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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Those of us who live... -- 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2000
Those of us who live under the cross can afford to be generous with one another, given the magnanimi
Paul reminds believers that we... -- Romans 8:12:17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2000
Paul reminds believers that we share Christ's sufferings in order to share his glory.
Thomas Alva Edison, the great... -- Romans 8:22-27 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2000
Thomas Alva Edison, the great American inventor, seemed undaunted in his quest for ever new discover
An expedition to observe the... -- Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 2000
An expedition to observe the 1919 solar eclipse verified Albert Einstein's prediction, based on his
In his autobiography Just As... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
In his autobiography Just As I Am, Billy Graham shares this anecdote: An old Methodist preacher came
I struggle daily with sin... -- 1 Peter 3:18-22 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
I struggle daily with sin! I don't mean that little annoying sins creep into my life.
For John the Baptist, baptism... -- Romans 4:13-25 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
For John the Baptist, baptism symbolized repentance.
Ambassadors in the Roman Empire... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2000
Ambassadors in the Roman Empire were understood to be the personal representatives of the Emperor hi
The first question asked of... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2000
The first question asked of someone desiring baptism in the United Methodist Church is this: "Do you
The sun shone brilliantly on... -- 1 John 1:1-2:2 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
The sun shone brilliantly on the dazzling snow of one of the highest mountains in the Alps, as a tra
The unfaithfulness of Christians tarnishes... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - B -- 2000
The unfaithfulness of Christians tarnishes the image of Christ in the world.
Looking at the broken, beaten... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - B -- 2000
Looking at the broken, beaten body of Jesus, we see the destiny of all innocence.
In our home there is... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 2000
In our home there is a drawer full of things that can only be called junk, and yet we will not throw
The law of Moses failed... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2000
The law of Moses failed to restore the broken relationship that sin caused between humanity and God.
In 70 A.D., Jerusalem was... -- Hebrews 5:5-10 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
In 70 A.D., Jerusalem was surrounded by Roman soldiers and was destroyed, along with the Temple.
The primitive Christian church faced... -- Ephesians 2:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
The primitive Christian church faced its first great crisis when it split into two divisions.
Speaking at the Sorbonne, the... -- Ephesians 2:11-22 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2000
Speaking at the Sorbonne, the great French academic center, during the 1930s, physicist Albert Einst
It is the power and... -- Ephesians 3:14-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2000
It is the power and authority of God that enables us for godly living and all earthy achievement.
In 1900 the Daughters of... -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2000
In 1900 the Daughters of the American Revolution elected Jane Adams, the noted social worker, to hon
Nobody knows for certain exactly... -- 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 2000
Nobody knows for certain exactly what the Apostle Paul's "thorn in the flesh" actually was, although
Alexander I, the Czar of... -- 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2000
Alexander I, the Czar of Russia during and following Napoleon's unsuccessful invasion of his country
The writer uses military images... -- Ephesians 6:10-20 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 2000
The writer uses military images to describe the need for a Christian to be prepared for the enemy's
If there is a hallmark... -- Ephesians 5:15-20 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 2000
If there is a hallmark to the Christian life, it is that followers of the crucified do not resort to
As a member of my... -- 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2000
As a member of my denomination's Board of Ordained Ministry, I am concerned when someone hears the c
Each afternoon the youth lined... -- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2000
Each afternoon the youth lined up at the bus to go to the city to swim in the public pool.

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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