Login / Signup

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Hold down Ctrl (Windows) / Command (Mac) for multiple selections (scroll list to see all options)

Commentary

Communicating God's Love

Guest column

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Christianity stands or falls with... -- Matthew 22:15-22 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 2008
Christianity stands or falls with its revolutionary protest against violence, arbitrariness
Jesus says to us in... -- Matthew 22:15-22 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 2008
Jesus says to us in our gospel lesson for today, "Give to God the things that are God's."
Diane has a heart for... -- Matthew 22:15-22 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 2008
Diane has a heart for mission. She asked if she might have a "Mission of the Month" that
Joanne was a thoughtful, energetic... -- Matthew 22:15-22 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 2008
Joanne was a thoughtful, energetic woman. She worked in the church as a Sunday school
Moses led the Hebrews in... -- Deuteronomy 34:1-12 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2008
Moses led the Hebrews in their escape from Egypt. The Hebrews had always lived in
Moses came to the juncture... -- Deuteronomy 34:1-12 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2008
Moses came to the juncture many Christian leaders reach. At what point do they turn over
As Moses looked into the... -- Deuteronomy 34:1-12 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2008
As Moses looked into the holy land, not being able to enter it, he had many memories.
Who steals my purse steals... -- 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2008
Who steals my purse steals trash -- 'tis something -- nothing,
It's all too easy for... -- 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2008
It's all too easy for us to think that it's too hard for us to be the witnesses to our
Sara took a course on... -- 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2008
Sara took a course on spiritual practices. While she was not majoring in religion she
At a Veteran's Day event... -- 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2008
At a Veteran's Day event at an elementary school, a student asked the aged soldier why
On a tall stack of... -- Matthew 22:34-46 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2008
On a tall stack of large boxes at the pharmacy each box carried a huge red sign: Bend
Recently I met with a... -- Matthew 22:34-46 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2008
Recently I met with a group of people from another church who wanted to query me
Abou Ben Adhem Abou... -- Matthew 22:34-46 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2008
Abou Ben Adhem Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)
Christian novelist, Walter Wangerin, tells... -- Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 2008
Christian novelist, Walter Wangerin, tells of an incident from his own life: from his
To have a happy and... -- Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 2008
To have a happy and fulfilling life, we all need to live our lives in relationship with
West End Fellowship is celebrating... -- Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 2008
West End Fellowship is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. The vision was to
In legal terms, an internal... -- Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 2008
In legal terms, an internal law can mean several things. It can mean the rules, policies,
Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 2008
Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides is about US Army Rangers and Philippine
For many years, I taught... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 2008
For many years, I taught a Bible class at a home for unwed girls in Los Angeles. The
How do we bring others... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 2008
How do we bring others to hunger and thirst for righteousness in such a way that they
Our text expresses the central... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 2008
Our text expresses the central lesson of Paul's spiritual experience. This student of the
Marriage is a relationship based... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 2008
Marriage is a relationship based on commitment. In America, most people marry because
The value of opinion in... -- John 8:31-36 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 2008
The value of "opinion" in our society has been so corrupted as to have taken on sinful
Sometimes we see a famous... -- John 8:31-36 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 2008
Sometimes we see a famous saying over the doors of libraries and various college and

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

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

CSSPlus

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

Wildcard SSL