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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

When God surrounds us... -- 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, 14-17 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
When God surrounds us and awakens us to the fact that we are Christian, we are surprised.
I spoke with the... -- 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
I spoke with the administrator of a nursing home saying, ‚--úHow depressing, always working wi
The story is told... -- 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
The story is told of a pastor who, looking over the shoulder of the church secretary, saw him
Every plant is heading... -- Mark 4:26-34 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
Every plant is heading in one of two directions: either it is growing or it is dying.
As a young man... -- Mark 4:26-34 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
As a young man living in Cincinnati, Barney Kroger was very interested in buying, selling, mak
One of the characteristics... -- Mark 4:26-34 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
One of the characteristics of the Marcan Gospel is the Messianic secret.
A missionary arrived in... -- Mark 4:26-34 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
A missionary arrived in the Lunda country and was welcomed by a native named Kayeka.
Visitors to Pompeii catch... -- 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
Visitors to Pompeii catch a sense of the great loss that came suddenly upon it at the eruption
The word impossible is... -- Mark 4:26-34 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
The word "impossible" is not in God's dictionary.
Ephraim Cabot is a pious... -- Malachi 4:1-6 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C
Ephraim Cabot is a pious, self-centered, mean spirited character in O'Neill's play Desire Under t
In his book Talks... -- Malachi 4:1-6 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C
In his book Talks To Teachers on Psychology, William James has a chapter titled, "The Laws of
What will daybreak bring? For... -- Malachi 4:1-6 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C
What will daybreak bring?
Martin Luther, with characteristic bluntness... -- Malachi 4:1-6 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C
Martin Luther, with characteristic bluntness, once observed, "There is no more sin in a man's sex li
After all is said and... -- Deuteronomy 10:12-22 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C
After all is said and done, the heart of God's message to creation is a message of obedience to God
Lou Proctor referred to himself... -- Deuteronomy 10:12-22 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C
Lou Proctor referred to himself as a baseball player, and the Baseball Encyclopedia carried h
One of the most telling... -- Deuteronomy 10:12-22 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C
One of the most telling books on the nature of our wasteful American society is David Halberstam's s
Each year about late October... -- Deuteronomy 10:12-22 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C
Each year about late October a small group of unmarried Mennonite men set off from Lancaster County
It had been a long... -- 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C
It had been a long day for Jim. The family farm was just barely surviving.
Paul refers to the challenge... -- 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C
Paul refers to the challenge not to be lazy.
In the metropolitan area where... -- 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C
In the metropolitan area where I live, I sense a growing weariness in doing good.
It was very important... -- Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
It was very important to Jesus to observe the Passover celebration.
Twenty years ago, one... -- Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Twenty years ago, one of my seminary professors gave our class a very helpful lecture summariz
I once read a... -- Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
I once read a remarkable letter written by a man to his family just before he died.
There may yet be... -- 1 Samuel 16:14-23 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
There may yet be the natural punishment within our sin that we need to endure.
M. H. Schubert shares... -- Mark 3:20-35 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
M. H. Schubert shares the story about a group of fishermen in the Scottish highlands.

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
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
and more...
Christ the King Sunday
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Thanksgiving
34 – Sermons
80+ – Illustrations / Stories
24 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
24 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
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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