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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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
Saint Paul wrote about modeling... -- Philippians 3:17--4:1 -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Saint Paul wrote about "modeling" the faith. A billboard at a church that I saw one day
When Russell Conwell left Yale... -- Philippians 3:17--4:1 -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
When Russell Conwell left Yale to fight in the Civil War, a youthful admirer, Johnny
Paul wrote to a very... -- Philippians 3:17--4:1 -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Paul wrote to a very troubled congregation. No earth-shaking problems but just little
My first prayer was about... -- Luke 13:31-35 -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
My first prayer was about Jerusalem. The first lullaby my mother used to sing me was
Jesus likened himself to a... -- Luke 13:31-35 -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Jesus likened himself to a broody hen when he said he longed to gather Jerusalem under
Several people from church began... -- Luke 13:31-35 -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Several people from church began serving meals to people in the community. They
My friend spoke of the... -- Luke 13:31-35 -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
My friend spoke of the many young women he'd observed over the years who came to

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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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:

CSSPlus

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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