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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Alma was a daughter of... -- John 6:1-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2009
Alma was a daughter of the Great Depression.
Most Sunday school children know... -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2009
Most Sunday school children know of David and Goliath. Fewer know of David’s adultery.
It’s often easier to fight... -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2009
It’s often easier to fight for principles than to live up to them.
A woman appeared in court... -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2009
A woman appeared in court for a moving traffic violation.
There’s an old story about... -- Ephesians 4:1-16 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2009
There’s an old story about a man who walked into a church that was under construction.
Ann remembers feeling uncomfortable one... -- Ephesians 4:1-16 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2009
Ann remembers feeling uncomfortable one Sunday when the pastor preached on the importance of loving
When Jill made the women’s... -- Ephesians 4:1-16 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2009
When Jill made the women’s wrestling team at college, she and her teammates were given a handbook on
Fifty years ago I read... -- John 6:24-35 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2009
Fifty years ago I read a story titled, “Clothes Make the Man.” One thief dressed up as a policeman t
Few things, if any, in... -- John 6:24-35 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2009
Few things, if any, in life are free. We apply the barter system to everything.
If you can handle a... -- John 6:24-35 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2009
If you can handle a crowd of excited people in the desert, armed with only a dozen dedicated followe
Grief remains one of the... -- 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 2009
Grief remains one of the few things that has the power to silence us.
When the telephone rang just... -- 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 2009
When the telephone rang just after three o’clock in the morning Carl knew it was bad news.
Brad was no good, or... -- 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 2009
Brad was no good, or so thought most of the townsfolk.
A man who was going... -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 2009
A man who was going blind arranged the area outside his house so that he could get anywhere he wante
There is an Indian tale... -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 2009
There is an Indian tale about a band of thieves.
An English schoolmaster was a... -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 2009
An English schoolmaster was a strict disciplinarian.
It was a familiar site... -- John 6:35, 41-51 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 2009
It was a familiar site in every village through which Jesus and his disciples walked: The conical cl
Myrtle is the oldest member... -- John 6:35, 41-51 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 2009
Myrtle is the oldest member of the church who now resides in a nursing home.
From the mouth of babes... -- John 6:35, 41-51 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 2009
From the mouth of babes: Little Kimmy, aged five, was trying to deal with the death of her grandfath
Greg Mortenson’s group of mountain... -- 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 2009
Greg Mortenson’s group of mountain climbers failed ascending K2.
A little learning is a... -- 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 2009
A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: There shallow d
How often does God appear... -- 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 2009
How often does God appear in a dream and ask us what wish we would prefer to have granted?
In a 2000 commencement address... -- Ephesians 5:15-20 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 2009
In a 2000 commencement address at Villanova University, newspaper columnist Anna Quindlen had some w
Even though Roberto is in... -- Ephesians 5:15-20 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 2009
Even though Roberto is in his early teens he attends worship every Sunday.
Dalton is an amazing man... -- Ephesians 5:15-20 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 2009
Dalton is an amazing man.

Political Pulpit

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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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
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21 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
2 – Pastor's Devotions
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Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
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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."

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