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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

Guest column

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Alice Miller is a world... -- Genesis 45:3-11, 15 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - C -- 1995
Alice Miller is a world-renowned German child psychologist.
Joe was a wisecracking, cocksure... -- Genesis 45:3-11, 15 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - C -- 1995
Joe was a wisecracking, cocksure youngest son from a large and wealthy family, resented by his older
I believe in the resurrection... -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 1995
I believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I do believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The believers in Corinth, Greece... -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 1995
The believers in Corinth, Greece, were a part of a culture that held that there was no resurrection
Several people died, others were... -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 1995
Several people died, others were injured, and there was significant structural damage when the World
A pastor tells of a... -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 1995
A pastor tells of a woman who stopped into his office to talk with him about the most devastating ev
One has it all.br... -- Luke 6:17-26 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 1995
One has it all. The other is destitute. One has possessions.
Jesus' Be Attitudes are helpful... -- Luke 6:17-26 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 1995
Jesus' "Be Attitudes" are helpful truths for people seeking a greater, deeper spirituality.
Lyle Schaller issues a monthly... -- Luke 5:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 1995
Lyle Schaller issues a monthly newsletter to keep the clergy of several denominations informed of so
There's a fine line between... -- Jeremiah 17:5-10 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 1995
There's a fine line between building up or supporting a person and tearing apart or destroying a per
The cottonwood tree is a... -- Jeremiah 17:5-10 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 1995
The cottonwood tree is a familiar sight in New Mexico, and there is one, in particular, which stands
Contrasts and opposites occur often... -- Jeremiah 17:5-10 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 1995
Contrasts and opposites occur often in life -- light and dark, dry and wet, a shrub planted in a des
In the great reaches of... -- Jeremiah 17:5-10 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 1995
In the great reaches of the midwestern prairie of America, and in portions of our deserts, long, thi
People today are so inundated... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 1995
People today are so inundated with bad news that they need Good News preaching to prevent despondenc
It had been over 30... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 1995
It had been over 30 years, but Bill still remembered the night at church camp when one of the other
Anyone who has watched Perry... -- Luke 5:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 1995
Anyone who has watched Perry Mason, or Matlock or L.A.
Jack had graduated from high... -- Luke 5:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 1995
"Jack" had graduated from high school and was now working full-time in the local grocery store where
The teacup was a lovely... -- Luke 5:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 1995
The teacup was a lovely, fragile thing of bone china, pure milk white in the thickest parts and tran
Their faces look at us... -- Judges 6:11-24a -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 1995
Their faces look at us longingly, hauntingly, from the pages of the Times, the women and children an
How can we ever forget... -- Judges 6:11-24a -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 1995
How can we ever forget the heart-rending cry of the figure skating star, Nancy Kerrigan, "Why?
When Tom died suddenly, his... -- Judges 6:11-24a -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 1995
When Tom died suddenly, his wife Sarah was shattered beyond belief.
A pastor approached his bishop... -- Judges 6:11-24a -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 1995
A pastor approached his bishop with a question, "How do you know when it is time to move to another
When Moses asks God's name... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 1995
When Moses asks God's name as Moses trembles before the burning bush, God says, "I AM who I AM.
If he had just stayed... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 1995
"If he had just stayed dead!" someone once exclaimed about Jesus in a moment of frustration amidst t
Ask any parent. One of... -- Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13) -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 1995
Ask any parent.

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UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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John Jamison
Object: A pig stuffed animal.

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

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
George Reed
For June 22, 2025:

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian,  for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.  As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (vv. 25-28)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a
Life can be frightening sometimes. Thus it is both comforting but disconcerting to find a giant of faith like Elijah to fear the future. On that matter Martin Luther once claimed:
David Kalas
We’re not far from the 4th of July. And while for so many Americans, it seems that the holiday has become more about long weekends, cookouts, and fireworks shows, the theme of freedom is still there at least in the background. We might take advantage of that, therefore, and give some thought to the theme of freedom as it is revealed in our assigned texts for this week.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

The madman cried out to Jesus, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" In our worship today let us explore what Jesus has to do with us and invite him to heal our brokenness.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, we often find ourselves thinking, saying and doing things that we quickly regret.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Constance Berg
When Jill was five, she began to have headaches. The headaches were so severe she would throw up. Sometimes she would pass out. They usually came once a month. Jill could be playing, resting, or watching television when the headaches would come. Her only warning was a sudden pain in her head, then a blinding light would appear, and she would be rocked with pain. In her teenage years, they became debilitating, causing Jill to be in bed for three days at a time.
Stan Purdum
I'm not sure when the term "burn out" ceased being only a description of what happened to a campfire when you ran out of firewood to a term describing the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest, usually coming immediately after an extended period of overwork, but the expression seems to fit that later situation, doesn't it? Exhaustion, deep weariness, all used up, nothing more to give, wiped out, burned out -- call it what we will, its symptoms are all too familiar to many of us.
April Yamasaki
In the classic movie, Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews plays a no-nonsense, yet delightful, nanny to two young children. As a nanny to a wealthy family, she is part teacher, part parent, and part disciplinarian. She gets the children up in the morning, puts them to bed at night, supervises their many adventures, and guides them in many ways. While they are in her care, she is responsible for their overall safety and well-being.

Julia Ross Strope
Zoos are no longer in people's good graces.
Religion faces the same problem.
Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.
-- Yann Martel, Life of Pi

Call To Worship
Leader: I'm so glad you're here! There are seats for everyone; there's slight air movement; the windows engender tranquility and imagination and words will stimulate fresh thoughts.

People: It's good to be here, in sanctuary. We're glad for opportunities to gather and to express our gratitude to God and our appreciation for one another.

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