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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Living as if faith matters -- Exodus 14:19-31, Romans 14:1-12, Matthew 18:21-35 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A -- 2014
When Eric Lomax was posted to Singapore in 1941 he knew nothing of the horror that lay ahead of him.
Theme -- Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, John 1:6-8, 19-28 -- Sandra Herrmann -- Third Sunday of Advent - B -- 2014
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Abundance -- Genesis 32:22-31, Romans 9:1-5, Matthew 14:13-21 -- Ron Love -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A -- 2014
The wise old preacher hobbled up to the pulpit and made an announcement to the congregation.
The meaning of community -- Exodus 12:1-14, Romans 13:8-14, Matthew 18:15-20 -- Ron Love -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A -- 2014
The Moravian Community of Herrnhut in Saxony was well established by the year 1727.
When does a house become a home for the holidays? -- 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16, Romans 16:25-27, Luke 1:26-38 -- David Coffin -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 2014
Many people make Advent preparations in hopes that they will be able to celebrate their hard-earned
God in the rearview mirror -- Genesis 45:1-15, Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32, Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28 -- David Kalas -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 2014
I was an Arminian in a Calvinist seminary.
The calm at the center -- Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28, Romans 10:5-15, Matthew 14:22-33 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A -- 2014
One Chinese word-symbol for "doubt" is a caricature of a person with each foot in a different canoe.
The light of life -- Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- Ron Love -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2014
The sun adds about 12 trillion watt-hours of solar energy per square mile to the earth each year.
The power of names -- Exodus 1:8--2:10, Romans 12:1-8, Matthew 16:13-20 -- Cathy Venkatesh -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A -- 2014
"What's in a name?
Facing trouble in God's care -- Genesis 21:8-21, Romans 6:1b-11, Matthew 10:24-39 -- Sandra Herrmann -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2014
Genesis 21:8-21
At the gate of the year -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-13, Revelation 21:1-6a, Matthew 25:31-46 -- Wayne Brouwer -- New Year's Day - A, New Year's Day - B, New Year's Day - C -- 2014
Time is the news of the day. Yesterday was yesteryear.
Coming off the sidelines -- Exodus 3:1-15, Romans 12:9-21, Matthew 16:21-28 -- David Coffin -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A -- 2014
A certain congregation has many problems as they survey the community where they exist grows more se
The nature of faith -- Genesis 22:1-14, Romans 6:12-23, Matthew 10:40-42 -- David Coffin -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2014
A single mother and her child are living with her parents.
Entering the mystery -- Jeremiah 31:7-14, Ephesians 1:3-14, John 1:(1-9) 10-18 -- Cathy Venkatesh -- Second Sunday after Christmas - B -- 2014
It's a full ten days after Christmas; most of our world has moved on through New Year's celebrations
Getting what we (don't) deserve -- Exodus 16:2-15, Philippians 1:21-30, Matthew 20:1-16 -- Cathy Venkatesh -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - A -- 2014
God is not just by our human ways of accounting.
Family wounds and God's grace -- Genesis 21:8-21, Romans 6:1b-11, Matthew 10:24-39 -- Cathy Venkatesh -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2014
In one of my former parishes, the wife of retired pastor led us in a Bible study of the book of Gene
Christ for the Gentiles -- Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12 -- Sandra Herrmann -- Epiphany of the Lord - B -- 2014
Many years ago I was visiting with a parishioner; I don't remember how the conversation got to this
By what authority? -- Exodus 17:1-17, Philippians 2:1-13, Matthew 21:28-32 -- David Coffin -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A -- 2014
It is the first week of classes at a small college or university in the 1970s and 1980s in Midwest A
Changing the conversation -- Genesis 1:1--2:4a, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Matthew 28:16-20 -- David Kalas -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A -- 2014
You probably have, as I do, certain email applications that allow you to view your emails as "conver
Spirit of purpose -- Genesis 1:1-5, Acts 19:1-7, Mark 1:4-11 -- David Coffin -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2014
It is way past Christmas and New Year's celebration times.
We shall be as a city upon a hill -- Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20, Philippians 3:4b-14, Matthew 21:33-46 -- Ron Love -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A -- 2014
Over fifty years ago on January 9, John Fitzgerald Kennedy gave his farewell speech to the Massachus
It's a dog's life -- Micah 6:1-8, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Matthew 5:1-12 -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 2014
Pope Francis was selected as Time magazine's "Person of the Year." Regarding his selection, N
The outrageous call to service -- 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20), 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, John 1:43-51 -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2014
Henry Gerecke is not a household name; yet he had one of the most significant callings in the histor
The music of grace -- Exodus 32:1-14, Philippians 4:1-9, Matthew 22:1-14 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A -- 2014
His shrunken frame and age-diminished voice were almost lost at the front of our large church audito
Choosing to love -- Deuteronomy 30:15-20, 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, Matthew 5:21-37 -- Cathy Venkatesh -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - A -- 2014
Here we are, the Sunday after the sentimentality and excesses of Valentine's Day.

