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Hard and Soft Hearts

Sermon
Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B
Mark 10:2-16
Steven E. Albertin
Against the Grain -- Words for a Politically Incorrect Church
Cycle B Gospel Sermons for Sundays after Pentecost (Last Third)
Probably one of the most frustrating responsibilities I have as a parish pastor is officiating at weddings. I would rather do a funeral than perform a wedding. It's not because I am filled with a great sense of morbidity. It's not that I delight in other people's suffering. Rather, it has to do with how receptive people are to ministry. At the time of death, people are much more receptive to facing the ultimate issues of life. They have a far greater sense of their need for the gospel. They have just experienced the limits of life and are primed to listen to the word of hope in Jesus Christ.
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New & Featured This Week

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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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