Login / Signup

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Hold down Ctrl (Windows) / Command (Mac) for multiple selections (scroll list to see all options)

Commentary

Communicating God's Love

Guest column

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

No one would ever have... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2006
No one would ever have guessed that Stan was a generous man, especially when it came
While recently listening to a... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2006
While recently listening to a public radio broadcast, I heard some social science experts
Joyce wanted to give their... -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
Joyce wanted to give their offering to missions. Mel wanted to designate their giving to
My mother loves to work... -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
My mother loves to work on the family genealogy. Looking back over the past seven
R. Conwell made famous the... -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
R. Conwell made famous the story about a wealthy Persian, Ali Hafed, who suddenly
What better way to begin... -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
What better way to begin our Lenten journey than with a reminder from the old book of
An experienced deep-sea diver... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
An experienced deep-sea diver explained, once, how he keeps his bearings in the ocean
The Equal Status Acts 2000... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
The Equal Status Acts 2000 and 2004 of Ireland, were enacted to ensure equality for all
Midway through the semester, a... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
Midway through the semester, a group of college students decided that they wanted to go
We bought a bug in... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
We bought a bug in 1960 -- a used Volkswagen beetle. A friend painted it for us. Its
Jeremy, at sixteen, had his... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
Jeremy, at sixteen, had his first job: scooping ice cream and making iced drinks. He'd
Temptations are always before me... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
Temptations are always before me. My driving habits have caused more than one angel to
An old story reminds us... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
An old story reminds us of the dangerous tricks the devil tries. At one time, goodness on
If the Lenten season is... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
If the Lenten season is a time of remembering the stories of our faith, surely Luke's story
It had been a hard... -- 1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24) -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C -- 2006
It had been a hard winter in the Appalachian backcountry. Blizzards had deposited snow
Jonah 3:1-5, 10br... -- Mark 1:14-20, 1 Corinthians 7:29-31, Jonah 3:1-5, 10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2006
Jonah 3:1-5, 10
During Hitler's occupation of... -- Revelation 1:4b-8 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2003
During Hitler's occupation of France, a brave priest, Andre Trocme in the village of Le Chambo
For $4,995 you can... -- Revelation 1:4b-8 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2003
For $4,995 you can purchase a Forecast Pro software program from Business Forecast Systems of
Many things in life... -- Revelation 1:4b-8 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2003
Many things in life come in threes.
In a stained-glass... -- Revelation 1:4b-8 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2003
In a stained-glass window that is high above our church's altar, there are the Greek letters A
Jesus' kingdom is not... -- John 18:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2003
Jesus' kingdom is not an earthly one, but his power is absolute.
The word king conjures... -- John 18:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2003
The word "king" conjures up many images in our minds: royalty, strength, grandeur, servants, a
Every minister knows that... -- John 18:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2003
Every minister knows that when you come back to your office after Sunday worship and see notes
There is a fascinating... -- John 18:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2003
There is a fascinating way that time reveals the things that are really true.
Righteousness and justice are... -- Jeremiah 33:14-16 -- First Sunday of Advent - C -- 2003
Righteousness and justice are not realities that the late Supreme Court Justice Haim Cohn obse

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Signup for FREE!
(No credit card needed.)
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
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
21 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
2 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Signup for FREE!
(No credit card needed.)

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."

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL