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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Roberta needed a change of... -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Roberta needed a change of scenery. Her husband died following a brief illness.
One of the most dramatic... -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
One of the most dramatic scenes the pastor ever witnessed was the day a mother was reunited with her
It sounds like one of... -- Acts 4:5-12 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
It sounds like one of those courtroom dramas: The lawyer stands up and, instead of directly answerin
In Port Angeles, Washington, my... -- Acts 4:5-12 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
In Port Angeles, Washington, my wife and I waited to board a passenger ferry to Victoria, British Co
In ancient culture, the cornerstone... -- Acts 4:5-12 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
In ancient culture, the cornerstone was the first stone to be laid down at the corner of a building.
There is an old Japanese... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
There is an old Japanese legend of a man who died and went to heaven.
A Midwestern church has successfully... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
A Midwestern church has successfully partnered with an African-American congregation in their city.
We passed him every single... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
We passed him every single day.
Among sea lions, mother sea... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Among sea lions, mother sea lions leave their babies -- called "pups" -- to go hunting.
My wife and I love... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
My wife and I love to watch sheep dog trials.

Intercession

Poems

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Preaching

Sermon

SermonStudio

Light in the Land of Shadows -- Isaiah 9:2-7 -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 1996
On a trip to Munich, Germany, Samuel Miller had a chance to watch Karl Vallentin, the last of the gr
All Dressed Up and Somewhere to Go! -- Isaiah 61:10--62:3 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - B -- 1996
In Tennessee Williams' play Sweet Bird of Youth, the heckler says to Miss Lucy, "I believe th
A Little Book of Comfort -- Jeremiah 31:7-14 -- Second Sunday after Christmas - B -- 1996
The lectionary text for today is part of a larger unit that has sometimes been called "The Little Bo
Point of Origin -- Genesis 1:1-5 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 1996
The beginning of the world's story is our story.
Any Email from God Today? -- 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20) -- Harold C. Warlick, Jr. -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 1996
You and I live in a world of communication.
Religious Load-Management -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 1996
One of the major ingredients in any kind of endeavor is load-management.
Turning a Minus into a Plus -- Isaiah 40:21-31 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 1996
One of the finest minds in our country belongs to a man named Charles Merrill.
A Bad Temperament Can Kill You -- 2 Kings 5:1-14 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 1996
Imagine, if you will, two children walking down a hallway at school.
When Imagination Replaces Memory -- Isaiah 43:18-25 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - B -- 1996
One of the fascinating aspects of being human is our ability to create time.
Pain and Promise in the Heart of God -- Hosea 2:14-20 -- Epiphany 8 | Ordinary Time 8 - B -- 1996
One of the amazing claims of the Judaeo-Christian heritage is that God takes on the attributes of hu

Stories

The Political Pulpit

Worship

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Dean Feldmeyer
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Nazish Naseem
Mary Austin
Alyssa Spradlin
For November 1, 2026:
Christopher Keating
Dean Feldmeyer
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Nazish Naseem
Mary Austin
Alyssa Spradlin
For November 1, 2026:

CSSPlus

Wesley T. Runk
The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Good morning boys and girls. Does anyone here remember someone saying, “I am the greatest?” I remember hearing it many times by a prize fighter named Ali. Does anyone here remember Muhammed Ali? He used to say a lot of things and he was a very good boxer. He told everyone that he saw that he was “the greatest of all time.” Wow! Not many people say those kind of things about themselves.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Sandra Herrmann
What is a saint?

According to the Roman Catholic church, a saint is a holy person who has been elevated by God to heaven, there to pray for those of us who need their help. There is a three-step process: the request by those who knew the person in life, and who attest to their holiness; a witness by at least two people that they asked the candidate to pray for them and their prayer was granted in a miraculous way; and an investigation by the Vatican into all this evidence. The declaration is made by the pope.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told the people how they could be blessed by God and experience God's kingdom. In our worship today let us explore the Sermon on the Mount.

Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, sometimes I'm full of pride instead of being poor in spirit.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes I'm overbearing and pushy, instead of being meek.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes I'm not exactly pure in heart.
Lord, have mercy.

