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Wesley T. Runk

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Children's sermon

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PATTERNED AFTER JESUS -- 1 Peter 2:21b-25 -- Wesley T. Runk -- 1976
Object: an office punch (hole punch) and different shapes and colors of paper.
A TERRIFIC SINGER -- 2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9 -- Wesley T. Runk -- 1976
Object:a tape recorder.
IS FREE JUST LOOSE? -- Galatians 4:21-5:1a -- Wesley T. Runk -- 1976
Object:a wristwatch or a pocket watch on a chain.
GOD'S THICK SYRUP -- Titus 3:4-7 -- Wesley T. Runk -- 1976
Object:some very thick syrup that you would use on waffles or pancakes.
Making Money On God -- Acts 19:25b-26 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: none
Jesus Is The Head And We Are The Body -- Ephesians 5:21-31 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a nail, a golf club, and a match
Such A Good Time -- Matthew 17:1-9 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a bag of popcorn or peanuts
The Ladder And The Sponge -- Matthew 27:45-49 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a picture of a ladder and a sponge
Do You Believe What He Said? -- John 14:23-29 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: some nut cups, some wet cotton for each cup, and a package of dry lima beans
Learning To Forgive A Lot -- Luke 7:36-50 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a small bag of potatoes and a twenty--pound bag of potatoes
Compassion -- Luke 7:11-17 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a nurse's ID badge (borrowed from a nurse)
Working Together -- Acts 18:1-3 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: none
Sing A Song To Each Other -- Ephesians 5:15-20 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: some sentences with which you greet the children, reading them to a melody which you
Now What Do We Do? -- John 2:1-11 -- Wesley T. Runk
Objects: some wine and some water in containers, to show the children
Saying "Yes" To Jesus -- 2 Corinthians 1:18-22 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a red floor tile, a white floor tile, and a gray floor tile (you may use three of any
A Paper Bag Is Worth A Lot -- Matthew 8:1-13 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a paper bag and a bunch of fruit - a dozen apples or oranges or anything that a child
A Real Champion -- 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a big piece of cardboard with the words "Round 15" on it and some boxing gloves
The Welcome Mat -- 3 John 5 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a welcome mat
God's Bankers -- Matthew 25:14-30 -- Wesley T. Runk
Object: a bank savings book

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God's Thermometer -- 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 -- Wesley T. Runk -- 1976
Good morning, boys and girls.

The Immediate Word

All Trees Are Christmas Trees -- Isaiah 64:1-9, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 13:24-37 -- George L. Murphy, Larry Hard, Wesley T. Runk -- First Sunday of Advent - B
Dear Fellow Preachers,
It Is Evening... -- Mark 4:35-41, 2 Corinthians 6:1-13, 1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49, Psalm 9:9-20 -- Thom M. Shuman, Stephen P. McCutchan, Wesley T. Runk -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B
When the first storm of the 2006 hurricane season posed a threat to Florida last week, many media st
Nothing Hid From Its Heat -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, Psalm 19 -- Carlos Wilton, George L. Murphy, Stephen P. McCutchan, Carter Shelley, Thom M. Shuman, Wesley T. Runk -- Third Sunday in Lent - B
It's the nature of the news business that gripping human interest stories and immediate crises domin
Speaking Of Peace -- Mark 6:14-29, Ephesians 1:3-14, 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19, Psalm 24 -- Thom M. Shuman, Wesley T. Runk -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B
It's not news that many places in the world are torn apart by war -- nevertheless, recent headlines

The Village Shepherd

Just The Right Time -- Mark 4:26-34 -- Wesley T. Runk -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - B
Note: There is no content for Proper 6 / OT 11 / Pentecost 4 from The Village Shephe

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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Easter 4
28 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
23 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 5
33 – Sermons
140+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
30 – Worship Resources
35 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 6
30 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
23 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
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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?”

CSSPlus

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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