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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

About once a year we... -- Acts 5:27-32 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
About once a year we are reminded by the commercial world of the gift that keeps on giving.
The title of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's... -- Acts 5:27-32 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
The title of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's greatest book proved to be prophetic.
A pastor conducted a funeral... -- Acts 5:27-32 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
A pastor conducted a funeral for a man who had been very active in the life of the church.
It must have been cold... -- Acts 5:12-16 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
"It must have been cold there in my shadow," opens the song, "Wind Beneath My Wings." "Who knows
There is a kind of... -- Acts 5:12-16 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
There is a kind of group mentality that grips a public assembly.
Albert Camus' great novel The... -- Acts 5:12-16 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
Albert Camus' great novel The Plague tells the story of the young doctor, Bernard Rieux, who tries f
In Steven Spielberg's movie, Schindler's... -- John 20:1-18 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
In Steven Spielberg's movie, Schindler's List, there is a little girl in the midst of the crowd head
In his scholarly treatise, The... -- John 20:1-18 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
In his scholarly treatise, The Creators, Daniel Boorstin observes that ancient oriental religions we
My Dearest Sloane; Words... -- Luke 24:1-10 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
My Dearest Sloane;
A missionary named Moffat told... -- Luke 24:1-10 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
A missionary named Moffat told this story about his mission to Central Africa at the end of the last
The women returned with an... -- Luke 24:1-10 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
The women returned with an incredible story. Once again the men did not believe them.
Goodbye, she said. Then, half... -- Luke 24:1-10 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
"Goodbye," she said.
At Easter we celebrate the... -- Colossians 3:1-4 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
At Easter we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The desire to climb mountains... -- Colossians 3:1-4 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
The desire to climb mountains is one that many people find incomprehensible.
There was a famous college... -- Colossians 3:1-4 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
There was a famous college professor and people were honored to be students in one of his classes.
Paul had many titles on... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
Paul had many titles on his resume: Jewish scholar and Pharisee, Roman citizen, Tarsus tentmaker, ze
An atheist in Russia once... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
An atheist in Russia once spoke for nearly two hours before a crowd, extolling the virtues of atheis
One preacher tells the story... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
One preacher tells the story of a young boy who grew up with parents who both had Ph.D.'s and a gran
When you are driving down... -- John 20:1-18 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
When you are driving down the road and the traffic light starts to turn yellow, what does that mean
Several years ago, I listened... -- John 20:1-18 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
Several years ago, I listened as a friend, Michael, delivered the children's sermon on Easter mornin
In Eyewitness to History John... -- Exodus 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
In Eyewitness to History John Carey offers a collection of reports from individuals who recorded inc
My friend's brother claims to... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
My friend's brother claims to be an atheist.
Paul speaks of resurrection and... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
Paul speaks of resurrection and tells us that "the last enemy to be destroyed (by Christ) is death."
Easter Sunday!New life... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
Easter Sunday!New life, resurrection.Easter lilies, bright colored flowers.
When future generations look back... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
When future generations look back on the cultural experiences of North Americans in the last decade

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The Immediate Word

Thomas Willadsen
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For August 31, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
When one of our children was young, she pretended to throw something at me from close range, and then she cheerfully declared, “Ha! Made you flinch!” I remember from my own elementary years that that was always regarded as something of an achievement — to make someone blink or to make someone flinch. In reality, of course, it is little more than a test of one’s reflexes. It’s my reflex to blink or to brace when I think something is coming at me, and the reflex is a good one.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 2:4-13
Regarding verses 6-7 of the lesson John Calvin observes:

… there is nothing more common than for the ungodly when they are proved guilty, to have recourse to this subterfuge, that they acted with good intention, when they gave themselves up to their own superstitions. (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol.IX/1, p.78)

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. (v. 2)

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: This is a role play activity for the children. You will want a container of some kind of treat to give to all of the children.

Note: This is a fairly brief message as presented, but that may help keep an emphasis on the simplicity of the message if you stress it.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! Let’s get started.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:
Jesus knew the importance of humility and used a banquet to teach people about it. As we feast on him today, let us make sure we come to him with unassuming spirits.

Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, sometimes we are unaware of our own arrogance.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes we spot other people's haughtiness but fail to recognise it in ourselves.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes we are so humble that we become victims of inverted pride.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Stephen P. McCutchan
Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.
-- Hebrews 13:1-2

James Evans
The writer of Psalm 81 employs a most interesting mixed metaphor. It is not mixed, however, because the psalmist was careless and neglected his subject matter. On the contrary, it is because of an important insight into human nature that the psalmist has us "eating with our ears."

Verse 10 rehearses what was, and is, the most basic confession of faith for followers of the Lord. God speaks and says, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth and I will fill it."

Ron Lavin
There are three words I hope you will take home from church today. The words are "Only The Lonely." As you think about these words, the assurances of God's Word will comfort and strengthen you. But I'm getting ahead of my story. Before we get to these three words, we need to look at the full text of Luke 14:1, 7-14. That involves looking at three other words: humility, hospitality, and hope.

Humility
Chrysanne Timm
It is never a pleasant prospect to deal with someone who has a complaint with you. As a new pastor, and a very young one at that, one of the things I struggled with most was the experience of conflict with members. I remember as if it were yesterday a significant misunderstanding that developed between the congregation's "matriarch" and me very early in my time there. I prayed about the difficulty we were having, and I knew that I needed to go to her home and ask for the opportunity to talk things out.
H. Burnham Kirkland
Words Of Assurance
In this be confident: that the grace of God is active enough to forgive, and the love of God is powerful enough to transform.

Pastoral Prayer

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