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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

One of the great witnesses... -- Genesis 22:1-18 -- First Sunday in Lent - B
One of the great witnesses of the missionary era in China is the story of a missionary who lost his
In the ancient world Abraham... -- Genesis 22:1-18 -- First Sunday in Lent - B
In the ancient world Abraham would have been familiar with the many pagan religions.
I once met a woman... -- Genesis 22:1-18 -- First Sunday in Lent - B
I once met a woman who married three alcoholics.
In Steinbeck's novel The Winter... -- 1 Peter 3:18-22 -- First Sunday in Lent - B
In Steinbeck's novel The Winter of Our Discontent, Ethan Hawley betrays the secret of his emp
The young lady is totally... -- 1 Peter 3:18-22 -- First Sunday in Lent - B
The young lady is totally frustrated: Her favorite tennis outfit is dirty and she is sure that it wi
Sometimes we meet people professing... -- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Sometimes we meet people professing Christianity who drink strong alcoholic drinks.
Celibacy is far from the... -- 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Celibacy is far from the pattern of choice among moderns.
The young woman sat in... -- 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
The young woman sat in the pastor's office clasping and unclasping her hands.
I was counseling a young... -- Mark 1:21-28 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
I was counseling a young woman who had many severe problems.
What is this? A new... -- Mark 1:21-28 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
"What is this? A new teaching?"
It is interesting that the... -- Mark 1:21-28 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
It is interesting that the "unclean spirit" recognized instinctively with whom it was dealing, while
And they were astonished at... -- Mark 1:21-28 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as
In Charles Schulz's Snoopy and... -- Job 7:1-7 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B
In Charles Schulz's Snoopy and the Red Baron, Snoopy is a very determined World War I pilot.
She was an old woman... -- Job 7:1-7 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B
She was an old woman who had suffered a great deal in the past few years.
The words of Job in... -- Job 7:1-7 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B
The words of Job in Job 7 may not be pleasant words, but they are realistic ones.
Suffering is an opportunity for... -- Job 7:1-7 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B
Suffering is an opportunity for us to be able to lift our eyes up and see the power of God working.
Many of us remember reading... -- 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B
Many of us remember reading about an Air Florida jetliner that crashed into the icy Potomac River in
In his foreword to a... -- 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B
In his foreword to a recent edition of Dag Hammarskjold's book called Markings, the poet W.
The story is told of... -- 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B
The story is told of a little boy who accidentally swallowed a coin.
Woe to me, Paul said... -- 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B
"Woe to me," Paul said, "if I do not preach the gospel." What a heavy sense of necessity laid on him
In a newspaper interview, actress... -- Mark 1:29-39 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B
In a newspaper interview, actress Diahann Carroll described what happened to her after her husband d
Mark 1:35 tells of Jesus... -- Mark 1:29-39 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B
Mark 1:35 tells of Jesus going alone to a quiet place for prayer.
Knee prints beside the old... -- Mark 1:29-39 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B
Knee prints beside the old log were clearly visible.
Why did Jesus bother to... -- Mark 1:29-39 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B
Why did Jesus bother to "heal many" when even many more were never healed by him?
Who would want to inherit... -- 2 Kings 2:1-12a -- Transfiguration Sunday - B
Who would want to inherit or apply for the job of a prophet? Does it pay well? Is it macho?

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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