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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

The Old Testament called God... -- Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 2008
The Old Testament called God a rock, knowing God wasn't granite; a
But to what will I... -- Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 2008
"But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces
Growing up in his father's... -- Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 2008
Growing up in his father's carpenter shop, Jesus knew how important it was to have
How can there possibly exist... -- Genesis 25:19-34 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
How can there possibly exist such things as a covenant, and "God's chosen people," when
That was a costly bowl... -- Genesis 25:19-34 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
That was a costly bowl of stew that Esau purchased from his brother, Jacob, when he
It was a family reunion... -- Genesis 25:19-34 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
It was a family reunion of sorts, at the local nursing home where Barbara is a resident.
In an article for The... -- Genesis 25:19-34 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
In an article for The Journal for Youth and Adolescence (vol. 36, 2007, pp. 661-
A suicide in London became... -- Romans 8:1-11 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
A suicide in London became famous. The man was John Ellis, who for a quarter century
Though few people give much... -- Romans 8:1-11 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
Though few people give much daily thought to it, the judgment will be a fearsome
In Romans 8, the word... -- Romans 8:1-11 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
In Romans 8, the word "spirit" is used twenty times. It speaks of power. The Hebrew
In chapter 18 of Huckleberry... -- Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
In chapter 18 of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain provides an example of some
We all know the parable... -- Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
We all know the parable of the seeds that fell on the various types of soil -- and we, of
Anthony Flew was born in... -- Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
Anthony Flew was born in England, the son of a Methodist preacher. He was raised in a
On Greg's farm, his land... -- Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
On Greg's farm, his land varies greatly from one field to another, and even within a given
A benefit of having a... -- Genesis 28:10-19a -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
A benefit of having a few decades of experience is to begin seeing patterns. On the
On his way to Haran... -- Genesis 28:10-19a -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
On his way to Haran, his relative's homeland, Jacob had a spectacular dream one night. In
All of us who are... -- Genesis 28:10-19a -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
All of us who are married have occasionally been asked, Where did you meet your wife?
In a certain village, the... -- Romans 8:12-25 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
In a certain village, the school bell rang at 8:30 a.m. to call the children to class. The boys
If we're alive in this... -- Romans 8:12-25 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
If we're alive in this world, we know that at times we're going to have to go through some
Ron was blessed to have... -- Romans 8:12-25 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
Ron was blessed to have two children. His oldest son, David, just turned six. His
Creation groans. According to the... -- Romans 8:12-25 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
Creation groans. According to the World Wildlife Federation's (WWF) 2002 "The Living
The best definition of self... -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
The best definition of self-righteous I can offer is "a fat person who just lost twenty
Most people grasp the meaning... -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
Most people grasp the meaning of Jesus' parable of the sower. Jesus clarified it well. He
Many people carry with them... -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
Many people carry with them a mustard seed as we know them, a small light-colored
At a gloomy time in... -- Genesis 29:15-28 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2008
At a gloomy time in his life, when he was near bankruptcy after a vain attempt at

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Proper 23 | OT 28 | Pentecost 21
30 – Sermons
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29 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
2 – Pastor's Devotions
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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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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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