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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

For a photographer, the concept... -- 1 John 1:1--2:2 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
For a photographer, the concept of light in which there is no darkness is unknown.
It seems impossible to believe... -- Hebrews 5:5-10 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
It seems impossible to believe that Christianity has, in some cases, moved so far from the humility
Benjamin Franklin was perhaps America's... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - B -- 2003
Benjamin Franklin was perhaps America's first self-made man.
Confidence is such a fragile... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - B -- 2003
Confidence is such a fragile thing.
Martin Luther wrote this about... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2003
Martin Luther wrote this about the humble: "But the truly humble look not to the result of humility
Every year at family gatherings... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 2003
Every year at family gatherings, as the extended family sat around a row of tables in Grandma's base
There are a series of... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2003
There are a series of caves near the little town of Warsaw, Ontario.
Someone once referred to sharing... -- Acts 10:44-48 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Someone once referred to sharing the Good News of Jesus as "the sacrament of sound waves." This beca
With a little imagination, one... -- Acts 4:5-12 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
With a little imagination, one can hear the healed man humming his way into the crowd of the high an
Autobiographies are abundant. Biographies are... -- Acts 8:26-40 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Autobiographies are abundant. Biographies are authorized.
Grief can be a harsh... -- 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2003
Grief can be a harsh teacher, but a good instructor in humility, patience, respect, perspective and
Authors of novels create characters... -- Acts 3:12-19 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Authors of novels create characters who come alive as the story unfolds.
The shepherd boy David became... -- 1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2003
The shepherd boy David became the champion of Israel when he defeated Goliath.
Klingon is the galaxy's fastest... -- Acts 2:1-21 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2003
Klingon is "the galaxy's fastest growing language." That's the news you will read when you go to the
When one kneels in humility... -- Isaiah 6:1-8 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2003
"When one kneels in humility, one stands at the threshold of greatness."
Narrating the story of Jonah... -- Jonah 3:1-5, 10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2003
Narrating the story of Jonah invites some outrageous puns, but most congregations enjoy a good laugh
Sometimes what is lawful is... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2003
Sometimes what is lawful is not helpful nor appropriate.
When you only have a... -- Acts 19:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2003
When you only have a VCR and more and more of the products are coming out in a DVD format, you step
The Japanese emperor Ingyo ruled... -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- 2003
The Japanese emperor Ingyo ruled during the 5th century.
On one occasion during his... -- 2 Corinthians 1:18-22 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - B -- 2003
On one occasion during his administration, President Herbert Hoover was receiving some particularly
In a short drama titled... -- 2 Kings 5:1-14 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2003
In a short drama titled "The Prescription," a man who has been in a deep depression following the de
The Apostle Paul rejected all... -- 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2003
The Apostle Paul rejected all forms of favoritism and elitism in his passionate quest to reach as ma
This passage from Deuteronomy says... -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2003
This passage from Deuteronomy says that the test of whether a prophet is true or false is whether th
When Charles Lamb, the English... -- 1 Peter 3:18-22 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
When Charles Lamb, the English poet and essayist, was a small child, his sister, Mary, took him for
Even the behavior of a... -- Ephesians 2:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
Even the behavior of a common thief can illustrate the unexpected generosity with which God gifts us

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

UPCOMING WEEKS
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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
and more...
Proper 25 | OT 30 | Pentecost 23
32 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
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30 – 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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