Login / Signup

Emphasis Preaching Journal

×

Warning message

You are not logged in.
Please log in to view this content.
If you are having problems logging in or think this is an error, please contact us online or call 1-800-537-1030.

Not a subscriber?
Get a FREE 30-Day Subscription
(No credit card necessary)
Get Full Access Now!

This is a most unusual...

Illustration
Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B
2 Samuel 11:1-15
Object: 
This is a most unusual case. Not the shotgun wedding aspect of the story, where David weds the pregnant Bathsheba. No, it is the other aspect of the story that is so unusual. Tragically, the newscasts of today are full of stories of women being raped then murdered by the perpetrator. That seems to be a common modus operandi. But David doesn’t murder Bathsheba to cover his crime. Rather, he has her husband, Uriah, killed. That took care of the rape charge. All that was left to do was marry Bathsheba, which he did. Is it any wonder that the Lord was displeased?
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Signup for FREE!
(No credit card needed.)
Ascension of the Lord
20 – Sermons
80+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
18 – Worship Resources
16 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 7
27 – Sermons
130+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
23 – Worship Resources
24 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Pentecost
27 – Sermons
100+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
23 – Worship Resources
24 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Trinity Sunday
25 – Sermons
100+ – Illustrations / Stories
35 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Signup for FREE!
(No credit card needed.)

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Seventh Sunday of Easter - A
Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
Bethany Peerbolte
Ron Love
Mary Austin
George Reed
Dean Feldmeyer
For May 24, 2020:
  • Should I Stay or Should I Go? by Chris Keating — America is opening its doors, but many are not sure it’s time to move forward. We are bit like the apostles as they watch Jesus ascend, wondering, “Should I stay or should I go?”

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Seventh Sunday of Easter - A
Mark Ellingsen
Ron Love
Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
M Adryael Tong
Acts 1:6-14
Ascension of the Lord - A
Mark Ellingsen
Ron Love
M Adryael Tong
Bill Thomas
Bonnie Bates
Frank Ramirez
Acts 1:1-11
Ascension of the Lord - A
Wayne Brouwer
There is something wonderfully paradoxical about the Christian church. Its origin as a unique social phenomenon clearly dates from the Pentecost events described in Acts 2. Yet, at the same time, Jesus’ disciples, who were at the center of the church from its very beginning, would say that this “new” community of faith was simply part of a centuries-old already existing people of God, stretching back all the way to Abraham and his family. The connection between the old and the new is rooted in several theological axioms.

StoryShare

Seventh Sunday of Easter - A
David O. Bales
Contents
“The Times or Periods” by David O. Bales
“Mark Twain’s The War Prayer” by David O. Bales


The Times or Periods
by David O. Bales
Acts 1:6-14

Ascension of the Lord - A
Keith Hewitt
Peter Andrew Smith
Contents
“Left Behind” by Keith Hewitt
“Faith In the Spirit” by Peter Andrew Smith


Left Behind
by Keith Hewitt
Acts 1:1-11

It was the damnedest thing…

SermonStudio

Ascension of the Lord - B
John Jamison
It was an amazing moment. Everything that had happened before now seemed to lead up to this. All of those things — the stories and teachings, the miracles, the cross and the empty tomb, all of those things seemed to come together to create this one moment in time.
Seventh Sunday of Easter - A
Robert J. Elder
Do you know what Ascension Day is? In many Christian traditions, that day is a festival as important as Good Friday or Thanksgiving. It is a day which comes exactly forty days after Easter. It is the commemoration of Jesus' assumption into heaven which was the subject of our reading from Acts today. It marks the conclusion of his resurrection appearances and the opening of the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the work of the church.

The Village Shepherd

Seventh Sunday of Easter - A
Janice B. Scott
It's always interesting to ask children whether they have any idea of what they will do with their lives. Some are very sure and answer immediately, saying that they will become a nurse or a doctor or a teacher or whatever they have set their heart on. Others have absolutely no idea. And yet others seek fame and fortune by aspiring to become a pop star or a football star or an actor.

CSSPlus

Ascension of the Lord - A
Good morning, boys and girls. Why do you think I brought a kite with me this morning? (Let them answer.) I brought it because it will help me tell you about one of the most wonderful stories in the New Testament. It is today's lesson. As I tell you the story see if you can think why I brought my kite along. Have any of you flown a kite this year? (Let them answer.)
Seventh Sunday of Easter - A
Good morning! My father once had an old pickup truck that was a very light blue in color. It was an old work truck that was not too well taken care of. I remember taking some car polish and putting some on the finish of that pickup. I was amazed! The finish became bright and pretty -- not dull, faded and ugly like it had been. (Use a similar story from your life.)

The polish used on cars makes them pretty. It keeps the colors bright and actually makes the paint last much longer. It helps protect the metal under the paint from water and rust and will

Special Occasion