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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Only in the Lord ...br... -- Isaiah 45:21-25 -- Passion Sunday - C -- 1995
Only in the Lord ... Words!Clear, precise, unchanging.
Last May on the front... -- Deuteronomy 32:36-39 -- Passion Sunday - C -- 1995
Last May on the front page of the New York Times there was the most wonderful picture of Gazan women
If confession is good for... -- Deuteronomy 32:36-39 -- Passion Sunday - C -- 1995
If confession is good for the souls of humans, then it must be good for God as well: "I kill, and I
O God,you have... -- Deuteronomy 32:36-39 -- Passion Sunday - C -- 1995
O God,you have made us for yourself,and our hearts are restless until
During a break at Wednesday... -- Deuteronomy 32:36-39 -- Passion Sunday - C -- 1995
During a break at Wednesday night choir practice, one woman said to another, "I really have problems
This passage contains one of... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - C -- 1995
This passage contains one of our oldest creeds:
It was Gandhi who said... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - C -- 1995
It was Gandhi who said that "freely accepted suffering is the greatest force the world has ever know
When all is said and... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - C -- 1995
When all is said and done, an indispensable ingredient of growing congregations is the attitude exem
One of the novelists who... -- Isaiah 50:4-9a -- Passion Sunday - C -- 1995
One of the novelists who quickly caught the attention of the literary world for his suspense-ridden
The natural world is filled... -- Isaiah 45:21-25 -- Passion Sunday - C -- 1995
The natural world is filled with flattering and sometimes effectively convincing mimicry.
There are some lessons in... -- Isaiah 45:21-25 -- Passion Sunday - C -- 1995
There are some lessons in life that can only be learned the hard way!
It is a tragic fact... -- Isaiah 45:21-25 -- Passion Sunday - C -- 1995
It is a tragic fact that many religious people assume the ignorant and arrogant position that unless
The Toledo (Ohio) Zoo, much... -- Luke 20:9-19 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
The Toledo (Ohio) Zoo, much of which was built through government work programs during the 1930s, ha
Those who bring truth from... -- Luke 20:9-19 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
Those who bring truth from God are often rejected.
A group of Jewish business... -- Luke 20:9-19 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
A group of Jewish business leaders were told by a certain hotel in Miami, Florida, that they could n
Petunia finally understood. All animals... -- Luke 20:9-19 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
Petunia finally understood.
Credibility is a major problem... -- Isaiah 50:4-9a -- Passion Sunday - C -- 1995
Credibility is a major problem that the courts are struggling with today.
John Wesley is noted for... -- Isaiah 50:4-9a -- Passion Sunday - C -- 1995
John Wesley is noted for his detailed journals in which he recorded the events of his life and minis
The late Bishop Fulton J... -- Isaiah 50:4-9a -- Passion Sunday - C -- 1995
The late Bishop Fulton J.
The couple enjoyed dinner parties... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
The couple enjoyed dinner parties and they hosted them often.
Jesus arrived in Bethany at... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
Jesus arrived in Bethany at the home of Lazarus at the end of the week (John records: "Six days befo
O why are we so... -- John 8:1-11 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
"O why are we so haggard at the heart, so care-coiled, care-
We have all heard the... -- John 8:1-11 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
We have all heard the proverb: "People who live in glass houses should never throw stones." It is ea
Sharon was brought up as... -- John 8:1-11 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
Sharon was brought up as a church-going person. Her family's Sunday routine rarely varied.
Years ago, while traveling in... -- John 8:1-11 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 1995
Years ago, while traveling in central Pennsylvania, in Dutch country, I came upon an old Amish sayin

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The Immediate Word

Thomas Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
Christopher Keating
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
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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