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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

If you could do it... -- Joshua 5:9-12 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
If you could do it, I suppose it would be a good idea to live your life in a straight line --
Pioneers tell similar stories. When... -- Joshua 5:9-12 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Pioneers tell similar stories. When they first settled the western plains, they had nothing.
Ashley enjoys hiking and usually... -- Joshua 5:9-12 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Ashley enjoys hiking and usually plans vacations around places where she would like to
That Sunday evening I knew... -- Joshua 5:9-12 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
That Sunday evening I knew that life would never be the same. It was the last service that
Science teachers interest and entertain... -- 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Science teachers interest and entertain even bored students when they turn on the black
Do you know that Jesus... -- 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Do you know that Jesus really loves you? Have you experienced that feeling of total love
Some time ago, a husband... -- 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Some time ago, a husband and wife faced serious marriage problems. Neither would take
The divided church at Corinth... -- 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
The divided church at Corinth needed to be reminded that they were not to regard any
The biggest problem with American... -- Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
"The biggest problem with American Christianity," said Ernest Campbell, former pastor
It was during the Great... -- Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
It was during the Great Depression on the Canadian prairies, that sixteen-year-old Hans
Betty asked her Sunday school... -- Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Betty asked her Sunday school class to pray for her grandson. Rick became a father one
I enjoy taking myself by... -- Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
"I enjoy taking myself by surprise," said Peter Ustinov. I wonder how he kept secrets
We all endure emotional shocks... -- Isaiah 43:16-21 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
We all endure emotional shocks -- like when we forget to pay a bill and a past-due notice
Ransom is an action-packed... -- Isaiah 43:16-21 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Ransom is an action-packed drama thriller that came out in 1996, starring Mel
Life is full of ends... -- Isaiah 43:16-21 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
"Life is full of ends," wrote Phillips Brooks, "but every end is a new beginning, and we
Out of the ashes and... -- Isaiah 43:16-21 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Out of the ashes and debris of 9/11 has come a wonderful book. It is called The
Remember Charles Dickens' famous story... -- Philippians 3:4b-14 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Remember Charles Dickens' famous story, A Christmas Carol? Remember how
The 1970-71 NHL season belonged... -- Philippians 3:4b-14 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
The 1970-71 NHL season belonged to the Boston Bruins. They finished fourteen points
Kim advanced in her job... -- Philippians 3:4b-14 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Kim advanced in her job with a financial company. She worked long hours to achieve the
Hungry, penniless, and cold, she... -- Philippians 3:4b-14 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Hungry, penniless, and cold, she pushed everything she owned in a shopping cart. She
Theologian Paul Tillich dubbed such... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Theologian Paul Tillich dubbed such extravagance as Mary shows "Holy Waste."
One day a young man... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
One day a young man went to a photography studio carrying a framed picture of his
Jesus was criticized for allowing... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Jesus was criticized for allowing Mary to show such extravagant love.
Dr. Wayne Oates, pastoral counselor... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2007
Dr. Wayne Oates, pastoral counselor, told the story about a psychiatric clinic in
I grew up on those... -- Isaiah 50:4-9a -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2007
I grew up on those pious Hollywood biblical epics of the 1950s, which looked like holy

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 23 | OT 28 | Pentecost 21
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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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