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Bob Ove

Robert S. Ove is a retired Lutheran pastor who serves as interim pastor where and when needed. He has written for various publications, including Guideposts, Reminisce, and Lutheran Partners. A native of Wisconsin, Ove received his BA from Carthage College and did a year of graduate work at the University of Iowa. His first job was teaching on the Mescalero Apache reservation. Ove's first book, Geronimo's Kids, tells of this experience. Following a brief career in film and photography, he left his business to attend Hamma School of Theology at Wittenberg University for his M. Div., becoming a pastor. During his pastoral career, Ove has served churches in nine different states from New York to California and Canada. Upon "retirement," Bob served as a missionary to Nepal. His latest book, In the Shadow of Everest, relates many of his Nepalese adventures. He is a member of Christ the Ray of Hope Lutheran Church where he does some supply preaching, teaching, and writing.
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Emphasis Preaching Journal

How sad a passage... -- Lamentations 1:1-6 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C -- 2013
How sad a passage! It looks like there is no hope for God's people. Can we ever relate to that?
We need to emphasize that we have only one God... -- John 14:8-17 (25-27) -- Bob Ove -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2013
We need to emphasize that we have only one God. The Trinity means that he is in three persons.
Even though the Lord is merciful... -- Amos 7:7-17 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2013
Even though the Lord is merciful and loving, He still has his exact requirements for us.
Why was the whole countryside so excited about Jesus coming?... -- Luke 4:14-21 -- Bob Ove -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2013
Why was the whole countryside so excited about Jesus coming? Was it because he gave good sermons?
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 3 (2013) -- Isaiah 35:1-10, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11 -- Derl G. Keefer, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Ron Love -- Third Sunday of Advent - A -- 2013
Isaiah 35:1-10
"Desert" often... -- Isaiah 35:1-10 -- Bob Ove -- Third Sunday of Advent - A -- 2013
"Desert" often referred to spiritual desolation.
We got our... -- 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16) -- Bob Ove -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - A -- 2013
We got our highfalutin' words of wisdom from seminary, but we had to translate them for the people i
Does that give you hope... -- Luke 17:5-10 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C -- 2013
Does that give you hope? Even if your faith is small -- even miniscule!
NULL -- Revelation 7:9-17 -- Bob Ove -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2013
The Bible is full of visions. Some will look to psychiatrists to find out what really happened!
Even every confirmand... -- Luke 10:25-37 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2013
Even every confirmand could probably quote this passage or a list of other passages that he might be
This is almost everyone's favorite passage... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Bob Ove -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2013
This is almost everyone's favorite passage whether we live it or not, and it should be embroidered a
Don't we like... -- Matthew 11:2-11 -- Bob Ove -- Third Sunday of Advent - A -- 2013
Don't we like to be sure? Was John an agnostic? Did he doubt who Jesus was?
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
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
Sermon illustrations for Ascension of the Lord (2013) -- Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:44-53 -- Bob Ove, Mark J. Molldrem, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2013
Acts 1:1-11
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
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 5 (2013) -- Isaiah 43:16-21, Philippians 3:4b-14, John 12:1-8 -- Mark J. Molldrem, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2013
Isaiah 43:16-21
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 4 (2013) -- Isaiah 7:10-16, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A -- 2013
Isaiah 7:10-16
We are each responsible... -- 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23 -- Bob Ove -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - A -- 2013
We are each responsible for building on the foundation in Christ.
Paul often repeats the basis... -- 2 Timothy 2:8-15 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C -- 2013
Paul often repeats the basis of our faith in Christ! It can't be stated often enough!
NULL -- Acts 1:1-11 -- Bob Ove -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2013
First we might question who Theophilus is.
You can't help but notice... -- Colossians 1:15-28 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2013
You can't help but notice that there is a purpose in each of Paul's letters.
NULL -- Isaiah 43:16-21 -- Bob Ove -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2013
I'm sure the writer was thinking of Pharaoh's chariots, which drowned in the sea to save God's peopl
A servant could... -- Romans 1:1-7 -- Bob Ove -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A -- 2013
A servant could mean a slave, or it could mean the messenger of a king -- a high officer in the roya
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
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Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
In the sometimes-tiresome debate over science and scripture with respect to creation, it’s easy to become distracted. While the argument typically requires a focus on the how, we may lose sight of the what. And so, for just a moment, let me invite us to think for a moment about what God created.
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Acts 8:26-40
As a local church pastor, I was often asked if I would baptize a child whose family were not members of the church. Some churches rebelled against this, but I remember this scripture -the hunger for understanding and inclusion of the Eunuch and Philp’s response – to teach and share and baptize in the name of our God. How could we turn anyone away from the rite of baptism?

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Peter Andrew Smith
“Dad, I think you worked a miracle.” Rolf slowly walked around the tree. “After that windstorm, I assumed this tree was as good as gone.”

“We just needed to give the branches time to heal and come back,” Michael replied.

 “I know, but so many of them were battered and broken I figured that it couldn’t recover. Now though it looks just like it did before the storm.” Rolf paused. “Do you think it will bear any fruit this summer?”

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John Jamison
Object: A live plant that produces fruit, and a broken branch from that plant. I used a tomato plant from a local greenhouse. Ideally, find a plant with blossoms or small fruit already growing. If you use a different kind of fruit-producing plant, just change the script to fit.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent!

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
Elena Delhagen
Dean Feldmeyer
Quantisha Mason-Doll
Luke tells us that shortly before Jesus ascends into heaven, he makes it clear that the mission of the church will expand like ripples on the Sea of Galilee. In Acts 1:8, Jesus stands among the apostles to give them his final instructions. He makes it clear that their mission is going to involve crossing all sorts of boundaries and borders, similar to the pattern he set during his own ministry.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. In our service today, let us absorb from the vine all the nourishment we need.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes our branches become cut off from the vine.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes our branches are withered.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we fail to produce good fruit.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Stan Purdum
We will meet Psalm 22 in its entirety on Good Friday, but here the lectionary designates just verses 23-31. The lectionary psalms generally illuminate the week's First Lesson, which in this case is about the covenant initiated by God with Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17. The nine verses from this psalm, while not inappropriate, nonetheless leave us looking for an obvious connection with the First Lesson.

John S. Smylie
I think some people are natural-born gardeners. Our Lord grew up in a society that was familiar with agriculture. The images that he used to explain the ways of his Father in heaven are familiar to his audience. Growing up, my closest experience to agriculture was living in, "the Garden State." Most people, when they pass through New Jersey, are surprised to see that expression on the license plates of vehicles registered in New Jersey. Most folks traveling through New Jersey experience the megalopolis, the corridor between New York City and Washington DC.
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A pastor in Indiana went to visit an 87-year-old man named Ermil, who was a hospital patient. A member of his church told the pastor about this old man who was an acquaintance. "He's not a believer, but he is really in need," the church member said. "I met him at the county home for the elderly. He's a lonely old man with no family and no money."

Paul E. Robinson
"Love is a many splendored thing...." Or so we heard Don Cornwall and the Four Aces sing time and again. Of course you or I might have other words to describe love, depending on our situation.

Love. "I love you." "I love to play golf." "I just love pistachio lush!" "It's tough to love some people." "Jesus loves me, this I know."

Love.

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