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

I was fifteen years old... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
I was fifteen years old, riding the city bus towards downtown and my 4:00 p.m.
A gifted child used to... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
A gifted child used to be thought of as someone possessing a very high I.Q.
One of the symbols of... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
One of the symbols of the Epiphany season that may be easily overlooked is that of movement o
In our sophisticated, technological world... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
In our sophisticated, technological world, it's refreshing to know that God hasn't changed the way f
King Croesus, the fabled ruler... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
King Croesus, the fabled ruler of Lydia who was noted for his great wealth, had a lively interest in
before you were born, I... -- Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
"... before you were born, I consecrated you."
Let us underscore the fact... -- Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Let us underscore the fact that God equips whom he calls.
Of all the things Paul... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Of all the things Paul chose to say about love in this great chapter, perhaps none is more important
A group of demons were... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
A group of demons were out in the desert trying to tempt the holy man.
John of Ephesus is, according... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
John of Ephesus is, according to tradition, the author of three little gems, 1 John, 2 John, and 3 J
You don't see lepers in... -- Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B
You don't see lepers in America.
Written large in the scriptures... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B
Written large in the scriptures is the affirmation that what we human beings need most desperately i
Gert Behanna, the author of... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B
Gert Behanna, the author of The Late Liz, tells about a daughter of a New York millionaire w
It was Dale Wasserman who... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B
It was Dale Wasserman who gave us the musical version of Don Quixote, Man of LaMancha.
Have you ever watched a... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B
Have you ever watched a good verbal fight between two people?
Helen Keller is revered as... -- 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B
Helen Keller is revered as one of the great women of this century.
In Fiddler On The Roof... -- 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B
In "Fiddler On The Roof" the big opening musical number is called "Tradition!" Tevye sings of the co
I once knew an individual... -- 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B
I once knew an individual who had a very curious, even bizarre, habit.
The humanity of Jesus was... -- 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B
The humanity of Jesus was the removal of the veil over the face of God.
When Ronald Reagan and Walter... -- 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B
When Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale debated one another on national television last fall, it was s
J. S. Bach, whose 300th... -- 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B
J. S.
It's an old story but... -- Mark 1:40-45 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B
It's an old story but it still illustrates the point: The pastor in a dust-bowl congregation announc
Some people have nicknamed the... -- Mark 1:40-45 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B
Some people have nicknamed the Mormon restoration at Nauvoo, Illinois, "the Williamsburg of the West
How slow we were to... -- Genesis 9:8-17 -- First Sunday in Lent - B
How slow we were to realize that we must build a monument to the veterans of Vietnam.
God's covenants sometimes hold great... -- Genesis 9:8-17 -- First Sunday in Lent - B
God's covenants sometimes hold great surprises not immediately visible.

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

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