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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Little Sarah had become badly... -- James 5:13-20 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1997
Little Sarah had become badly dehydrated in her bout with a severe influenza.
Martin Luther, the great sixteenth... -- James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 1997
Martin Luther, the great sixteenth century reformer, in his book The Bondage of the Will, des
George and Doris were in... -- James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1997
George and Doris were in theatre all their lives; like many theatre people they were characters, tha
In a democratic system an... -- Hebrews 7:23-28 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1997
In a democratic system an elected official must be above any conflict of personal interest.
Henri Nouwen relates a hospital... -- Hebrews 5:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 1997
Henri Nouwen relates a hospital incident in which a chaplain in making his rounds came upon a 48-yea
An athletic coach with full... -- Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 1997
An athletic coach with full responsibility for the team's performance sometimes needs to make some t
In the ancient world, when... -- Hebrews 4:12-16 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 1997
In the ancient world, when an animal was to be sacrificed in worship, the throat would be exposed to
It is all in your... -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 1997
It is all in your attitude. I've heard that one so often that I do not hear it anymore.
Saint John immediately describes Jesus... -- Revelation 1:4b-8 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 1997
Saint John immediately describes Jesus as the one "who is and who was and who is to come" in the ope
After Cleveland Indians' pitcher Dennis... -- Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 1997
After Cleveland Indians' pitcher Dennis Martinez pitched poorly in a game early in the 1996 season,
This Hebrews passage reminds us... -- Hebrews 9:24-28 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 1997
This Hebrews passage reminds us that Christ has offered himself as the ultimate sacrifice.
If you ever thought of... -- Revelation 21:1-6a -- All Saints Day - B -- 1997
If you ever thought of heaven as a place to escape from the busyness of life, look out.
In 1991 members of Atlanta's... -- John 3:1-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 1997
In 1991 members of Atlanta's prestigious Wieuca Road Baptist Church were shocked when their longtime
Dave Thomas, a Columbus, Ohio... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- 1997
Dave Thomas, a Columbus, Ohio, businessman, had a great idea of making old-fashioned hamburgers that
A young boy went to... -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 1997
A young boy went to his first symphony orchestra concert.
In the movie While You... -- John 17:6-19 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - B -- 1997
In the movie While You Were Sleeping, Lucy is a Chicago EL token taker who falls in love with a lawy
Private detectives in fiction are... -- 1 Corinthians 3:16-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 1997
Private detectives in fiction are often hard-drinking, chain-smoking people with unstable diets and
Martin Luther King, Jr., once... -- Mark 4:35-41 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 1997
Martin Luther King, Jr., once told of an elderly African-
I have no idea how... -- Mark 4:26-34 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - B -- 1997
"I have no idea how it works." I have said that phrase more often than I care to admit.
Return with us now to... -- Mark 2:23--3:6 -- 1997
Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesterday, when out of the past come those golden, qu
Carved on the great Russian... -- John 12:20-33 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1997
Carved on the great Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky's tombstone are the following words: "Verily
Many scholars agree that Jesus... -- John 2:13-22 -- 1997
Many scholars agree that Jesus' cleansing of the Jerusalem Temple was the incident which led directl
John Fawcett (1740-1817), born and... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1997
John Fawcett (1740-1817), born and raised in England, was converted under the fiery preaching of Geo
Eric Stone was a painter... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1997
Eric Stone was a painter and writer. He painted covered bridges and old-fashioned tools.
Shortly after the Civil War... -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 1997
Shortly after the Civil War ended two former Union army officers met by chance on a train.

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, wildfires, 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 Sept. 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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