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Emphasis Preaching Journal

In this season of the... -- 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B
In this season of the church, the loving father named David reminds us that God as our
To gain fresh input into... -- Exodus 20:1-17 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B
To gain fresh input into the commandments, I take the liberty to go to vv. 24-25.
One of the most significant... -- Revelation 7:2-4, 9-17 -- All Saints Day - B
One of the most significant phrases of the Christian faith is the blood of the Lamb.
Bethlehem is a small place... -- Micah 5:2-5a -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B
Bethlehem is a small place. Indeed the smallest clan in Abraham's family occupied that territory.
Wernher Von Braun was a... -- Job 28:20-28 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B
Wernher Von Braun was a scientist skilled enough to be the genius behind the mighty Saturn rocket.
A war correspondent, searching for... -- 1 Kings 19:4-8 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B
A war correspondent, searching for a good human-interest story amidst all the wreckage of the battle
In the opening verse of... -- John 16:12-15 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B
In the opening verse of this reading, Jesus says, "I have much more to tell you, but now it would be
Helen Keller is revered as... -- 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B
Helen Keller is revered as one of the great women of this century.
It's been a generation or... -- Ephesians 3:1-12 -- Epiphany of the Lord - B
It's been a generation or two now since the rather foolish tale circulated about one Elroy T.
Everybody wants some claim to... -- Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B
Everybody wants some claim to fame.
In his book, Jesus and... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B
In his book, Jesus and the Victory of God, N. T.
As the budget problems worsened... -- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 -- Third Sunday of Advent - B
As the budget problems worsened and family population shifts were causing an exit out of one urban a
This Roman Lectionary Gospel is... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Day of Pentecost - B
This Roman Lectionary Gospel is so rich I wish it was an alternate lesson for some of the rest of us
Most of us have heard... -- Acts 4:23-33 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B
Most of us have heard of the pogroms in Russia - Jews would be attacked in their homes, especially a
During my young adult years... -- Acts 4:32-35 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B
During my young adult years I had the opportunity to live in a "collective house" in Washington, D.C
We often forget that the... -- Genesis 17:1-10, 15-19 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B
We often forget that the word "Issac" in Hebrew means "laughter." Abraham laughed when God promised
Naomi was a most religious... -- Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - B
Naomi was a most religious person.
Christians of earlier days took... -- James 4:13-17; 5:7-11 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B
Christians of earlier days took quite literally the urging of James, to attach the condition of the
Have you ever tried to... -- John 6:51-58 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B
Have you ever tried to explain a joke?
It is said of the... -- Baruch 5:1-9 -- Second Sunday of Advent - B
It is said of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, "He had written them for the pleasure and use of h
The speaker was about to... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Day of Pentecost - B
The speaker was about to address a large gathering of hopefuls, in the ballroom of the local hotel.
What's your favorite symphony? he... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B
"What's your favorite symphony?" he asked me. "Handel's Water Music," I replied.
John the Baptist was the... -- Mark 1:1-8 -- Second Sunday of Advent - B
John the Baptist was the most unlikely character to herald the coming of Christ.
No pain, no gain was... -- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B
"No pain, no gain" was a byword for the Apostle Paul -- and he was right.
Here are some announcements that... -- John 1:1-14 -- The Nativity of our Lord - B
Here are some announcements that actually appeared in church worship bulletins.

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UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Easter 2
20 – Sermons
170+ – Illustrations / Stories
26 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
20 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 3
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 4
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
33 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

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John Jamison
Object: An old, worn-out shoe and an old banana.

* * *

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

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
For May 18, 2025:
  • Smoke Gets In Your Eyes by Chris Keating based on Acts 11:1-18 and John 13:31-35. As Peter, popes, pastors, and even pew-sitters learn, change often becomes the smokescreen that conceals deeper conflicts that keep us from loving as Jesus commanded.
  • Second Thoughts: Giving and Accepting Love by Tom Willadsen based on John 13:31-35.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Acts 11:1-18
Who do we exclude? In the days of the early church, everything was about purity, about the acts that made one a member of the Jewish community first and then a part of “the way” of Jesus. Imagine the horror among the crowds of the faithful when Peter traveled to the Gentiles, to those who did not believe in the one true God before Jesus came into the world. Yet, Peter is clear. He has had a vision and, in that vision, was declared, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” God ordains who is included, not people.
David Kalas
The old idiom claims of certain people, “To know them is to love them.” A variation on the saying might be appropriate when talking about the Lord.  Specifically, we might say that to know him is not merely to love him, but to know that he is love.

This may seem like an unspectacular statement to church folks.  I fear that we are perhaps so accustomed to the affirmation that God is love that we no longer recognize the profundity of it. Or the scandal of it.

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them and be their God;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’
(vv. 3-4)

SermonStudio

Bonnie Bates
We continue this Easter season with the epistolary readings from Revelation. In this reading, we see the final vision of the world to come: the new heaven and the new earth, the new Jerusalem. This is also an apocalyptic vision, the vision the seer shared with us of the end of the world as we know it. This is a writing about a prophetic promise of what is to come at the end of time as we know it. John’s vision is almost complete and we may be comforted by this vision of what is to come.
James Evans
(See Christmas 1, Cycle A; Christmas 1, Cycle B; and Christmas 1, Cycle C for alternative approaches.)

The theme of this psalm is the glory of God. The praise is extravagant and unrestrained. The psalmist makes good use of repetitive themes to drive home the central message of the psalm, namely that God is worthy of praise. The psalmist, with great deliberation, leads worshipers through a litany of causes and effects that demonstrate the praiseworthiness of God.

David Kalas
Professional sports has no statistic for measuring talking. Yet talking can be an important part of the game.

We can measure how fast a player pitches or serves. We keep statistics on batting averages, shooting percentages, and quarterback ratings. We track yards-after-catch, on-base percentages, and shots on goal. We record height and weight, wins-and-losses, and times in the 40-yard dash. But we have no way of measuring a player's talking.
John M. Braaten
It is often difficult for Christians to get past the idea that those who have given themselves to the Lord should be treated a little better than the average woman or man who does not possess a living faith. In other words, there ought to be some kind of return for what you have done for God, for what you have given in time, energy and money. That doesn't sound outrageous, does it? In this "you get what you deserve" world, you really ought to be rewarded. Harmless as that sounds, it is the first step toward a theology of glory.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Prayers usually include these concerns and may follow this sequence:

The Church of Christ

Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

The local community

Those who suffer

The communion of saints


These responses may be used:


Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

Special Occasion

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