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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Andre Gide, the French novelist... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1997
Andre Gide, the French novelist, in a short story titled "The Pastoral Symphony," tells of a young g
Robert L. Edwards, in his... -- Mark 10:35-45 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 1997
Robert L.
Jesus' advice to the rich... -- Mark 10:17-31 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 1997
Jesus' advice to the rich young man focused on the disastrous consequences of substituting love of s
If it were possible that... -- Mark 10:2-16 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 1997
If it were possible that you might be granted the fulfillment of a single wish, what would you wish
The remaining royalty in our... -- John 18:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 1997
The remaining royalty in our world are having a difficult time with publicity, power, and prestige.
The media is criticized for... -- Mark 12:38-44 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 1997
The media is criticized for taking people whose accomplishments have dubious merit and making them c
Hasidim stories in the Jewish... -- Mark 13:1-8 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 1997
Hasidim stories in the Jewish tradition often contain insights into human nature.
Jesus' raising of Lazarus illustrates... -- John 11:32-44 -- All Saints Day - B -- 1997
Jesus' raising of Lazarus illustrates that our Lord seemed at his best when responding to crises.
Several years ago in Rumania... -- Mark 5:21-43 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 1997
Several years ago in Rumania, there was a woman who fainted when she opened her front door and found
Gardner Taylor tells a story... -- John 6:56-69 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 1997
Gardner Taylor tells a story about a man who approached him following a Sunday service.
John Meister, in a sermon... -- John 1:1-14 -- 1997
John Meister, in a sermon titled: "When God Speaks," offers this homely illustration: A mother is ex
In Ceylon some years ago... -- 1 Peter 4:12-19 -- 1997
In Ceylon some years ago, a high-caste person believed that God had called him to serve with the out
A man traveling through Norway... -- Luke 2:1-20 -- 1997
A man traveling through Norway visited a certain church.
Pick a person whom you... -- Luke 1:39-45 (46-55) -- 1997
Pick a person whom you know intimately today. Recall how the relationship began.
A pastor and psychologist co... -- Luke 3:1-6 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 1997
A pastor and psychologist co-hosted a radio call-in counseling program.
A shopping service, trying to... -- Luke 3:7-18 -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 1997
A shopping service, trying to make customers Christmas-
Morton Kelsey, who has written... -- Mark 9:38-50 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1997
Morton Kelsey, who has written eloquently on the subject of love, tells how one day he felt a sharp
Anne was a battered child... -- Ephesians 2:4-10 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 1997
Anne was a battered child.
Hearing Paul's words in 1... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-24 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 1997
Hearing Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 1:18-24 reminds me of how Greek I am.
Harriet Tubman, like the Syrophoenician... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1997
Harriet Tubman, like the Syrophoenician woman in this story, was an outcast.
After a while many biblical... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1997
After a while many biblical and theological words become used so much that the sharpness is taken fr
It is a service world... -- Mark 10:35-45 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 1997
It is a service world today!
Jesus speaks of the hundredfold... -- Mark 10:17-31 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 1997
Jesus speaks of the hundredfold reward the faithful disciple will receive in return for forsaking al
A six-year-old girl... -- Mark 10:2-16 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 1997
A six-year-old girl who had become seriously ill needed a blood transfusion.
Had Charles V, ruler of... -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 1997
Had Charles V, ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, heeded Jesus' words about which kingdom to seek, he

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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

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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