you help me? I am hungry." Each time the businessman looked straight ahead and kept walking. After finishing his lunch, he stopped and bought a chocolate eclair for dessert. As he was about to take the first bite, he was forced to jump out of the way as a young boy raced by on his skateboard. The eclair went flying and landed on the ground.

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