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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

When one reads the stories... -- Colossians 1:1-14 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2007
When one reads the stories of many of the immigrants who make their way from war-torn
A group of friends kept... -- Colossians 1:1-14 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2007
A group of friends kept in touch by email and with a group chat room. They had been
Something about the picture of... -- Colossians 1:1-14 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2007
Something about the picture of the beauty queen and her court fascinated me. It wasn't
Some things are so basic... -- Luke 10:25-37 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2007
Some things are so basic to human life that, even if you've never put them into words or
As a college student, I... -- Luke 10:25-37 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2007
As a college student, I heard Dr. Tony Campolo speak about caring for those who were
A sermon outline I have... -- Luke 10:25-37 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2007
A sermon outline I have always remembered was given by Dr. Wayne Clymer when he
James Sanders, a very fine... -- Luke 10:25-37 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2007
James Sanders, a very fine Old Testament scholar, has said that if we are to properly
Ron Scott was sitting at... -- Luke 10:25-37 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2007
Ron Scott was sitting at his desk in the First Common Wealth Bank one Friday afternoon,
Suppose a chauffeur drives a... -- Amos 8:1-12 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2007
Suppose a chauffeur drives a sleek limousine through the streets of New York with a
Olga was raised in the... -- Amos 8:1-12 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2007
Olga was raised in the former Soviet Union. Her parents owned a contraband Bible,
For many years, Irvin has... -- Amos 8:1-12 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2007
For many years, Irvin has had a garden in his backyard. His wife will tell you that every
Amos' countrymen faced imminent disaster... -- Amos 8:1-12 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2007
Amos' countrymen faced imminent disaster because of their disobedience. Few of his
Philosophy teachers swap stories about... -- Colossians 1:15-28 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2007
Philosophy teachers swap stories about the sophomore summarizing all of existence in
When I speak about First... -- Colossians 1:15-28 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2007
When I speak about First Church, I usually say, "My church that I serve is First Church."
Winfred Grenfell was a medical... -- Colossians 1:15-28 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2007
Winfred Grenfell was a medical student in London when he responded to the invitation of
We are unsure of exactly... -- Colossians 1:15-28 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2007
We are unsure of exactly what heresies or sub-Christian practices troubled the church at
Someone once asked a great... -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2007
Someone once asked a great man who had risen out of humble beginnings, "What did
Martha did what was expected... -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2007
Martha did what was expected of her, indeed, what most hostesses would have done if an
Betty is an amazing woman... -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2007
Betty is an amazing woman. When people hear all that she does for her church, they have
When discussing the Mary-Martha... -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2007
When discussing the Mary-Martha incident with groups, I like to take polls. "How many
A friend and his wife... -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2007
A friend and his wife are both over fifty years of age. They've been married over thirty
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was... -- Hosea 1:2-10<br> -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C -- 2007
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was punished by being forced to roll a huge rock up a
I have the habit of... -- Hosea 1:2-10 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C -- 2007
I have the habit of blaming God and others when my life becomes a complicated mess of
Hosea was not blessed with... -- Hosea 1:2-10 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C -- 2007
Hosea was not blessed with the message of the love of Christ. He would have rejoiced to
Hosea has been a difficult... -- Hosea 1:2-10 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C -- 2007
Hosea has been a difficult book for many believers. Why would God ask a prophet to

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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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