Communicating God's Love

Guest column

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Sermon Illustrations for Advent 1 (2015) -- Jeremiah 33:14-16, 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13, Luke 21:25-36 -- Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, R. Robert Cueni -- First Sunday of Advent - C -- 2015
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 2 (2015) -- Malachi 3:1-4, Philippians 1:3-11, Luke 3:1-6 -- R. Robert Cueni, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 2015
Malachi 3:1-4
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 3 (2015) -- Zephaniah 3:14-20, Philippians 4:4-7, Luke 3:7-18 -- Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, R. Robert Cueni, Ron Love -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 2015
Zephaniah 3:14-20
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 4 (2015) -- Micah 5:2-5a, Hebrews 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-45 (46-55) -- R. Robert Cueni, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C -- 2015
Micah 5:2-5a
Sermon Illustrations for The Nativity of Our Lord (2015) -- Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, R. Robert Cueni, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- The Nativity of our Lord - C -- 2015
Isaiah 9:2-7
Sermon Illustrations for First Sunday after Christmas Day (2015) -- 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26, Colossians 3:12-17, Luke 2:41-52 -- Ron Love, R. Robert Cueni, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - C -- 2015
1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26
Evagrius Ponticus... -- Romans 8:6-11 -- Ron Love -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2014
Evagrius Ponticus, also known as Evagrius the Solitary, was a Christian monk and ascetic who resided
When Charles Babbage... -- Exodus 14:19-31 -- Scott A. Bryte -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A -- 2014
When Charles Babbage (1791-1871) is remembered at all, it is as the inventor of the first programmab
The entire mathematical system... -- Matthew 18:21-35 -- Scott A. Bryte -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A -- 2014
The entire mathematical system of the Yanomama, who live simply in one-building villages in the Vene
Sermons Illustrations for Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 -- Exodus 12:1-14, Romans 13:8-14, Matthew 18:15-20 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Derl G. Keefer, Bob Ove, Scott A. Bryte -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A -- 2014
Exodus 12:1-14
We can learn a lot... -- Exodus 12:1-14 -- Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A -- 2014
We can learn a lot about what the story of the Passover has to do with Christians from our Jewish fr
Chuck Noll, the former coach... -- Exodus 12:1-14 -- Ron Love -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A -- 2014
Chuck Noll, the former coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, took the team to four Super Bowl championsh
Love is an overused word... -- Romans 13:8-14 -- Derl G. Keefer -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A -- 2014
Love is an overused word in the English language.
How hard it is to remember... -- Romans 13:8-14 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A -- 2014
How hard it is to remember that most important rule.
Leonardo da Vinci once designed... -- Romans 13:8-14 -- Scott A. Bryte -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A -- 2014
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) once designed a timepiece that could wake a sleeping person by brushin
Conflict is inevitable in human... -- Matthew 18:15-20 -- Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A -- 2014
Conflict is inevitable in human life, even in churches.
On the day after the Normandy invasion... -- Matthew 18:15-20 -- Ron Love -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A -- 2014
On the day after the Normandy invasion, war correspondent Ernie Pyle made this report: "I took a wal
We have been given... -- Romans 6:12-23 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2014
We have been given free will to choose wickedness or God.
John Wesley, the... -- Matthew 10:40-42 -- Ron Love -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2014
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, in a sermon titled "Upon Our Lord's Sermon On The Mount, Disc
Social commentator... -- Matthew 10:40-42 -- Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2014
Social commentator Alain de Botton has noted that our anxiety about status is a function of not find
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 -- Genesis 22:1-14, Romans 6:12-23, Matthew 10:40-42 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Derl G. Keefer -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2014
Genesis 22:1-14
God seems to... -- Genesis 22:1-14 -- Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2014
God seems to advocate human sacrifice in this lesson. It makes no sense.
The story is told... -- Romans 6:12-23 -- Derl G. Keefer -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2014
The story is told that at the close of a Sunday morning sermon one of the members felt the Holy Spir
We are still paying... -- Genesis 21:8-21 -- Bob Ove -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2014
We are still paying for Abraham's and Sarah's mistake with Hagar.
Chuck Swindoll wrote... -- Genesis 21:8-21 -- Derl G. Keefer -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2014
Chuck Swindoll wrote about a young couple he counseled many years ago.

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

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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