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StoryShare

A Mother's Share -- Acts 11:1-18, Revelation 21:1-6, John 13:31-35, Psalm 148 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C
A Mother's Share
The Shadow Knows -- Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30, Romans 7:15-25a, Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67, Psalm 45:10-17 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A
Contents What's Up This Week A Story to Live By: "How to Carry Heavy Burdens"
Grandma's Angel -- Job 42:1-6, 10-17, Hebrews 7:23-28, Mark 10:46-52 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B
Contents
Another Reformed Short Guy -- Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18, Ephesians 1:11-23, Luke 6:20-31, Psalm 149 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - C
Contents What's Up This Week
If You Have Ears To Hear -- Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, Romans 8:1-11, Genesis 25:19-34, Psalm 119:105-112 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A
Contents What's Up This Week A Story to Live By: "What Goes Around..."
Presidential Pardon -- Mark 6:11 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B
Edited by John Sumwalt and Jo Perry-SumwaltContents
A Word Of Comfort -- Lamentations 1:1-6, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Luke 17:5-10, Psalm 137 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C
Contents What's Up This Week: "A Word of Comfort"
Spirit Of Adoption -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, Romans 8:12-25, Genesis 28:10-19a, Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A
Contents What's Up This Week A Story to Live By: "Spirit of Adoption"
My Eyes Have Seen Your Salvation -- Luke 2:29a -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - B
Contents Sharing Visions, "My Eyes Have Seen Your Salvation," by Mary Downing
The Thanks You Get -- Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Luke 17:11-19, Psalm 66:1-12 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C
Contents What's Up This Week A Story to Live By: "The Thanks You Get"
Learning How To Pray -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52, Romans 8:26-39, Genesis 29:15-28, Psalm 105:1-11, 45b -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
Contents What's Up This Week A Story to Live By: "A Time to Deceive"
I Shall Always Be Near You -- Ruth 1:1-18, Hebrews 9:11-14, Psalm 146 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - B
Contents A Story to Live By: "I Shall Always Be Near You"
Two Stories Of Freedom -- Isaiah 65:17-25, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, Luke 21:5-19, Isaiah 12 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C
Contents What's Up This Week
Those Who Seek Refuge -- Matthew 14:13-21, Romans 9:1-5, Genesis 32:22-31, Psalm 17:1-7, 15 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
Contents What's Up This Week
God Will Meet Our Needs -- Ruth 3:1-5, 13-17, Hebrews 9:24-28, Mark 12:38-44 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B
A Note from John
Jesus Is Counting On Us -- Jeremiah 23:1-6, Luke 1:68-79, Colossians 1:11-20 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C
StoryShare Edited by John Sumwalt and Jo Perry-Sumwalt
Get Out Of The Boat -- Matthew 14:22-33, Romans 10:5-15, Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28, Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A
Contents What's Up This Week A Story to Live By: "Walking on Water"
Thanksgiving Communion -- 2 Samuel 23:1-7, Revelation 1:4b-8, John 18:33-37 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B
Contents A Story to Live By: "Thanksgiving Communion"
An Awakening -- Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44, Psalm 122 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- First Sunday of Advent - A
StoryShare Edited by John Sumwalt and Jo Perry-Sumwalt
The Call Of God -- 1 Samuel 3:10 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B
ContentsSharing Visions: "The Call of God" by Bill Dow
Christmas Absence -- Titus 2:11-14, Isaiah 9:2-7, Luke 2:1-20, Psalm 96 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- The Nativity of our Lord - A
Contents A Story to Live By: "
Thanksgiving Communion -- 2 Samuel 23:1-7, Revelation 1:4b-8, John 18:33-37 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Thanksgiving Day - B
Contents A Story to Live By: "Thanksgiving Communion"
Baptism Of Repentance -- Isaiah 11:1-10, Romans 15:4-13, Matthew 3:1-12, Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Second Sunday of Advent - A
Contents What's Up This Week A Story to Live By: "Baptism of Repentance"
A Call To Ministry -- Mark 1:16-18 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B
ContentsSharing Visions: "A Call to Ministry" by Nancy Nichols
Reason To Doubt -- Acts 2:14a, 22-32, 1 Peter 1:3-9, John 20:19-31, Psalm 16 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Second Sunday of Easter - A
Contents What's Up This Week A Story to Live By: "Reason to Doubt"
UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 21 | OT 26 | Pentecost 19
32 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
21 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
2 – Pastor's Devotions
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Proper 22 | OT 27 | Pentecost 20
31 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
2 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 23 | OT 28 | Pentecost 21
30 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
29 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
2 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
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New & Featured This Week

