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Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

A woman whose roots were... -- Ruth 1:1-19a -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
A woman whose roots were steeped in Bethlehem spoke the famous words of human commitment in verses 1
Ruth, the Moabite woman, was... -- Ruth 1:1-19a -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
Ruth, the Moabite woman, was a foreigner and the great-grandmother of David, and, therefore, a dista
Naaman was tested. First by... -- 2 Kings 5:14-17 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
Naaman was tested. First by his terrible affliction of leprosy.
Certainly, we don't offer burnt... -- 2 Kings 5:14-17 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
Certainly, we don't "offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the Lord" (v.
We live in a generation... -- 2 Kings 5:14-17 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
We live in a generation that often seems to have a Burger King spiritual mentality.
Naaman must have had great... -- 2 Kings 5:14-17 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
Naaman must have had great self-discipline to endure the burden and handicap of leprosy.
One way Paul set an... -- 2 Timothy 2:8-15 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
One way Paul set an example for many Christians who have followed is in his acceptance of imprisonme
In the book entitled, The... -- 2 Timothy 2:8-15 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
In the book entitled, The Minister's Manual, George Macleod writes the following: "I s
On November 12, 1660, John... -- 2 Timothy 2:8-15 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
On November 12, 1660, John Bunyan was arrested and incarcerated in the county jail in Bedford, Engla
A friend of mine recently... -- 2 Timothy 2:8-15 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
A friend of mine recently told me about a visit she had received from her relative who was a ministe
When one remembers how terrible... -- Luke 17:11-19 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
When one remembers how terrible the disease of leprosy was in the ancient world, it is simply amazin
In an ancient Bible... -- Luke 17:11-19 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
In an ancient Bible story, once the Christ met lepers ten,
Don't worry, be happy. Those... -- Philippians 4:1-9 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
"Don't worry, be happy." Those words were made famous (and perhaps annoying) by Bobby McFerrin's son
Danny was feeling alone and... -- Philippians 4:1-9 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
Danny was feeling alone and insignificant. He didn't make the fifth-grade basketball team.
There is an old story... -- Matthew 22:1-14 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
There is an old story about a combat unit getting ready to go into battle.
Incredibly, some of us turn... -- Matthew 22:1-14 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
Incredibly, some of us turn down God's urgent invitations because we simply can't be bothered.
Have you ever given a... -- Matthew 22:1-14 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
Have you ever given a party and had people who said they would be there and then not show up?
In the parable, the man... -- Matthew 22:1-14 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
In the parable, the man who came without a wedding robe was turned away.
Courtney worried for her daughter... -- Matthew 22:1-14 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
Courtney worried for her daughter.
While Moses was away with... -- Exodus 32:1-14 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
While Moses was away with God on the mountaintop, the people clamored for gods to worship.
The children of Israel were... -- Exodus 32:1-14 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
The children of Israel were worried that Moses was gone too long -- that they were left unprotected
After the infamous golden calf... -- Exodus 32:1-14 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
After the infamous golden calf incident, Moses had to work hard to change God's mind, avoiding the a

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New & Featured This Week

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
In the sometimes-tiresome debate over science and scripture with respect to creation, it’s easy to become distracted. While the argument typically requires a focus on the how, we may lose sight of the what. And so, for just a moment, let me invite us to think for a moment about what God created.
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
Acts 8:26-40
As a local church pastor, I was often asked if I would baptize a child whose family were not members of the church. Some churches rebelled against this, but I remember this scripture — the hunger for understanding and inclusion of the Eunuch and Philp’s response — to teach and share and baptize in the name of our God. How could we turn anyone away from the rite of baptism?

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
“Dad, I think you worked a miracle.” Rolf slowly walked around the tree. “After that windstorm, I assumed this tree was as good as gone.”

“We just needed to give the branches time to heal and come back,” Michael replied.

 “I know, but so many of them were battered and broken I figured that it couldn’t recover. Now though it looks just like it did before the storm.” Rolf paused. “Do you think it will bear any fruit this summer?”

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A live plant that produces fruit, and a broken branch from that plant. I used a tomato plant from a local greenhouse. Ideally, find a plant with blossoms or small fruit already growing. If you use a different kind of fruit-producing plant, just change the script to fit.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent!

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
Elena Delhagen
Dean Feldmeyer
Quantisha Mason-Doll
For April 28, 2024:
  • On The Way To Gaza by Chris Keating based on Acts 8:26-40. On the way to Gaza, Philip discovers the startling ways the Spirit of God moves across borders, boundaries, customs, and traditions.
  • Second Thoughts: Abiding by Katy Stenta based on John 15:1-8.
  • Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Tom Willadsen, Elena Delhagen, Dean Feldmeyer.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. In our service today, let us absorb from the vine all the nourishment we need.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes our branches become cut off from the vine.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes our branches are withered.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we fail to produce good fruit.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Stan Purdum
We will meet Psalm 22 in its entirety on Good Friday, but here the lectionary designates just verses 23-31. The lectionary psalms generally illuminate the week's First Lesson, which in this case is about the covenant initiated by God with Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17. The nine verses from this psalm, while not inappropriate, nonetheless leave us looking for an obvious connection with the First Lesson.

John S. Smylie
I think some people are natural-born gardeners. Our Lord grew up in a society that was familiar with agriculture. The images that he used to explain the ways of his Father in heaven are familiar to his audience. Growing up, my closest experience to agriculture was living in, "the Garden State." Most people, when they pass through New Jersey, are surprised to see that expression on the license plates of vehicles registered in New Jersey. Most folks traveling through New Jersey experience the megalopolis, the corridor between New York City and Washington DC.
Ron Lavin
A pastor in Indiana went to visit an 87-year-old man named Ermil, who was a hospital patient. A member of his church told the pastor about this old man who was an acquaintance. "He's not a believer, but he is really in need," the church member said. "I met him at the county home for the elderly. He's a lonely old man with no family and no money."

Paul E. Robinson
"Love is a many splendored thing...." Or so we heard Don Cornwall and the Four Aces sing time and again. Of course you or I might have other words to describe love, depending on our situation.

Love. "I love you." "I love to play golf." "I just love pistachio lush!" "It's tough to love some people." "Jesus loves me, this I know."

Love.

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