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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Almost everybody who ever attended... -- 1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2003
Almost everybody who ever attended Sunday school knows the story of David and Goliath.
Unless the eye catch fire... -- Acts 2:1-21 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2003
Unless the eye catch fireThe God will not be seen.Unless the ear catch fire
Some years ago, there was... -- Isaiah 6:1-8 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2003
Some years ago, there was a great preacher in the Church of Scotland, Dr. Alexander Whyte.
The sense of already, but... -- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2003
The sense of "already, but not yet" penetrates this passage.
It is only a pale... -- Mark 1:4-11 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2003
It is only a pale comparison of the great love of God for his only begotten Son, but the affection e
Never underestimate the importance or... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2003
Never underestimate the importance or possibilities of any place or any person.
Paul tells the Ephesian Christians... -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- 2003
Paul tells the Ephesian Christians that God "chose us in Christ ...
It is often difficult to... -- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2003
It is often difficult to discipline oneself to delay gratification.
Just as the paralytic's friends... -- Mark 2:1-12 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - B -- 2003
Just as the paralytic's friends came to his aid by bringing him to Jesus, so Paul Revere of Revoluti
Jesus is at home in... -- Mark 1:29-39 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2003
Jesus is at home in our homes.
Paul invites an appreciation of... -- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2003
Paul invites an appreciation of forgoing those practices that might pose a stumbling block to others
Three great figures of freedom... -- John 3:14-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
Three great figures of freedom: Moses, Harriet Tubman, and Jesus.
The wilderness has been a... -- Mark 1:9-15 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
The wilderness has been a defining feature of American character.
The recent international crisis with... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2003
The recent international crisis with Iraq has involved United Nations weapons inspectors.
Sports fans can be overly... -- John 2:13-22 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
Sports fans can be overly zealous in their love for their sport and their loyalty to their team.
How often we would like... -- Mark 8:31-38 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
How often we would like to refuse to admit or even deny that suffering is the way of life, not only
These things are written ... Writing... -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
"These things are written ..." Writing has been a most significant way throughout time for people to
One of the most powerful... -- Hebrews 5:5-10 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
One of the most powerful works in English literature is Charles Dickens' classic, A Tale of Two Citi
You have heard many good... -- John 20:1-18 -- Easter Day - B -- 2003
You have heard many "good news/bad news" jokes.
Clara Barton exemplified in a... -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 2003
Clara Barton exemplified in a very physical, tangible way what Jesus meant when he said, "Do as I ha
The African American poet Dunbar... -- John 18:1-19:42 -- Good Friday - B -- 2003
The African American poet Dunbar penned these words: "Out of the hell and dawn of it all cometh good
They had been friends for... -- Mark 14:1--15:47 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2003
They had been friends for 50 years and worked together in the women's suffragist movement in the Uni
When Catherine Zeta-Jones, wife... -- Mark 9:2-9 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2003
When Catherine Zeta-Jones, wife of Michael Douglas, was asked what she liked about stardom, she desc
It is ... quite easy to... -- Acts 10:44-48 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
"It is ... quite easy to say both too little and too much on this subject [the Holy Spirit].
One might think that the... -- Acts 8:26-40 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
One might think that the eunuch would be a bit "down in the dumps" when Philip, his newfound friend,

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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
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Proper 25 | OT 30 | Pentecost 23
32 – Sermons
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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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