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: I had the youngest children in the group participate. When I came to the part of the story where Jesus asked the little children to come to him, I had the youngest come and sit closest to me. If you think it is possible with your group, when you ask how little children act when they receive a gift, actually ask your youngest children what they think the answer is. Do the same with the older children when you ask about how older people act.

* * *

The Immediate Word

Dean Feldmeyer
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
Christopher Keating
George Reed
Katy Stenta
For October 6, 2024:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
I heard a sad story today about a pastor whose church essentially had to close as a result of a scandal surrounding his associate. The pastor himself knew nothing about his associate’s behavior, he was as blindsided by it as the rest of the church family was. But it led to such disruption and division in the church, that they shuttered their doors. And now, a friend told me, that innocent pastor is looking for a new ministry, but he carries with him this black mark that he doesn’t deserve.
Bill Thomas
Bonnie Bates
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Job 1:1; 2:1-10

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels.  But someone has testified somewhere, ‘What are humans that you are mindful of them or mortals that you care for them? You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor’ (vv. 5-7)

Angels are popular in American culture.

SermonStudio

Christopher Keating
Copied on the front of the bulletin were verses from Gerard Manley Hopkins’ poem, “Charged with Grandeur.” A globe was placed on a table near the front, emphasizing human’s place in the world. Video footage from NASA accompanied the sermon in order to reinforce how we are called to claim our vocation as stewards of creation. Images of an old car and glimpses of the Earth from space were also used as visuals.
Robert G. Beckstrand
Vindicate me, O LORD,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
Prove me, O LORD, and try me,
test my heart and mind.
For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in faithfulness to you.
-- Psalm 26:1-3

Theme: A pledge of, and a plea for, loyalty

Outline
1-3 -- He pleads for God to give recognition to his integrity and single-hearted devotion.
4-8 -- Evidence of this is in his past conduct and his present joy in worship.
Wesley T. Runk
Object: a clock

Mark Ellingsen
Theme of the Day
Reflections on the love of God.

Collect of the Day
Addressing the sovereign God who created us to live in loving community, petitions are raised by the faithful to be formed in faith to trust like children and so reflect Christ's image. Justification and Sanctification are again emphasized.

Psalm of the Day
Psalm 26
* A prayer for deliverance from personal enemies; a lament traditionally attributed to David.
Donna E. Schaper
We find Job on the edge of town, his money gone, his children dead, picking at his innumerable sores and scabs. In the Joni Mitchell version of his sorrow, Job speaks of how the children of the wicked frisk like deer while his are dead and gone. In her version, we are also told that Job sees the diggers waiting, leaning on their spades, at the site of his grave. Job's three friends, Eliphas, Bildad, and Zophar show up to comfort him but they do so in a way that only pours iodine on his wounds. God is just, they say, therefore, Job must have done something wrong.
John R. Brokhoff
Robert W. Stackel
When William Jennings Bryan went to the father of the young woman whom he loved to ask her hand in marriage, he remembered that the father was a strong religious believer, so he quoted a proverb of Solomon from the Bible: "He who finds a wife finds a good thing." But the father surprised him by responding with a quote from St.
William G. Carter
We have a problem today. Here we are, gathered at worship as the household of God. Through baptism we belong to a worldwide community of faith. Each time we gather, we have an opportunity to pray together and recommit ourselves to peace. Now that we are here, we have to deal with a troublesome and potentially divisive text from the Gospel of Mark. Some Pharisees put Jesus to the test by asking him what he thought about divorce. His response, in turn, has always put a peace-loving church to the test.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus said, "What God has joined together, let no one separate." In our service today, let us consider our responsibilities to the whole of creation.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, we have not always cared about our environment.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, we have not always taken our responsibilities to animals seriously.
Christ, have mercy.

Special Occasion

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