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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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Commentary

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Tom Monaghan needed money if he was going to study architecture... -- Acts 8:14-17 -- Ron Love -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2013
Tom Monaghan needed money if he was going to study architecture at the University of Michigan, and o
In the comic strip... -- Philippians 4:4-9 -- Ron Love -- Thanksgiving Day - C -- 2013
In the comic strip by the same name, Frank and Ernest are coming out of a high school, math class.
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 (2013) -- Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15, 1 Timothy 6:6-19, Luke 16:19-31 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Scott A. Bryte, Ron Love, Mark J. Molldrem -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C -- 2013
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
Many people are getting tattoos... -- 2 Kings 5:1-14 -- Ron Love -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C -- 2013
Many people are getting tattoos to express their Christian faith.
In Latin the word "pastor"... -- Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 -- Ron Love -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C -- 2013
In Latin the word "pastor" means "shepherd." It came from the same base that produced pascere
Sermon illustrations for Easter 2 (2013) -- Acts 5:27-32, Revelation 1:4b-8, John 20:19-31, Revelation 1:4-8 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Mark J. Molldrem -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2013
Acts 5:27-32
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 3 (2014) -- Isaiah 9:1-4, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, Matthew 4:12-23 -- Derl G. Keefer, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bob Ove -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - A -- 2013
Isaiah 9:1-4
Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus, the son of Joseph. Jesus, the carpenter.... -- 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2013
Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus, the son of Joseph. Jesus, the carpenter.
Sermon Illustrations for Reformation Day (2013) -- Jeremiah 31:31-34, Romans 3:19-28, John 8:31-36 -- Mark J. Molldrem, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Reformation Sunday - C -- 2013
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Dashiell Hammett, before... -- Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15 -- Ron Love -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C -- 2013
Dashiell Hammett, before becoming a great American novelist, was a police detective for the Pinkerto
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 10 | OT 15 (2013) -- Amos 7:7-17, Colossians 1:1-14, Luke 10:25-37 -- Mark J. Molldrem, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Scott A. Bryte -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2013
A builder uses a plumb line to determine true vertical from the gravitational center of the earth, n
Sermon illustrations for Easter 3 (2013) -- Acts 9:1-6 (7-20), Revelation 5:11-14, John 21:1-19 -- Bob Ove, Mark J. Molldrem, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Third Sunday of Easter - C -- 2013
Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)
When the typewriter... -- Matthew 4:12-23 -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - A -- 2013
When the typewriter was first developed and used in business, its use was restricted to men.
Mother Teresa, in her acceptance speech for the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2013
Let us both see and believe in the message of the triumph of God.
Leona Helmsley was... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Ron Love -- Reformation Sunday - C -- 2013
Leona Helmsley was a real estate entrepreneur who was worth $8 billion when she was convicted in 198
A week after his public... -- Luke 16:19-31 -- Ron Love -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C -- 2013
A week after his public confession to Oprah Winfrey acknowledging his use of performance enhancing d
Gregg Marshall is the basketball... -- Colossians 1:1-14 -- Ron Love -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2013
Gregg Marshall is the basketball coach for the Wichita State Shockers.
NULL -- Revelation 5:11-14 -- Ron Love -- Third Sunday of Easter - C -- 2013
When George Washington retired from public service as President of the United States, he returned to
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 5 (2014) -- Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12), 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16), Matthew 5:13-20 -- Ron Love, Derl G. Keefer, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - A -- 2013
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
Seeing what you believe is not always the same as believing... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2013
Seeing what you believe is not always the same as believing what you see, and it took fifty years fo
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 (2013) -- Joel 2:23-32, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18, Luke 18:9-14 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Mark J. Molldrem -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - C -- 2013
Joel 2:23-32
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 22 | OT 27 (2013) -- Lamentations 1:1-6, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Luke 17:5-10 -- Mark J. Molldrem, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Scott A. Bryte -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C -- 2013
Lamentations 1:1-6
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 11 | OT 16 (2013) -- Amos 8:1-12, Colossians 1:15-28, Luke 10:38-42 -- Scott A. Bryte, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bob Ove, Mark J. Molldrem -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2013
Amos 8:1-12
Sermon illustrations for Easter 5 (2013) -- Acts 11:1-18, Revelation 21:1-6, John 13:31-35 -- Mark J. Molldrem, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2013
Acts 11:1-18
During the Crimean War... -- Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12) -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - A -- 2013
During the Crimean War (1854-1856), Florence Nightingale organized a corps of nurses to tend to the

