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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Eighty-year-old John Quincy... -- Job 19:23-27a -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
Eighty-year-old John Quincy Adams was slowly making his way down one of the streets in his hometown
Ever since her husband had... -- 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
Ever since her husband had been killed in the Persian Gulf war, Carrie and her two small sons had mo
May the Lord Direct Your... -- 2 Thessalonians 2:15-3:5 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
"May the Lord Direct Your Thoughts" might be a sermon title. How?
Pray for us. A minister... -- 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
"Pray for us." A minister was invited to become the pastor of a new church.
At 38, Steve had not... -- 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
At 38, Steve had not been in a hospital since his birth.
The different philosophies of two... -- Luke 20:27-38 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
The different philosophies of two high school coaches influenced their basketball teams.
Eugene Peterson, in his book... -- Revelation 21:9-11, 22-27 (22:1-5) -- All Saints Day - C
Eugene Peterson, in his book Reversed Thunder, makes a fascinating distinction between a lamp
The sign above the head... -- 1 John 3:1-3 -- All Saints Day - C
The sign above the head table read, "John's Kids Say THANKS!" John Marshall was being honored by the
See what love the Father... -- 1 John 3:1-3 -- All Saints Day - C
"See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called the children of God; and so we are.
I see my infant child... -- 1 John 3:1-3 -- All Saints Day - C
I see my infant child sleeping there in the cradle, and I do not know what the days of my child's li
Joe Wicke tells the story... -- 1 John 3:1-3 -- All Saints Day - C
Joe Wicke tells the story of the young boy who, out of curiosity, wandered into a small town evening
When I read this passage... -- Revelation 7:2-4, 9-17 -- All Saints Day - C
When I read this passage I am reminded of Lazarus the beggar sitting at the gate of the rich man.
Tori, a high school junior... -- Revelation 7:2-4, 9-17 -- All Saints Day - C
Tori, a high school junior from a rural community returned from a church study trip to the New York
All Saints' Day is a... -- Revelation 7:2-4, 9-17 -- All Saints Day - C
All Saints' Day is a reminder to us that "each day we are sent forth on a mission ...
Many people labor under the... -- Revelation 7:2-4, 9-17 -- All Saints Day - C
Many people labor under the assumption that history is swayed primarily by the movers and shakers, t
A group of seminarians were... -- Luke 6:20-36 -- All Saints Day - C
A group of seminarians were part of an interim year in the lower east side of Manhattan.
Have you learn'd only of... -- Luke 6:20-36 -- All Saints Day - C
"Have you learn'd only of those who admired you, and were tender with you, and stood aside for you?
Jesus didn't look at her... -- Luke 6:20-36 -- All Saints Day - C
"Jesus didn't look at her persecutors and tormentors through the eyes of an underdog, feeling himsel
Some years ago 10 doctors... -- Luke 6:20-36 -- All Saints Day - C
Some years ago 10 doctors were appointed by the United States government to meet together and draw u
Will Rogers tells a true... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- All Saints Day - C
Will Rogers tells a true story of an incident that happened when he was a young cowboy in Claremore,
The Beatitudes are in many... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- All Saints Day - C
The Beatitudes are in many ways a recipe for discovering happiness.
John Weborg in an excellent... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- All Saints Day - C
John Weborg in an excellent meditation on All Saints' Day in Christian Century reminds us of
One of my favorite Charlie... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- All Saints Day - C
One of my favorite Charlie Brown cartoons shows Charlie, Lucy and Snoopy walking along the road.
The editorial staff of the... -- Zechariah 7:1-10 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
The editorial staff of the Sunday supplement created a "Faith in Life" promotion.
Features of Fellowship might be... -- Zechariah 7:1-10 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C
"Features of Fellowship" might be a good sermon title, especially as we think of "show kindness and

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

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New & Featured This Week

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
In the sometimes-tiresome debate over science and scripture with respect to creation, it’s easy to become distracted. While the argument typically requires a focus on the how, we may lose sight of the what. And so, for just a moment, let me invite us to think for a moment about what God created.
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
Acts 8:26-40
As a local church pastor, I was often asked if I would baptize a child whose family were not members of the church. Some churches rebelled against this, but I remember this scripture — the hunger for understanding and inclusion of the Eunuch and Philp’s response — to teach and share and baptize in the name of our God. How could we turn anyone away from the rite of baptism?

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
“Dad, I think you worked a miracle.” Rolf slowly walked around the tree. “After that windstorm, I assumed this tree was as good as gone.”

“We just needed to give the branches time to heal and come back,” Michael replied.

 “I know, but so many of them were battered and broken I figured that it couldn’t recover. Now though it looks just like it did before the storm.” Rolf paused. “Do you think it will bear any fruit this summer?”

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A live plant that produces fruit, and a broken branch from that plant. I used a tomato plant from a local greenhouse. Ideally, find a plant with blossoms or small fruit already growing. If you use a different kind of fruit-producing plant, just change the script to fit.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent!

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
Elena Delhagen
Dean Feldmeyer
Quantisha Mason-Doll
For April 28, 2024:
  • On The Way To Gaza by Chris Keating based on Acts 8:26-40. On the way to Gaza, Philip discovers the startling ways the Spirit of God moves across borders, boundaries, customs, and traditions.
  • Second Thoughts: Abiding by Katy Stenta based on John 15:1-8.
  • Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Tom Willadsen, Elena Delhagen, Dean Feldmeyer.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. In our service today, let us absorb from the vine all the nourishment we need.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes our branches become cut off from the vine.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes our branches are withered.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we fail to produce good fruit.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Stan Purdum
We will meet Psalm 22 in its entirety on Good Friday, but here the lectionary designates just verses 23-31. The lectionary psalms generally illuminate the week's First Lesson, which in this case is about the covenant initiated by God with Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17. The nine verses from this psalm, while not inappropriate, nonetheless leave us looking for an obvious connection with the First Lesson.

John S. Smylie
I think some people are natural-born gardeners. Our Lord grew up in a society that was familiar with agriculture. The images that he used to explain the ways of his Father in heaven are familiar to his audience. Growing up, my closest experience to agriculture was living in, "the Garden State." Most people, when they pass through New Jersey, are surprised to see that expression on the license plates of vehicles registered in New Jersey. Most folks traveling through New Jersey experience the megalopolis, the corridor between New York City and Washington DC.
Ron Lavin
A pastor in Indiana went to visit an 87-year-old man named Ermil, who was a hospital patient. A member of his church told the pastor about this old man who was an acquaintance. "He's not a believer, but he is really in need," the church member said. "I met him at the county home for the elderly. He's a lonely old man with no family and no money."

Paul E. Robinson
"Love is a many splendored thing...." Or so we heard Don Cornwall and the Four Aces sing time and again. Of course you or I might have other words to describe love, depending on our situation.

Love. "I love you." "I love to play golf." "I just love pistachio lush!" "It's tough to love some people." "Jesus loves me, this I know."

Love.

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