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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Bethel College is located on... -- James 1:17-27 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2000
Bethel College is located on Chicago's west side.
Reverend John Cook was getting... -- Hebrews 7:23-28 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2000
Reverend John Cook was getting quite full of himself.
Pastor Barb was often asked... -- Hebrews 5:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 2000
Pastor Barb was often asked about what made her decide to become an ordained minister.
It was an unusual situation... -- Hebrews 4:12-16 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 2000
It was an unusual situation. Pastor Jane was not the typical pastor.
The church consultant was clearly... -- James 5:13-20 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 2000
The church consultant was clearly getting frustrated.
One of the objections that... -- Revelation 1:4b-8 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2000
One of the objections that the young Martin Luther made over having the Book of Revelation at all is
At St. James Church, worship... -- 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2000
At St. James Church, worship had a special feel to it that everyone could sense.
Anyone who is a football... -- Hebrews 9:24-28 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 2000
Anyone who is a football fan can tell you, not all actions are equal.
Terry and Gina had not... -- Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 2000
Terry and Gina had not been at Grace Church much more than three years.
Which is more interesting? Which... -- Revelation 21:1-6a -- All Saints Day - B -- 2000
Which is more interesting?
There was a boat in... -- 1 John 4:7-21<br> -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
There was a boat in Australia that had taken a load of tourists out to swim in some of the reefs.
Do we take our Scriptures... -- 1 John 5:1-6 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
Do we take our Scriptures as seriously as the people of other religions take theirs?
In Sacramento, California, the city... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
In Sacramento, California, the city government has claimed that a group that works with homeless and
One time there was a... -- 1 John 3:1-7<br> -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
One time there was a commercial on television.
In Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and... -- 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2000
In Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and scattered throughout several other states live small colonies of
The family came forward to... -- Romans 8:12-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2000
The family came forward to the front of the church.
Beneath the rubble of the... -- Romans 8:22-27 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2000
Beneath the rubble of the apartment building May Ying huddled in a little space.
At the funeral there was... -- Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 2000
At the funeral there was almost nothing but happiness. It was an odd thing.
Glynn Wolfe passed away in... -- Romans 4:13-25 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
Glynn Wolfe passed away in 1997 at the age of 88.
One day Mother Teresa went... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
One day Mother Teresa went into a grocery store in India and put 800 dollars-worth of groceries into
During the Christmas season of... -- 1 Peter 3:18-22 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
During the Christmas season of 1997, Land's End -- a mail-
It is estimated that each... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2000
It is estimated that each week about fifty million people watch television talk shows.
If you are like most... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2000
If you are like most people, every once in a while you get a piece of mail that tells you that you h
In Dakota, Kathleen Norris tells... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - B -- 2000
In Dakota, Kathleen Norris tells about an experience at a monastery that she visited.
The United Nations appointed a... -- 1 John 1:1-2:2 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
The United Nations appointed a human rights expert to investigate a particular country in 1997.

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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