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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Have you ever wondered what... -- Hebrews 5:5-10 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
Have you ever wondered what it means to be really human?
Archaeologists uncovered on the wall... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
Archaeologists uncovered on the wall of an ancient Greek school house an interesting piece of graffi
The finance committee decided to... -- 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
The finance committee decided to review the church's insurance needs.
Little Timmy sat in the... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
Little Timmy sat in the kitchen floor playing with his cars and trucks.
Once upon a time a... -- Acts 3:13-15, 17-26 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
Once upon a time a young man with no credentials and no formal training began telling people that th
Clyde loved playing baseball. His... -- Acts 10:34, 37-43 -- Easter Day - B -- 1994
Clyde loved playing baseball. His coaches claimed that he had a lot of natural ability.
Even though the news was... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - B -- 1994
Even though the news was somewhat inevitable, it still came as a bit of a shock to the group.
I had just turned 10... -- Ephesians 3:1-12 -- Epiphany of the Lord - B -- 1994
I had just turned 10 years old when I knew the Lord had called me to be a preacher.
It is good to remember... -- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 1994
It is good to remember how important our example may be to another person, both in positive and neg
A discussion had arisen in... -- Jeremiah 3:21-4:2 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 1994
A discussion had arisen in a Sunday school class on the subject of grace.
Nels Wickstrom and Anna Steel... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 1994
Nels Wickstrom and Anna Steel, both natives of Sweden, were married in Florence County, Wisconsin in
The news photographs were heart... -- Isaiah 42:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 1994
The news photographs were heart breaking.
Few people recognize the name... -- Isaiah 61:10--62:3 -- 1994
Few people recognize the name Charles Tazewell but virtually everyone has enjoyed his classic tale,
Like Jacob, early in his... -- Genesis 28:10-17 (18-22) -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
Like Jacob, early in his life, Francis Thompson seemed to be an unlikely recipient of God's grace.
As a pastor, one of... -- Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 1994
As a pastor, one of the most painful experiences is to come to the hospital room of a parishioner a
It was a simple handshake... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 1994
It was a simple handshake, but it was filled with so much meaning that millions of people watched v
Did you hear the one... -- Genesis 22:1-18 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
Did you hear the one about the man who wanted so badly to show his wife how much he loved her that h
Surely we have all known... -- Job 7:1-17 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 1994
Surely we have all known times when it seems that if we could only lie down and sleep that would bri
Boot camp. Many are the... -- Titus 2:11-14 -- 1994
Boot camp. Many are the stories told by recruits, volunteers and draftees about boot camp.
The session of a Presbyterian... -- Hebrews 10:5-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C -- 1994
The session of a Presbyterian church in Fort Worth, Texas, was meeting.
Over the years, many brides... -- Baruch 5:1-9 -- 1994
Over the years, many brides have told me that the one moment that made them realize that they were a
Ed went to the hospital... -- Philippians 4:4-7 -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 1994
Ed went to the hospital to visit his friend Jack. "How's it going, Jack?" Ed asked.
In ancient times, blood was... -- Exodus 24:3-11 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 1994
In ancient times, blood was seen as being effective in establishing community between God and human
The pastor sank his small... -- 2 Kings 4:42.44 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 1994
The pastor sank his small shovel into the sand.
In spite of Amaziah's disapproval... -- Amos 7:12-15 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 1994
In spite of Amaziah's disapproval, Amos speaks with the assurance of one who is confident in his sel

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
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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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