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Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A

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This camera is out of... -- Colossians 3:1-11 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
"This camera is out of focus," Mary said to her friend.
A person who sees her... -- Colossians 3:1-11 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
A person who sees her life as satisfactorily defined by the society in which she lives will have no
A seed planted in the... -- Colossians 3:1-11 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
A seed planted in the ground "dies" to all intents and purposes.
Finding our treasure in God... -- Luke 12:13-21 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
Finding our treasure in God is the fount of all life and grace, for God gives us all in Christ.
He was the top draft... -- Luke 12:13-21 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
He was the top draft choice for the major leagues and he was the first of his family to graduate fro
According to an old fable... -- Luke 12:13-21 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
According to an old fable, a fly discovered a tantalizing strip of flypaper.
A certain farmer prospered and... -- Luke 12:13-21 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
A certain farmer prospered and purchased additional land.
Somewhere along life's journey I... -- Luke 12:13-21 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
Somewhere along life's journey I remember a colleague's house being destroyed by fire.
In the last hours of... -- 2 Kings 13:14-20a -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
In the last hours of his life Elisha is engaged in more war games.
Whatever your viewpoint about the... -- 2 Kings 13:14-20a -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
Whatever your viewpoint about the validity of miracles tied to a veneration of relics, we can all ag
Some time ago my daughter... -- 2 Kings 13:14-20a -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
Some time ago my daughter came to me and said, "Dad, could I do something to earn some money?" "Sure
I have never met an... -- Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
I have never met an honest person who will not admit to sometimes feeling what the Preacher expresse
Jacob may have been the... -- Genesis 32:22-31 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
Jacob may have been the first person of faith to wrestle with God, but he was certainly not the last
A young man was learning... -- Genesis 32:22-31 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
A young man was learning to wrestle, unfortunately everyone he wrestled was more skilled and experie
Jacob wrestles with the angel... -- Genesis 32:22-31 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
Jacob wrestles with the angel ...
Fundraisers tell us there is... -- Genesis 32:22-31 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
Fundraisers tell us there is no way to receive a gift if we don't ask. Persistence can help.
A preacher in a small... -- Romans 9:1-5 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
A preacher in a small mining town had just given a sermon on grace when he was approached at the chu
Children of privilege often do... -- Romans 9:1-5 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
Children of privilege often do not fully appreciate all the blessings they have.
The classroom was buzzing. At... -- Romans 9:1-5 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
The classroom was buzzing.
A young boy was sent... -- Romans 9:1-5 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
A young boy was sent to the store to buy some milk.
God's generosity keeps the world... -- Matthew 14:13-21 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
God's generosity keeps the world abundant and all of us alive.
The Feeding of the 5,000... -- Matthew 14:13-21 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
The "Feeding of the 5,000" was a miracle.
Jesus said, You give them... -- Matthew 14:13-21 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
Jesus said, "You give them something to eat."
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John... -- Matthew 14:13-21 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John may differ on the details, but they all agree that Jesus fed the 5,000

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New & Featured This Week

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: You may present this message as a simple story, or have the children act it out as a role-play. I will show the role-play version, but you can ignore the acting pieces and just tell the story if you prefer.

Note: For the role-play version, you will need to select two girls and one boy to play the roles. You might also have a broom and a dust rag if you want to.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! Let’s get started.

The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
Nazish Naseem
For July 20, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Amos 8:1-12, Psalm 52
Amos proclaims the word from God that punishes the people. The people are to be punished for their lack of faith, for their focus on practicing deceit, betraying honesty to their neighbors, and being impatient for the time after the Sabbath when they can focus on profit and selling their crops and wares. Oh, my! What a terrible message for people. You have been unfaithful so I will punish you. And then in the psalm, God is proclaimed to be the olive tree, that which brings blessing.
David Kalas
I have tried to find different ways of saying it so that my children don’t tire of hearing it. But the basic principle remains the same, and my kids have heard it a ton. “First things first.” They ask if they can do this or they start to do that, and I will endeavor to redirect them, saying, “Why don’t we make sure we’re doing first things first!”

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. (v. 24)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
One of Martha's earliest memories was of her little sister Mary singing and dancing in the middle of an admiring crowd of friends. Mary had always been a dancer, from the time she could walk. Privately, Martha thought she'd always been something of a show-off and ought to go on the stage, for Mary loved an audience.

SermonStudio

John E. Sumwalt
Jeanne Jones
Several years ago, before we moved to Wisconsin, I was an honorary nanny for our pastor's son, Jonathan. I took care of him from the time he was able to walk until our pastor moved, when Jonathan was about five. We had wonderful times together. One time, when I was at their house, and we had been doing some spiritual direction together, Pastor Michael asked me if I knew the name of my guardian angel.
James Evans
We are not surprised when we learn about crooks and robbers boasting about "mischief done against the godly" or "plotting destruction" all day long. The image we have in our minds about who "bad" people are, and how they conduct themselves, make such accusations completely plausible. We are less inclined to believe such things about leaders, especially respected leaders among us. We have difficulty believing someone with wealth and power would deliberately plot to do someone else harm.
Arley K. Fadness
Today's gospel from Luke 10 follows the parable of the good Samaritan. Luke positions the good Samaritan and the Mary-Martha story back to back for good reason. The parable and the story are examples of the Great Commandment "to love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself." The good Samaritan parable illustrates "love to neighbor," whereas the Mary-Martha story illustrates "love to God."
Kirk R. Webster
In the early 1990s, Wesley Nunley of Dallas completed a project he had dreamed of for decades. "I tell you, this could be a big thing," he explained. Wes then walked out to a concrete octagon in the middle of his backyard. With a beaming smile, arms raised up in excitement, the energetic retiree said, "This welcomes the UFO to land, which has never been done before."
John W. Wurster
It was the best of times. A time of prosperity and confidence, a time of relative peace, a time when most everything looked pretty good, a time when most everyone felt pretty good. It was a time maybe not unlike our own time.
H. Burnham Kirkland
Words Of Assurance
Our God is both wise and caring: afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted.

Pastoral Prayer
God, we bow before you this morning, knowing that you hear every prayer. We know that in all of Creation, you are the source of life. You are the one who set the light swirling between the galaxies. The breath of your Spirit pulses through all life. You have even become flesh among us. We praise you, Lord, that in all your wonder, you have not forgotten us.

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