Login / Signup

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Hold down Ctrl (Windows) / Command (Mac) for multiple selections (scroll list to see all options)

Commentary

Communicating God's Love

Guest column

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Once a young man received... -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2009
Once a young man received a Bible from his grandmother.
There is a story that... -- Mark 6:14-29 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2009
There is a story that comes from an American visitor who went to Uganda.
Where’s Greg?” Anne asked the... -- Mark 6:14-29 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2009
“Where’s Greg?” Anne asked the pastor minutes before worship, “I haven’t seen him in church for seve
Every time Jose Lima purchased... -- Mark 6:14-29 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2009
Every time Jose Lima purchased a 6/49 lotto ticket (a Canadian lotto), he said, “If I win 6/49, big
We kidded our pastor friend... -- 2 Samuel 7:1-14a -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
We kidded our pastor friend, Elwin, when his son received his doctorate in theology.
There is something about a... -- 2 Samuel 7:1-14a -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
There is something about a house, and it runs deeper than the stitches on a “Home Sweet Home” sample
When God promises to bless... -- 2 Samuel 7:1-14a -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
When God promises to bless the house of David, his immediate response is to go sit in God’s presence
There’s a story about a... -- Ephesians 2:11-22 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
There’s a story about a Jesuit missionary who brought the Christian faith to a certain tribe of the
Clarence Day wrote the delightful... -- Ephesians 2:11-22 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
Clarence Day wrote the delightful book, Life with Father.
Clergy see it all too... -- Ephesians 2:11-22 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
Clergy see it all too often — families on one side of a marriage refusing to accept the choice their
One day Nicole was paging... -- Ephesians 2:11-22 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
One day Nicole was paging through a photo album of vacation pictures.
On one of his first... -- Ephesians 2:11-22 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
On one of his first hospital visits in his first parish, Paul visited an old trapper named Jack.
Jan Baalsrud fled Norway when... -- Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
Jan Baalsrud fled Norway when Germany invaded in 1940.
One night in the highlands... -- Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
One night in the highlands of Scotland, a certain home was blessed by the presence of two visitors.
Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000... -- Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000 was regarded as so important that it is recorded in all four gospels.
Some people can’t stay away... -- Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
Some people can’t stay away.
What images do you have... -- Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2009
What images do you have of a shepherd and a flock?
One thing tennis coaches and... -- 2 Samuel 11:1-15 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2009
One thing tennis coaches and golf pros teach novice students is how important follow-through is to e
Fireproof is a movie with... -- 2 Samuel 11:1-15 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2009
Fireproof is a movie with a strong agenda: Stay married, lead an honest life, and let your faith in
This is a most unusual... -- 2 Samuel 11:1-15 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2009
This is a most unusual case.
When perusing a bookstore’s novels... -- Ephesians 3:14-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2009
When perusing a bookstore’s novels, one of my critical “inspection points” is the first word on page
There’s a Br’er Rabbit story... -- Ephesians 3:14-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2009
There’s a Br’er Rabbit story in which all the animals get together and decide to build a house.
The new Christians in Ephesus... -- Ephesians 3:14-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2009
The new Christians in Ephesus are urged to lead lives of patient love, using their various gifts in
Back in the days of... -- John 6:1-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2009
Back in the days of Colonial New England, it was the custom for churches to charge families for rent
In a year with economic... -- John 6:1-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2009
In a year with economic uncertainty the church faced the tough decision to cut the budget.

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Signup for FREE!
(No credit card needed.)
Proper 23 | OT 28 | Pentecost 21
30 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
29 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
2 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 24 | OT 29 | Pentecost 22
31 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
2 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 25 | OT 30 | Pentecost 23
32 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
21 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
2 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Signup for FREE!
(No credit card needed.)

New & Featured This Week

CSSPlus

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."

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL