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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

It is said that there... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1994
It is said that there are two kinds of people: there are amplifiers and there are condensers.
One day an old man... -- Jeremiah 11:18-20 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1994
One day an old man came to President Lincoln with a sad tale.
A couple decided that their... -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 1994
A couple decided that their two boys had finally reached the age where they could be left unsupervis
During Mohammed Ali's later boxing... -- Isaiah 50:4-9a -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 1994
During Mohammed Ali's later boxing matches, he adopted a strategy which was called "rope-a-dope." At
Keep these words that I... -- Deuteronomy 6:2-6 -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - B -- 1994
"Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart.
In the mini-series, War... -- Jeremiah 31:7-9 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 1994
In the mini-series, War And Remembrance, Professor Jastrow is a Jewish American philosophy professo
Professor Harry Miller taught creative... -- Isaiah 53:4-12 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 1994
Professor Harry Miller taught creative writing classes at Central Michigan University when I registe
Wisdom is the right use... -- Wisdom 7:7-11 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 1994
"Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise.
Who's The Boss? isn't just... -- Genesis 2:18-24 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 1994
Who's The Boss?
A man was having problems... -- Joel 2:21-27 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 1994
A man was having problems sleeping.
once heard a pastor complain... -- Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 1994
once heard a pastor complain that Christianity was a "nice" religion, that Christians are supposed
On the facing of the... -- Solomon 3:1-9 -- All Saints Day - B -- 1994
On the facing of the upper deck at Texas stadium where the Dallas Cowboys play, hang the names and n
The widow of Zarephath seemed... -- 1 Kings 17:8-16 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 1994
The widow of Zarephath seemed to have so little to offer to the work of God, but God somehow took wh
He'd always enjoyed bird-watching... -- Deuteronomy 6:4-9 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 1994
He'd always enjoyed bird-watching, and found that some of them, like the meadowlark had such easily
She had been dead for... -- Ezekiel 37:1-14 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 1994
She had been dead for years. No, not dying. Dead. Stone, cold, dead. Dead emotionally.
At the end of A... -- 1 John 5:9-13 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
At the end of A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is so elated at having a second chance, of undoing
As the young mother was... -- Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 1994
As the young mother was getting her children ready for bed, her eight-year-old son got into bed wit
In an editorial published in... -- Acts 10:44-48 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
In an editorial published in Christianity Today, (March 8, 1993, p.
A woman found an old... -- Acts 9:26-31 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
A woman found an old secretary desk stored in the barn of her grandparents' farm.
When William Barclay's daughter was... -- Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 1994
When William Barclay's daughter was 21 years old she was involved in a terrible yachting accident.
In ancient Babylon there was... -- Job 38:1, 8-11 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 1994
In ancient Babylon there was a myth about creation resulting from the battle of the goddess Tiamat,
In this world you can't... -- Ezekiel 17:22-24 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - B -- 1994
In this world you can't live a day without conflict.
The French Revolution was a... -- Deuteronomy 5:12-15 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 1994
The French Revolution was a result of the common people against the nobility.
In baseball there are many... -- Exodus 24:3-11 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 1994
In baseball there are many rituals that players use when they play.
Our king and liberator comes... -- Zechariah 9:1-10 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 1994
Our king and liberator comes not as the warrior, but as the peacemaker.

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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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