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

Macbeth: Present fears are less... -- 2 Timothy 1:3-14 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A
Macbeth: "Present fears are less than horrible imaginings."
Christian faith is rarely discovered... -- 2 Timothy 1:3-14 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A
Christian faith is rarely "discovered" like a bolt out of the sky.
Faith is a word that... -- Luke 17:5-10 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A
"Faith is a word that connects hope and God.
Allowances for children have often... -- Luke 17:5-10 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A
Allowances for children have often been hotly debated items, usually between parents and their own c
I must make a confession... -- Luke 17:5-10 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A
I must make a confession.
At funeral services for famed... -- Micah 1:2; 2:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
At funeral services for famed attorney Clarence Darrow, held on March 13, 1938, in Bond chapel at th
One day, the Lord went... -- Micah 1:2; 2:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
One day, the Lord went for a walk in heaven. He took everyone with him except Peter.
Over the last few years... -- Micah 1:2; 2:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
Over the last few years there have been at least two movies to receive critical acclaim in their por
An old hymn, which we... -- Luke 16:19-31 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A
An old hymn, which we don't sing much any longer, had a refrain which stated, "I believe the Bible i
For years and years Lowell... -- Joel 2:23-30 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A
For years and years Lowell, Massachusetts, was one in a series of sick cities along the northern bor
I have witnessed an increasing... -- Joel 2:23-30 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A
I have witnessed an increasing number of conversations in recent years that are geared toward discer
On this World Communion Sunday... -- Joel 2:23-30 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A
On this World Communion Sunday, Christians from around the world will be celebrating this all-encomp
As any carpenter will tell... -- Joel 2:23-30 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A
As any carpenter will tell you, "You can't stretch a board, but you can always cut one down to size.
Martin Buber tells about a... -- Habakkuk 1:1-3; 2:1-4 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A
Martin Buber tells about a surgeon friend who visited one of his patients.
If why? is the great... -- Habakkuk 1:1-3; 2:1-4 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A
If "why?" is the great "child question," then perhaps, as illustrated in Habakkuk, the great "adult
One sports writer reported that... -- Habakkuk 1:1-3; 2:1-4 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A
One sports writer reported that golf pro Sam Snead's counsel on how to handle the rough was very sim
More often than we may... -- Habakkuk 1:1-3; 2:1-4 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A
More often than we may realize, the task of the church is one with that of Habakkuk.
The affluence of America has... -- Amos 6:1a, 4-7 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A
The affluence of America has to be unique in all of history.
Two businesspersons in the twenty... -- Amos 6:1a, 4-7 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A
Two businesspersons in the twenty-eight percent tax bracket went into the church sanctuary to pray.
An ancient Jewish saying holds... -- 1 Timothy 6:6-16 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A
An ancient Jewish saying holds that we are born with our hands closed; we die with them open.
Take aim, said the instructor... -- 1 Timothy 6:6-16 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A
"Take aim," said the instructor. "If you aim, you may not hit your target, but you will be close.
The trouble with that kind... -- 1 Timothy 6:6-16 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A
The trouble with that kind of advance (technical) is that there is no end to it.
The stage play and movie... -- 1 Timothy 6:6-16 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A
The stage play and movie entitled Stop The World --I Want To Get Off is in many ways a
The ship Britannia was wrecked... -- Luke 16:19-31 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A
The ship Britannia was wrecked off the coast of Brazil.
Who is Lazarus today? His... -- Luke 16:19-31 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A
Who is Lazarus today? His problem was not that he needed spiritual food.

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
1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a
Life can be frightening sometimes. Thus it is both comforting but disconcerting to find a giant of faith like Elijah to fear the future. On that matter Martin Luther once claimed:
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