Emphasis Contributors
Illustration Writers
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
Mark Ellingsen
First Sunday of Advent - A
William H. Shepherd
Christianity is, among other things, an intellectual quest. The curriculum to know God truly. The lesson plans interact creatively with other aspects of faith: worship is vain if not grounded in truth, while service is misguided if based on faulty premises. While faith certainly cannot be reduced to knowledge, it cannot be divorced from it, either.
The intrinsic intellectual character of faith creates certain problems. There is, for one thing, the danger that faith may be reduced to mere knowledge, and theology become ideology. As James notes, such faith, condensed to content and devoid of faithful action, is shared even with demons, who know that God is to be feared (James 2:19).
The intrinsic intellectual character of faith creates certain problems. There is, for one thing, the danger that faith may be reduced to mere knowledge, and theology become ideology. As James notes, such faith, condensed to content and devoid of faithful action, is shared even with demons, who know that God is to be feared (James 2:19).
Thanksgiving Day - C
Wayne Brouwer
A schoolteacher asked her students to make a list of the things for which they were thankful. Right at the top of Chad’s list was the word “glasses.” Some children resent having to wear glasses, but evidently not Chad! She asked him about it. Why was he thankful that he wore glasses?
“Well,” he said, “my glasses keep the boys from hitting me and the girls from kissing me.”
The philosopher Eric Hoffer says, “The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings!” That’s true, isn’t it?
There’s an old legend about the angels of heaven coming to earth to gather prayers into large baskets. Thousands return with their baskets overflowing with every request, from a child’s prayer: “Bless Mommy and Daddy and Sister and Brother and my...
“Well,” he said, “my glasses keep the boys from hitting me and the girls from kissing me.”
The philosopher Eric Hoffer says, “The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings!” That’s true, isn’t it?
There’s an old legend about the angels of heaven coming to earth to gather prayers into large baskets. Thousands return with their baskets overflowing with every request, from a child’s prayer: “Bless Mommy and Daddy and Sister and Brother and my...
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
According to Martin Luther our thanksgiving is brought about only by justification by grace:
But bringing of tithes denotes that we are wholly given to the service of the neighbor through love… This, however, does not happen unless, being first justified by faith. (Luther’s Works, Vol.9, p.255)
The Reformer also wants us to be happy, what with all the generous gifts we have been given. He wrote:
God wants us to be cheerful, and He hates sadness. For had He wanted us to be sad, He would not have given us the sun, the moon, and the various fruits of the earth. All these He gave for our good cheer. (What Luther Says, p.689)
Regarding such gratitude John Calvin...
According to Martin Luther our thanksgiving is brought about only by justification by grace:
But bringing of tithes denotes that we are wholly given to the service of the neighbor through love… This, however, does not happen unless, being first justified by faith. (Luther’s Works, Vol.9, p.255)
The Reformer also wants us to be happy, what with all the generous gifts we have been given. He wrote:
God wants us to be cheerful, and He hates sadness. For had He wanted us to be sad, He would not have given us the sun, the moon, and the various fruits of the earth. All these He gave for our good cheer. (What Luther Says, p.689)
Regarding such gratitude John Calvin...
Lectionary Commentary and Sermon Illustrations
Emphasis Preaching Journal provides in-depth lectionary-based commentary on lectionary texts, plus thousands of sermon illustrations to help you create riveting sermons.For over 45 years, Emphasis has provided subscribers with scripturally sound, lectionary-based commentaries and sermon illustrations that connect with the people in the pews.
For each week, Emphasis writers delve into the heart of the lectionary readings, providing you with several fresh, solid ideas -- based squarely on the lectionary texts -- for creating sermons that speak powerfully to your audience. They look for overall themes that hold the readings together. Then, they zero in on the themes and the specific scripture links, suggesting directions for the sermon and worship service. Since a single idea each week may not provide what you are looking for at that particular time, writers suggest several, giving you the opportunity to select the one that matches your specific needs.
