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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Theological issues aside, there is... -- Acts 19:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 1994
Theological issues aside, there is a human situation here that pastors will understand.
Some years ago, I was... -- Jeremiah 31:7-14 -- 1994
Some years ago, I was privileged to hear Eli Wiesel present a lecture in a university campus settin
Mr. Hartley owned Hartley's Mill... -- Romans 4:13-25 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
Mr.
Christians have always viewed baptism... -- 1 Peter 3:18-22 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
Christians have always viewed baptism as a dramatic portrayal of what the Christian faith is about.
Joachim Jeremias in his valuable... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 1994
Joachim Jeremias in his valuable book, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus, told of the ostentation of th
As the story of the... -- 2 Kings 4:18-21, 32-37 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 1994
As the story of the Shunammite's son illustrates, God's power to grant life and blessing often aris
A college choir and orchestra... -- 1 Kings 19:9-18 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 1994
A college choir and orchestra was on a concert tour of Europe.
Recently Sandra had attended a... -- Titus 2:11-14 -- 1994
Recently Sandra had attended a lecture in which the speaker said, "The 20th century theologian Jurge
Wake Up, Wake Up, To... -- Hebrews 10:5-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C -- 1994
Wake Up, Wake Up, To Do the Word of the Creator is the account of life in a warm orthodox Jewish fam
There are many thought-provoking... -- Baruch 5:1-9 -- 1994
There are many thought-provoking and deeply moving scenes in the Academy Award-winning film, Schindl
This time of year provides... -- Philippians 4:4-7 -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 1994
This time of year provides multiple opportunities to become worried and dispirited.
Moses not only wrote down... -- Exodus 24:3-11 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 1994
Moses not only wrote down the law, but he also read it to the people.
Once upon a time, there... -- 2 Kings 2:1-15 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 1994
Once upon a time, there was a young lad who had inherited a gold watch.
The man had tried every... -- Isaiah 57:14b-21 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 1994
The man had tried every way he could think of to get his son to behave.
From a contemporary Christian prophet... -- Amos 7:12-15 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 1994
From a contemporary Christian prophet:
Whether or not these verses... -- Proverbs 9:1-6 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 1994
Whether or not these verses are used in the sermon, they would provide an excellent call to worship
Karl Barth authored a little... -- Joshua 24:1-2, 15-18 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 1994
Karl Barth authored a little book, The Gospel and the Churches.
Angels seem to be popping... -- 1 Kings 19:4-8 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 1994
Angels seem to be popping up everywhere these days: in conversations, books, movies, and as subject
Some time ago the news... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1994
Some time ago the news program Good Morning America had a feature on how the cross had become the ho
Sibling rivalry was to be... -- Numbers 11:25-29 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1994
Sibling rivalry was to be expected with kids. She knew that.
A few years ago there... -- Wisdom 1:16-2:1 (6-11) 12-22 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 1994
A few years ago there was much discussion about whether to put warning labels on music records and c
The words of verses four... -- Deuteronomy 6:2-6 -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - B -- 1994
The words of verses four through nine are on a small parchment scroll inside the mezuzah, a small ca
The Greek Orthodox Church has... -- Isaiah 50:4-9a -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 1994
The Greek Orthodox Church has an interesting custom.
I will lead them beside... -- Jeremiah 31:7-9 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 1994
"I will lead them beside streams of water."
As part of a healing... -- Hebrews 5:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 1994
As part of a healing workshop the participants were asked to tape an hour of conversation.

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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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