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Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A

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It is usually my nose... -- 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
It is usually my nose, not my ears, that sometimes itches during a church service, more often than n
We wrestle with the Incomprehensible... -- Genesis 32:22-30 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
We wrestle with the Incomprehensible One who has revealed himself to us; yet he is still mystery bey
A woman felt she had... -- Luke 18:1-8a -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
A woman felt she had a legitimate grievance against a photographic company.
One of the conditions that... -- Genesis 32:22-30 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
One of the conditions that causes the most wrestling with God is an over-dependence upon feelings.
A modern example of vindication... -- Luke 18:1-8a -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
A modern example of vindication was reported in the May 30th edition of Jet Magazine which fo
In the story of Jacob... -- Genesis 32:22-30 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
In the story of Jacob wrestling at the Jabbok, Jacob readily tells his adversary his own name, but t
Professor Benjamin Bloom of the... -- Luke 18:1-8a -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
Professor Benjamin Bloom of the University of Chicago recently led a group of researchers in a study
It is much easier to... -- Genesis 32:22-30 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
It is much easier to wrestle against a visible opponent than it is to wrestle with conscience.
You can't walk on water... -- Luke 18:1-8a -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
You can't walk on water because water gives.
The Dec. 15, 1982, edition... -- Exodus 17:8-13 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
The Dec.
In Alfred Hitchcock's famous thriller... -- Micah 1:2; 2:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
In Alfred Hitchcock's famous thriller Rear Window, a man idly peering into apartment windows
I asked famed Southern Baptist... -- 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
I asked famed Southern Baptist teacher and author, Dr.
Norman Cousins wrote in the... -- Genesis 32:22-30 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
Norman Cousins wrote in the Saturday Review, "What holds men back today is not the pressure o
Please read verses 10-13 before... -- 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
Please read verses 10-13 before you get into this reading for today.
The time is out of... -- Genesis 32:22-32 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
The time is out of joint; O cursed spite, That I was ever born to set it right! Shakespeare i
While serving as an exchange... -- 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
While serving as an exchange minister on the Isle of Man during the summer of 1983, I had occasion t
In John Osborne's play, Luther... -- Genesis 32:22-30 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
In John Osborne's play, Luther, the papal representative Cajetan comes to Luther to work out
They ought always to pray... -- Luke 18:1-8 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
"They ought always to pray and never lose heart." For many years I have received a Christmas letter
It was more the brazenness... -- Genesis 32:22-30 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
It was more the brazenness of youth than wisdom which caused a young pastor to confront the fifty-ye
God hears our prayers and... -- Luke 18:1-8 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
God hears our prayers and answers in one of three ways: "yes," "no," or "not yet." But if we do not
Augustine struggled long and hard... -- Kings 5:14-17 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
Augustine struggled long and hard against the pull of the world and the pull of the spirit.
The pastoral concern of Luke... -- Luke 18:1-8 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
The pastoral concern of Luke is clear, "losing heart." For two thousand years we have been praying,
Washing in the Jordan seven... -- 2 Kings 5:14-17 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
Washing in the Jordan seven times seemed too simple to Namaan, the leper.
The widow in today's parable... -- Luke 18:1-8 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
The widow in today's parable is praised for her persistence in presenting her requests before an unj
Promoting the desire and the... -- 2 Kings 5:14-17 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
Promoting the desire and the expectation of something-for-nothing mentality: "At United we don't thi

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Proper 10 | OT 15 | Pentecost 5
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New & Featured This Week

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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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