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Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Back in the 1960s, Fuzzy... -- Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
Back in the 1960s, Fuzzy Thurston, a Valparaiso University graduate, was playing left guard for Vinc
In the book by Paul... -- Proverbs 9:8-12 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
In the book by Paul Reps, entitled Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, an example of wisdom is given
The baseball great Yogi Berra... -- Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
The baseball great Yogi Berra is reputed to have said, "You can observe a lot just by watching."
Some fears are healthy and... -- Proverbs 9:8-12 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
Some fears are healthy and lifesaving such as the fear of snakes or fear of walking on an interstate
Chapter 1, verse 7 and... -- Proverbs 9:8-12 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
Chapter 1, verse 7 and chapter 9, verse 10 begin the first section of Proverbs on the same note: "Th
The author of Wisdom felt... -- Wisdom 9:13-18 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
The author of Wisdom felt deep respect for the "counsel of God." He speaks reverently of the divine
The calculations of mortals are... -- Wisdom 9:13-18 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
The calculations of mortals are indeed timid and frequently wrong.
Growing up always poses certain... -- Exodus 12:1-14 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
Growing up always poses certain challenges.
During the recess of a... -- Philemon 1-21 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
During the recess of a trial, the defense attorney looked up to discover his client, the defendant i
As a member of the... -- Romans 13:8-14 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
As a member of the area ministerial association, Pastor Dan was asked to preach at the local nursing
The grade school children last... -- Philemon 9-10, 12-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
The grade school children last year presented a puppet show for the public.
Little Tommy liked to play... -- Romans 13:8-14 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
Little Tommy liked to play with mud.
At least one of the... -- Philemon 1:1-21 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
At least one of the significant things about the story of the runaway slave, Onesimus, is his name.
David Dellinger said: We cannot... -- Romans 13:8-14 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
David Dellinger said: "We cannot say no to war without simultaneously saying yes to love and laughte
In the poem, Freedom Train... -- Philemon 9-10, 12-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
In the poem, Freedom Train, Langston Hughes wrote, "...
Love does no wrong to... -- Romans 13:8-14 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Obviously, it depends on who we think our neighbors really are.
There is an old story... -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
There is an old story about a man who desired peace in his life, so he went into a bar and loudly de
Family fights are awful. Mary... -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
Family fights are awful. Mary and her brother, Josh, had been very close growing up.
Forgive others seventy times seven... -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
Forgive others seventy times seven: it seems to be an impossibly high standard.
Every institution and company has... -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
Every institution and company has a grievance policy, a way to address problems that arise between c
There comes a point in... -- Exodus 12:1-14 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
There comes a point in the Passover Haggadah that the story of the first Passover in Egypt is retold

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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?
  • Second Thoughts: The Helpers by Katy Stenta based on Amos 7:7-17.

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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