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Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C

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When the great golfer Bobby... -- Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2001
When the great golfer Bobby Jones was young, he once asked his club pro how he could learn to be a r
Though we don't often think... -- Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2001
Though we don't often think of it this way as a spiritual gift, that's exactly what hospitality is.
Humility is one of the... -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2001
Humility is one of the hardest talents for a Christian to learn.
I was invited to a... -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2001
I was invited to a large banquet in which a number of people were going to be honored.
Jesus Christ is the same... -- Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 1998
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever," writes the author of Hebrews (v. 8).
One Sunday morning a young... -- Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 1998
One Sunday morning a young lad entered the doorway of his suburban home.
We are to offer up... -- Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 1998
We are to "offer up a sacrifice of praise." The Old Testament word for praise, hallel, litera
One day the pastor of... -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 1998
One day the pastor of a large congregation went into his church's sanctuary.
Attending a wedding dinner can... -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 1998
Attending a wedding dinner can be an uncomfortable feeling when a guest is trying to decide where to
Late one summer afternoon in... -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 1998
Late one summer afternoon in a tourist city airport, a lightning storm halted all flights for about
The world-famous African-American... -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 1998
The world-famous African-American educator Booker T.
The child in us remembers... -- Ezekiel 18:1-9, 25-29 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C
The child in us remembers trying to jump away from our shadow on a sunny day.
One of our historical favorites... -- Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C
One of our historical favorites is Abraham Lincoln.
Henry G. Bosch wrote in... -- Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C
Henry G. Bosch wrote in Our Daily Bread about Booker T. Washington, the black educator.
The great artist Whistler was... -- Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C
The great artist Whistler was attempting to help a painter friend of his in getting his work display
In 1913, after serving as... -- Ecclesiastes 10:(7-11) 12-18 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C
In 1913, after serving as President of the United States, William Howard Taft accepted a position at
Taylor Caldwell's novel, Testimony... -- Ecclesiastes 10:(7-11) 12-18 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C
Taylor Caldwell's novel, Testimony of Two Men, is the story of a complex young medic at the t
To a large extent the... -- Ecclesiastes 10:(7-11) 12-18 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C
To a large extent the personality of America can be summed up in the word, "Pride." Patriotism is ce
For several years I've had... -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C
For several years I've had the privilege of serving on the board of our regional Mental Health Assoc
Jason was getting a high... -- Ezekiel 18:1-9, 25-29 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C
Jason was getting a high D in his 10th grade algebra class.
When Newt Gingrich was Speaker... -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C
When Newt Gingrich was Speaker of the House of Representatives, polls showed that he enjoyed broad s
The table was set with... -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C
The table was set with the finest china. The food was prepared perfectly.
A pastor was working at... -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C
A pastor was working at the local soup kitchen along with several members of the youth confirmation
Few people have so captivated... -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C
Few people have so captivated the imagination of the world for their self-sacrificing service as Mah

The Immediate Word

Who Gets The Gold? -- Luke 14:7-14, Jeremiah 2:4-13, Proverbs 25:6-7 -- George L. Murphy -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C
For two weeks we've seen some almost incredible physical feats, a lot of spectacle (wonderfully prep

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 16 | OT 21 | Pentecost 11
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Proper 17 | OT 22 | Pentecost 12
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 18 | OT 23 | Pentecost 13
34 – Sermons
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32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
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31 – Commentary / Exegesis
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Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Tom Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
George Reed
Christopher Keating
For September 14, 2025:

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A sheep stuffy or toy.

* * *

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

Did you know that Jesus traveled around and hunted for people who were doing something illegal and breaking the laws? (Let them respond.) He really did.And when he found someone who was doing something illegal, do you know what he did with them? (Let them respond.)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
Our text tells us that we are skilled in doing evil (v.22). An anonymous late medieval treatise titled German Theology tells us why:

It is the nature and property of the creature to seek itself and its own things, and this and that, here and there, and in all that it does and leaves undone as desire is to its own advantage and benefit. (Varieties of Mystic Experience, p.162)

Martin Luther King, Jr. offers an alternative to this vision:
David Coffin
All three of today’s texts can be viewed as good news that God never gives up on God’s people. This is despite their resistance to repent or simple straying from the community of faith. We can observe family and loved ones at various points of their faith journey through the lens of each of these texts. Jeremiah 4 informs the people their neglect of honoring their covenant with God is about to result in disastrous consequences. Paul recalls in 1 Timothy 1 how he thought he was falling God’s will until he had his literal come to Jesus moment!

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (vv. 6-7)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus told stories to illustrate to the people God's gladness whenever anyone turned to him and chose life. There is still rejoicing in heaven whenever any one of us turns to God.



Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes I think I'm too insignificant for you to bother with me.

Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes I don't bother with you.

Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes I don't bother with other people, but only with myself.

SermonStudio

James Evans
(See Proper 12/Pentecost 10/Ordinary Time 17, Cycle B, for an alternative approach.)

The psalm writer has an interesting perspective on the origin of injustice in our world. He begins this psalm with the assertion that those who do not believe in God are "fools." He goes on to accuse them of corruption and of being incapable of doing good. Later on he writes, "Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon the Lord?" (v. 4).

Elizabeth Achtemeier
"Now it is I who speak in judgment upon them" (v. 12). Ours is a society that does not accept that as the Word of God. Many people do not believe that God judges anyone. Rather, the Lord is a forgiving God, a kindly deity who overlooks all wrong. As in the Gospel lesson for the morning, the Lord searches for the one lost sheep and returns it gently to the fold, or he hunts for the one lost coin until he finds it. God accepts the lost as they are, we think, overlooking Jesus' teaching about repentance and transformation of life.
Scott Suskovic
We usually don't spend too much time thinking about our own sinfulness. On occasion, of course, our feelings of guilt overwhelm us. We can't stop thinking about our sinfulness. If we are in that situation, we may need to talk that out with someone. Apart from times like that, we don't think much about our own sinfulness. We have ways of getting around that.

R. Robert Cueni
Back before the ways of the Taliban became common knowledge, there was a fascinating little article about how they jailed barbers when they didn't do culturally correct haircuts.1 The newspaper reported that young men in Kabul, Afghanistan, have started wearing their hair the way the actor Leonardo DiCaprio wears his. Long, not only on the sides, but so long in the front that hair can drop over the eyes. They call the style, "the Titanic," named for the blockbuster movie starring DiCaprio about the 1912 sinking of the cruise ship by that name.

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