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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

At the end of the Crimean War... -- Isaiah 2:1-5 -- Ron Love -- First Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
At the end of the Crimean War in 1856, Immanuel Nobel went
Tomorrow Dick will be ringing a bell... -- Romans 13:11-14 -- Tim Smith -- First Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
Tomorrow Dick will be ringing a bell in front of a local store for the
It's interesting how works of darkness... -- Romans 13:11-14 -- Craig Kelly -- First Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
It's interesting how works of darkness seem to like the night.
College students get a little anxious... -- Matthew 24:36-44 -- Leah Thompson -- First Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
College students get a little anxious before their parents come to
The day and the hour did come... -- Matthew 24:36-44 -- Ron Love -- First Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
The day and the hour did come. Even if it was long delayed.
NULL -- Isaiah 11:1-10 -- Leah Thompson -- Second Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a classic children's book about the children of a congregation an
NULL -- Romans 15:4-13 -- Craig Kelly -- Second Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
It is amazing what power the written word can have.
NULL -- Matthew 3:1-12 -- Leah Thompson -- Second Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
It's the Wild West. Tumbleweeds chase each other across the dusty street.
NULL -- Matthew 3:1-12 -- Ron Love -- Second Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
It is discouraging that so many Christian evangelists have popularized meaningless, and actually a d
NULL -- Isaiah 11:1-10, Romans 15:4-13, Matthew 3:1-12 -- Second Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
NULL -- Matthew 11:2-11 -- Third Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
Isaiah 35:1-10
NULL -- Isaiah 35:1-10 -- Craig Kelly -- Third Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
Imagine what it is like for people in a village in an arid part of Africa -- people having to walk g
NULL -- James 5:7-10 -- Ron Love -- Third Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
When I was in elementary school I remember a story, as clearly as if it were told today, that my pas
NULL -- James 5:7-10 -- Leah Thompson -- Third Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
There was a missionary who had spent 25 years in the field without furlough.
NULL -- Matthew 11:2-11 -- Craig Kelly -- Third Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
In chaos theory, a field of study involving mathematics, physics, and economics, the "butterfly effe
The ability of the Christmas spirit to transform lives -- Isaiah 7:10-16, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
Click here for
The ability of the Christmas spirit... -- Isaiah 7:10-16 -- Ron Love -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
The ability of the Christmas spirit to transform lives and restore fellowship is aptly illustrated i
In Persian folklore... -- Isaiah 7:10-16 -- Leah Thompson -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
In Persian folklore, a king has a request for his viziers.
Often in a person's life... -- Romans 1:1-7 -- Craig Kelly -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
Often in a person's life, there is a singular moment that defines their legacy, good or bad.
Country music singer Brad Paisley... -- Matthew 1:18-25 -- Leah Thompson -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
Country music singer Brad Paisley is famous for witty lyrics and clever songs.
Names. Nicknames. Titles... -- Matthew 1:18-25 -- Ron Love -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A -- 2010
Names. Nicknames. Titles.
NULL -- Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- The Nativity of our Lord - A -- 2010
Isaiah 9:2-7
NULL -- Isaiah 9:2-7 -- Craig Kelly -- The Nativity of our Lord - A -- 2010
It is easy to take light for granted until you don't have it anymore.
NULL -- Titus 2:11-14 -- Ron Love -- The Nativity of our Lord - A -- 2010
At the university of Notre Dame there is a mural that has come to be called "Touchdown Jesus." The "
NULL -- Titus 2:11-14 -- Leah Thompson -- The Nativity of our Lord - A -- 2010
Perhaps the most famous role model for patience is a woman from Greek mythology.

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 28 | OT 33 | Pentecost 23
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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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