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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

After God made Adam and... -- 2 Corinthians 3:1-6 -- Epiphany 8 | Ordinary Time 8 - B -- 2000
After God made Adam and Eve, he said: "Finish the world for me." And the man and the woman said: "Bu
A hundred young men sat... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2000
A hundred young men sat on the hillside grass for the vesper hour at summer conference.
Most of us have had... -- 2 Corinthians 1:18-22 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - B -- 2000
Most of us have had the experience of standing in the large room at an airport, waiting for our lugg
At the age of 77... -- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2000
At the age of 77, Senator John Glenn applied to go into space again.
It was the fourth night... -- Acts 19:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2000
It was the fourth night of the tent meeting crusade.
There was an old custom... -- Ephesians 3:1-12 -- Epiphany of the Lord - B -- 2000
There was an old custom which was a part of the communion service in some churches.
This text speaks of the... -- Colossians 3:12-17 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - C -- 2000
This text speaks of the Church and its obligation to a life marked by love, forgiveness, and "Christ
Coach Mike Kryzewski has built... -- Hebrews 1:1-4 (5-12) -- 2000
Coach Mike Kryzewski has built a wonderful basketball program at Duke University.
The ethical imperative of the... -- Titus 2:11-14 -- 2000
The ethical imperative of the Christian life is urged in this passage.
Since 1995 and the fiftieth... -- Hebrews 10:5-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
Since 1995 and the fiftieth anniversary of World War II, we have been besieged by a variety of media
Few strategies for child-rearing... -- Philippians 4:4-7 -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
Few strategies for child-rearing and support receive as much affirmation as mentoring models.
Paul's prayer for his beloved... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
Paul's prayer for his beloved Philippian Church that has literally been faithful in good days and ba
There is a genuine sense... -- 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 -- First Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
There is a genuine sense of celebration and appreciation for others in this passage. N. G.
January, 1868. The South was... -- James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 2000
January, 1868.
J. Frank Dobie wrote many... -- James 3:1-12 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2000
J. Frank Dobie wrote many books on life in rural Texas during the early 1900s.
Horace Greeley was the newspaper... -- James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2000
Horace Greeley was the newspaper editor famous for saying, "Go west, young man." He was also famous
Every year Jerry Lewis has... -- James 1:17-27 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2000
Every year Jerry Lewis has a telethon to raise money for the treatment of and to research a cure for
A young student asked an... -- Hebrews 7:23-28 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2000
A young student asked an aging pastor for advice on how to live a pure and holy life.
Spartacus was a slave who... -- Hebrews 5:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 2000
Spartacus was a slave who led an uprising against Rome in about 70 B.C.
After the people of Elijah... -- James 5:13-20 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 2000
After the people of Elijah the Tishbite had turned to the worship of Baal, he, still faithful to the
One of Luther's great contributions... -- Revelation 1:4b-8 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2000
One of Luther's great contributions to the church's theology was the rediscovery of the idea of the
An atheist was spending a... -- 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2000
An atheist was spending a quiet day fishing on Loch Ness when suddenly his boat was attacked by the
Anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked... -- Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 2000
Anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked what the first signs of civilization were in a society (the q
A man goes to a... -- Hebrews 9:24-28 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 2000
A man goes to a diner every day and always orders the soup du jour.
A missionary in Africa, describing... -- 1 John 4:7-21 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
A missionary in Africa, describing the birth of Christ, told the people about God's love gift.

Political Pulpit

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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
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Thanksgiving
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80+ – Illustrations / Stories
24 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
24 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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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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