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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Our first parish was in... -- Luke 2:41-52 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - C -- 2000
Our first parish was in the country, two hours from the closest city.
Road signs make an interesting... -- Luke 2:1-20 -- 2000
Road signs make an interesting study.
Washington Irving spun the tale... -- John 1:1-14 -- 2000
Washington Irving spun the tale of Rip Van Winkle who ascended the Catskill Mountains on a hunting t
Barry burst into his pastor's... -- Luke 1:39-45 (46-55) -- 2000
Barry burst into his pastor's office, face aglow.
Emma loved to tell her... -- Luke 3:7-18 -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
Emma loved to tell her story.
My first internship was in... -- Luke 3:1-6 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
My first internship was in a tiny parish in Northwestern Ontario which was off the beaten track.
My grandpa's eyes were ever... -- Luke 21:25-36 -- First Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
My grandpa's eyes were ever alert for signs.
Every once in a while... -- Mark 9:30-37 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 2000
Every once in a while I get together with some people who used to work with me at the accounting fir
Robert Bork, in Slouching Towards... -- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2000
Robert Bork, in Slouching Towards Gomorrah, tells about how in New York state, the public schools te
On a mission trip to... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2000
On a mission trip to West Virginia, our group helped at a shelter for abused women and children.
A couple of years ago... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2000
A couple of years ago there was a roofer who was hired to replace the roof at a house in Newbury Par
Vice President Al Gore was... -- Mark 10:17-31 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 2000
Vice President Al Gore was the target of a considerable amount of ridicule when it was revealed that
There is a company called... -- Mark 10:35-45 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 2000
There is a company called Zegrahm Space Voyages.
A few years ago there... -- Mark 9:38-50 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 2000
A few years ago there was a story in the news about a fifty-year-old man in Italy who was arrested f
Many people are considering Cassie... -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2000
Many people are considering Cassie Bernall to be a Christian martyr.
In June of 1998 a... -- John 18:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2000
In June of 1998 a teacher in New York City was fired because when one of her students died, she trie
One day in March of... -- Mark 13:1-8 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 2000
One day in March of 1998, the newspapers carried a headline that said that the Earth was going to be
Paperwhites are a flower from... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
Paperwhites are a flower from the daffodil family.
Four-year-old Luke had... -- John 11:32-44 -- All Saints Day - B -- 2000
Four-year-old Luke had taken a whole bottle of vitamins.
A pediatric surgeon I know... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
A pediatric surgeon I know here in Omaha tells of a six-year-old boy who I'll call Tommy.
There was a man who... -- Mark 4:35-41 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2000
There was a man who lived out in the countryside.
Along the beaches of Mexico... -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
Along the beaches of Mexico and Florida tourists can often see people flying high above the water wh
At a Youth Club meeting... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2000
At a Youth Club meeting one week, we set a six-foot long 2 x 4 board on the floor.
This passage reminds us that... -- John 3:1-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2000
This passage reminds us that love is at the heart of the Christian message.
As Jesus departs from the... -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 2000
As Jesus departs from the disciples, he prepares them for their mission to all the nations.

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, wildfires, 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 Sept. 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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