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Peanuts, Paste, And Pathways To God

Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
James 1:17-27
Song of Solomon 2:8-13
Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9
Mary Austin
Robin Lostetter
Christopher Keating
Dean Feldmeyer
Ron Love
George Reed
In this week’s gospel reading, Jesus loses his patience (yet again) with a group of scribes and Pharisees after they question him about why his disciples don’t thoroughly wash their hands before eating. While the specific issue is excessive devotion to ritual, what really irks Jesus is the underlying problem of misplaced priorities, represented by focusing on outward appearances rather than inward reality and behavior. As he acerbically sums it up: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Epiphany 4 (OT 4)
28 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
31 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
33 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Epiphany 5 (OT 5)
31 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
39 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
33 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Epiphany 6 (OT 6)
32 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
35 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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John Jamison
Object: This message is a role play about Jesus and the fishermen. Use a fishing casting net if you can find one, but you can just use an old sheet if you can’t find an actual net.

Note: You can have some fun with this role play. Just follow the activities and expand on them as much as you choose. When the characters speak, you can either do it yourself or have the children repeat what the characters say after you.

* * *

The Immediate Word

Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Christopher Keating
Dean Feldmeyer
George Reed
Tom Willadsen
For February 9, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Frank Ramirez
I occasionally include short clips from a movie in order to illustrate a point. I always check and make sure our CCLI license covers films from that particular studio just to keep things fair and square. Either way, do not show the clip I’m about to reference — just quote it. Robert De Niro is credited not only with delivering the famous line, “Are you talking to me?” (Taxi Driver, 1976) but also inventing it on the spur of the moment.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13)

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
Henry peeked through the curtain and saw the crowd of people waiting. “Wow!”

“I know, right?” Liz closed the curtain. “Who would have ever thought that all these people would come to see us? I mean, I knew that the families would come and maybe that some other people might come too but I never expected that all those other folks would come too.”

“We did do a lot of advertising on social media and your posters were amazing,”

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to worship:

 Jesus said, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." In our worship today let us pray for courage to venture out from the safety of our church into deep water so that we may put down our nets for a catch.

Invitation to confession:

 Lord Jesus, sometimes we cling to the boat and are afraid of the deep.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, sometimes we are so concerned for ourselves that we fail to trust you.

Christ, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Stephen P. McCutchan
I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart ...
-- Psalm 138:1a

Harold C. Warlick, Jr.
The weather that Sunday was beautiful in Augusta, Georgia. The middle-aged minister and his wife, after being away eleven years, returned to their perch by the sixth tee at the Masters Golf Tournament on the Augusta National Golf Course. It was their spot. They'd sat there in former times, when they were younger, healthier, and, perhaps, less wise. Sitting beside them were two young college students. The young man was blonde and well-built. He was holding hands with a pretty coed. She was well-tanned, and had a ribbon in her long pony tail. They made a cute couple.
Ron Lavin
There are many wonderful passages in the book of Isaiah, but none lovelier than this gem - the call of Isaiah in the temple of God. This text is lovely and bright in spite of dark elements of sin and unworthiness, because the light of God calling is not overcome by the darkness into which it comes. The light overcomes the darkness. The mission of Isaiah is to represent God. The mission of the Church of Jesus Christ is the same. That mission begins with vision.


Vision
J. Ellsworth Kalas
It's funny what experiences and phrases will stay with you from childhood. I still remember a line from a song which apparently was popular, for at least a short period of time, in my early childhood. It was a half-funny, half-pathetic little lament from someone who felt rejected and unsuccessful. As I recall, each verse ended with the phrase, "I guess I'll go eat worms!"

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