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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

What would you do if... -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 1994
What would you do if you were God?
Pretty is as pretty does... -- 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 1994
"Pretty is as pretty does," generations of children have been told.
General Norman Schwartzkopf was holding... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 1994
General Norman Schwartzkopf was holding a press conference during the war in Iraq.
Five loaves of bread and... -- John 6:4-15 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
Five loaves of bread and two fish don't seem worth much even in Jesus' own time; yet, when blessed a
William Barclay wrote the following... -- John 2:13-22 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
William Barclay wrote the following in his first commentary on John.
The manager of a baseball... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-28 -- Easter Day - B -- 1994
The manager of a baseball team is the most important person on the team.
What was his voice like... -- Mark 1:21-28 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 1994
What was his voice like? Gentle? Commanding?
A recent college graduate, Jim... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 1994
A recent college graduate, Jim showed how one of his professors had been instrumental in helping J
Then Andrew found his brother... -- John 1:35-42 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 1994
"Then Andrew found his brother Simon and told him, 'We have found the Messiah' ...
Nowadays, we think nothing of... -- Acts 10:34-38 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 1994
Nowadays, we think nothing of blacks and other minorities playing in the major leagues.
This text, when found in... -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- 1994
This text, when found in the Greek, is one long single sentence.
If the kingdom is to... -- Mark 8:31-38 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
If the kingdom is to come, changes must be made.
A friend who taught in... -- 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 1994
A friend who taught in public school explained her frustration at not being allowed to mention any
In early 1992 the Green... -- Mark 1:9-15 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
In early 1992 the Green Bay Packers signed Reggie White, an all-star defensive lineman to a multi-
Time and again Jesus made... -- 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 1994
Time and again Jesus made the point in his stories and parables that in the kingdom of God issues o
Even before he was old... -- Luke 3:1-6 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 1994
Even before he was old enough to speak, Danny had loved construction equipment.
Tommy Warswick had grown tall... -- Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 1994
Tommy Warswick had grown tall and broad by the time he turned 16 and his bulky strength got him into
Sometimes famous people have trouble... -- Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 1994
Sometimes famous people have trouble escaping their adoring crowds.
It is for this reason... -- Ephesians 3:14-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 1994
"It is for this reason, that I kneel before the Father."
I am not an optimist... -- Lamentations 3:22-33 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 1994
"I am not an optimist because I am not sure that everything ends well.
A lot of things could... -- Mark 6:14-29 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 1994
A lot of things could be said about Henodias but, one thing is for sure, she is a prime example of w
In his book, Forty Ways... -- Ephesians 5:21-31 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 1994
In his book, Forty Ways to Say I Love You, James Bjorge writes the following:
In the 1982 NCAA title... -- Ephesians 4:25--5:2 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 1994
In the 1982 NCAA title basketball game Georgetown trailed.
The first and one of... -- John 6:51-58 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 1994
The first and one of the very few credible television theologians was Bishop Fulton J. Sheen.
The little boy went to... -- James 5:13-20 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1994
The little boy went to spend a vacation at the home of his grandparents.

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 16 | OT 21 | Pentecost 11
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 17 | OT 22 | Pentecost 12
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 18 | OT 23 | Pentecost 13
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

Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
George Reed
For September 7, 2025:

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it?  Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him…. (vv. 28-29)

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A pair of heavy gloves you might use to protect your hands when you are working or gardening.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! But I need to warn you that this story can be really tough to understand, so let’s see if we can figure it out.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Jeremiah 18:1-11
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 18:1-11 and Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus said that we must be utterly committed to him, even to facing danger and pain, if we want to follow him. In our worship today, let us ask him for help in this formidable task.



Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes we are scared to stand up for you.

Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we love other things more than you.

Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we are more concerned with our own image than with you.

SermonStudio

Stephen P. McCutchan
O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.
-- Psalm 139:1-2

Schuyler Rhodes
It would be an easy thing to read through this psalm and nod in assent before moving on to the next. It all seems pretty obvious. "Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread...." It is tantamount to what the young people refer to as a "no-brainer." Much of this bad advice could be avoided by turning off our televisions. And the sinner's well-worn walkways? They too seem fairly apparent. Yet somehow they continue to be well worn.
Paul E. Robinson
Another world, another day, another time. The bright sun cast its long dark shadows along streets filled with carts and animals, never once falling on automobile, trolley or McDonald's litter in the gutter.
Lee Ann Dunlap
What would you do if you opened your mailbox one day to find a letter from the city or county announcing that you have to move? That land your grandparents worked so hard to till, or for which you struggled so long to purchase is deemed the best land available for a new shopping mall. The appraisers will soon be checking out your home to determine its fair market value and you are expected to vacate.
Rick McCracken-Bennett
I remember as I was growing up, before gas became more precious than gold, that our family would go on buggy rides, as we called them, on Sunday afternoons after church and dinner. It was a great time for the entire family to be together, to wander back roads aimlessly, and to talk about just about anything you could imagine.
Gary L. Carver
The old man is about to retire for the evening. Closely he clutches a collection of correspondence as he replaces the worn letter he had read back into the bundle. It is the most treasured possession that he owns. As he hits his knees, he shakes his head in wonder and amazement at what God had done in his life. Only God could have taken him from where once he was to where he is now. And his prayer is one of gratitude.

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