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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

If you've ever had a... -- 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - B -- 1994
If you've ever had a family member or friend who is visually impaired or blind, it doesn't take long
Our front porch was close... -- 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 1994
Our front porch was close to the sidewalk, and our neighbors would often saunter across the street t
For CommunionBread crumbs... -- 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (18-21) -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 1994
For CommunionBread crumbs gathered up from leavesmake me think of angels;
Jesus' purpose was not to... -- John 3:14-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
Jesus' purpose was not to condemn, but to save, but the reaction of people to the light that he brin
One woman tells of the... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 1994
One woman tells of the terror she felt when she was a passenger of a car going over Monarch Pass, as
If you are ever around... -- John 2:13-22 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
If you are ever around cattle, one of the things you learn pretty quickly not to do is to walk betwe
I once sat with an... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-28 -- Easter Day - B -- 1994
I once sat with an old lady who was dying.
A woman called the power... -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
A woman called the power company to complain that her bill was too high.
In Charles Dickens' book A... -- John 18:1-19:42 -- Good Friday - B -- 1994
In Charles Dickens' book A Tale Of Two Cities the hero is saved from death by a friend who is willi
Not long ago, a farmer... -- Mark 1:21-28 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 1994
Not long ago, a farmer was dreading his annual winter visit with his banker.
A church had just run... -- 1 Corinthians 7:17-23 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 1994
A church had just run out of money and decided that they could no longer afford a full-time priest.
John 1:35-42 Can you... -- John 1:35-42 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 1994
John 1:35-42
Sometimes it is not easy... -- Acts 10:34-38 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 1994
Sometimes it is not easy to remember that each of us is as important as the next.
Throughout the Bible, and especially... -- Sirach 24:1-2, 8-12 -- 1994
Throughout the Bible, and especially in the Old Testament, we find the biblical writers singing the
Finally, a Bible passage we... -- Romans 5:1-11 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
Finally, a Bible passage we can understand.
Instead of using a verbal... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 1994
Instead of using a verbal (oral, wordy) illustration for this passage this time around, go to the l
Thou art my beloved Son... -- Mark 1:9-15 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
"Thou art my beloved Son, with thee I am well pleased." In his book Mistreated, Ron Lee Dunn tell
In an article titled Dangers... -- 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 1994
In an article titled Dangers of Good Preaching, Wiliam Willimon writes that as a young preacher he t
Have you ever traveled on... -- Luke 3:1-6 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 1994
Have you ever traveled on the West Virginia turnpike?
Learning a foreign language is... -- Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 1994
Learning a foreign language is an intricate process.
The novel, Miracle Monday by... -- Ephesians 3:14-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 1994
The novel, Miracle Monday by Elliot S. Maggin, gives us a picture of a despondent Superman.
Joyce Doane joined our high... -- Ephesians 2:11-22 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 1994
Joyce Doane joined our high school class when we entered the ninth grade, the start of high school i
There was so much he... -- Mark 6:14-29 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 1994
There was so much he didn't understand! Odd things kept happening, terribly odd things!
She was 98 years old... -- Lamentations 3:22-33 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 1994
She was 98 years old. She was blind. She could hardly walk; her body was crippled with arthritis.
In ancient times, the household... -- Ephesians 5:21-31 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 1994
In ancient times, the household was considered the basic social unit, a microcosm of the rest of soc

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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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