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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

Guest column

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Christ says, I have come... -- Hebrews 10:5-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C
Christ says, "I have come to do thy will. (vv.
The Son came to do... -- Hebrews 10:5-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C
The Son came to do the Father's will, bringing the gifts of faith, happiness, peace, and hope.
The tradition of animal sacrifice... -- Hebrews 10:5-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C
The tradition of animal sacrifice as an offering to God starts in the earliest days of the Old Testa
There is a difference in... -- Luke 1:39-45 (46-55) -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C
There is a difference in family gatherings.
A few weeks before Christmas... -- Luke 1:39-55 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C
A few weeks before Christmas several years ago, a local department store received a large shipment o
Irish playwright Oscar Wilde wrote... -- Luke 1:39-45 (46-55) -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C
Irish playwright Oscar Wilde wrote in "The Picture of Dorian Gray" this rather remarkable statement;
It had been a harrowing... -- Isaiah 52:7-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C
It had been a harrowing day and night in a blizzard on the island of Matinicus in the outer reaches
On this Christmas day the... -- Isaiah 52:7-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C
On this Christmas day the voice of the prince of prophets, Isaiah, trumpets the arrival of the Princ
This portion of scripture is... -- Isaiah 52:7-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C
This portion of scripture is like a sandwich.
It was a bitterly cold... -- Hebrews 1:1-12 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C
It was a bitterly cold Christmas Eve.
In many ways God communicated... -- Hebrews 1:1-12 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C
In many ways God communicated his love and expectations to his people: Through the Law, the Prophets
When humans speak the language... -- Hebrews 1:1-12 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C
When humans speak the language of love, they often get foolish or nonsensical.
Some will find this opening... -- Hebrews 1:1-12 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C
Some will find this opening prologue of the Epistle to the Hebrews a rather heavy theological statem
We do not really appreciate... -- John 1:1-8 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C
We do not really appreciate light until we don't have it.
With what can we compare... -- Malachi 3:1-4 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C
With what can we compare the refining of silver and gold in our day?
In the dictionary the word... -- Malachi 3:1-4 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C
In the dictionary the word “messenger” immediately precedes the word “Messiah.” This alphabetized se
And yet, Dr. McCabe said... -- Malachi 3:1-4 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C
"And yet," Dr.
In the midst of a... -- Baruch 5:1-9 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C
In the midst of a world filled with despair and human suffering, the writer of Baruch sees a time wh
There is an uncomfortable quality... -- Baruch 5:1-9 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C
There is an uncomfortable quality to these beautiful words from Baruch.
Baruch (derived from the Hebrew... -- Baruch 5:1-9 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C
Baruch (derived from the Hebrew word "baruk" meaning blessing) was the son of Neriah and the amanuen
Recall with me a beautifully... -- Baruch 5:1-9 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C
Recall with me a beautifully dressed young lady standing at the top of a staircase.
And it is my prayer... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C
"And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment."
Being a messenger for God... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C
Being a messenger for God is not an easy task, even if you're St. John the Baptizer or St. Paul.
John the Baptizer, having received... -- Luke 3:1-6 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C
John the Baptizer, having received the word of God in the wilderness, moved to the Jordan to proclai
It seems that the Jews... -- Luke 3:1-6 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C
It seems that the Jews in their suffering were looking many times in their history for the Messiah.

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 28 | OT 33 | Pentecost 23
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
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80+ – Illustrations / Stories
24 – Children's Sermons / Resources
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Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Christopher Keating
Dean Feldmeyer
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
Nazish Naseem
For November 16, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Coffin
Another natural disaster has flattened a number of coastal communities. Despite the weather and major television station warnings, and government disaster preparations, the dystopian destruction nightmare of Luke 21 has decimated another community. Also, it is reasonable to believe that this is not the last year for hurricanes, Tsunami’s, wildfires, mudslides and tornados. They will occur again. However, as weary citizens are interviewed in one group of people with the background of homes in rubble and streets still draining flood waters, they will not leave. This is their home.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez

Isaiah 65:17-25 and Isaiah 12

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
“The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD. (v. 25)

A week after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, country singer Toby Keith — who died Feb. 5, 2024 — wrote a patriotic ballad titled “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.” It was filled with populist fighting rhetoric that matched the mood of a nation shaken by the shocking death and destruction of that day.

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A blood pressure monitor. It is actually called a sphygmomanometer, and is pronounced “sfig·mow·muh·naa’·muh·tr”.

* * *

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Prayers usually include these concerns and may follow this sequence:

The Church of Christ

Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

The local community

Those who suffer

The communion of saints


These responses may be used:


Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

SermonStudio

Stephen P. McCutchan
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
-- Isaiah 12:3

John W. Clarke
No reading of Luke is complete without coming to realize that Luke is concerned that the world understands that Jesus is the hope of the world and that any teaching that leads away from that fact is a false teaching. No matter what, no matter when, Jesus will be there to give us life.

Scott Suskovic
Whoever does not work should not eat!
-- 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (NLT)

Wow! Kind of takes your breath away, doesn't it? Not a lot of ambiguity in that rule. "You don't work, you don't eat." For a religion based on grace, it seems a bit unyielding.

Mark Ellingson
Freedom is such a lovely word, a compelling image. What is freedom? How would you define it? What does it mean to you? Webster's New World Dictionary defines freedom as being exempt from control or from arbitrary restrictions. Freedom is said to be the ability to choose or determine one's own actions.

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