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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

One Sunday morning in 1988... -- Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- The Nativity of our Lord - A -- 2007
One Sunday morning in 1988, as Father Jean-Bertrand Aristide (later to become president of Haiti) wa
At the entrance to the... -- Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- The Nativity of our Lord - A -- 2007
At the entrance to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in the Holy Land, there is a large sign t
Christmas Eve is always a... -- Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- The Nativity of our Lord - A -- 2007
Christmas Eve is always a special time for Joe and Barbara as their adult children along with their
Kevin and Samantha were scheduled... -- Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- The Nativity of our Lord - A -- 2007
Kevin and Samantha were scheduled to move into their new home at the end of the month.
In Ken Follett's The Pillars... -- Isaiah 63:7-9 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A -- 2007
In Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth, the monk, Remigius, has been a lifelong enemy and
People sometimes come up with... -- Isaiah 63:7-9 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A -- 2007
People sometimes come up with some strange ideas about Jesus as companion and friend.
Isaiah demonstrates the difference between... -- Isaiah 63:7-9 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A -- 2007
Isaiah demonstrates the difference between ordinary folks and the extraordinary.
There's a story that comes... -- Hebrews 2:10-18 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A -- 2007
There's a story that comes out of the West Indies during the time of slavery.
The military is very quick... -- Hebrews 2:10-18 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A -- 2007
The military is very quick to refer to comrades in arms as brothers.
Justine dreads going to the... -- Hebrews 2:10-18 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A -- 2007
Justine dreads going to the store where she works at the mall the days following Christmas.
In Christianity's early days, the... -- Hebrews 2:10-18 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A -- 2007
In Christianity's early days, the slaughter of the babies (regarded as the first Christian martyrs)
Dick and Millie were listening... -- Genesis 12:1-4a -- Second Sunday in Lent - A -- 2007
Dick and Millie were listening to the sermon one Sunday morning when they felt God speaking directly
The writer of the Song... -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
The writer of the Song of Solomon had a strong case of spring fever. As she dreams of
Sherry developed alopecia when she... -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
Sherry developed alopecia when she was a young teenager and lost all her hair. An active
Spring is sprung, the grass... -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
"Spring is sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder where the birdies is," goes a couplet most of
Lynn was a beautiful high... -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
Lynn was a beautiful high school freshman. She caught the eyes of all the boys in the
Walking one's walk is a... -- James 1:17-27 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
Walking one's walk is a theme that we find in this text and throughout general and
Nick is the sort of... -- James 1:17-27 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
Nick is the sort of person who thinks he knows what everyone likes or wants. He treats
When nineteenth-century missionaries began... -- James 1:17-27 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
When nineteenth-century missionaries began to penetrate into the interior of China, they
Jesus, it appears, was ahead... -- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
Jesus, it appears, was ahead of his time. It is from within that the evil lurks was his
The pastor of a fair... -- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
The pastor of a fair-sized suburban church walked out in the middle of the evangelism
Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary defines... -- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary defines "scrupulous" as "having moral
Jed would raise a few... -- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
Jed would raise a few eyebrows when he came into church with his dark blue work
Whoever sows injustice will reap... -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2006
"Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity," says the book of Proverbs. Yet we can all
In a couple of the... -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2006
In a couple of the transitional episodes of changing characters in the television series

Political Pulpit

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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
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Proper 25 | OT 30 | Pentecost 23
32 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
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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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