Login / Signup

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Hold down Ctrl (Windows) / Command (Mac) for multiple selections (scroll list to see all options)

Commentary

Communicating God's Love

Guest column

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

In a recent study of... -- Hebrews 2:10-18 -- 2001
In a recent study of pastors able to turn congregations around it was noted that there was a common
God made a stable cold... -- Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- 2001
God made a stable cold and bareThe symbol of God's love and care.
Jean, a newly-ordained pastor... -- Matthew 1:18-25 -- 2001
Jean, a newly-ordained pastor, was appointed to serve her first church.
The inquirers in this text... -- Matthew 11:2-11 -- 2001
The inquirers in this text clearly got things wrong.
Mary was upset by her... -- Matthew 3:1-12 -- 2001
Mary was upset by her pastor's sermon and confronted him about it on Monday morning.
But what will I do... -- Matthew 24:36-44 -- 2001
"But what will I do in the meantime?" Margie wailed to her father, a retired army colonel.
Small town memories can be... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2001
Small town memories can be long and brutal. Michael was a troubled child.
Certain actions are said to... -- Luke 4:14-21 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2001
Certain actions are said to be habit forming.
When I was growing up... -- John 2:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2001
When I was growing up, my mother made bread once a week. Bread day was a day of great expectation.
Fire under control has a... -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2001
Fire under control has a purifying effect.
Researchers are eternal optimists. They... -- Matthew 2:1-12 -- Epiphany of the Lord - C -- 2001
Researchers are eternal optimists.
Some children drag home every... -- Matthew 25:31-46 -- New Year's Day - A, New Year's Day - B, New Year's Day - C -- 2001
Some children drag home every stray cat and dog they find. My friend Dennis brought home drifters.
Everyone knew Gary. He drove... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2001
Everyone knew Gary.
When my son was younger... -- Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 2001
When my son was younger, his favorite toys were Transformers.
Conventional ice hockey wisdom dictated... -- Luke 6:27-38 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - C -- 2001
Conventional ice hockey wisdom dictated that a defenseman had three jobs: clear the puck out of the
Many computer languages are case... -- Luke 5:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2001
Many computer languages are case-specific, which means words must be exactly the same throughout the
On August 6, 1945, at... -- Luke 6:17-26 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2001
On August 6, 1945, at 8:16 a.m., an American B-29 bomber dropped the world's first atomic bomb on Hi
Traditions are important. They help... -- Hebrews 2:10-18 -- 2001
Traditions are important.
To say, The Word became... -- John 1:1-14 -- 2001
To say, "The Word became Flesh," is to declare that God, against all expectation, identified in the
Once when Clement Attlee was... -- Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- 2001
Once when Clement Attlee was prime minister of England, the Shakespearean actor, Sir John Gielgud, w
Modern readers of the Christmas... -- Matthew 1:18-25 -- 2001
Modern readers of the Christmas story according to Matthew tend to gloss over the enormity of Mary a
Nothing worthwhile in life is... -- James 5:7-10 -- 2001
Nothing worthwhile in life is sudden. We wait for birth. We wait for love.
The call from John the... -- Matthew 3:1-12 -- 2001
The call from John the Baptizer is to stop pretending we are better than we are.
Between those who are firmly... -- Romans 13:11-14 -- 2001
Between those who are firmly walking God's way and those who are clearly wicked there is a whole mas
Howard, don't you think it's... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2001
"Howard, don't you think it's about time?" Jerry, Howard's best friend, was concerned about the sign

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
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 pig stuffed animal.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! Let’s get started!

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
George Reed
For June 22, 2025:

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian,  for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.  As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (vv. 25-28)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
Bonnie Bates

1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a and Psalm 42-43
David Kalas
We’re not far from the 4th of July. And while for so many Americans, it seems that the holiday has become more about long weekends, cookouts, and fireworks shows, the theme of freedom is still there at least in the background. We might take advantage of that, therefore, and give some thought to the theme of freedom as it is revealed in our assigned texts for this week.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

The madman cried out to Jesus, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" In our worship today let us explore what Jesus has to do with us and invite him to heal our brokenness.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, we often find ourselves thinking, saying and doing things that we quickly regret.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Constance Berg
When Jill was five, she began to have headaches. The headaches were so severe she would throw up. Sometimes she would pass out. They usually came once a month. Jill could be playing, resting, or watching television when the headaches would come. Her only warning was a sudden pain in her head, then a blinding light would appear, and she would be rocked with pain. In her teenage years, they became debilitating, causing Jill to be in bed for three days at a time.
Stan Purdum
I'm not sure when the term "burn out" ceased being only a description of what happened to a campfire when you ran out of firewood to a term describing the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest, usually coming immediately after an extended period of overwork, but the expression seems to fit that later situation, doesn't it? Exhaustion, deep weariness, all used up, nothing more to give, wiped out, burned out -- call it what we will, its symptoms are all too familiar to many of us.
April Yamasaki
In the classic movie, Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews plays a no-nonsense, yet delightful, nanny to two young children. As a nanny to a wealthy family, she is part teacher, part parent, and part disciplinarian. She gets the children up in the morning, puts them to bed at night, supervises their many adventures, and guides them in many ways. While they are in her care, she is responsible for their overall safety and well-being.

Julia Ross Strope
Zoos are no longer in people's good graces.
Religion faces the same problem.
Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.
-- Yann Martel, Life of Pi

Call To Worship
Leader: I'm so glad you're here! There are seats for everyone; there's slight air movement; the windows engender tranquility and imagination and words will stimulate fresh thoughts.

People: It's good to be here, in sanctuary. We're glad for opportunities to gather and to express our gratitude to God and our appreciation for one another.

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL