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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

The great Peter Marshall's Keeper... -- 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 1995
The great Peter Marshall's Keeper of the Springs tells the story of a small town that decided it no
Sitting at the edge of... -- 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 1995
Sitting at the edge of the rickety porch haphazardly attached to Mr.
Jesus, don't you know when... -- John 2:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
Jesus, don't you know when enough is enough?
Walter Trobisch, a German Lutheran... -- John 2:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
Walter Trobisch, a German Lutheran pastor, published a book a decade or so ago titled I Married You.
The lumber truck backed into... -- Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 1995
The lumber truck backed into the doorway. Then the driver came to the door.
Most people are familiar with... -- Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 1995
Most people are familiar with the tale of the British ship, Bounty, and of its mutineers, Fletcher C
The mother began to straighten... -- Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 1995
The mother began to straighten her daughter's bedroom.
When I was a boy... -- Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 1995
When I was a boy in the 1950s, most of the calendars in our home had holidays printed in red, causin
Each of us have known... -- Isaiah 61:1-6 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 1995
Each of us have known them in our past and know them in our present, those we might call oaks of rig
Martin Luther may in fact... -- Isaiah 62:1-5 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
Martin Luther may in fact not have proclaimed to the Diet of Worms: "Here stand I: I can do no other
A man appeared before a... -- Isaiah 62:1-5 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
A man appeared before a judge in order to have his name legally changed.
Catholic Archbishop Fulton Sheen in... -- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
Catholic Archbishop Fulton Sheen in 1973 spoke to 20,000 Lutheran young people at the Astrodome in H
In the summer of 1990... -- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
In the summer of 1990 in Detroit, a group of workers digging up ground to put in a sewer line discov
The small church had been... -- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
The small church had been racked by controversy for years.
Looking back over the last... -- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
Looking back over the last couple of years, Amelia could only be amazed at the changes that had occu
There is a cartoon about... -- John 2:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
There is a cartoon about a man who was trying to sell a bus to a church.
In 395 an educated young... -- John 2:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
In 395 an educated young man was working with the Bishop of Hippo as an assistant.
All of us like, and... -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
All of us like, and maybe even need, to know that we're doing a good job.
As a very young man... -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
As a very young man I can remember an extremely vivid display of the aurora borealis, or northern li
There were about 100 guests... -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
There were about 100 guests -- family and friends of the physician who was retiring after 50 years o
Ask most Christians when and... -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
Ask most Christians when and where they were baptized and -- most of the time -- you receive a respo
January is a grim time... -- Isaiah 62:1-5 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
January is a grim time at the university where I work: students are in reading period and exams; the
Many years ago, in the... -- Isaiah 62:1-5 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
Many years ago, in the earlier days of my ministry, a dear lady suggested I would be a more effectiv
Spirit of God descend upon... -- Acts 8:14-17 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
"Spirit of God descend upon my heart ..." Strains from the familiar hymn ran through Theodore's thou
During the Civil War, during... -- Acts 10:34-38 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
During the Civil War, during the bloodiest fighting in the history of this nation, the Presbyterians

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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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