<font color='black' size='4' face='Times New Roman, Times, serif'><font color="black" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4"><strong><a style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 23px; font-family: arial; margin-top: 4px; color: rgb(49, 43, 158); text-transform: capitalize;" target="_blank" __removedlink__1957348916__href="http://thisweek.sermonsuite.com/phplist/lt.php?id=f08MAwJVAgUOTwACHwAFBwI%3D">Free Sermon illustrations from <br>
<em>Emphasis Preaching Journal</em></a></strong> <hr>
<strong><a style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 19px; font-family: arial; margin-top: 4px; color: rgb(49, 43, 158);" target="_blank" __removedlink__1957348916__href="http://thisweek.sermonsuite.com/phplist/lt.php?id=f08MAwJVAgUOTwACHwAFBwI%3D">Sermon Illustrations for Proper 12 | OT 17</a></strong><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; font-size: 14px;">excerpted from <em>Emphasis Preaching Journal</em></span>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size:15px; line-height: 20px; color: #000;"><b>Genesis 29:15-28</b><br>
I don't usually watch TV while I work out at our
local YMCA, but I happened one day to notice a story on ESPN that
grabbed my attention while I was on the treadmill. It was about Gary
Neal, a 26-year-old rookie guard for the San Antonio Spurs, which was
funny because I don't really follow basketball. At LaSalle University,
Neal had won the Atlantic-10 Conference Rookie of the Year award, and
seemed well on his way to a successful college career and possibly the
NBA. However, a rape allegation of which he was later exonerated led to
his dismissal from LaSalle. He took out student loans and applied at
Towson University in Maryland. After he was cleared of wrongdoing, Neal
went on to be fourth in the nation in scoring his senior year. Yet he
was unsigned by any NBA team. After playing successfully in Turkey,
Italy, and Spain, he was invited to a Spurs tryout, and after impressing
them during the summer, he was signed and has gone on to lead all NBA
rookie
s in 3-point shooting percentage, as well as crack the top 20 in the
entire league in that category.<br>
<br>
When I read this passage, I think of that story.
Jacob agrees to work for Laban for seven years to win the hand of the
woman he loves, but when the time comes and he is cheated out of that
marriage, he continues to work hard, overcome obstacles, and finally
realizes his dream of marrying Rachel, eventually fathering what would
become the entire nation of Israel.<br>
<b>Craig K.</b><br>
<br>
* * * * * * <br>
<br>
<b>Genesis 29:15-28</b><br>
Mark Feldmeir in his <i>Testimony to the Exiles</i>
tells the story of Lance Armstrong. In 1995 this young man was the
greatest cyclist in North America. Then he was hit with the news that
threatened his life as well as his career. He had testicular cancer that
had spread swiftly to his brain and his lungs. The doctors gave him
little hope for survival.<br>
<br>
Two years after countless surgeries and much
radiation and chemotherapy, he began training once again. In 1999 he won
the Tour de France. What persistence and endurance! In summarizing his
feat, Armstrong said, "I was meant for a long, hard climb."<br>
<br>
Jacob also was "meant for the long, hard climb."
His love for Rachel enabled him to work an additional seven years for
her after he had been tricked by Laban to work for seven years only to
get Leah for a wife, someone he didn't love.<br>
<b>Richard H.</b><br>
<br>
* * * * * * <br>
<br>
<b>Romans 8:26-39<br>
</b>Everyone in the village believed Pendle Hill
was haunted by demons. In 1652 George Fox courageously walked up that
hill to exorcise Satan and call for the saints in the name of Christ.
While in prayer, a vision appeared before Fox he described as "a people
in white raiment, coming to the Lord." The vision signified that
proclaiming Christ's power over sin would gather people to the kingdom.
And it did. By 1660 Fox had 50,000 followers. At first they called
themselves "children of the light," "publishers of Truth," or "the camp
of the Lord." Gradually they came to prefer the term "Friends," in
accord with Jesus' words recorded in John 15:14: "You are my friends if
you do what I command you." Today the group is often referred to as the
"Quakers."<br>
<br>
In climbing that hill, George Fox knew that
nothing could separate h</div>
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