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

Here is the bottom... -- Mark 2:23-28 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Here is the bottom line.
In Ernest Hemingway's short... -- Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
In Ernest Hemingway's short story, "The Capitol of the World," he writes about a group of boys
True friendship is a... -- 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
True friendship is a lovely thing.
A pastor friend related... -- 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
A pastor friend related to me that he had a funeral this week and two people attended.
Saul's death brought the... -- 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
Saul's death brought the end to a dynasty and devastating grief to David.
David's eulogy to Saul... -- 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
David's eulogy to Saul and Jonathan speaks of loyalty and friendship.
The story of Adam... -- Genesis 3:9-15 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
The story of Adam and Eve taking the fruit is one story we can teach our children with little
Faults and weaknesses are... -- Genesis 3:9-15 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
Faults and weaknesses are usually very evident in children because they make little effort to
If you want to... -- Genesis 3:9-15 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
If you want to study the history of excuses, the proper starting place is the Garden of Eden.
Many things which go... -- Genesis 3:9-15 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
Many things which go wrong are allegedly caused by people who had nothing to do with them.
The giant redwood is... -- Ezekiel 17:22-24 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
The giant redwood is one of the world's tallest trees.
The removal of ill... -- Ezekiel 17:22-24 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
The removal of ill-fated King Zedekiah from Jerusalem to Babylon left a gap in Israel's leader
A department store in... -- Ezekiel 17:22-24 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
A department store in Houston, Texas, offered a car in a drawing.
A backpacking guide in... -- Ezekiel 17:22-24 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
A backpacking guide in the Colorado Rockies gives the advice, during his orientation, that if
In 1977 I stood... -- Ezekiel 31:1-6, 10-14 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
In 1977 I stood in a sidewalk-wide line of people completely encircling the Field Museum of Na
A pagan artisan once... -- Ezekiel 31:1-6, 10-14 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
A pagan artisan once manufactured a goblet, in the bottom of which was fixed the model of a se
Preparing for ordination was... -- 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Preparing for ordination was a very crucial experience for me.
Living in Florida where... -- 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Living in Florida where retirement and old age are more visible than in other parts of the cou
I am a church... -- 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
I am a church person. I have been a church person all my life.
In his book, I... -- 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
In his book, Whom Shall I Send?, Watchman Nee writes: “Humility is not looking less at
When Professor John Dumitru... -- 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
When Professor John Dumitru of the Social Sciences department, Foothill College, Los Altos Hil
I was on my... -- 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
I was on my annual two-week Naval Reserve tour of duty in Norfolk, Virginia.
My oldest daughter joined... -- Hebrews 9:11-15 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
My oldest daughter joined the Marine Corps when she was eighteen.
Dr. Barry Bailey tells... -- Hebrews 9:11-15 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Dr.
The Yaxchilan lintels, murals... -- Hebrews 9:11-15 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
The Yaxchilan lintels, murals made by the Mayas in A.D.

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, wild fires, 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 September 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.

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL