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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Orator, reformer, and statesman, that... -- Mark 9:30-37 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 2000
Orator, reformer, and statesman, that was John Bright of England.
Tennyson tells the story of... -- Mark 8:27-38 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2000
Tennyson tells the story of a young man named Gareth who wants with all his heart to become a knight
Hundreds of tourists include a... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2000
Hundreds of tourists include a day or more at the Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island, British Colu
One of my professors at... -- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2000
One of my professors at Pittsburgh Seminary was Dr. Addison Leitch. After his wife's death, Dr.
Gepetto, a carpenter, creates a... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2000
Gepetto, a carpenter, creates a puppet which comes to life.
Her name was in the... -- Mark 10:35-45 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 2000
Her name was in the newspapers: Louise Degrafenreid. It was the first time we ever read about her.
Dr. Harry Hutchison and his... -- Mark 10:17-31 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 2000
Dr. Harry Hutchison and his wife were Christians committed to the mission field.
There was once a father... -- Mark 9:38-50 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 2000
There was once a father who possessed a ring set with a highly-valued opal.
In the dreadful days of... -- John 18:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2000
In the dreadful days of battle in Scotland, the Marquis of Huntly was captured.
A farmer advertised for a... -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2000
A farmer advertised for a worker, and several applicants came looking for the position.
Early in the twentieth century... -- Mark 13:1-8 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 2000
Early in the twentieth century, a devout couple in the Midwest became obsessed with "the end of the
It's a moving, gripping scene... -- John 11:32-44 -- All Saints Day - B -- 2000
It's a moving, gripping scene.
On a wall in one... -- Mark 12:38-44 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 2000
On a wall in one of the buildings at Oxford University in England hangs a framed copy of a letter wh
In the early '70s, as... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
In the early '70s, as NASA was gearing up for its Apollo moonshot program, someone was supposed to h
Helen Keller was an inspiration... -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
Helen Keller was an inspiration to a previous generation.
A sheep rancher decided to... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
A sheep rancher decided to try playing music for his sheep to soothe their nerves, provide for tranq
The boys and girls got... -- Mark 4:35-41 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2000
The boys and girls got into the story of David and Goliath.
Julia Kale Kellersberger was writing... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2000
Julia Kale Kellersberger was writing of her very first trip to Africa.
In his wonderful book, By... -- John 3:1-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2000
In his wonderful book, By the Bonnie Briar Bush, Ian Maclaren tells of a brokenhearted father, Lachl
We visited a communal farm... -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 2000
We visited a communal farm one day in Cuba.
While painting the ceiling of... -- John 2:13-22 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
While painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo was much troubled about the quality o
There's an old campfire story... -- Mark 8:31-38 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
There's an old campfire story about an Indian chief.
James A. Whittaker, first American... -- Mark 1:9-15 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
James A.
A cowboy rode into town... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2000
A cowboy rode into town and stopped at the saloon for a drink.
In ancient times people believed... -- Mark 9:2-9 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2000
In ancient times people believed that being up high was getting closer to God.

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 28 | OT 33 | Pentecost 23
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Christ the King Sunday
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Thanksgiving
34 – Sermons
80+ – Illustrations / Stories
24 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
24 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Christopher Keating
Dean Feldmeyer
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
Nazish Naseem
For November 16, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Coffin
Another natural disaster has flattened a number of coastal communities. Despite the weather and major television station warnings, and government disaster preparations, the dystopian destruction nightmare of Luke 21 has decimated another community. Also, it is reasonable to believe that this is not the last year for hurricanes, Tsunami’s, wild fires, mudslides and tornados. They will occur again. However as weary citizens are interviewed in one group of people with the background of homes in rubble and streets still draining flood waters, they will not leave. This is their home.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Isaiah 65:17-25 and Isaiah 12

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
“The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD. (v. 25)

A week after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, country singer Toby Keith — who died Feb. 5, 2024 — wrote a patriotic ballad titled “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.” It was filled with populist fighting rhetoric that matched the mood of a nation shaken by the shocking death and destruction of that day.

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A blood pressure monitor. It is actually called a sphygmomanometer, and is pronounced “sfig·mow·muh·naa’·muh·tr”.

* * *

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.

SermonStudio

Stephen P. McCutchan
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
-- Isaiah 12:3

John W. Clarke
No reading of Luke is complete without coming to realize that Luke is concerned that the world understands that Jesus is the hope of the world and that any teaching that leads away from that fact is a false teaching. No matter what, no matter when, Jesus will be there to give us life.

Scott Suskovic
Whoever does not work should not eat!
-- 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (NLT)

Wow! Kind of takes your breath away, doesn't it? Not a lot of ambiguity in that rule. "You don't work, you don't eat." For a religion based on grace, it seems a bit unyielding.

Mark Ellingson
Freedom is such a lovely word, a compelling image. What is freedom? How would you define it? What does it mean to you? Webster's New World Dictionary defines freedom as being exempt from control or from arbitrary restrictions. Freedom is said to be the ability to choose or determine one's own actions.

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