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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

It is the power of... -- Acts 3:13-15, 17-26 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
It is the power of Jesus' name alone that has made the lame man strong, as God promised to the coven
When Nathaniel was three years... -- Acts 10:34, 37-43 -- Easter Day - B -- 1994
When Nathaniel was three years old his parents took him to see an Easter pageant.
If there is a time... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - B -- 1994
If there is a time when we need to encourage or be encouraged it is Good Friday.
A mother once came to... -- Ephesians 3:1-12 -- Epiphany of the Lord - B -- 1994
A mother once came to me telling that she would like to see her son involved with the youth group,
An old beer commercial shows... -- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 1994
An old beer commercial shows a fellow looking into the camera saying, "When I have the friends ove
The prophet is talking about... -- Jeremiah 3:21-4:2 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 1994
The prophet is talking about ritual human sacrifice, a practice that evidence seems to indicate was
As a child, I can... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 1994
As a child, I can remember, at least once a year, the church observing Temperance Sunday.
In his book, A Time... -- Isaiah 42:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 1994
In his book, A Time to Kill, John Grisham strikes an emotional nerve in American society.
A senior high Sunday school... -- Romans 4:13-35 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
A senior high Sunday school class was discussing marriage and the family.
Sometimes God appears to remove... -- Genesis 22:1-18 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
Sometimes God appears to remove the salvation God has begun in history.
Grace is counter-cultural. It... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 1994
Grace is counter-cultural. It was in Jesus' day; it is in our day.
Leprosy was mostly an issue... -- Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 1994
Leprosy was mostly an issue of being ritually unclean.
A cartoon in a magazine... -- Job 7:1-17 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 1994
A cartoon in a magazine a few years ago pictured an insurance man calling up Dr.
Many Olympic athletes appear only... -- Titus 2:11-14 -- 1994
Many Olympic athletes appear only in one Olympics before their young but aging bodies give way to a
In The Forgiveness Book, the... -- Hebrews 10:5-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C -- 1994
In The Forgiveness Book, the Reverend Bob Libby tells many stories from his ministry and of his enco
The very recent tragedy of... -- Philippians 4:4-7 -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 1994
The very recent tragedy of the tornadoes which wrought widespread destruction in Georgia and the Car
In 1846, a group of... -- Baruch 5:1-9 -- 1994
In 1846, a group of immigrants under the leadership of George Donner was forced to winter in the Sie
As children many of us... -- Exodus 24:3-11 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 1994
As children many of us made blood pacts with one another.
This text is a story... -- 2 Kings 4:42-44 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 1994
This text is a story about giving.
In Walter Brueggemann's book, The... -- Jeremiah 23:1-6 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 1994
In Walter Brueggemann's book, The Prophetic Imagination, he tells how God once destroyed an evil reg
Did you ever notice that... -- Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 1994
Did you ever notice that it's easier to break a commandment than a habit? Why is that?- Mosley
I guess the most famous... -- Amos 7:10-15 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 1994
I guess the most famous book Dale Carnegie wrote was How to Win Friends and Influence People.
A businessperson, after watching Billy... -- Joshua 24:1-2, 15-18 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 1994
A businessperson, after watching Billy Graham on television, was thinking of receiving Jesus into hi
Just outside of Pittsburgh there... -- Proverbs 9:1-6 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 1994
Just outside of Pittsburgh there is a golf community: expensive homes located on a golf course.
When Clarence and his wife... -- 1 Kings 19:4-8 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 1994
When Clarence and his wife, Ruth, sold their home and moved into their new apartment at Heritage Acr

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
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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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