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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

As a young Sister, I... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
As a young Sister, I was surprised to hear an older member of our community talking to the plants i
In the old days thick... -- John 15:9-17 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
In the old days thick, high walls were built around the biggest and best cities.
All gifts, important or unimportant... -- 1 Corinthians 12:4-13 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 1994
All gifts, important or unimportant, come from the same source, and all are necessary.
To receive the spirit of... -- Romans 8:14-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 1994
To receive the spirit of sonship means to be adopted by God, and for Paul, the mark of Christianity
A number of years ago... -- Sirach 44:1-10, 13-14 -- All Saints Day - B -- 1994
A number of years ago my family and I traveled to the Black Hills of South Dakota.
The old sacrifices performed by... -- Hebrews 9:24-28 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 1994
The old sacrifices performed by the high priest in the Holy Place only helped people "stay even" unt
She was having a really... -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 1994
She was having a really bad case of the "whatifs." She was trying to decide whether or not to chang
Divorce carries within it the... -- Mark 10:2-16 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 1994
Divorce carries within it the pain which is its own punishment: the unraveling of a relationship thr
French General Philippe Morillon, in... -- Mark 8:31-38 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
French General Philippe Morillon, in his role as commander of the U.N.
Here's a quiz for you... -- 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 1994
Here's a quiz for you.
The story is told about... -- Mark 1:29-30 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 1994
The story is told about a psychiatrist who was worn out by all the pressures of caring for the prob
That is not the way... -- Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 1994
"That is not the way you learned Christ!" We can understand these words as suggesting a school of th
A voice crying in the... -- Luke 3:1-6 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 1994
A voice crying in the wilderness, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord!" It is the voice of John the Bapt
The gift of Christian unity... -- Ephesians 4:1-6 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 1994
The gift of Christian unity has already been given, but it is also the final objective of a gradual
Have you ever noticed how... -- Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 1994
Have you ever noticed how much the world revolves around hostilities?
In the midst of the... -- Ezekiel 2:2-5<br> -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 1994
In the midst of the current interest of co-dependence and self-esteem, Ezekiel seems to be a great r
Murders committed for political purposes... -- Mark 6:14-29 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 1994
Murders committed for political purposes are not pleasant subject matter.
A certain lawsuit ended up... -- John 6:51-58 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 1994
A certain lawsuit ended up at the United States Supreme Court in the summer of 1993.
Canada may soon become an... -- Ephesians 5:21-31 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 1994
Canada may soon become an international refuge for women.
Paul sets before his Christian... -- Ephesians 4:25--5:2 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 1994
Paul sets before his Christian peopIe the highest standard in all the world.
The letter of James opens... -- James 5:1-6 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1994
The letter of James opens with a reference to the purpose of trials: they are to make us grow strong
John Dominic Crossan in his... -- Mark 9:30-37 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 1994
John Dominic Crossan in his book, The Historical Jesus, cites papyrus fragments that indicate infant
My wife and I recently... -- Mark 8:27-38 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 1994
My wife and I recently viewed a showing of the works of a local artist.
Doug and Sandra had been... -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1994
Doug and Sandra had been having a great brother-sister reunion, since they'd not seen each other for
Teilhard de Chardin wrote: Someday... -- Mark 12:28-34 -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - B -- 1994
Teilhard de Chardin wrote: "Someday, if we have mastered the winds, the waves, the tides, and gravit

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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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