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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Advent 3
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180+ – Illustrations / Stories
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Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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Not many things are quite as common — and, for that matter, quite as predictable — as the sunrise and the sunset. Yet that does not make them less spectacular, does it? We still find ourselves struck by their beauty. So much so, in fact, that at times we try to take pictures in order to capture what we are seeing and experiencing. Or, if others are nearby, we call some family member over to the window in order to share the beauty of the view with someone we love.
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Phillips Brooks wrote the hymn, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” in 1868. The song began as a poem he’d written for the Sunday School of his church, The Church of the Holy Trinity in Philadelphia. Brooks found the inspiration for this hymn after the Civil War, during a year abroad (1865-66) in Europe and the Holy Land. While traveling, he wrote to the children of his parish about visiting Bethlehem on Christmas Eve.

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Then I said, ‘See, I have come to do your will, O God’ (in the scroll of the book it is written of me).

If you’re the kind of person that doesn’t miss a super hero movie, you know that every one of them has an origin story. Bruce Wayne, for instance, witnessed the senseless murder of his parents when he was a child, which is why as an adult he was not only intent on fighting crime but also to instill in criminals the traumatic terror he experienced as a child, and that is why he donned the character of the Batman.

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John Jamison
Object: A small bag of potato chips. This message includes role-playing. Depending on your group of children, you can either select your players yourself or ask for volunteers when you need them. You will want one girl to be Mary, another to be Elizabeth, and two more children to be the people in town.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! But instead of just hearing the story,

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We Protestants don’t know what to do with Mary. Because the doctrines of the Catholic church have turned Mary into a sweet passive icon of virginal purity, we Protestants have been content to leave her out of our gallery of biblical saints — except of course, for her obligatory appearance in our Christmas pageants.
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The recurring phrase, "let your face shine" (vv. 3, 7, 19), offers an interesting opportunity to reflect on the meaning of God's presence in our world. This reflection takes on a particular significance during the Advent season.

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The name Johann Sebastian Bach has been familiar in church music circles for many years. Bach inscribed all his compositions with the phrase, "To God Alone The Glory." Professor Peter Schickele of the fictitious University of Southern North Dakota discovered an obscure relative, P.D.Q. Bach, known as the most bent twig on the Bach family tree. The name Bach had always been associated with fine music until P.D.Q. appeared on the scene. This fabled genius, P.D.Q.
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Year after year, we are drawn to this night. This night with its carols and candlelight, inhaling an atmosphere of poinsettia and pine, and exhaling the promise of peace. What is it about this night that so captivates our souls, I wonder? There are, I suppose, as many answers as there are people in this room.

Some are here because they are believers, faithful followers of the Christ. You are here to celebrate the nativity of your Lord. In the name of the Christ you worship and adore, I bid you a joyful welcome.

Harold C. Warlick, Jr.
The university chaplain was late for a meeting. He roared down the interstate through a sparsely populated area of his state. He was traveling ten miles per hour over the speed limit. As the blue light from the highway patrol car flashed in his rearview mirror, the churning in his stomach was exceeded only by his anger at his foolishness. Putting on his best professional face and a humble demeanor, he gave the officer the requested information and jotted in his date book the time and location of his court appointment.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Christmas is nearly here! In our worship today let us reflect the joy and happiness of Mary in the way in which we too greet the birth of our Saviour.

Invitation to Confession:

 Lord Jesus, we are longing for your birth.

Lord, have mercy.

 Lord Jesus, we wait to greet you with clean hearts.

Christ, have mercy.

 Lord Jesus, we welcome you -- make us right with you.

Lord, have mercy

 Reading:

 Luke 1:39-45

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