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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Growing up in... -- Revelation 21:1-6a -- All Saints Day - B -- 2003
At the funeral service of... -- Revelation 21:1-6a -- All Saints Day - B -- 2003
At the funeral service of the English poet Robert Browning, one of those attending was Browning's gr
Words to Outlive Us: Eye... -- Revelation 21:1-6a -- All Saints Day - B -- 2003
Words to Outlive Us: Eye-Witness Accounts from the Warsaw Ghetto, edited by Michal Grynberg, reveals
Cesar Chavez, renowned farm worker... -- James 3:1-12 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2003
Cesar Chavez, renowned farm worker organizer in California, called to task the president of the Cali
Have you ever had... -- James 3:1-12 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2003
Have you ever had the fun and challenge of taking your dog through obedience training?
One pastor tells of... -- James 3:1-12 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2003
One pastor tells of attending a local St. Patrick's Day dance at the fire hall.
When Jesus is our... -- Mark 8:27-38 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2003
When Jesus is our leader, we will deny ourselves on his behalf.
Jesus says to find... -- Mark 8:27-38 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2003
Jesus says to find our lives we must be willing to lose them.
In the Australian film... -- Mark 8:27-38 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2003
In the Australian film Merry Christmas, Mr.
One of my favorite... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2003
One of my favorite playground toys as a child was the seesaw.
The text says that... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2003
The text says that Jesus looked up to heaven, gave a deep groan, and said, "Open up,” to this
The wonderful children's musical... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2003
The wonderful children's musical, The Wizard of Oz, has captivated its audiences for we
Do you have a... -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2003
Do you have a good name? What does your name mean?
When the Taliban ruled... -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2003
When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, they sowed a rigid conformity of lifestyle that did not ho
Throughout her long life... -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2003
Throughout her long life of service, Mother Teresa minimized her own needs through her vows of
The Bible gives direct... -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2003
The Bible gives direct instruction to us on how to treat other people, especially the poor.
The Spirit confirms the work... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2003
The Spirit confirms the work and word of Christ in the world.
Speaking on Robert Shuller's Hour... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Speaking on Robert Shuller's Hour of Power program a few years ago, Billy Graham said:
When people who have just... -- John 15:9-17 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
When people who have just performed some heroic, life-threatening deed in order to save another are
Just as good nutrition and... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Just as good nutrition and exercise are indispensable to our well-being, so is our relationship with
In London with a tour... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
In London with a tour group, we were scheduled to visit the Tate Art Gallery one morning.
In Margaret Wise Brown's classic... -- Mark 4:35-41 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2003
In Margaret Wise Brown's classic children's tale, The Runaway Bunny, is the story of a bunny who dre
We don't automatically understand how... -- Mark 5:21-43 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2003
We don't automatically understand how remarkable the encounter between Jesus and the woman with the
The role of Christ in... -- John 3:1-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2003
The role of Christ in announcing the transforming and redemptive love of God is central in this pass
There was once a young... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2003
There was once a young man who decided to add a deck onto the back of his new house over a long Four

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Proper 23 | OT 28 | Pentecost 21
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22 – Worship Resources
29 – 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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