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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Twenty years ago a youthful... -- Matthew 16:13-19 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C
Twenty years ago a youthful, brash and loud-mouthed Cassius Clay made headlines with his overstated
One tradition in the Judaism... -- Matthew 16:13-19 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C
One tradition in the Judaism of Jesus' day maintained that, should any child of Israel successfully
How many people in the... -- Matthew 16:13-19 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C
How many people in the history of the human race, once they have caught the vision of what their own
Do you remember the old... -- 1 Kings 21:1-3, 17-21 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C
Do you remember the old "Rube Goldberg" machines?
Ahab lusting for Naboth's vineyard... -- Kings 21:1-3, 17-21 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C
Ahab lusting for Naboth's vineyard so he can turn it into a vegetable patch.
What a temper tantrum. You'd... -- 1 Kings 21:1-3, 17-21 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C
What a temper tantrum. You'd expect this behavior from a little, tiny child.
Elijah told Ahab something he... -- 1 Kings 21:1-3, 17-21 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C
Elijah told Ahab something he did not want to hear.
The strong female imagery in... -- Isaiah 66:10-14 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C
The strong female imagery in this passage of God's care for his people prompted my remembering an ol
I was once approached by... -- Isaiah 66:10-14 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C
I was once approached by a scandalized member of our women's group who reported to me "the women's B
It is the feminine imagery... -- Isaiah 66:10-14 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C
It is the feminine imagery in the language that leaps out at the reader. (v.
The guest chaplain in the... -- Isaiah 66:10-14 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C
The guest chaplain in the Minnesota House of Representatives opened a session with a prayer asking G
Nothing moves Paul so deeply... -- Galatians 6:14-18 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C
Nothing moves Paul so deeply as the knowledge that his Lord suffered a painful, humiliating death.
The cross of Christ was... -- Galatians 6:14-18 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C
The cross of Christ was decisive for Paul; he bore the marks of it in his own body.
The story has been told... -- Galatians 6:14-18 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C
The story has been told repeatedly that some saints bore the very marks of the crucified Jesus on th
Nobody in his or her... -- Acts 12:1-11 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C
Nobody in his or her right mind becomes a messenger without first counting the cost.
The stage play (and film... -- Acts 12:1-11 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C
The stage play (and film version) of Camelot begins and ends with a discouraged, war-torn, gr
Many hundreds of years ago... -- Galatians 5:1, 13-25 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C
Many hundreds of years ago, a young Chinese boy studied to become a Buddhist monk.
Onesimus was a common name... -- Galatians 5:1, 13-25 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C
Onesimus was a common name for a slave during the New Testament period.
One of the most disgusting... -- Galatians 5:1, 13-25 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C
One of the most disgusting signs of the ancient world was the symbol of the cross.
Freedom isn't a fragmentary expression... -- Galatians 5:1, 13-25 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C
Freedom isn't a fragmentary expression of life in the kingdom: it is kingdom living.
The Corinthian Christians were dividing... -- 1 Corinthians 3:16-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C
The Corinthian Christians were dividing the Body as they elevated one gift over others.
Purity was of highest importance... -- 1 Corinthians 3:16-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C
Purity was of highest importance to the Jewish religion.
In verse 19 we read... -- 1 Corinthians 3:16-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C
In verse 19 we read, "God traps the wise in their cleverness." But even in the way we sometimes trea
Paul learned, from bitter experience... -- 1 Corinthians 3:16-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C
Paul learned, from bitter experience, the importance of stressing, in his life and preaching, the pr
In more than one love... -- 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C
In more than one love story, when things have not turned out the way the lovers had first planned or

Political Pulpit

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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
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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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