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Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

A legend says that Sarah... -- Philemon 1-21 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C -- 1998
A legend says that Sarah Sheppard tried to kill herself in the Cumberland River in 1847.
The text deals with seeking... -- Philemon 1:1-21 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C -- 1998
The text deals with seeking the genuine welfare of brothers and sisters in the faith.
An election was held in... -- Luke 14:25-33 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C -- 1998
An election was held in a remote county in Kansas in April of 1997.
A pastor asked his young... -- Luke 14:25-33 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C -- 1998
A pastor asked his young people's communicant's class to define what a Christian is.
It is always disturbing to... -- Luke 14:25-33 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C -- 1998
It is always disturbing to a person to be a victim of false or misleading advertising.
An ancient legend tells about... -- Luke 13:22-30 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
An ancient legend tells about the origin of humanity.
Vince Lombardi in Run... -- Hebrews 12:1-7 (8-10) 11-14 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
Vince Lombardi in Run To Daylight wrote a chapter on running backs that contains a lesson on
In a small seminary the... -- Jeremiah 18:1-11 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
In a small seminary the graduate students were required to participate in a "most original sermon" c
Barry Curran (story from I... -- Ezekiel 33:1-11 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
Barry Curran (story from ID Illustration Digest, May, June, July 1990, page 1) hurried to wor
If you ever have the... -- Jeremiah 18:1-11 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
If you ever have the chance to work at a potter's wheel, take it.
Sentry duty is not popular... -- Ezekiel 33:1-11 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
Sentry duty is not popular or pleasant.
God has a wonderful way... -- Jeremiah 18:1-11 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
God has a wonderful way using seemingly simple, everyday things to convey to us profound messages be
Who are the warning people... -- Ezekiel 33:1-11 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
Who are the "warning people?" Some are described as alarmists.
A man came to see... -- Wisdom 9:13-18 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
A man came to see the pastor of a large congregation. This man was not a member of the church.
In his play An... -- Ezekiel 33:1-11 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
In his play An Inspector Calls, J. B.
Mickey Thomas was a young... -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
Mickey Thomas was a young architect who had worked diligently toward excellence throughout his years
The ways of God are... -- Wisdom 9:13-18 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
The ways of God are beyond our knowledge; we cannot understand many things in life, but we have the
The English mathematician and physicist... -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
The English mathematician and physicist Isaac Newton was one of the great minds of history.
The baby eagle is totally... -- Wisdom 9:13-18 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
The baby eagle is totally dependant on its mother.
How would you describe wisdom... -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
How would you describe wisdom? The writer of this text gives wisdom a feminine characteristic.
Herman Melville says in his... -- Wisdom 9:13-18 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
Herman Melville says in his introduction to Moby Dick, that a great book requires a great the
It is an accepted phenomenon... -- Deuteronomy 30:15-20 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
It is an accepted phenomenon that people who are on their deathbeds "choose" the time of their death
T. E. Lawrence, better known... -- Wisdom 9:13-18 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
T. E.
Life, what a beautiful choice... -- Deuteronomy 30:15-20 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
"Life, what a beautiful choice."

The Immediate Word

Life's Farthest Limits -- Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 -- George L. Murphy -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C
Dear Fellow Preachers,

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John Jamison
Object: This is a role play activity.

Note: You will need to select six children to play roles in this activity. If you have a smaller group, you might ask some older youth or even adults to play the parts of the two attackers and the man being attacked. I will give suggestions for how they can play their roles, but feel free to help your children make the story as fun and memorable as you can. I have used boys and girls in the various roles, but you can change those however you want to change them.

* * *

The Immediate Word

Dean Feldmeyer
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Christopher Keating
George Reed
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
For July 13, 2025:
  • Samaritans Among Us by Dean Feldmeyer based on Acts 2:1-21. Samaritans were despised and dismissed by the original audience who first heard Jesus tell this parable. Who are the Samaritans in our lives and how does this parable apply today?

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
I say, “You are gods,
    children of the Most High, all of you;
nevertheless, you shall die like mortals
    and fall like any prince….”
(vv. 6-7)

There have been any number of brother-sister acts that achieved a measure of fame. Take the Carpenters, famed for their singing, musicianship, and songwriting skills. Also worthy of mention are John and Joan Cusack who have acted together in over sixteen films.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Wayne Brouwer
An ancient legend tells of a remote mountain village where people used to send their senior citizens out into the woods to die. The villagers had an eye to the future; they felt that those beyond a certain age would only slow down progress or use up valuable resources to no economically profitable end. Those who reached a certain age weren’t “put out to pasture” or “put out of their misery”; they were simply put out of other people’s way.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Amos 7:7-17 and Psalm 82
The tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It is more than 2,700 feet high—over half a mile tall. It has 160 floors and is twice as tall as the Empire State Building in New York City. It is home to the world’s fastest elevator which reaches speeds of forty miles an hour. The Burj Khalifa also hosts the world’s highest outdoor observation deck (on the 124th floor) and the world’s highest swimming pool (on the 76th floor).

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Mabel hummed a familiar hymn tune as she made her way to church. She always enjoyed her Sunday morning walk. It was one of the few times she felt safe to walk alone through the inner city, for she knew nobody would be up at 7.45 in the morning. Today was a particularly beautiful morning, with blue sky, warm sunshine, and the song of a few intrepid blackbirds who still inhabited the city.

SermonStudio

James Evans
Often, a distinction is made between the pastoral or priestly work of the church and the prophetic work. Pastoral care has to do with the care of souls, the offering of comfort in times of loss. The priestly character of pastoral work seeks to mediate the presence of God to those who are hurting.

Schuyler Rhodes
Trusting is never easy. Even in the best of relationships, people step into trust slowly. There is wariness -- questioning -- worry. What happens if trust is betrayed? What if this doesn't work? Sometimes it's like a dance. We step in and out of trust, moving to the rhythms of fear. For many, the routine is achingly familiar. Indeed, it's not easy to trust.
John Jamison
It was back in the days when the railroad was the most common mode of transportation. There were automobiles, and some airplanes, but the steam locomotive was the way most folks traveled and the way that most of the goods were distributed around the country. After dinner, people sat in the drawing room and listened to the radio programs, fading in and out from some faraway location, over the magical broadcasting signal.
Robert Leslie Holmes
Not many tourists to Washington, D.C., look for the Federal Bureau of Standards offices. It's the Capitol and the White House, the Supreme Court Building or the Smithsonian most of us want to see when we go there. Yet, at the Bureau of Standards offices something very important is stored, something that impacts your life and mine every single day. Have you ever bought the materials for a new project? When you did, most likely you purchased so many inches or feet or yards. Or, you stopped to buy gasoline for your car and purchased it at a certain price per gallon.
David O. Bales
I have the two best jobs in the world. I teach social studies at Leon Griffith Junior High School (a fairly small junior high) and I am Sunday School Superintendent at Calvary Presbyterian Church (an enormous church school). Each job is my vocation. I tell people that at school they'll find my room where the halls cross. At church they can look but probably won't find me. I'll be in someone's classroom. At each job I practice what I most deeply believe: it's how you see the world that determines how you respond to it. I'll give you an example, actually, two examples.
Erskine White
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed,
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
(Stuart K. Hine)

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