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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Compassion literally means passion with... -- Matthew 9:35--10:8 (9-23) -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 2008
"Compassion" literally means "passion with." The word "passion" means something very
It's appropriate, on this Father's... -- Matthew 9:35--10:8 (9-23) -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 2008
It's appropriate, on this Father's Day, that in our gospel lesson Matthew lists the names of
On the Sunday that Ray... -- Matthew 9:35--10:8 (9-23) -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 2008
On the Sunday that Ray and Karen joined the church, Lois shared her hesitancy to visit
Choosing the right team is... -- Matthew 9:35--10:8 (9-23) -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 2008
Choosing the right team is essential for project management, obtaining financing for a
Hagar's shoulders sagged from the... -- Genesis 21:8-21 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2008
Hagar's shoulders sagged from the burden. Lightened fearfully by each day's meal.
Abraham faced as much perplexity... -- Genesis 21:8-21 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2008
Abraham faced as much perplexity as any man has. First, God made promises that he
Hagar and Ishmael had every... -- Genesis 21:8-21 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2008
Hagar and Ishmael had every reason to fear. They were asked to leave their home and left
Most people who have ever... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2008
Most people who have ever used an IBM personal computer (or one of its clones) know
What does Paul mean in... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2008
What does Paul mean in our passage from the book of Romans when he says, "All of us
Early one Saturday morning, a... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2008
Early one Saturday morning, a man heard thieves breaking into his home. He was
The City of Ottawa, a... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2008
The City of Ottawa, a ship built to commemorate the birthday of Queen Victoria
Sim returned home from his... -- Matthew 10:24-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2008
Sim returned home from his new job. He'd just moved and was getting settled. On the
Have you been in the... -- Matthew 10:24-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2008
Have you been in the presence of influential people or peers and stammer when you
The sparrow is such a... -- Matthew 10:24-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2008
The sparrow is such a common bird and so numerous that often it is considered a pest.
A theological student had an... -- Genesis 22:1-14 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2008
A theological student had an appointment to visit his professor, Paul Tillich, in his home,
Notice the last verse in... -- Genesis 22:1-14 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2008
Notice the last verse in our Genesis reading where God tells Abraham to take his son,
The local service club named... -- Genesis 22:1-14 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2008
The local service club named Gary its "Person of the Year." Gary worked tirelessly to
The story of the binding... -- Genesis 22:1-14 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2008
The story of the binding of Isaac or the Akeidah is the most read of all scriptures. Every
Fred was my neighbor all... -- Romans 6:12-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2008
Fred was my neighbor all through childhood. The last time I saw him was at his wedding.
Does the Lord love everyone... -- Romans 6:12-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2008
Does the Lord love everyone? The answer is a little like a client's response to his
It isn't enough just to... -- Romans 6:12-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2008
It isn't enough just to sit in church and have a good feeling for those in need and those
I preached four nights in... -- Matthew 10:40-42 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2008
I preached four nights in a church in Atlanta, a nice, big church with a good crowd, more
Hospitality is one of the... -- Matthew 10:40-42 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2008
Hospitality is one of the marks of a Christian person, one of the qualities of a follower of
A church consultant was hired... -- Matthew 10:40-42 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2008
A church consultant was hired to help a struggling church. The church had been in
Sheryl spent a lot of... -- Matthew 10:40-42 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2008
Sheryl spent a lot of time at the home of her college roommate, Rowena. Sheryl's home

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
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Proper 24 | OT 29 | Pentecost 19
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Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
George Reed
For October 19, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 31:27-34
John Calvin makes very clear why a new covenant is needed according to this text. He observes:

… the fault was not to be sought in the law that there was need of a new covenant, for the law was abundantly sufficient, but that fault was in the levity and the unfaithfulness of the people. (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol.X/2, p.130)
David Coffin
What happens when one’s past life narrative or goals in life have drastically shifted or collapsed? How do they rebuild hope? For Israel, they lost their land, monarchy, and national identity. In the days of the New Testament,they could easily be identified as living in the “fourth world” country. That is, existing in substandard conditions in one’s own native land?

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
Rose sat back in her chair and opened her magazine. She heard the thump of the stairs and caught a glimpse of her daughter and son in the corner of her eye. She turned her head as they put water bottles in their backpacks.

“What are you two doing?” she looked over at the clock. “Don’t you have homework?”

“All done,” Paul and Linda announced at the same time.

Rose ignored Linda but locked eyes with Paul. He met her gaze for a few moments and then sighed.

“Okay, I’m almost done but still have some math questions,” he admitted.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus told us that we should always pray and not lose heart, for God is on our side. In our worship today let us pray to the Lord for the needs of others and for all our own needs.


Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes you don't seem to be there when I pray and I feel like I'm talking to myself.

Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes my prayers seem so dry and boring that I give up.

Christ, have mercy.

SermonStudio

James Evans
Psalm 119 is well-known as the longest chapter in the Bible. The poem is actually an extended, and extensive, meditation on the meaning of the law. Given the sterile connotations often associated with "law" and "legalism," it's hard sometimes to appreciate the lyrical beauty of these reflections. One thing is for certain, the writer of this psalm does not view the law as either sterile or void of vitality.

Schuyler Rhodes
There is perhaps no better feeling than knowing that someone "has your back." Having someone's back is a term that arose from urban street fighting where a partner or ally would stay with you and protect your back in the thick of the fray. When someone has your back, you don't worry about being hit from behind. When someone has your back you can concentrate on the struggle in front of you without worrying about dangers you cannot see. When someone has your back you feel protected, secure, safe.
David Kalas
I wonder how many of us here are named after someone.

Chances are that a good many of us carry family names. We are named for a parent, a grandparent, an uncle, or an aunt somewhere on the family tree. Others of us had parents who named us after a character in the Bible, or perhaps some other significant character from history.

All told, I expect a pretty fair number of us are named after someone else.

John W. Clarke
Our reading today from the prophet Jeremiah is one in which the Hebrew people, not knowing what else to do in terms of addressing their predicament, decide to blame it all on God. They believed their problems to be the result of their sins and the sins of their fathers. Of course, one person's sin does indeed affect other people, but all people are still held personally accountable for the sin in their own lives (Deuteronomy 24:16; Ezekiel 18:2).
Donna E. Schaper
As usual, the epistle is a little more graphic than we can quite grasp. Itchy ears: what a concept just in physical terms. Experience it for a minute. You itch, you scratch, you sort of know you shouldn't scratch because it will only make the itch worse. But still you scratch, while wondering how the itch ever got started in the first place. What a concept: itchy ears as a vehicle for spiritual truth.

John E. Berger
Did Jesus ever do comedy? Indeed he did, and the Parable of the Unjust Judge is partly comic monologue. The routine began with a probate judge so ridiculously dishonest that he announced, "... I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone...." (There must have been a gasp of disbelief from Jesus' audience.)

The Unjust Judge was nagged by a widow, however, who had every right to nag, because she had been cheated by somebody in the community. A good judge would have helped the widow, but remember, this judge "neither feared God nor had respect for people."

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And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? (v. 7)

Good morning, boys and girls. Yesterday, I was riding in my car and I kept hearing this noise. I call it a squeak. Do you know what a squeak sounds like? (let them answer) Squeaks are very annoying. It is hard to find a squeak in your car, so it is still squeaking.

I also have a chair that has a squeak and I brought it in with me today because it is

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