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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Gilbert Keith Chesterton called the... -- John 15:9-17 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Gilbert Keith Chesterton called the joy we experience in Christ "the gigantic secret of the Christia
Early in the twentieth century... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Early in the twentieth century, a Presbyterian clergyman by the name of John Knox Montgomery accepte
The 2nd Space Operations Squadron... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
The 2nd Space Operations Squadron of the 50th Space Wing of the U. S.
The passage bespeaks the incredible... -- Mark 5:21-43 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2003
The passage bespeaks the incredible power of God to transform and the place of faith in that transfo
Jesus suddenly appeared to the... -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Jesus suddenly appeared to the disciples and said, "Peace be with you." We will do well to remember
Susan couldn't wait for Saturday... -- Mark 4:35-41 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2003
Susan couldn't wait for Saturday morning.
A phone call after midnight... -- John 3:1-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2003
A phone call after midnight is seldom good news.
One of the most privileged... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2003
One of the most privileged tasks of a minister is to be a counselor.
In Flags of our Fathers... -- John 15:9-17 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
In Flags of our Fathers, author James Bradley tells of a conversation with Jacklyn Lucas.
In hydrothermal vents on the... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
In hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, scientists have discovered life in the form of microbes th
Sometimes it's too good to... -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Sometimes "it's too good to be true." We can't believe. Such good news!
Twice in these few verses... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Twice in these few verses, Jesus says that the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
The movie Apollo 13 tells... -- Mark 5:21-43 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2003
The movie Apollo 13 tells the riveting story behind perhaps the second most famous quote in the hist
Hollywood movie producers spend millions... -- Mark 4:35-41 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2003
Hollywood movie producers spend millions of dollars each film on special effects.
There is power in wind... -- John 3:1-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2003
There is power in wind.
We need to hear the... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2003
We need to hear the truth, even if it comes to us unvarnished.
Unplugged? Plug in here and... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
"Unplugged? Plug in here and get current with God!" So announced the church sign to the passersby.
To abide in my love... -- John 15:9-17 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
To "abide in my love" is to stand firm in it, to continue in it, to grow deeper into it.
Born in France in 1576... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Born in France in 1576, Saint Vincent de Paul became a priest at a young age and was then captured b
A Jewish director was agonizing... -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
A Jewish director was agonizing through what must have been his fiftieth film for This Is the Life,
Jesus told the ruler, Do... -- Mark 5:21-43 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2003
Jesus told the ruler, "Do not fear, only believe." The report that his daughter was dead had reached
Jesus' calming of a sea... -- Mark 4:35-41 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2003
Jesus' calming of a sea storm is a paradigm for the way he also calms the storms that rage in our he
To be born again means... -- John 3:1-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2003
To be born again means to be made a new person.
Reverend Cindy prayed that God... -- Romans 8:22-27 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2003
Reverend Cindy prayed that God would use her.
There are ways that the... -- 1 John 5:1-6 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
There are ways that the presence of faith reveals God's victory in the world.

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 23 | OT 28 | Pentecost 21
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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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