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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Justine dreads going to the... -- Hebrews 2:10-18 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A -- 2007
Justine dreads going to the store where she works at the mall the days following Christmas.
In Christianity's early days, the... -- Hebrews 2:10-18 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A -- 2007
In Christianity's early days, the slaughter of the babies (regarded as the first Christian martyrs)
Dick and Millie were listening... -- Genesis 12:1-4a -- Second Sunday in Lent - A -- 2007
Dick and Millie were listening to the sermon one Sunday morning when they felt God speaking directly
The writer of the Song... -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
The writer of the Song of Solomon had a strong case of spring fever. As she dreams of
Sherry developed alopecia when she... -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
Sherry developed alopecia when she was a young teenager and lost all her hair. An active
Spring is sprung, the grass... -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
"Spring is sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder where the birdies is," goes a couplet most of
Lynn was a beautiful high... -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
Lynn was a beautiful high school freshman. She caught the eyes of all the boys in the
Walking one's walk is a... -- James 1:17-27 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
Walking one's walk is a theme that we find in this text and throughout general and
Nick is the sort of... -- James 1:17-27 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
Nick is the sort of person who thinks he knows what everyone likes or wants. He treats
When nineteenth-century missionaries began... -- James 1:17-27 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
When nineteenth-century missionaries began to penetrate into the interior of China, they
Jesus, it appears, was ahead... -- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
Jesus, it appears, was ahead of his time. It is from within that the evil lurks was his
The pastor of a fair... -- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
The pastor of a fair-sized suburban church walked out in the middle of the evangelism
Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary defines... -- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary defines "scrupulous" as "having moral
Jed would raise a few... -- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
Jed would raise a few eyebrows when he came into church with his dark blue work
Whoever sows injustice will reap... -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2006
"Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity," says the book of Proverbs. Yet we can all
In a couple of the... -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2006
In a couple of the transitional episodes of changing characters in the television series
Ralph shared with his Sunday... -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2006
Ralph shared with his Sunday school class how his sister and her husband lived and
The man on the street... -- James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2006
The man on the street asking for money was easy to ignore. He was not attractive. He
In today's world, following James... -- James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2006
In today's world, following James' advice of accepting all others can be risky. Certainly,
Suppose you learned that actress... -- James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2006
Suppose you learned that actress Julia Roberts was coming to your worship service next
Courtney worked hard in math... -- James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2006
Courtney worked hard in math while in high school. Every good grade she got, she
And then there was what... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2006
And then there was what I remember as one of the worst nights in my life. It was 3 a.m.,
This text points to a... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2006
This text points to a recurring theme in Mark's Gospel that the "outsiders" (the
Prior to the release of... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2006
Prior to the release of the movie, The Da Vinci Code, author Dan Brown was
Most students, at one time... -- Proverbs 1:20-33 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2006
Most students, at one time or another, are given a "test" in which the instructions are

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
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 24 | OT 29 | Pentecost 19
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 25 | OT 30 | Pentecost 20
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

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Coffin
Another natural disaster has flattened a number of coastal communities. Despite the weather and major television station warnings, and government disaster preparations, the dystopian destruction nightmare of Luke 21 has decimated another community. Also, it is reasonable to believe that this is not the last year for hurricanes, Tsunami’s, wild fires, mudslides and tornados. They will occur again. However as weary citizens are interviewed in one group of people with the background of homes in rubble and streets still draining flood waters, they will not leave. This is their home.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Isaiah 65:17-25 and Isaiah 12

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
“The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD. (v. 25)

A week after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, country singer Toby Keith — who died Feb. 5, 2024 — wrote a patriotic ballad titled “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.” It was filled with populist fighting rhetoric that matched the mood of a nation shaken by the shocking death and destruction of that day.

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A blood pressure monitor. It is actually called a sphygmomanometer, and is pronounced “sfig·mow·muh·naa’·muh·tr”.

* * *

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Prayers usually include these concerns and may follow this sequence:

The Church of Christ

Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

The local community

Those who suffer

The communion of saints


These responses may be used:


Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

SermonStudio

Stephen P. McCutchan
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
-- Isaiah 12:3

John W. Clarke
No reading of Luke is complete without coming to realize that Luke is concerned that the world understands that Jesus is the hope of the world and that any teaching that leads away from that fact is a false teaching. No matter what, no matter when, Jesus will be there to give us life.

Scott Suskovic
Whoever does not work should not eat!
-- 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (NLT)

Wow! Kind of takes your breath away, doesn't it? Not a lot of ambiguity in that rule. "You don't work, you don't eat." For a religion based on grace, it seems a bit unyielding.

Mark Ellingson
Freedom is such a lovely word, a compelling image. What is freedom? How would you define it? What does it mean to you? Webster's New World Dictionary defines freedom as being exempt from control or from arbitrary restrictions. Freedom is said to be the ability to choose or determine one's own actions.

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