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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Sometimes she felt she surely... -- Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 1994
Sometimes she felt she surely knew the distant vision of the date farmer, for the one who planted d
It is not good for... -- Genesis 2:18-24 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 1994
"It is not good for a man to be alone."Silent Partner For Women Drivers
It was called friendship cake... -- 1 Kings 17:8-16 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 1994
It was called "friendship cake." Actually, it was a mixture of flour, milk, yeast and an assortment
Joel understands the end of... -- Joel 2:21-27 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 1994
Joel understands the end of the invasion of locusts and the restoration of an abundant harvest as a
All my being seeks God... -- Isaiah 26:1-4, 8-9, 12-13, 19-21 -- All Saints Day - B -- 1994
"All my being seeks God." Dorothy Day, one of the founders of the Catholic Worker movement, did not
The setting is the time... -- Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 1994
The setting is the time of Moses, but the words are addressed to a shattered people in the days of t
A miner was trapped when... -- Romans 8:22-27 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 1994
A miner was trapped when there was a mine cave-in. For 12 days rescuers worked to free this miner.
In our community, a Sister's... -- John 17:6-19 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
In our community, a Sister's Life Profession service takes place in the midst of the celebration of
Barnabas emerges as an exceptional... -- Acts 11:19-30 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
Barnabas emerges as an exceptional person. He was a Levite.
George Bass wrote about the... -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 1994
George Bass wrote about the Ascension of Our Lord: The Ascension of our Lord used to be celebrated u
Most of the time that... -- Acts 9:26-31 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
Most of the time that he is mentioned in the New Testament is merely as that of a traveling companio
John Wesley was a life... -- Deuteronomy 15:7-11 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 1994
John Wesley was a life-long advocate of a doctrine known as Christian Perfection, for which he was o
Reader's Digest printed an article... -- Job 38:1, 8-11 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 1994
Reader's Digest printed an article about the wonders that are present in just one square inch of hum
The Messianic promise comes in... -- Ezekiel 17:22-24 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - B -- 1994
The Messianic promise comes in the voice of Ezekiel in a totally new and unexpected way.
There is a story about... -- Deuteronomy 5:12-15 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 1994
There is a story about a traveler from Italy who arrived at the French town of Chartres to see the g
One morning as a minister... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 1994
One morning as a minister arrived at his church, he became aware of a commotion across the street at
Mother Teresa speaks constantly of... -- Zechariah 9:9-10 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 1994
Mother Teresa speaks constantly of the need for humility, both in thought and lifestyle.
In the Camelot legend a... -- Hebrews 5:5-10 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
In the Camelot legend a young Arthur comes upon a sword inside a stone.
Kathy was a well-balanced... -- Ephesians 2:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
Kathy was a well-balanced 10-year-old girl.
The story is told of... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
The story is told of Rabbi Joshua, who was a very ugly man, so much so that children were sometimes
If life has any purpose... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
If life has any purposeany point, however small,any lasting meaning,
You better get a lawyer... -- 1 John 2:1-5 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
"You better get a lawyer," Jim said to me.
JoiningWhere flies the... -- Acts 10:34, 37-43 -- Easter Day - B -- 1994
JoiningWhere flies the dove?Over whom does it hover?
John Locke, 17th century English... -- Acts 3:13-15, 17-26 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
John Locke, 17th century English philosopher, wrote, "Repentance is a hearty sorrow for our past mi
Throughout the night we have... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - B -- 1994
Throughout the night we have come, keeping vigil,watching, waiting in the in-between --

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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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