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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

In 1985 I stood at... -- Acts 5:27-32, 40-41 -- Third Sunday of Easter - C
In 1985 I stood at Bet Shearim, one of the principal centers of Jewish survival and revival after th
Church and State magazine (2/85... -- Revelation 5:11-14
"Church and State" magazine (2/85) told the story of a woman who, on grounds of religious conscience
A symphony by Respighi, titled... -- Revelation 5:11-14 -- Third Sunday of Easter - C
A symphony by Respighi, titled Feste Romane (Roman Festival), describes, in music, a day at t
On many a college campus... -- Revelation 5:11-14 -- Third Sunday of Easter - C
On many a college campus is located an Old Main or an old something with a high tower containing a v
As we gather in our... -- Revelation 5:11-14 -- Third Sunday of Easter - C
As we gather in our groups for worship, we may sometimes feel weak and isolated.
The Easter season might be... -- John 21:1-14 -- Third Sunday of Easter - C
The Easter season might be a good time to celebrate Senior Citizen's Sunday.
There's an old saying among... -- John 21:1-14 -- Third Sunday of Easter - C
There's an old saying among fishermen, which is repeated to help the anglers determine the best cond
The message of Easter is... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 -- Easter Day - C
The message of Easter is God has rescued us from the graveyard!
In the twenty-fourth verse... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 -- Easter Day - C
In the twenty-fourth verse of this reading, we are told "Christ will ...
In the Church of the... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 -- Easter Day - C
In the Church of the Resurrection (Holy Sepulcher) in Jerusalem beneath Mt.
Paul reminds us the Good... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - C
Paul reminds us the Good News we preach is centered in the resurrection of Jesus.
St. Paul learned there is... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - C
St.
Easter is an experience. The... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - C
Easter is an experience.
If you walked along a... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - C
If you walked along a certain street in a town where I used to live, you would come to what seemed t
Set your minds on the... -- Colossians 3:1-4 -- Easter Day - C
"Set your minds on the things that are above." (Colossians 3:2a) Some Christians fear being "other w
Two years ago I received... -- Colossians 3:1-4 -- Easter Day - C
Two years ago I received a brochure through the mail from a florist wanting to sell flowers for East
Peter MacKenzie has made an... -- Colossians 3:1-4 -- Easter Day - C
Peter MacKenzie has made an interesting observation about pigs. Pigs cannot look up!
Over the years I have... -- Colossians 3:1-4 -- Easter Day - C
Over the years I have watched a lot of folks turn deaf ears to the Gospel's call.
Seeing is still believing. Peter... -- John 20:1-9 -- Easter Day - C
Seeing is still believing.
The Lord appeared first to... -- John 20:1-9 -- Easter Day - C
The Lord appeared first to Mary Magdalene.
Mary's dawn meeting with the... -- John 20:1-9 -- Easter Day - C
Mary's dawn meeting with the risen Christ has been called the greatest recognition scene in all of w
There is still an important... -- John 20:1-9 -- Easter Day - C
There is still an important place in our faith for miracles. That place is sometimes before reason.
The apostles had such an... -- Acts 5:12, 17-32 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C
The apostles had such an eternal vision, such confidence in Christ's promise of eternal life, that t
During a meeting of 200... -- Acts 5:27-32 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C
During a meeting of 200 top military leaders at the National War College, a speaker said, "The great
Eucharistic Prayer C (Consecration Prayer... -- Acts 5:12, 17-32 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C
Eucharistic Prayer C (Consecration Prayer) in the new 1979 Episcopal Book of Common Prayer is often

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 23 | OT 28 | Pentecost 18
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29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
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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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