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Craig Kelly

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

NULL -- 1 Kings 17:1-24 -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C -- 2010
It is amazing how when we give a little to God, how much we get in return.
NULL -- Matthew 2:1-12 -- Craig Kelly -- Epiphany of the Lord - A -- 2010
"You will soon receive good news at your workplace." This and many other "predictions" fill the zodi
NULL -- Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 -- Craig Kelly -- All Saints Day - C -- 2010
"Nothing lasts forever." "All good things must come to an end." "This too shall pass." These are onl
NULL -- Luke 7:11-17 -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C -- 2010
Sometimes it is in the most desperate of times that God shows up.
NULL -- Acts 10:34-43 -- Craig Kelly -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - A -- 2010
In chemistry, catalysts are substances that help trigger a chemical reaction.
NULL -- Luke 6:20-31 -- Craig Kelly -- All Saints Day - C -- 2010
There is a pervasive message sweeping throughout the church.
NULL -- Galatians 2:15-21 -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2010
One of my all-time favorite movie scenes is in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.
NULL -- 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 -- Craig Kelly -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - A -- 2010
Leonardo da Vinci will always be known as one of the greatest artists in history.
NULL -- 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C -- 2010
In many parts of the world, there are people in positions of power who seek to undermine the Word of
NULL -- 1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2010
In certain Hollywood movies, such as Oh, God! and Bruce Almighty, the writers had God
Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist and inventor... -- Micah 6:1-8 -- Craig Kelly -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 2010
Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist and inventor in the early and mid-20th century.
NULL -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 -- Craig Kelly -- New Year's Day - A, New Year's Day - B, New Year's Day - C -- 2010
Growing up on a farm in Saskatchewan, Canada, I was introduced to the idea of "summerfallowing." The
NULL -- Isaiah 65:17-25 -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C -- 2010
Steven Curtis Chapman is an award-winning Christian recording artist whose career spans twenty-plus
NULL -- Luke 8:26-39 -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2010
While one might think that most important aspect of running a business or a corporation is accountin
NULL -- Matthew 25:31-46 -- Craig Kelly -- New Year's Day - A, New Year's Day - B, New Year's Day - C -- 2010
You can learn a lot about someone by their priorities.
NULL -- Luke 21:5-19 -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C -- 2010
It has been said, "It's always darkest before the dawn." Often in life, we have to go through some d
NULL -- Galatians 5:1, 13-25 -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C -- 2010
When a massive earthquake hit the impoverished nation of Haiti some time back, the response to the c
So many of us fail to live up to our potential.... -- Isaiah 49:1-7 -- Craig Kelly -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - A -- 2010
So many of us fail to live up to our potential.
NULL -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11 -- Craig Kelly -- Thanksgiving Day - C -- 2010
Those in the creative arts, such as musicians, songwriters,
NULL -- 2 Kings 5:1-14 -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C -- 2010
How many times do we get little inklings from God to do something?
Former Nazi concentration camps... -- John 1:29-42 -- Craig Kelly -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - A -- 2010
Former Nazi concentration camps, such as the ones in Auschwitz and Birkenau, are now open to the pub
NULL -- John 6:25-35 -- Craig Kelly -- Thanksgiving Day - C -- 2010
It is something of a stereotype that Asian cuisine can make us
NULL -- Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C -- 2010
Many televangelists make enormous amounts of money.
Type the words "true happiness" in a search box on Google... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- Craig Kelly -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 2010
Type the words "true happiness" in a search box on Google, and you will find 12,100,000 results on t
NULL -- Colossians 1:11-20 -- Craig Kelly -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C -- 2010
I sometimes think it is hard for us as Americans to really get our minds around the idea of Christ a

Stories

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Easter 4
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160+ – Illustrations / Stories
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34 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
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33 – Sermons
140+ – Illustrations / Stories
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30 – Worship Resources
35 – Commentary / Exegesis
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Easter 6
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New & Featured This Week

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.
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
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?

StoryShare

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
For April 28, 2024:
  • On The Way To Gaza by Chris Keating based on Acts 8:26-40. On the way to Gaza, Philip discovers the startling ways the Spirit of God moves across borders, boundaries, customs, and traditions.
  • Second Thoughts: Abiding by Katy Stenta based on John 15:1-8.
  • Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Tom Willadsen, Elena Delhagen, Dean Feldmeyer.

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.
Ron Lavin
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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