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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Scott and Brenda were looking... -- Mark 5:21-43 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2009
Scott and Brenda were looking forward to their retirement for several years.
In Victor Hugo’s classic, Les... -- Mark 5:21-43 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2009
In Victor Hugo’s classic, Les Misérables, woodcutter Jean Valjean finds himself in a desperate situa
The 1975 newspaper clipping of... -- 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 2009
The 1975 newspaper clipping of a young man’s election as a county commissioner takes on a new sense
The farmers of an area... -- 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 2009
The farmers of an area were in the middle of a drought.
When David was made king... -- 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 2009
When David was made king of Judah, the nation of Israel became divided.
There was a time in... -- 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 2009
There was a time in the Battle of Britain when things looked dark indeed for the British people.
Two years after Dr. King’s... -- 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 2009
Two years after Dr.
In high school, Doug was... -- 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 2009
In high school, Doug was the one most often picked on by the macho-type boys.
In Mark Twain’s Life on... -- Mark 6:1-13 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 2009
In Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi, his chapter “A Cub-Pilot’s Experience” portrays a young man
Stephen came from a small... -- Mark 6:1-13 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 2009
Stephen came from a small, rural town, but through hard work and ambition, he became a successful CE
The people in Jesus’ hometown... -- Mark 6:1-13 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 2009
The people in Jesus’ hometown had failed to respond to his messiahship, but he still intensified eff
There’s a Hasidic tale about... -- 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2009
There’s a Hasidic tale about a famous rabbi who accepted an invitation from a small village to come
One Sunday a liturgical dance... -- 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2009
One Sunday a liturgical dance troupe from a nearby Christian college worshiped at church.
When liturgical dance was first... -- 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2009
When liturgical dance was first introduced at the youth Easter Sunrise service, it was met with enth
Our new house was built... -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2009
Our new house was built on a new, small cul-de-sac.
Ellen Rankin’s novel, The Westing... -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2009
Ellen Rankin’s novel, The Westing Game, tells the story of sixteen people brought together in a biza
Once a young man received... -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2009
Once a young man received a Bible from his grandmother.
There is a story that... -- Mark 6:14-29 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2009
There is a story that comes from an American visitor who went to Uganda.
Where’s Greg?” Anne asked the... -- Mark 6:14-29 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2009
“Where’s Greg?” Anne asked the pastor minutes before worship, “I haven’t seen him in church for seve
Every time Jose Lima purchased... -- Mark 6:14-29 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2009
Every time Jose Lima purchased a 6/49 lotto ticket (a Canadian lotto), he said, “If I win 6/49, big
We kidded our pastor friend... -- 2 Samuel 7:1-14a -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
We kidded our pastor friend, Elwin, when his son received his doctorate in theology.
There is something about a... -- 2 Samuel 7:1-14a -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
There is something about a house, and it runs deeper than the stitches on a “Home Sweet Home” sample
When God promises to bless... -- 2 Samuel 7:1-14a -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
When God promises to bless the house of David, his immediate response is to go sit in God’s presence
There’s a story about a... -- Ephesians 2:11-22 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
There’s a story about a Jesuit missionary who brought the Christian faith to a certain tribe of the
Clarence Day wrote the delightful... -- Ephesians 2:11-22 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
Clarence Day wrote the delightful book, Life with Father.

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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