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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

On Sunday afternoons the state... -- 1 John 3:1-7 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
On Sunday afternoons the state children's home dressed the children in their nicest clothes and para
You are witnesses of these... -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
"You are witnesses of these things." What does this mean?
Roberta needed a change of... -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Roberta needed a change of scenery. Her husband died following a brief illness.
One of the most dramatic... -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
One of the most dramatic scenes the pastor ever witnessed was the day a mother was reunited with her
It sounds like one of... -- Acts 4:5-12 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
It sounds like one of those courtroom dramas: The lawyer stands up and, instead of directly answerin
In Port Angeles, Washington, my... -- Acts 4:5-12 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
In Port Angeles, Washington, my wife and I waited to board a passenger ferry to Victoria, British Co
In ancient culture, the cornerstone... -- Acts 4:5-12 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
In ancient culture, the cornerstone was the first stone to be laid down at the corner of a building.
There is an old Japanese... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
There is an old Japanese legend of a man who died and went to heaven.
A Midwestern church has successfully... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
A Midwestern church has successfully partnered with an African-American congregation in their city.
We passed him every single... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
We passed him every single day.
Among sea lions, mother sea... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Among sea lions, mother sea lions leave their babies -- called "pups" -- to go hunting.
My wife and I love... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
My wife and I love to watch sheep dog trials.
Today is Good Shepherd Sunday... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Today is Good Shepherd Sunday, and our focus is on shepherds and sheep, especially the one we know a
Blood is thicker than water... -- Acts 8:26-40 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
"Blood is thicker than water." That's what they say.
Ted and Penny looked forward... -- Acts 8:26-40 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Ted and Penny looked forward to their first short-term mission trip to Haiti.
The Ethiopian eunuch was struggling... -- Acts 8:26-40 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
The Ethiopian eunuch was struggling to understand the difficult passage from Isaiah.
James Leigh Hunt's poem Abou... -- 1 John 4:7-21 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
James Leigh Hunt's poem Abou ben-Adhem tells the story of a Muslim man who has a visit from a
The centrality of love in... -- 1 John 4:7-21 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
The centrality of love in the Christian message matches the proven need for love in human life.
Julian of Norwich believed that... -- 1 John 4:7-21 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Julian of Norwich believed that "love" was the only word that could be used to describe God.
Pruning a tree isn't easy... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Pruning a tree isn't easy. It's an acquired skill.
One Saturday Mike set out... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
One Saturday Mike set out to remove some vines that were growing too close to the house.
Pruning trees has several important... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Pruning trees has several important benefits. First is safety.
In the football movie, Remember... -- Acts 10:44-48 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
In the football movie, Remember the Titans, racial tension fuels a whole lot of controversy i
Val was coach of the... -- Acts 10:44-48 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Val was coach of the high school girls soccer team.
Let's remember together the events... -- Acts 10:44-48 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Let's remember together the events of the Day of Pentecost, which was a Jewish holy day and harvest

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John Jamison
Object: A football, a hand-held microphone, a camera, a stack of play money bills. These are the objects I used, but you can use any objects that might symbolize “success”.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great!

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
For October 20, 2024:

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. (v. 4)

The outhouse on the farm where I grew up was beside the ash pile, at the end of a well-worn path, under a boxelder tree about fifty yards from the back door of the house. It was a two-seater – cold in winter, smelly and hot in summer. There was always a Sears and Roebuck catalogue on the floor in the corner, which served as both reading and wiping material.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Bill Thomas
Mark Ellingsen
Bonnie Bates
Frank Ramirez
Job 38:1-7 (34-41)
Most people assume God’s answer to Job, showing him the depth and breadth of the universe is meant to cow Job’s resistance, leading him, now broken, to repent, abjectly saying “...therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes (42:6).”
Mark Ellingsen
All the lessons testify to the theme that it’s not at all about you and me; it’s all about God!

Job 38:1-7 (34-41)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus said, "What is it you want me to do for you?" In our worship, let us explore what we want Jesus to do for us today.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, we are sometimes selfish in our requests to you.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, we are sometimes unreasonable in our requests to you.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, help us to make you the centre of our world.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

David E. Leininger
The story of Job is familiar to all of us -- a man whose world was spinning merrily along with everything falling into place is suddenly confronted with one misery after another ... disaster, death, disease, and despair. In some of the most moving poetry ever written, chapter after chapter attempts to deal with the age-old question of why, so often, life is unfair.

Schuyler Rhodes
The voice of praise rings beautifully through this psalm as each verse gives poetic color to the glories of creation and its maker. It is something to be read and re-read as we contemplate the wonders of God.
Steven Molin
There is a candy shop in the city of Keystone, South Dakota, just a few hundred yards down the mountain from that infamous Mount Rushmore monument. I can't tell you the name of that candy store, but I can certainly recall the sign on the counter that stands at just about eyeball-level for the average seven-year-old. The sign says this: "If Mom says, 'No,' ask Grandma!"

Harold C. Warlick, Jr.
An elementary principle in the business world is the law of supply and demand. When supplies outrace the demand for a product, prices are low. We call that a "buyer's market." On the other hand, when there are more buyers demanding a product than there are supplies of the product, prices are high. We call that situation a "seller's market."

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