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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

One night in the highlands... -- Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
One night in the highlands of Scotland, a certain home was blessed by the presence of two visitors.
Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000... -- Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000 was regarded as so important that it is recorded in all four gospels.
Some people can’t stay away... -- Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
Some people can’t stay away.
What images do you have... -- Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
What images do you have of a shepherd and a flock?
One thing tennis coaches and... -- 2 Samuel 11:1-15 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2009
One thing tennis coaches and golf pros teach novice students is how important follow-through is to e
Fireproof is a movie with... -- 2 Samuel 11:1-15 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2009
Fireproof is a movie with a strong agenda: Stay married, lead an honest life, and let your faith in
This is a most unusual... -- 2 Samuel 11:1-15 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2009
This is a most unusual case.
When perusing a bookstore’s novels... -- Ephesians 3:14-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2009
When perusing a bookstore’s novels, one of my critical “inspection points” is the first word on page
There’s a Br’er Rabbit story... -- Ephesians 3:14-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2009
There’s a Br’er Rabbit story in which all the animals get together and decide to build a house.
The new Christians in Ephesus... -- Ephesians 3:14-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2009
The new Christians in Ephesus are urged to lead lives of patient love, using their various gifts in
Back in the days of... -- John 6:1-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2009
Back in the days of Colonial New England, it was the custom for churches to charge families for rent
In a year with economic... -- John 6:1-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2009
In a year with economic uncertainty the church faced the tough decision to cut the budget.
Alma was a daughter of... -- John 6:1-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2009
Alma was a daughter of the Great Depression.
Most Sunday school children know... -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2009
Most Sunday school children know of David and Goliath. Fewer know of David’s adultery.
It’s often easier to fight... -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2009
It’s often easier to fight for principles than to live up to them.
A woman appeared in court... -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2009
A woman appeared in court for a moving traffic violation.
There’s an old story about... -- Ephesians 4:1-16 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2009
There’s an old story about a man who walked into a church that was under construction.
Ann remembers feeling uncomfortable one... -- Ephesians 4:1-16 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2009
Ann remembers feeling uncomfortable one Sunday when the pastor preached on the importance of loving
When Jill made the women’s... -- Ephesians 4:1-16 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2009
When Jill made the women’s wrestling team at college, she and her teammates were given a handbook on
Fifty years ago I read... -- John 6:24-35 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2009
Fifty years ago I read a story titled, “Clothes Make the Man.” One thief dressed up as a policeman t
Few things, if any, in... -- John 6:24-35 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2009
Few things, if any, in life are free. We apply the barter system to everything.
If you can handle a... -- John 6:24-35 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2009
If you can handle a crowd of excited people in the desert, armed with only a dozen dedicated followe
Grief remains one of the... -- 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 2009
Grief remains one of the few things that has the power to silence us.
When the telephone rang just... -- 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 2009
When the telephone rang just after three o’clock in the morning Carl knew it was bad news.
Brad was no good, or... -- 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 2009
Brad was no good, or so thought most of the townsfolk.

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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

Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Tom Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
George Reed
Christopher Keating
For October 26, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
I am a scoreboard watcher. I follow a lot more games than I actually watch, but since technology makes it easy to check scores on a moment’s whim, I watch a lot of scoreboards of teams and games that I am at least mildly interested in. And as I check those scores, I find myself having immediate reactions: “Great!” “Oh, that's too bad.” “Excellent!” “Nuts.” And in the midst of that sports-fan roller coaster, I must continually remind myself that not all scores are final.
Bill Thomas
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Joel 2:22-32
Martin Luther sings the praises of God’s love revealed in this lesson. He wrote:

The love of God which lives in man loves sinners, evil persons, fools and weaklings in order to make them righteous, good, wise, and strong. Rather than seeking its own good, the love of God flows forth and bestows good. (Luther’s Works, Vol. 31, p.57)

John Wesley nicely summarizes the Spirit’s role in fighting the lure of our old sinful habits:

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John Jamison
Object: This message is a role-play story. You will need two children to play the roles of the Pharisee and the tax collector. I usually ask two children if they will help me as they are all coming forward for the message, but you may select them however you choose.

* * *

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, but your commandments are my delight.
Your statutes are always righteous; give me understanding that I may live.
(vv. 143-144)

When I was an associate pastor in Janesville, Wisconsin one of my responsibilities was to give a lecture on spirituality once a month at a drug treatment facility. The students who attended were persons who had been convicted of drunk driving and were required to attend the class as a condition of their sentence. Attendance was always good.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

We all dislike people who blow their own trumpets, although sometimes we may be in awe of them. Jesus too deplored such behaviour and was never in awe of those who practised it. In our worship today let us open ourselves to Jesus, allowing him to see what is in our hearts.



Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes we allow other people's behaviour to intimidate us.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes we refuse to reach our own fullest potential because we are afraid.

SermonStudio

Schuyler Rhodes
Every morning when sleep leaves and waking comes there is cause for praising God. Caught up, as we are, in the currents and eddies of our lives, this is easy to forget. This wonderful psalm is a reminder. God's bounty and abundance spill into our lives like waters over a causeway. God's delight in creation explodes in a million different colors. In every moment there is reason to give God praise.
Robert R. Kopp
When I was a little boy growing up in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania's First Presbyterian Church, one of those Christian chalk artists with black light, neon colors, and black felt canvas who made pictures of Jesus look like those Elvis portraits for sale on the side of the road at the beach showed up as entertainment for a Sunday evening potluck dinner.
John E. Berger
Today's sermon begins with this little one-person drama.
Mark Ellingson
Have you ever felt that you were absolutely at the end of your rope, left without hope? Sometime during the years of 539 B.C. to 331 B.C. that is the way the people of Judah felt. It seems that their land had been ravaged by a plague of locusts which had had catastrophic consequences.

Once a harvest has been destroyed, you cannot repair it. If a building has burned to the ground, you cannot repair it. In those instances you need to start from scratch with a fresh start.

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