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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Rubber snakes are a favorite... -- Numbers 21:4-9 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2009
Rubber snakes are a favorite way to scare mothers, sisters, and girlfriends.
Walter Van Tilburg Clark's novel... -- Numbers 21:4-9 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2009
Walter Van Tilburg Clark's novel The Ox-Bow Incident is a classic western.
The Back to Egypt Committee... -- Numbers 21:4-9 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2009
The "Back to Egypt Committee" is alive and well.
In March 2008, the mayor... -- Ephesians 2:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2009
In March 2008, the mayor of a village in southwest France threatened residents with severe punishmen
A family planned a weekend... -- Ephesians 2:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2009
A family planned a weekend in a large city.
Jake Cress is a master... -- Ephesians 2:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2009
Jake Cress is a master craftsman who handcrafts furniture of very unusual styles.
If a building inspector comes... -- John 3:14-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2009
If a building inspector comes to your house, he's coming to condemn it.
William B. Breuer tells in... -- John 3:14-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2009
William B.
John 3:16 is probably the... -- John 3:14-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2009
John 3:16 is probably the best-known passage in scripture.
A promise is a sacred... -- Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2009
A promise is a sacred thing. It is upon such things as promises that our reputations hang.
Terry suffers from problems with... -- Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2009
Terry suffers from problems with her eyesight.
Sometimes, no matter how much... -- Hebrews 5:5-10 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2009
Sometimes, no matter how much he begs or screams, a six-year-old does not get that ice cream cone he
Perfection has been a central... -- Hebrews 5:5-10 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2009
Perfection has been a central theme within various Christian groups and movements.
An only son, Jonathan, had... -- Hebrews 5:5-10 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2009
An only son, Jonathan, had been groomed all his life to take over the family business after graduati
An online ad for the... -- John 12:20-33 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2009
An online ad for the "Jesus Action Figure" contains this description:
Pam had spent 24 hours... -- John 12:20-33 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2009
Pam had spent 24 hours fasting and praying in solitude.
Jesus' teaching about falling into... -- John 12:20-33 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2009
Jesus' teaching about falling into the earth like a seed and rising to new life is amply illustrated
An older teacher was giving... -- Isaiah 50:4-9a -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2009
An older teacher was giving advice to a new face on staff.
It's been said, The second... -- Isaiah 50:4-9a -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2009
It's been said, "The second kick of the mule won't teach anybody." Clearly, if one doesn't learn the
Isaiah's suffering servant underscores the... -- Isaiah 50:4-9a -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2009
Isaiah's suffering servant underscores the paradox that Jesus must suffer humiliation and physical p
The common mind of the... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2009
The common mind of the people of God is not the mind of one person or few people dominant over the r
Laurie Beth Jones remembers her... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2009
Laurie Beth Jones remembers her life-changing trip to the Holy Lands several years ago.
King Edward VIII of England... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2009
King Edward VIII of England had a choice -- love or throne.
The greatest saga ever written... -- Mark 14:1--15:47 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2009
The greatest saga ever written: this weeklong journey from Palm Sunday to Easter morning.
Mel Gibson's The Passion of... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2009
Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ presents many historical inaccuracies.

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

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
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 24 | OT 29 | Pentecost 19
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 25 | OT 30 | Pentecost 20
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – 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.

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