Login / Signup

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Hold down Ctrl (Windows) / Command (Mac) for multiple selections (scroll list to see all options)

Commentary

Communicating God's Love

Guest column

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Imagine the glory of God... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2008
Imagine the glory of God filling your heart, driving away all negative or painful thoughts and feeli
Nothing is more surprising than... -- Mark 9:2-9 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2008
Nothing is more surprising than the rise of the new within ourselves.
Pliny the Elder was a... -- Mark 9:2-9 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2008
Pliny the Elder was a Roman writer who lived during the same time period as Jesus.
A new church was started... -- Mark 9:2-9 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2008
A new church was started with the hope of attracting young people in their twenties and thirties.
On June 11, 1962, three... -- Mark 2:2-9 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2008
On June 11, 1962, three men went through the roof, only not down through the roof, but up.
As a boy living in... -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2008
As a boy living in the country, Sonny thought his grandfather was some kind of wizard.
According to scripture repentance is... -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2008
According to scripture repentance is wholly an inward act, and should not be confounded with the cha
Wabush, a town in a... -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2008
Wabush, a town in a remote portion of Labrador, Canada, was completely isolated for some time.
Not too many years ago... -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2008
Not too many years ago, newspapers carried the story of Al Johnson, a Kansas man who came to faith i
Greek mythology tells about a... -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2008
Greek mythology tells about a woman named Cassandra.
Today's ashes weave together the... -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2008
Today's ashes weave together the glory of last year's Palm Sunday, along with today's intention to t
One of the most memorable... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2008
One of the most memorable examples of reconciliation in modern times occurred in a little Pennsylvan
Paul considered himself Christ's ambassador... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2008
Paul considered himself Christ's ambassador. What is an ambassador?
One of the methods that... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2008
One of the methods that bookkeepers use to ensure that their books are correct is bank reconcilia
Humans go to great lengths... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2008
Humans go to great lengths to look good and some go to even greater lengths to look as though they d
He made free use of... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2008
He made free use of Christian vocabulary.
During one of his political... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2008
During one of his political campaigns, a delegation called on Theodore Roosevelt at his home in Oyst
There is an old fairy... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2008
There is an old fairy tale about a poor shoemaker with only enough money to buy the leather for one
In the midst of drought... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2008
In the midst of drought, famine, and starvation, the prophet Joel calls us to fast and turn toward G
Isaiah 61:10--62:3br... -- Luke 2:22-40, Galatians 4:4-7, Isaiah 61:10--62:3 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - B -- 2008
Isaiah 61:10--62:3
Management and life-planning guru... -- Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Management and life-planning guru, Stephen Covey, wrote a book several years ago
Count the stars, if you... -- Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
"Count the stars, if you are able," was the Lord's challenge to Abram. Abram, of course,
Laurie Beth gave her life... -- Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Laurie Beth gave her life to Christ when she was seventeen years old. She asked Jesus to
I've had big enemies and... -- Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
I've had big enemies and small ones. Some threatened me with violence. A few wanted
During WWII, Americans of Italian... -- Philippians 3:17--4:1 -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
During WWII, "Americans of Italian lineage" or "Americans of German lineage" weren't

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
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

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A pig stuffed animal.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! Let’s get started!

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
George Reed
For June 22, 2025:

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian,  for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.  As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (vv. 25-28)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
Bonnie Bates

1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a and Psalm 42-43
David Kalas
We’re not far from the 4th of July. And while for so many Americans, it seems that the holiday has become more about long weekends, cookouts, and fireworks shows, the theme of freedom is still there at least in the background. We might take advantage of that, therefore, and give some thought to the theme of freedom as it is revealed in our assigned texts for this week.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

The madman cried out to Jesus, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" In our worship today let us explore what Jesus has to do with us and invite him to heal our brokenness.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, we often find ourselves thinking, saying and doing things that we quickly regret.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Constance Berg
When Jill was five, she began to have headaches. The headaches were so severe she would throw up. Sometimes she would pass out. They usually came once a month. Jill could be playing, resting, or watching television when the headaches would come. Her only warning was a sudden pain in her head, then a blinding light would appear, and she would be rocked with pain. In her teenage years, they became debilitating, causing Jill to be in bed for three days at a time.
Stan Purdum
I'm not sure when the term "burn out" ceased being only a description of what happened to a campfire when you ran out of firewood to a term describing the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest, usually coming immediately after an extended period of overwork, but the expression seems to fit that later situation, doesn't it? Exhaustion, deep weariness, all used up, nothing more to give, wiped out, burned out -- call it what we will, its symptoms are all too familiar to many of us.
April Yamasaki
In the classic movie, Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews plays a no-nonsense, yet delightful, nanny to two young children. As a nanny to a wealthy family, she is part teacher, part parent, and part disciplinarian. She gets the children up in the morning, puts them to bed at night, supervises their many adventures, and guides them in many ways. While they are in her care, she is responsible for their overall safety and well-being.

Julia Ross Strope
Zoos are no longer in people's good graces.
Religion faces the same problem.
Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.
-- Yann Martel, Life of Pi

Call To Worship
Leader: I'm so glad you're here! There are seats for everyone; there's slight air movement; the windows engender tranquility and imagination and words will stimulate fresh thoughts.

People: It's good to be here, in sanctuary. We're glad for opportunities to gather and to express our gratitude to God and our appreciation for one another.

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL