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Ron Love

Ronald H. Love was called into the ordained ministry from a career as a state trooper. He has served Methodist churches in rural, inner-city and suburban settings for 20 years, and also served for four years as an Army chaplain. Dr. Love has also been a corporate librarian for a Fortune 500 company and been a university professor for ten years, teaching history and theology. His writing experience includes denominational publications, magazine articles on religion, and a newspaper devotional column. He holds a bachelor's degree in sociology (Slippery Rock State College), master's degrees in library and information science (University of Pittsburgh), secondary education (Duquesne University), church history (Indiana University of Pennsylvania), and theology (Wesley Theological Seminary), as well as a doctorate in homiletics (Pittsburgh Theological Seminary). Dr. Love now resides in South Carolina.
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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Sermon Illustrations for Christmas Day (2014) -- Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2014
Isaiah 9:2-7
Sermon Illustrations for Reformation Sunday (2014) -- Jeremiah 31:31-34, Romans 3:19-28, John 8:31-38 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 2014
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 (2014) -- Exodus 1:8--2:10, Romans 12:1-8, Matthew 16:13-20 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Scott A. Bryte, Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A -- 2014
Exodus 1:8--2:10
Sermon Illustrations for Passion Sunday (2014) -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 26:14--27:66 -- Ron Love, Derl G. Keefer, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Scott A. Bryte -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2014
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Like all personal... -- 2 Peter 1:16-21 -- Ron Love -- Transfiguration Sunday - A -- 2014
Like all personal attributes, pride in and of itself is not bad; but it becomes a sin when it become
Richard Flanagan wrote a book... -- Isaiah 9:2-7 -- Ron Love -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2014
Richard Flanagan wrote a book titled The Narrow Road to the Deep North.
Avvakum was the founder... -- Exodus 1:8--2:10 -- Ron Love -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A -- 2014
Avvakum was the founder of what became known as Russia's Old Believers.
The psychological concept... -- Isaiah 50:4-9a -- Ron Love -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2014
The psychological concept of schadenfreude is the enjoyment we receive when someone we envy f
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 (2014) -- Micah 6:1-8, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Matthew 5:1-12 -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Derl G. Keefer, Ron Love -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 2014
Micah 6:1-8
When the University Medical... -- Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- Ron Love -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2014
When the University Medical Center of Princeton was ready to construct a new building in 2014, the m
Sermons Illustrations for Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 -- Exodus 16:2-15, Philippians 1:21-30, Matthew 20:1-16 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - A -- 2014
Exodus 16:2-15
In Proverbs, from the King... -- Matthew 26:14--27:66 -- Ron Love -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2014
In Proverbs, from the King James Version, we have this well-known truth, "Pride goeth before
On the day after the Normandy invasion... -- Matthew 18:15-20 -- Ron Love -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A -- 2014
On the day after the Normandy invasion, war correspondent Ernie Pyle made this report: "I took a wal
Sermon Illustrations for New Year's Day (2015) -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-13, Revelation 21:1-6a, Matthew 25:31-46 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove -- New Year's Day - A, New Year's Day - B, New Year's Day - C -- 2014
Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Bebe has been called the... -- Matthew 20:1-16 -- Ron Love -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - A -- 2014
Bebe has been called the "Father of English History." At the age of seven he entered monastic life.
Sermon Illustrations for Easter 6 (2014) -- Acts 17:22-31, 1 Peter 3:13-22, John 14:15-21 -- Derl G. Keefer, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
Acts 17:22-31
Sermon Illustrations for Ash Wednesday (2014) -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Scott A. Bryte, Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove -- Ash Wednesday - A -- 2014
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
Elisabeth Moss, who plays... -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 -- Ron Love -- New Year's Day - A, New Year's Day - B, New Year's Day - C -- 2014
Elisabeth Moss, who plays hardworking advertising copywriter Peggy Olson, on the television show
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 (2014) -- Exodus 33:12-23, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Matthew 22:15-22 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 2014
Exodus 33:12-23
Each morning an... -- Acts 17:22-31 -- Ron Love -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
Each morning an elderly woman was seen kneeling before a statue of the Virgin Mary at the city's gre
Anthony Campolo, a college... -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 -- Ron Love -- Ash Wednesday - A -- 2014
Anthony Campolo, a college sociology professor who writes extensively on theology, offered a cure fo
Sermon Illustrations for Christmas 2 (2015) -- Jeremiah 31:7-14, Ephesians 1:3-14, John 1:(1-9) 10-18 -- Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Second Sunday after Christmas - B -- 2014
Jeremiah 31:7-14
In the post-apostolic church... -- Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Ron Love -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 2014
In the post-apostolic church, spanning from the death of the last of the twelve apostles through the
The monks of the... -- John 14:15-21 -- Ron Love -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
The monks of the early church who lived an ascetic life in the deserts of Egypt referred to laziness
In the 1970s... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ron Love -- Ash Wednesday - A -- 2014
In the 1970s Karl Menninger wrote a book that was widely read, studied, and discussed.

