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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

It's hard not to smile... -- 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20) -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
It's hard not to smile if you're reading an Amelia Bedelia book to your favorite youngster.
As the sun sets each... -- 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20) -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
As the sun sets each evening, our vision is lessened.
In Thomas Cranmer's marriage ceremony... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
In Thomas Cranmer's marriage ceremony from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, after the vows wer
A study at a Midwestern... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
A study at a Midwestern school showed that 80% of the women who had intercourse hoped to marry their
Teen facts. Since the popular... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
Teen facts.
Are we being desensitized by... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
Are we being desensitized by the present evil world?
Carol grew up attending church... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
Carol grew up attending church but stopped once she started college.
Dale needed a bigger working... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
Dale needed a bigger working surface on his desk at college.
On the Sunday before the... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
On the Sunday before the season's first football game Pastor Matt always talked about football in th
At the close of life... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
At the close of life, the question will not be, "How much have you gotten?" but "How much have you g
Clarence Jordan, author of the... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
Clarence Jordan, author of the "Cotton Patch" New Testament translation and founder of the interraci
If you're not from Ohio... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
If you're not from Ohio or Michigan, it's hard to understand the rivalry between the University of M
Come! Follow me. Come and... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
"Come!
Anger, writes Eugene Peterson in... -- Jonah 3:1-5, 10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
"Anger," writes Eugene Peterson in commenting on this story of Jonah, "is a useful diagnostic tool.
Some people will change when... -- Jonah 3:1-5, 10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
Some people will change when they see the light. Others change only when they feel the heat.
The seminar began with the... -- Jonah 3:1-5, 10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
The seminar began with the leader asking, "What are you avoiding doing that you know needs to be don
Whatever else that can be... -- Jonah 3:1-5, 10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
Whatever else that can be said about him, Adolf Hitler was aware of his ability to use language and
A WWII soldier stated, The... -- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
A WWII soldier stated, "The funny thing about war is this: the 'right' thing to do in one situation
The Danish philosopher, Kierkegaard, tells... -- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
The Danish philosopher, Kierkegaard, tells a parable of a theater where a variety show is proceeding
A change in the way... -- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
A change in the way people view the world is known to historians as a paradigm shift.
The apostle Paul calls on... -- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
The apostle Paul calls on the Corinthians and us for a radical reordering of our lives in the light
There's a Peanuts comic strip... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
There's a Peanuts comic strip in which Linus is listening carefully as his sister, Lucy, boas
For as long as anyone... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
For as long as anyone could remember Janet and Mary were the best of friends.
Why do people follow leaders... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
Why do people follow leaders?
In 1965, Reverend Schwab felt... -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2008
In 1965, Reverend Schwab felt called to start a unique home -- a place where children from difficult

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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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30 – Commentary / Exegesis
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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