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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Hank has been a truck... -- Revelation 21:10, 22--22:5 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
Hank has been a truck driver for many years. During that time, he has traveled all over
Ask people, What special tree... -- Revelation 21:10, 22--22:5 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
Ask people, "What special tree was located in the Garden of Eden?" Most will reply that
In the 1810 Mexican War... -- John 14:23-29 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
In the 1810 Mexican War of Independence, Guanajuato was the first major city that
In John 14:25, Jesus speaks... -- John 14:23-29 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
In John 14:25, Jesus speaks of the coming of the Holy Spirit as the "Comforter," the
Naturally the disciples were frightened... -- John 14:23-29 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
Naturally the disciples were frightened. Jesus was talking about his leave-taking. They
Almost everyone has a favorite... -- John 14:23-29 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
Almost everyone has a favorite teacher, a person whose love for his or her students was
Back in the days of... -- Acts 1:1-11 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
Back in the days of the old west, there used to be three classes of tickets on the
Power drinks and nutritional power... -- Acts 1:1-11 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
Power drinks and nutritional power bars are all the rage with athletes these days.
Community Church planned a special... -- Acts 1:1-11 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
Community Church planned a special celebration for its 150th anniversary. Several
The disciples asked him, Lord... -- Acts 1:1-11 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
The disciples asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to
Mark Twain responded to the... -- Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
Mark Twain responded to the Philippine-American War in 1899-1902 by writing The
Early in the year 2007... -- Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
Early in the year 2007, as I write this, I wonder if this can be a year of hope. In a world
Paul Wharton tells a story... -- Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
Paul Wharton tells a story about a wise old Middle-Eastern mystic. He confessed: "I was
You are witnesses of these... -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
"You are witnesses of these things." The scriptures call us all to be Christ's witnesses. In
Ask two people who witnessed... -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
Ask two people who witnessed the same event to give an accurate account of the event,
Olav recalls the time over... -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
Olav recalls the time over fifty years ago when he first accepted Jesus as his Lord and
And they were continually in... -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
"And they were continually in the temple blessing God." That's what the disciples
An earthquake can be misinterpreted... -- Acts 16:16-34 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
An earthquake can be misinterpreted, as was the 1755 quake in Lisbon, Portugal, and
At the time of the... -- Acts 16:16-34 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
At the time of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, many people were praying to
What must I do to... -- Acts 16:16-34 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
What must I do to be saved? Most of the time we relegate these words to the
Some thoughts on Jesus Christ... -- Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
Some thoughts on Jesus Christ, "the bright morning star":
When Dale was four years... -- Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
When Dale was four years old, his mother was hospitalized for several weeks. Since
During the last several years... -- Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
During the last several years, the Young at Heart Sunday school class had some great
This section is disjointed, say... -- Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
This section is disjointed, say some critics. Nearly every sentence deals with a different
Humans seem compelled to create... -- John 17:20-26 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
Humans seem compelled to create "out-groups." It's not enough to be part of a group. We

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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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