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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

Children's sermon

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

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
John Hancock was... -- Joel 2:23-32 -- Ron Love -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - C -- 2013
John Hancock was president of the Continental Congress.
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
NULL -- Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 -- Ron Love -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2013
George Washington, the father of our country, did not appear to be a joyous father with his stern lo
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 23 | OT 28 (2013) -- Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Luke 17:11-19 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Mark J. Molldrem, Bob Ove -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C -- 2013
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7
With the advancement... -- Matthew 5:13-20 -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - A -- 2013
With the advancement of higher education and the need to specialize, the age of "professionalism" be
As United States troops... -- Amos 8:1-12 -- Ron Love -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2013
As United States troops were pulling out of Afghanistan, the Taliban continued its insurgency operat
Jean Harlow, the... -- Luke 18:9-14 -- Ron Love -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - C -- 2013
Jean Harlow, the great screen actress, asked the great playwright Eugene O'Neil, to write a play spe
NULL -- Revelation 21:1-6 -- Ron Love -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2013
John Adams, the second president of the United States, told his son Johnny (who would become the six
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 7 (2014) -- Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18, 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23, Matthew 5:38-48 -- Bob Ove, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Derl G. Keefer -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - A -- 2013
Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18
The Seventh-Day Adventist... -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Ron Love -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2013
The Seventh-Day Adventist denomination is one of the fastest growing today, especially in Latin Amer
Sermon Illustrations for Christ the King / Proper 29 (2013) -- Jeremiah 23:1-6, Colossians 1:11-20, Luke 23:33-43 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Mark J. Molldrem -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C -- 2013
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Sermon illustrations for Easter 6 (2013) -- Acts 16:9-15, Revelation 21:10, 22--22:5, John 14:23-29 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bob Ove, Mark J. Molldrem -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2013
Acts 16:9-15
In August 2013... -- Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - A -- 2013
In August 2013, a young Indian photojournalist and her accompanying boyfriend were on assignment in
Sermons Illustrations for Proper 13 | OT 18 (2013) -- Hosea 11:1-11, Colossians 3:1-11, Luke 12:13-21 -- Ron Love, Mark J. Molldrem, Bob Ove, Scott A. Bryte, Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - C -- 2013
Hosea 11:1-11
"Our rabbis taught... -- Jeremiah 23:1-6 -- Ron Love -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C -- 2013
"Our rabbis taught: The poor, the rich, the sensual come before the [heavenly] court -- They say to
NULL -- Acts 16:9-15 -- Ron Love -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2013
In 1776 when John Adams, who became the second president of the United States, was away from home be
In 1848 the papacy... -- Matthew 5:38-48 -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - A -- 2013
In 1848 the papacy was nearly overthrown, and in 1860 it lost most of its domains with the unificati
In the comic strip... -- Hosea 11:1-11 -- Ron Love -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - C -- 2013
In the comic strip Frank & Ernest, those two motley characters are sitting behind a build
We need to expand... -- Luke 23:33-43 -- Ron Love -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C -- 2013
We need to expand our horizon beyond that of Paris Hilton, whose life's philosophy never transcends
NULL -- John 14:23-29 -- Ron Love -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2013
The Immaculate Conception is taken as fact in the gospels, and how the Virgin Mary could conceive a
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany of Our Lord (2014) -- Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12 -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Derl G. Keefer, Ron Love -- Epiphany of the Lord - A -- 2013
Isaiah 60:1-6
Matt Damon is a devoted... -- Luke 12:13-21 -- Ron Love -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - C -- 2013
Matt Damon is a devoted husband and father.
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 (2013) -- Isaiah 65:17-25, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, Luke 21:5-19 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Mark J. Molldrem -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C -- 2013
Isaiah 65:17-25
Sermon illustrations for Easter 7 (2013) -- Acts 16:16-34, Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21, John 17:20-26 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bob Ove, Mark J. Molldrem -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2013
Acts 16:16-34

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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Advent 3
31 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
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30 – Commentary / Exegesis
2 – Pastor's Devotions
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Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
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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Micah 5:2-5a
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.

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
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.

CSSPlus

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,

SermonStudio

Susan R. Andrews
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.

Mary S. Lautensleger
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.
Mark Wm. Radecke
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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