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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Crystal wheeled herself over to... -- Hebrews 2:10-18 -- 1998
Crystal wheeled herself over to Billy's room.
Chad wandered around in amazement... -- Romans 1:1-7 -- 1998
Chad wandered around in amazement. Amazement that no one was killed or hurt.
Ben stood at the window... -- James 5:7-10 -- 1998
Ben stood at the window and watched as the soft rain gently wet the earth.
Janet thought back to her... -- Romans 15:4-13 -- 1998
Janet thought back to her childhood and the love that surrounded her from her mother and grandparent
Jesus himself is our Truth... -- John 8:31-36 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1997
Jesus himself is our Truth.
A Wall Street Journal... -- John 8:31-36 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1997
A Wall Street Journal cartoon has an eager salesman standing by a computer, saying to an over
Get out of town before... -- Matthew 2:13-18 -- 1997
"Get out of town before it's too late!" The pastor and his wife had been verbally attacked, accused
Charles Lamb was a noted... -- Matthew 9:9-13 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 1997
Charles Lamb was a noted nineteenth century English essayist, poet, and literary critic.
Men of Science Never Talk... -- John 8:31-36 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1997
"Men of Science Never Talk That Way" screamed the editorial headlines in the New York Times i
Edwin Long in his painting... -- Matthew 2:13-18 -- 1997
Edwin Long in his painting titled Anno Domini pictures the arrival of the Holy Family in the
Free! That is what we... -- John 8:31-36 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1997
Free!
The happy spontaneity of the... -- Matthew 9:9-13 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 1997
The happy spontaneity of the child may eventually become the sour misery of the adult.
How can one give an... -- John 3:13-17 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 1997
How can one give an illustration of the best illustration ever given?
Christian professor and psychologist John... -- Matthew 9:9-13 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 1997
Christian professor and psychologist John Powell uses two analogies to help us see the difference be
Max Beckmann, German painter, created... -- Mark 10:46-52 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1997
Max Beckmann, German painter, created a fascinating picture of life that has no vision of a center o
Sometimes you have to wonder... -- Matthew 2:13-18 -- 1997
Sometimes you have to wonder what this world is coming to.
We are not Jesus. Thank... -- Matthew 9:9-13 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 1997
We are not Jesus. Thank God. Nor are we called to do his work, but rather to follow in his way.
One symbol of healing is... -- John 3:13-17 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 1997
One symbol of healing is a serpent entwined around a staff.
When your dog looks at... -- Mark 10:46-52 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1997
When your dog looks at the door, with tail wagging, it is clear that it is expecting someone to take
From the very beginning, Jesus... -- Luke 2:41-52 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - C -- 1997
From the very beginning, Jesus was teaching us to call God "Father." God wants us to call him "Dad.
One day a little girl... -- John 3:13-17 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 1997
One day a little girl came home from Sunday School. Her mother asked her what she had learned.
Woody Allen, actor, movie director... -- Mark 9:30-37 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 1997
Woody Allen, actor, movie director, and producer, is reported to have said, "I don't want to achieve
In the 1600s there was... -- Mark 10:46-52 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1997
In the 1600s there was a philosopher by the name of Blaise Pascal.
The signature of Jesus' eternal... -- John 18:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 1997
The signature of Jesus' eternal kingdom is that which was nailed over his cross: INRI (four Latin l
The poor widow accepted poverty... -- Mark 12:38-44 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 1997
The poor widow accepted poverty in order to celebrate her love for God and to show where her heart w

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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.

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