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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

How many times have we... -- John 8:31-36 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1994
How many times have we seen engraved on a portal on a college campus or quoted by a speaker the wor
What an odd juxtaposition this... -- James 5:13-20 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1994
What an odd juxtaposition this idea of "if you are ill, send for the elders and they will anoint you
Jerzy Kozinski's classic novel, Being... -- James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 1994
Jerzy Kozinski's classic novel, Being There, is a humorous, yet challenging parable for the late 20t
Musicians who play woodwind or... -- James 3:1-12 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 1994
Musicians who play woodwind or brass instruments have to learn the technique of tonguing in order t
A 1993 article in Christian... -- Isaiah 59:(1-4) 9-19 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 1994
A 1993 article in Christian Century reported these facts.
At the close of a... -- Hebrews 9:11-14 -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - B -- 1994
At the close of a service an intelligent-looking man came to the minister and said, "I do not see an
The only one who knows... -- Hebrews 4:14-16 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 1994
The only one who knows the temptation to sin in its full intensity is the one who has not sinned.
One of the worst memories... -- Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 1994
One of the worst memories for people of this century would be the Holocaust, that evil plan of the N
The student chaplain entered the... -- Hebrews 4:12-16 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 1994
The student chaplain entered the room with trepidation.
There was a prudent man... -- Deuteronomy 8:1-10 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 1994
There was a prudent man who brushed his teeth twice a day, wore boots in wet weather, did his daily
During the 1948 Mideast War... -- Revelation 1:4b-8 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 1994
During the 1948 Mideast War, Vermont Senator Warren Austin asked: "Why can't these Arabs and Jews wo
Daniel is a tract for... -- Daniel 12:1-13 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 1994
Daniel is a tract for hard times written to comfort and strengthen the community of faith in a time
Angels abound in unexpected places... -- Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 -- All Saints Day - B -- 1994
Angels abound in unexpected places, not hidden, but not seen because our eyes are culturally blinded
Almost anyone would have to... -- Galatians 5:16-25 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 1994
Almost anyone would have to agree that Prohibition failed, and current anti-drug legislation is not
How often God uses some... -- Exodus 3:1-6 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 1994
How often God uses some apparently unrelated event or sign to get our attention for something more i
A district justice in Pendleton... -- Mark 16:15-20 -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 1994
A district justice in Pendleton, Oregon, got himself into some hot water.
Bob was a very successful... -- 1 John 4:1-11 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
Bob was a very successful business person, excelling in his job, moving up the corporate ladder of s
Irene Robel lived across the... -- 1 John 3:18-24 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
Irene Robel lived across the street from me when we were youngsters in grade school, and we want all
Paul's statement that those who... -- 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 1994
Paul's statement that "those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for
Horace has been bedridden now... -- 2 Corinthians 4:13--5:1 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 1994
Horace has been bedridden now for over a year.
Many prayers had been uttered... -- 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 1994
Many prayers had been uttered as preparations for this meal were made.
The outlook wasn't brilliant for... -- Isaiah 45:21-25 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 1994
"The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day" are familiar first words to the class
In the 1600s the astronomer... -- John 3:14-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
In the 1600s the astronomer Galileo was branded as a heretic and excommunicated from the church.
In Bruce Catton's book The... -- John 12:20-33 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
In Bruce Catton's book The Civil War, he tells of the accidental encounter which took place in the s
Several years ago there was... -- Romans 7:13-25 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
Several years ago there was a promising young major leaguer who was touted as one of the next genera

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
30 – Sermons
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Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
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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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