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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Two days before she died... -- Colossians 2:12-14 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
Two days before she died in a fire, a nine-year-old girl wrote in a school essay, "My best friend is
Gary Dotson spent seven years... -- Colossians 2:12-14 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
Gary Dotson spent seven years in prison for a crime which he did not commit.
Some of the feeling and... -- Colossians 2:12-14 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
Some of the feeling and meaning of this passage were expressed in one of the freedom songs of
During Great Britain's colonial rule... -- Colossians 2:12-14 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
During Great Britain's colonial rule in India, a British magistrate who was on duty there conducted
Importunity. It is a strange... -- Luke 11:1-13 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
"Importunity." It is a strange word to me. I seldom encounter it outside the Gospels.
The book, God is... -- Luke 11:1-13 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
The book, God is For Real, Man, was quite popular a number of years ago.
This story must be told... -- Luke 11:1-13 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
This story must be told.
Jesus' disciples of today are... -- Luke 11:1-13 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
Jesus' disciples of today are no different than his disciples of yesteryear.
Pride goes before a fall... -- 2 Samuel 11:1-15 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C
Pride goes before a fall; and a haughty spirit before destruction.
Even, in our... -- 2 Samuel 11:1-15 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C
It is almost devastating to... -- 2 Samuel 11:1-15 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C
It is almost devastating to discover that a human person as great and good as David could be as evi
On Sunday, May 17, 1987... -- 2 Samuel 11:1-15 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C
On Sunday, May 17, 1987, White House Chief of Staff Howard Baker, Jr., appeared on NBC-TV's "Meet t
This has the ring of... -- Jeremiah 23:1-6 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C
This has the ring of the Good Shepherd parable of Jesus, and is tied-in to the Gospel in Mark 6:34,
At an early age I... -- Jeremiah 23:1-6 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C
At an early age I developed a love for words; I like the sound of certain words, the way they seem
The cowboy had spent days... -- Jeremiah 23:1-6 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C
The cowboy had spent days rounding up stray cattle and searching for newborn calves which had becom
Tradition! ... Tradition! goes a line... -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
"Tradition! ...
The whole advertising business depends... -- 2 Kings 5:1-15ab -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
The whole advertising business depends on the fact that so many of us are like Naaman.
Leprosy in all of its... -- 2 Kings 5:1-15 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
Leprosy in all of its varieties, was the most dreaded disease in biblical days.
The North-Georgia Conference of... -- 2 Kings 5:1-15ab -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
The North-Georgia Conference of the Methodist Church convened for its annual meeting in Atlanta in 1
In Steven Spielberg's powerful film... -- 2 Kings 5:1-15ab -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
In Steven Spielberg's powerful film version of The Color Purple, a brutalized black woman stu
The story of Abraham's interceding... -- Genesis 18:20-32 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
The story of Abraham's interceding with God on behalf of the righteous people in ancient Sodom broug
He came to my door... -- Genesis 18:20-32 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
He came to my door to visit on behalf of his sectarian outlook.
Hagar the Horrible and Lucky... -- Genesis 18:20-32 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
Hagar the Horrible and Lucky Eddie were standing at the front door of a barricaded castle.
The State of Ohio has... -- Genesis 18:20-32 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
The State of Ohio has fallen in line with several other states and passed a mandatory seat belt law.
I attended a lecture presented... -- Colossians 2:6-15 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
I attended a lecture presented by an archeologist.

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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