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

When the Spirit inhabits our... -- John 14:15-21 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
When the Spirit inhabits our hearts, our lives change. William Penn had such an experience.
Kathleen is a miracle in... -- 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
Kathleen is a miracle in progress. At the age of 10 she developed juvenile diabetes.
Lying there in the cell... -- 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
Lying there in the cell it seemed like he would never be free again.
Some frogs were hopping through... -- 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
Some frogs were hopping through the woods. Suddenly, two of them fell into a large hole.
On the cross, Jesus encountered... -- 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
On the cross, Jesus encountered both terrible physical pain and extreme emotional pain.
There was once a boy... -- John 17:1-11 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
There was once a boy who made a boat. Just a small boat, he could hold it in his hands.
If we're going to link... -- John 17:1-11 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
If we're going to link up with a deity, let it be a dependable one.
Jesus prays for his followers... -- John 17:1-11 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
Jesus prays for his followers, that they "may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you
On the outside they looked... -- John 17:1-11 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
On the outside they looked like identical twins.
One of the best ways... -- 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2002
One of the best ways to illustrate how the gifts of the Spirit make up one body is to refer to a jig
Eric had always been a... -- 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2002
Eric had always been a bit different. For some reason he seemed out of step with most folks.
A photographer was sent to... -- 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2002
A photographer was sent to cover the fires at Yellowstone National Park.
When outsiders look at United... -- 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2002
When outsiders look at United States military academies, they see practices that seem peculiar.
In my part of the... -- John 7:37-39 -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2002
In my part of the country, we don't think much about the rainfall.
To thirst for God means... -- John 7:37-39 -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2002
To thirst for God means to open our hearts to the flow of living waters that spill over into the liv
What a precious commodity is... -- John 7:37-39 -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2002
What a precious commodity is water!
In Jesus Christ, we are... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2002
In Jesus Christ, we are dead to sin and alive to God. We can move beyond living in dishonesty.
Mike and Jerold, high school... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2002
Mike and Jerold, high school seniors, went out to a movie on a Friday night.
The prodigal shook the rotten... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2002
The prodigal shook the rotten apple peels and broken egg shells from his robe and said, "I have sinn
The authors of the old... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2002
The authors of the "old hymns" took at face value the declarations of the Apostle Paul to the Romans
It could easily be argued... -- Matthew 10:24-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2002
It could easily be argued that Beirut is the most dangerous city in the world.
I was giving our daughter... -- Matthew 10:24-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2002
I was giving our daughter and her best friend a ride to the movies.
Brad was a naturally shy... -- Matthew 10:24-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2002
Brad was a naturally shy guy, but he also had a passion for reaching out with the gospel.
The Sound of Music by... -- Matthew 10:24-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2002
The Sound of Music by Rodgers and Hammerstein is based on the true story of Captain Georg Von Trapp
The wages of sin is... -- Romans 6:12-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2002
The wages of sin is death.

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 28 | OT 33 | Pentecost 23
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Christ the King Sunday
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Thanksgiving
34 – Sermons
80+ – Illustrations / Stories
24 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
24 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Christopher Keating
Dean Feldmeyer
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
Nazish Naseem
For November 16, 2025:

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.

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL