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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

In a capsule, this rendering... -- Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 -- Maundy Thursday - C
In a capsule, this rendering of the instituting of the Passover could simply be, "This is the first
Leslie D. Weatherhead tells of... -- Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 -- Maundy Thursday - C
Leslie D. Weatherhead tells of a little boy who had mercifully been admitted to a children's home.
Let us consider how to... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Maundy Thursday - C
"Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together
A brave commando captain in... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Maundy Thursday - C
A brave commando captain in the British army during World War II was the pathfinder for his company.
An old saying tells us... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Maundy Thursday - C
An old saying tells us there is no free lunch, but there are literally hundreds of freebies if you t
Hanging on my study wall... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - C
Hanging on my study wall is a mobile with little cut-out figures.
Often we wander away from... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - C
Often we wander away from close fellowship with Christ.
It used to be that... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - C
It used to be that newspapers in major cities printed critical reviews mostly about artistic events,
Our Lord's first miracle was... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - C
Our Lord's first miracle was water made into wine at Cana; his last miracle was wine made into blood
How to kill one man's... -- Luke 22:7-20 -- Maundy Thursday - C
"How to kill one man's good will toward men" -- that was the attention-grabbing headline for a colum
Jesus was about to die... -- Luke 22:7-20 -- Maundy Thursday - C
Jesus was about to die, but his thoughts were for others.
Not many people like to... -- Luke 22:7-20 -- Maundy Thursday - C
Not many people like to receive commands they are expected to obey without question.
The lifetime goal of a... -- Luke 22:7-20 -- Maundy Thursday - C
The lifetime goal of a famous Spanish painter was to create a great masterpiece, a large painting of
Many years ago, in a... -- John 13:1-15 -- Maundy Thursday - C
Many years ago, in a former congregation, I had a member who had previously belonged to a small sect
When we give flowers to... -- John 13:1-15 -- Maundy Thursday - C
When we give flowers to another, it's a quiet way of saying we love that person.
As the pastor entered the... -- John 13:1-15 -- Maundy Thursday - C
As the pastor entered the music room to have a prayer with the choir, prior to the procession into t
The meaning of the word... -- John 13:1-15 -- Maundy Thursday - C
The meaning of the word "humility" always escaped me until I met Brother Anthony, a dedicated pastor
To a first-century Hebrew... -- Isaiah 52:13-53:12 -- Good Friday - C
To a first-century Hebrew, the cross made no sense at all.
Rummage sales can be fun... -- Isaiah 52:13-53:12 -- Good Friday - C
Rummage sales can be fun. My experience tells me most of the ones we had have been worthwhile.
The mother, a widow in... -- Isaiah 52:13-53:12 -- Good Friday - C
The mother, a widow in meager circumstances, worked long and hard to provide for her daughter and sa
For I desire steadfast love... -- Hosea 6:1-6 -- Good Friday - C
"For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings."
I always thought I was... -- Isaiah 50:4-7 -- Passion Sunday - C
I always thought I was an obedient servant of the Lord ...
This passage may well be... -- Philippians 2:6-11 -- Passion Sunday - C
This passage may well be the greatest and most vivid description of how the Son of God humbled himse
What would you do if... -- Philippians 2:6-11 -- Passion Sunday - C
What would you do if you were God.
Recently I ran across an... -- Philippians 2:6-11 -- Passion Sunday - C
Recently I ran across an interesting tale, told by an anonymous storyteller, that goes like this:

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 23 | OT 28 | Pentecost 18
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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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