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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

A little boy and his... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - B -- 2000
A little boy and his mother were going out the door after a worship service one Sunday morning.
One day a church member... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 2000
One day a church member called his minister. The church member seemed to be rather annoyed.
As a little boy was... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2000
As a little boy was getting ready to head off to church one Sunday morning, his mother handed him a
I saw a cartoon where... -- Ephesians 2:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
I saw a cartoon where one character said, "Look here.
One of the wealthiest neighborhoods... -- Hebrews 5:5-10 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
One of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the United States is located in the Manhattan section of New
The two pastors from Tanzania... -- Ephesians 3:14-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2000
The two pastors from Tanzania had been in the United States for two months.
In Mississippi, the Reverend John... -- Ephesians 2:11-22 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2000
In Mississippi, the Reverend John Perkins is building a new facility for ministry to honor his son S
When Jon and Debi were... -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2000
When Jon and Debi were invited to consider going to Madagascar as missionaries it was a tough decisi
Don had been successful growing... -- 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 2000
Don had been successful growing up. He had become good at most everything he tried.
Nathan sat quietly eating his... -- 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2000
Nathan sat quietly eating his candy and enjoying each individual bite.
Missionaries going overseas often end... -- Ephesians 6:10-20 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 2000
Missionaries going overseas often end up in places with little communication access.
Karl Rahner's theology is one... -- Ephesians 5:15-20 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 2000
Karl Rahner's theology is one that challenges Christians to make the most of their lives and see eac
At the 1999 National Assembly... -- Ephesians 4:1-16 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 2000
At the 1999 National Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in Denver, ecumenical pr
One day the outreach committee... -- 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2000
One day the outreach committee at a certain church was having a training session for its members.
The rock group Chumbawamba has... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 1999
The rock group Chumbawamba has a hit song called "Tubthumpin'." I heard this song used before a bask
A pastor once asked an... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 1999
A pastor once asked an adult Bible study class what their favorite part of the worship service was.
There are 85 people listed... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 1999
There are 85 people listed as Santa Claus in telephone directories in the United States.
Some memories seem never to... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 1999
Some memories seem never to fade away.
My friend pastors in a... -- Matthew 4:12-23 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - A -- 1999
My friend pastors in a mainline denomination.
Juana crouched down. She knew... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 1999
Juana crouched down.
She once asked Mother Teresa... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 1999
She once asked Mother Teresa if she could come to Calcutta and serve with her there.
A local television station presented... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 1999
A local television station presented a Family Health and Fitness Fair, a public service to educate p
These are powerful words that... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 1999
These are powerful words that remind us that God is able to work through our weakness.
I love humankind! It's people... -- 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - A -- 1999
"I love humankind!
Christ offers us a unity... -- 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - A -- 1999
Christ offers us a unity of spirit that is crucial to our well-being.

Political Pulpit

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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
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29 – Commentary / Exegesis
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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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