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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

On the Sunday before the... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
On the Sunday before the season's first football game Pastor Matt always talked about football in th
At the close of life... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
At the close of life, the question will not be, "How much have you gotten?" but "How much have you g
Clarence Jordan, author of the... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
Clarence Jordan, author of the "Cotton Patch" New Testament translation and founder of the interraci
If you're not from Ohio... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
If you're not from Ohio or Michigan, it's hard to understand the rivalry between the University of M
Come! Follow me. Come and... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
"Come!
Anger, writes Eugene Peterson in... -- Jonah 3:1-5, 10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
"Anger," writes Eugene Peterson in commenting on this story of Jonah, "is a useful diagnostic tool.
Some people will change when... -- Jonah 3:1-5, 10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
Some people will change when they see the light. Others change only when they feel the heat.
The seminar began with the... -- Jonah 3:1-5, 10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
The seminar began with the leader asking, "What are you avoiding doing that you know needs to be don
Whatever else that can be... -- Jonah 3:1-5, 10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
Whatever else that can be said about him, Adolf Hitler was aware of his ability to use language and
A WWII soldier stated, The... -- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
A WWII soldier stated, "The funny thing about war is this: the 'right' thing to do in one situation
The Danish philosopher, Kierkegaard, tells... -- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
The Danish philosopher, Kierkegaard, tells a parable of a theater where a variety show is proceeding
A change in the way... -- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
A change in the way people view the world is known to historians as a paradigm shift.
The apostle Paul calls on... -- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
The apostle Paul calls on the Corinthians and us for a radical reordering of our lives in the light
There's a Peanuts comic strip... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
There's a Peanuts comic strip in which Linus is listening carefully as his sister, Lucy, boas
For as long as anyone... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
For as long as anyone could remember Janet and Mary were the best of friends.
Why do people follow leaders... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
Why do people follow leaders?
In 1965, Reverend Schwab felt... -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2008
In 1965, Reverend Schwab felt called to start a unique home -- a place where children from difficult
S. I. McMillen, in his... -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2008
S. I.
Kathy had seen the book... -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2008
Kathy had seen the book advertised online, in bookstores, on television.
Most of us think of... -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2008
Most of us think of a prophet as one who foretells the future, but this is not true of biblical prop
What does it take to... -- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2008
What does it take to "build up" the church? Cinder blocks, wood beams, sheetrock, insulation?
What other gods could we... -- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2008
What other gods could we have besides the Lord? Plenty.
In 1969, in Pass Christian... -- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2008
In 1969, in Pass Christian, Mississippi, a group of people were preparing to have a "hurricane party
Rich enjoys teaching the middle... -- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2008
Rich enjoys teaching the middle-school-age Sunday school class each Sunday.
Cal attended church every Sunday... -- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2008
Cal attended church every Sunday, taught the high school Sunday school class, and sat on the church

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UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Ascension of the Lord
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 7
20 – Sermons
170+ – Illustrations / Stories
26 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
20 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Pentecost
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

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A job description. I have attached a sample you can use if you wish. I have highlighted a few of the items that might be good to use as examples during the message, but feel free to pick the ones you want to use.

* * *

The Immediate Word

Dean Feldmeyer
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Christopher Keating
George Reed
Mary Austin
For June 8, 2025:

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
    may the Lord rejoice in his works—
 who looks on the earth and it trembles,
    who touches the mountains and they smoke.
 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praise to my God while I have being. (vv. 31-33)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Coffin
An older couple is given an eight-month eviction notice to leave their residence. They are living on a fixed income. After exploring an advertised senior living community in the next county, the news is grim. They cannot afford to live in such a community despite the extravagant advertising publicity they saw about amenities and community recreation on television. Both the man and woman have worked many jobs for decades with small pensions, lower wages in a roller coaster job market for a couple decades. The man calls a small-town pastor in the area.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Genesis 11:1-9

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

On the day of Pentecost, six weeks after Jesus had risen from death, when the disciples were gathered together in one place, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. As we gather together on the day of Pentecost, let us ask God that we too might be filled with his Holy Spirit.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, forgive us our sins and fill us with your Holy Spirit. Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, forgive us our apathy and fill us with your Holy Spirit. Christ, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Schuyler Rhodes
Today is Pentecost. The creative power of God's Spirit (v. 30) flows today like no other day. The Spirit that is poured out on this day is the same Spirit that hovered over the waters (Genesis 1:2) at the dawn of creation. This is the same Spirit that possessed Gideon as he lifted up his horn (Judges 6:4). And it is the same Spirit that the risen Jesus told us would arrive as an advocate to accompany us (John 14:16) forever.
John Jamison
It wasn't their first fight. Like most fathers and sons they had their disagreements. But this time, something was different. A line had been crossed that had never been crossed before. They sat there, staring at each other, both realizing they were in new territory, neither of them sure that they really wanted to be there.

David R. Cartwright
That first Pentecost was a grand and glorious day. It was a new beginning. On that special day, God's people were reborn through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It was an extraordinary event.

Robert Leslie Holmes
A seminary student writing a term paper about confession of sin started to type, "When we confess, Christ takes away our guilt." However, he was a bit thick-fingered and hit the letter q instead of the letter g on his computer keyboard. Now his sentence read, "Christ takes away our quilt." He didn't notice his error but his professor did and wrote in the margin, "Fear not, little one, you'll not freeze for God has given us a Comforter!" Using his keen wit, the professor conveyed a profound spiritual truth that is at the heart of Pentecost. God has given us a Comforter.
Alex A. Gondola, Jr.
There's an old story about a man who found a pig. It seems that as this man was driving into the city in his station wagon, a stray hog suddenly ran out in front of him. The man stopped the car, jumped out, caught the pig, and put it in the back. Not knowing what to do with the animal, he flagged down the first policeman he saw, explained the situation and asked, "What should I do with this hog?"

"Take him to the zoo," was the officer's response.

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