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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

A learned and well-traveled... -- Revelation 5:11-14 -- Third Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
A learned and well-traveled woman was speaking to me recently.
When do we stop to... -- Revelation 5:11-14 -- Third Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
When do we stop to praise God?
To this day, over 20... -- Revelation 1:9-11, 12-13, 17-19 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
To this day, over 20 years later, Jackie can describe the incident in detail.
A devoted church member once... -- Revelation 1:9-11, 12-13, 17-19 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
A devoted church member once complained to her pastor: "I have studied the book of Revelation daily
Symbols and imagination are a... -- Revelation 1:9-11, 12-13, 17-19 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
Symbols and imagination are a part of our everyday life.
In Paul Tillich's brilliant essay... -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
In Paul Tillich's brilliant essay The Courage To Be, he states that doubt is not the opposite of fai
What did Jesus' breath feel... -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
What did Jesus' breath feel like; did it smell sweet and pleasant to the disciples' nostrils?
Many denominations have undergone liturgical... -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
Many denominations have undergone liturgical renewal in recent years.
It was time for a... -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
It was time for a young girl to go away to college. She had been raised in a Christian home.
Roy was fascinated by shadows... -- Acts 5:12-16 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
Roy was fascinated by shadows. At a glance they seemed simple. But Roy knew better.
Throughout the past several decades... -- Revelation 1:4b-8, Revelation 1:4-8 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
Throughout the past several decades the Gallup Poll has been getting amazingly consistent responses
In the course of ministry... -- Revelation 1:4b-8, Revelation 1:4-8 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
In the course of ministry, every pastor encounters at least one person who believes herself or himse
For those of us over... -- Revelation 1:4b-8, Revelation 1:4-8 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
For those of us over 40 and with a penchant for newspaper comics, it was good news when two new cart
The Apocalypse of John asserts... -- Revelation 1:4b-8, Revelation 1:4-8 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
The Apocalypse of John asserts that all of human behavior must now be measured in the light of the O
In the middle of a... -- Acts 5:27-32 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
In the middle of a reunion weekend at Princeton University, when 10,000 people descend upon the univ
About once a year we... -- Acts 5:27-32 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
About once a year we are reminded by the commercial world of the gift that keeps on giving.
The title of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's... -- Acts 5:27-32 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
The title of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's greatest book proved to be prophetic.
A pastor conducted a funeral... -- Acts 5:27-32 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
A pastor conducted a funeral for a man who had been very active in the life of the church.
It must have been cold... -- Acts 5:12-16 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
"It must have been cold there in my shadow," opens the song, "Wind Beneath My Wings." "Who knows
There is a kind of... -- Acts 5:12-16 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
There is a kind of group mentality that grips a public assembly.
Albert Camus' great novel The... -- Acts 5:12-16 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
Albert Camus' great novel The Plague tells the story of the young doctor, Bernard Rieux, who tries f
In Steven Spielberg's movie, Schindler's... -- John 20:1-18 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
In Steven Spielberg's movie, Schindler's List, there is a little girl in the midst of the crowd head
In his scholarly treatise, The... -- John 20:1-18 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
In his scholarly treatise, The Creators, Daniel Boorstin observes that ancient oriental religions we
My Dearest Sloane; Words... -- Luke 24:1-10 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
My Dearest Sloane;
A missionary named Moffat told... -- Luke 24:1-10 -- Easter Day - C -- 1995
A missionary named Moffat told this story about his mission to Central Africa at the end of the last

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
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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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