Reading:

StoryShare

John S. Smylie
Keith Hewitt
Bryan Meadows
Frank Ramirez
Contents
What's Up This Week
"The Fifth Gospel" by John Smylie
"The Burden" by Keith Hewitt
"Up Stream" by Bryan Meadows
"A Magical Little Poem" by Frank Ramirez


What's Up This Week
John S. Smylie
Keith Hewitt
Bryan Meadows
Frank Ramirez
Contents
What's Up This Week
"The Fifth Gospel" by John Smylie
"The Burden" by Keith Hewitt
"Up Stream" by Bryan Meadows
"A Magical Little Poem" by Frank Ramirez


What's Up This Week
Keith Hewitt
Larry Winebrenner
Peter Andrew Smith
Constance Berg
Sandra Herrmann
Contents
"New Leadership" by Sandra Herrmann
"Lost" by Keith Hewitt
"Three Paths for the End of October" by Larry Winebrenner
"Ahmad's Final Lesson" by Larry Winebrenner
"Freedom to Live" by Peter Andrew Smith
"The Fullness of Life" by Constance Berg


* * * * * * * *


New Leadership
by Sandra Herrmann
Joshua 3:7-17
Keith Hewitt
Larry Winebrenner
Peter Andrew Smith
Constance Berg
Sandra Herrmann
Contents
"New Leadership" by Sandra Herrmann
"Lost" by Keith Hewitt
"Three Paths for the End of October" by Larry Winebrenner
"Ahmad's Final Lesson" by Larry Winebrenner
"Freedom to Live" by Peter Andrew Smith
"The Fullness of Life" by Constance Berg


* * * * * * * *


New Leadership
by Sandra Herrmann
Joshua 3:7-17

SermonStudio

Mary S. Lautensleger
"Surprise! You're adopted!" If you were to hear those words from a trusted relative, surprise would be an understatement, I'm sure. Total shock would probably be more descriptive terminology for your emotional state as you examined the official court record and your original birth certificate. "Adopted" does describe each of us though, because we have been adopted by God into God's family. How do we know? The Bible tells us so.
James L. Killen, Jr.
When we put together the collection of things that we can believe, we need to ask a question about the person in the middle of the inquiry. What can we believe about ourselves? We don't often ask that question but it is a very important one. Some people are oppressed by low self-esteem. Others are led astray by exaggerated images of themselves. It is important to get a realistic understanding of who we are -- and of who we can be. The Bible has something to say on the subject that may surprise you. Are you ready? Hold on to your hat. The Bible says you were created and called to be saints.
Argile Smith
At an office meeting, Ben got the official news that he would become the manager of one of the most influential departments in the company. His colleagues admired him because of his tireless work, and they respected him as a dependable person in whom they could place their trust. They were glad when they found out that he had gotten the promotion. In order to celebrate the news with him, they bought him a gift. Well, it was actually more like a gag-gift, the kind that he would place on his shelf and chuckle over every time he saw it.
Joseph M. Freeman
Maybe both the best and the worst of us in humanity are far better preachers than we are doers and deliverers of what we preach and teach. And maybe maturity has everything to do with our genuine willingness to bring a greater congruity between our esteemed words and those actions compatible with, not contradictory of, those words. Jesus, fully divine and fully human, loved and valued not just the right deeds, but also the right motives and attitudes.
Mary Sue Dehmlow Dreier
Commotion At The Communion Rail

Tommy didn't budge.

When everyone else got up to leave the communion rail, he stayed kneeling. His folded hands were perched on the rail, and his little head was bowed so far down that his forehead was squinched against his thumb knuckles. His eyes were closed hopefully, as if he were waiting for a big present.
Charles L. Aaron, Jr.
As the movie Contact opens, the audience sees a precocious girl named Eleanor learning how to use a ham radio. Nicknamed "Sparks" by her father, she has reached a man in Florida, and is excited that her radio lets her speak with someone so far away. In a later scene she asks her father wistfully if she can call her deceased mother on the radio. He responds sadly that no antenna is big enough.
George L. Murphy
You know that old saying, "Be careful what you wish for, because it might come true"? We see examples of that again and again in life. During the war in Iraq, Hampton Sides, a journalist who had been slated to be "embedded" with one of our frontline Marine battalions, gave an interview on NRP (National Public Radio). At almost the last possible moment, Sides decided not to go with the Marines, but instead to report from Central Command in Qatar.
Richard C. Brand
It seems fair to say that the saints of the Lord have always shown us what it is to be worthy of God. It is why we remember them and rejoice for them. They have shown us what a life worthy of God might look like. To talk about the saints, we may talk about Kagawa in Japan, about Mother Teresa, about Bishop Tutu and Nelson Mandela, about D. T. Niles in India, and about Saint Patrick in Ireland. To know the stories of Dorothy Day in New York City and Oscar Romero in Latin America is to have examples of what it means to lead lives worthy of the God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
Amy C. Schifrin
Martha Shonkwiler
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