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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

For God's sake! Won't someone... -- John 10:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
"For God's sake! Won't someone help me?" the voice cries. "I'm dying!"
A New Zealander explains what... -- John 10:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
A New Zealander explains what happens to sheep without a shepherd: They will find
When Crystal began attending church... -- John 10:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
When Crystal began attending church people thought she was a wonderful Christian.
Home burglaries happen every day... -- John 10:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
Home burglaries happen every day. And although it is true that if a thief wants in your
The 22-year-old daughter... -- Acts 7:55-60 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
The 22-year-old daughter of Bob and Goldie Bristol was raped and killed. Such things
Nearly every time I play... -- Acts 7:55-60 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
Nearly every time I play racquetball, one of my opponents catches me on the backside
In the checkout line, a... -- Acts 7:55-60 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
In the checkout line, a young girl reaches for a candy bar. Her mother grabs her, and
Lord, do not hold this... -- Acts 7:55-60 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
"Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Stephen dies with this prayer on his lips,
The defeated Napoleon, one of... -- 1 Peter 2:2-10 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
The defeated Napoleon, one of the greatest conquerors the world has ever seen, lived out
In Ireland and the northeastern... -- 1 Peter 2:2-10 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
In Ireland and the northeastern United States, it is common to see traditional fences made
Drew is not what one... -- 1 Peter 2:2-10 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
Drew is not what one would think of a college student. He does not attend wild, late-night
When the new church was... -- 1 Peter 2:2-10 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
When the new church was built upon the ruins of the old church, a cornerstone was set in
In the original Greek, the... -- John 14:1-14 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
In the original Greek, the gospel of John doesn't use the nouns "faith" or "belief," only the
Do not let your hearts... -- John 14:1-14 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
"Do not let your hearts be troubled." According to John's gospel, Jesus said this in the
What do you suppose Paul... -- Acts 17:22-31 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
What do you suppose Paul would say if he showed up not on the Areopagus in ancient
Kathleen Norris, author of Dakota... -- Acts 17:22-31 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
Kathleen Norris, author of Dakota and Cloister Walk, said: "I no longer
Fifteen churches on the district... -- Acts 17:22-31 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
Fifteen churches on the district participated in a first-ever ministry fair. The event was
What is this? the teacher... -- Acts 17:22-31 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
"What is this?" the teacher asked, holding up an old leather horse collar. Her city students
Thomas Aquinas said, The most... -- 1 Peter 3:13-22 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
Thomas Aquinas said, "The most hopeful people in the world are the young and the
Even if you suffer for... -- 1 Peter 3:13-22 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
"Even if you suffer for doing right you are blessed." Recently, I spent an hour with a
If you love me, you... -- John 14:15-21 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments," says Jesus. The Austrian
In the days after 9/11... -- John 14:15-21 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
In the days after 9/11, there were several incidents where planes flying in a suspicious
It had been a long... -- John 14:15-21 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
It had been a long couple of days for LuAnn. She had spent the better part of three days at
Many people might think that... -- John 14:15-21 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
Many people might think that the role of the school's guidance counselor is simply to
New Illustrations for February 24, 2008 -- John 4:5-42, Romans 5:1-11, Exodus 17:1-7 -- Third Sunday in Lent - A -- 2008
Exodus 17:1-7

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Proper 23 | OT 28 | Pentecost 21
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22 – Worship Resources
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2 – Pastor's Devotions
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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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