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UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Easter 2
20 – Sermons
170+ – Illustrations / Stories
26 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
20 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 3
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 4
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
33 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: This message is a role-play for your children and requires no additional objects.

Note: You can use this role-play with a large or very small group. You will want one child to play Thomas, one child to play Jesus, and the rest of the children to play the disciples. When I have had only had one or two children, I have “volunteered” an adult or two to help out.

* * *

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

The Immediate Word

Thomas Willadsen
Christopher Keating
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
For April 27, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
Bonnie Bates
Acts 5:27-32
The Acts of the Apostles begins with the ascension of Jesus, and the arrival of the Holy Spirit who galvanizes them to begin the spread of the Good News of Jesus the Christ. It is not long, despite signs and wonders, that the apostles find themselves facing real opposition. Arrest and threats. However, in the leadup to this passage, they ignore these threats and continue to share the Good News. The news about this comes to the religious leaders while they’re debating what to do about them.
Frank Ramirez
Sometimes movies end with the “happily ever after moment.” Finally — Hooray! Sometimes movies begin with the “happily ever after moment.” Roll up your sleeves. The real fun is just beginning.

Acts 5:27-32

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
Every eye will see him…. (v. 7)

The speed of news is not quite instantaneous. There’s this traffic cop called the speed of light that strictly enforces that 186, 242 mile per second speed limit built into our universe. If there’s a way around that limitation it remains the stuff of speculation — out of this world speculation.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Thomas had never seen his friends so excited. Peter's eyes were shining, and he could hardly contain his impatience. John was always quieter than Peter, but even he seemed full of barely suppressed eagerness. They were both tugging at Thomas, while at the same time dancing round him.

Thomas reluctantly agreed to go to the cave with them, although he continued to think they were mad. "If there was nothing there last week, how can it have changed now?" he kept asking.

SermonStudio

Schuyler Rhodes
Anyone can throw a party. It's easy to jump up and down and shout loud "alleluias." Pay the DJ, set out the drinks and the buffet table, and that's about it. At first, it's a blast! Whirling bodies and pulsing rhythms fill the night. Laughter and clinking glasses seem like an endless and joyful dialogue. But, by midnight it all starts to get a little old. People get tired of shouting and dancing and head home because they have to work the next day. The DJ was only hired for a few hours and he, perhaps, has another gig at an after-hours club across town.
Richard E. Zajac
... Unless I see... I will not believe...

I must credit the Reverend R. Maurice Boyd for this talk. Many of its ideas stemmed from "Consequences of Candor," a chapter in his book Corridors of Light.1

__________
David Kalas
When the curtain opens on Scene Two, we see a familiar scene. It is the austere, official chamber where the Sanhedrin hold court. The room is cold and intimidating. It feels even more so when the first characters begin to arrive on stage.

These are the members of the Sanhedrin: the leaders in the land who form the ruling council for the Jews of first-century Palestine. They are a distinguished looking group. They are well-dressed, well-manicured, and well-to-do. Their faces betray the seriousness of the purpose for which they have gathered.
Henry F. Woodruff
No cavalry rode to the rescue; this time the savior was technology. Here is how it happened. Longing for more intimate communication between preacher and congregation, the church purchased and installed a wireless microphone system. With an FM receiver in place and wearing a lapel microphone, the preacher could get out from behind the pulpit or lecturn and roam about, even into the midst of the congregation.

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