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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

By the time I was... -- Hebrews 4:12-16 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 1994
By the time I was eight or ten years old, my mother would send me to the nearby grocery store to get
What kind of God would... -- Hebrews 2:9-11 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 1994
What kind of God would deignto put on human flesh,to taste the saltiness
A visitor to the Capitol... -- 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 1994
A visitor to the Capitol was watching from the gallery with his small son when the House was called
One day as my wife... -- John 18:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 1994
One day as my wife and I pulled onto the interstate I noticed in my rearview mirror a police car fo
When I was a freshman... -- Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 -- All Saints Day - B -- 1994
When I was a freshman in college, I had an opportunity to represent my church at a national meeting
The desires of the flesh... -- Galatians 5:16-25 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 1994
The desires of the flesh are often too much for the church.
When and where do we... -- Exodus 3:1-6 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 1994
When and where do we see God?
Prior to these verses, the... -- Mark 16:15-20 -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 1994
Prior to these verses, the 11 had heard stories of the risen Christ, but they had not believed them.
Reader's Digest has an article... -- 1 John 4:1-11 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
Reader's Digest has an article by Nadine Crenshaw, a woman who writes romance novels.
He was a very wealthy... -- 1 John 3:18-24 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
He was a very wealthy man. He was a man who considered himself to be a good Christian.
When Big Al Miller was... -- 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 1994
When "Big" Al Miller was 12 years old, he peddled the Detroit Free Press every day and he made his c
If you've ever had a... -- 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - B -- 1994
If you've ever had a family member or friend who is visually impaired or blind, it doesn't take long
Our front porch was close... -- 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 1994
Our front porch was close to the sidewalk, and our neighbors would often saunter across the street t
For CommunionBread crumbs... -- 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (18-21) -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 1994
For CommunionBread crumbs gathered up from leavesmake me think of angels;
Jesus' purpose was not to... -- John 3:14-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
Jesus' purpose was not to condemn, but to save, but the reaction of people to the light that he brin
One woman tells of the... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 1994
One woman tells of the terror she felt when she was a passenger of a car going over Monarch Pass, as
If you are ever around... -- John 2:13-22 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
If you are ever around cattle, one of the things you learn pretty quickly not to do is to walk betwe
I once sat with an... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-28 -- Easter Day - B -- 1994
I once sat with an old lady who was dying.
A woman called the power... -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
A woman called the power company to complain that her bill was too high.
In Charles Dickens' book A... -- John 18:1-19:42 -- Good Friday - B -- 1994
In Charles Dickens' book A Tale Of Two Cities the hero is saved from death by a friend who is willi
Not long ago, a farmer... -- Mark 1:21-28 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 1994
Not long ago, a farmer was dreading his annual winter visit with his banker.
A church had just run... -- 1 Corinthians 7:17-23 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 1994
A church had just run out of money and decided that they could no longer afford a full-time priest.
John 1:35-42 Can you... -- John 1:35-42 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 1994
John 1:35-42
Sometimes it is not easy... -- Acts 10:34-38 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 1994
Sometimes it is not easy to remember that each of us is as important as the next.
Throughout the Bible, and especially... -- Sirach 24:1-2, 8-12 -- 1994
Throughout the Bible, and especially in the Old Testament, we find the biblical writers singing the

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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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