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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

An ice-cream parlor... -- Genesis 3:(1-7) 8-21 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
An ice-cream parlor manager from Bethesda, Maryland, named Nathan Peabody, received a phone ca
In his book, I... -- Genesis 3:(1-7) 8-21
In his book, Rebellion, Albert Cam us writes about a little Frenchman who was taken pri
Helen Keller was born... -- 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Helen Keller was born with the crushing handicaps of both blindness and deafness ‚--'' a helpl
Paul expresses his faith... -- 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Paul expresses his faith in the Lord Jesus.
When I am overwhelmed by... -- Zechariah 7:1-10 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
When I am overwhelmed by the business and busy-ness of the church, it sometimes seems that the sole
Bill Cosby does a marvelous... -- Zechariah 7:1-10 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
Bill Cosby does a marvelous skit on fathers and Father's Day gifts.
What would a wrestling match... -- Genesis 32:22-30 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
What would a wrestling match with the Lord be like in real life?
After an acquaintance I will... -- Genesis 32:22-30 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
After an acquaintance I will call Maureen Jackson passed through a trying time in which she wrestled
Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz reflects on... -- Genesis 32:22-30 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz reflects on this passage: "...
I know of one head... -- Genesis 32:22-30 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
I know of one head baseball coach who anticipates a confrontation with his better players.
There was an Athenian soldier... -- 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
There was an Athenian soldier who was lame in one foot.
We have the assurance that... -- 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
"We have the assurance that God will raise us from death," said the fourth brother to the soldiers w
What's worth dying for? Literally... -- 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
What's worth dying for? Literally?
The reading from Maccabees is... -- 2 Macabees 7:1-2, 9-14 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
The reading from Maccabees is like seeing a grade-B horror movie.
How would you live if... -- Job 19:23-27 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
How would you live if you knew exactly when you were going to die?
Who can ever forget the... -- Job 19:23-27a -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
Who can ever forget the momentous scene in the movie, The Ten Commandments, where Moses is st
Music critics have heralded I... -- Job 19:23-27a -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
Music critics have heralded Requiem as the most outstanding of Brahms' works in bringing toge
Eighty-year-old John Quincy... -- Job 19:23-27a -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
Eighty-year-old John Quincy Adams was slowly making his way down one of the streets in his hometown
Ever since her husband had... -- 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
Ever since her husband had been killed in the Persian Gulf war, Carrie and her two small sons had mo
May the Lord Direct Your... -- 2 Thessalonians 2:15-3:5 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
"May the Lord Direct Your Thoughts" might be a sermon title. How?
Pray for us. A minister... -- 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
"Pray for us." A minister was invited to become the pastor of a new church.
At 38, Steve had not... -- 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
At 38, Steve had not been in a hospital since his birth.
The different philosophies of two... -- Luke 20:27-38 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
The different philosophies of two high school coaches influenced their basketball teams.
Eugene Peterson, in his book... -- Revelation 21:9-11, 22-27 (22:1-5) -- All Saints Day - C
Eugene Peterson, in his book Reversed Thunder, makes a fascinating distinction between a lamp
The sign above the head... -- 1 John 3:1-3 -- All Saints Day - C
The sign above the head table read, "John's Kids Say THANKS!" John Marshall was being honored by the

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UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 23 | OT 28 | Pentecost 18
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
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29 – Worship Resources
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4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Proper 24 | OT 29 | Pentecost 19
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Proper 25 | OT 30 | Pentecost 20
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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, 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.

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