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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

They were unveiling a mural... -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
They were unveiling a mural of Custer's last stand.
Some indignant remarks from Michelangelo... -- John 20:1-18 -- Easter Day - B -- 2000
Some indignant remarks from Michelangelo to his fellow painters: "Why do you keep filling galle
In that wonderful old movie... -- John 18:1-19:42 -- Good Friday - B -- 2000
In that wonderful old movie, High Noon, Gary Cooper is Will Kane, marshal of a small rough town on t
Have you heard the commercials... -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 2000
Have you heard the commercials for this new spelling and reading game?
Christian poet G. K. Chesterton... -- Mark 14:1--15:47 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2000
Christian poet G. K. Chesterton has given us this:The Donkey
A farmer especially interested in... -- John 12:20-33 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
A farmer especially interested in livestock wanted to attend the 1940 Fort Worth Fat Stock Show.
Moses' bronze snake was something... -- John 3:14-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
Moses' bronze snake was something like the hair of the dog that bit you.
In The Vision of Sir... -- John 6:1-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2000
In "The Vision of Sir Launfal," Lowell tells of Lancelot's search for the Holy Grail, the cup from
A man known for his... -- Mark 6:14-29 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2000
A man known for his wisdom in the community once met a youth whom he engaged in conversation.
One night in the highlands... -- Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2000
One night in the highlands of Scotland, a certain home was blessed by the presence of two visitors.
The little town of New... -- Mark 6:1-13 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 2000
The little town of New Concord in southeastern Ohio has become known across the country and around t
It was late afternoon, and... -- Mark 5:21-43 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2000
It was late afternoon, and I was on my way home in downtown Detroit.
The story is told of... -- John 6:56-69 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 2000
The story is told of an artist who set himself to paint the Last Supper.
Leslie Weatherhead tells the story... -- John 6:51-58 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 2000
Leslie Weatherhead tells the story of a copy of John's Gospel coming into the possession of a passe
A vampire bat came flapping... -- Mark 1:29-39 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2000
A vampire bat came flapping in from the night, covered in fresh blood, and parked himself on the ca
Why is it that when... -- Mark 1:21-28 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2000
Why is it that when unanticipated little happenings take place in church they often seem very funny?
The trouble with most New... -- Revelation 21:1-6a -- New Year's Day - B -- 2000
The trouble with most New Year's resolutions is that they are so quickly and easily broken.
Can anything good come from... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2000
Can anything good come from rotting organic matter in the ground? Most certainly.
I'll heal him, but first... -- Mark 2:1-12 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - B -- 2000
"I'll heal him, but first fix the roof." This might have been one reaction of Jesus to this bizarre
What is it like to... -- Mark 1:40-45 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2000
What is it like to be totally alone?
It comes in a very... -- Mark 1:4-11 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2000
It comes in a very small package. It is just a little rubbery sort of animal.
All of life is a... -- Matthew 2:1-12 -- Epiphany of the Lord - B -- 2000
All of life is a journey. It is exciting to anticipate going somewhere and pursuing a goal.
Police were investigating some suspicious... -- Luke 2:41-52 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - C -- 2000
Police were investigating some suspicious activity in a parking garage in a suburb of New York City.
In the Celtic tradition, they... -- John 1:1-14 -- 2000
In the Celtic tradition, they speak of "thin places." By "thin places," they mean those occasions wh
I was hosting a Christmas... -- Luke 2:1-20 -- 2000
I was hosting a Christmas party at my house one year.

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 23 | OT 28 | Pentecost 18
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 24 | OT 29 | Pentecost 19
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 25 | OT 30 | Pentecost 20
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – 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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