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Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B

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When the Taliban ruled... -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2003
When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, they sowed a rigid conformity of lifestyle that did not ho
Throughout her long life... -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2003
Throughout her long life of service, Mother Teresa minimized her own needs through her vows of
There was a man who... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2000
There was a man who was having serious relationship problems in his life.
Hundreds of tourists include a... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2000
Hundreds of tourists include a day or more at the Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island, British Colu
At first glance this passage... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2000
At first glance this passage may challenge our adoration of Jesus, for it appears that he refuses a
On a mission trip to... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2000
On a mission trip to West Virginia, our group helped at a shelter for abused women and children.
There is a constant and... -- James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2000
There is a constant and unending temptation to bend our behavior to honor the wealthy.
Horace Greeley was the newspaper... -- James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2000
Horace Greeley was the newspaper editor famous for saying, "Go west, young man." He was also famous
We chose a mongrel, but... -- James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2000
We chose a mongrel, but our neighbor chose a purebred.
People at the church had... -- James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2000
People at the church had mixed feelings about Jim. Some liked having him there.
The woman who begged Jesus... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1997
The woman who begged Jesus to heal her daughter was no fool.
Andre Gide, the French novelist... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1997
Andre Gide, the French novelist, in a short story titled "The Pastoral Symphony," tells of a young g
Harriet Tubman, like the Syrophoenician... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1997
Harriet Tubman, like the Syrophoenician woman in this story, was an outcast.
The pleasant waitress arrived, and... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1997
The pleasant waitress arrived, and the customer said: "I'll have the special for today, and a cup of
The cartoonist Charles Schulz, creator... -- James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1997
The cartoonist Charles Schulz, creator of Peanuts, illustrates well what James means when he
George and Doris were in... -- James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1997
George and Doris were in theatre all their lives; like many theatre people they were characters, tha
Back in Texas in 1917... -- James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1997
Back in Texas in 1917 the state's governor, James Ferguson, refused to sign a bill that would have p
James reminds his readers that... -- James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1997
James reminds his readers that faith must not only be professed, it also must be practiced.
Among the many items that... -- Isaiah 35:4-7a -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1997
Among the many items that have been kept which belonged to Abraham Lincoln is the big family Bible.
I never thought about it... -- Isaiah 35:4-7a -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1997
I never thought about it before until I read about it, but being able to read Braille means that one
My father's been gone from... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1994
My father's been gone from this world for a quarter century now and I suppose it's all right to hono
Street dogs were not allowed... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1994
Street dogs were not allowed into Palestinian homes. The dog was not a favorite animal.
Henry could take government surplus... -- James 2:1-5 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1994
Henry could take government surplus food supplies and make them taste almost like Grandma's homestyl
One day word came to... -- James 2:1-5 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1994
One day word came to a bishop that one of the churches in his care was ignoring the poor and the hom
An elderly woman was walking... -- James 2:1-5 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1994
An elderly woman was walking carefully down the sidewalk in her affluent neighborhood on a bright wi

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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
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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