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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

A young girl showed her... -- Isaiah 9:2-7 -- The Nativity of our Lord - C -- 1994
A young girl showed her Christmas list to her father before sending it to Santa.
We all know many stories... -- Micah 5:2-5a -- 1994
We all know many stories of people of "great expectations," of whom much was expected.
How can we grasp the... -- Zephaniah 3:14-20 -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 1994
How can we grasp the sheer joy of the day of the Lord?
Cassie had been outside all... -- Malachi 3:1-4 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 1994
Cassie had been outside all morning, playing with her cat, and having a tea party in her mother's ga
In the movie Indecent Proposal... -- 2 Samuel 11:26--12:13a -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 1994
In the movie Indecent Proposal a rich man, who has everything, makes a proposal to a young couple.
In 1968 the Cincinnati Bengals... -- 2 Samuel 7:1-14a -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 1994
In 1968 the Cincinnati Bengals began playing in the NFL as an expansion team.
Some historians have suggested that... -- 2 Samuel 11:1-15 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 1994
Some historians have suggested that the United States lost her innocence because of the Watergate Sc
Bill Emery was a star... -- 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 1994
Bill Emery was a star athlete in our little high school, and he was also the star debater.
Billy Soya lived with his... -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 1994
Billy Soya lived with his grandparents two doors down the street from our place when we were in grad
In this beautiful prayer of... -- 1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 1994
In this beautiful prayer of dedication we are able to catch a glimpse of what God is like for the wi
Some still call him the... -- 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 1994
Some still call him the King.
In Frederick Buechner's book, Peculiar... -- 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 1994
In Frederick Buechner's book, Peculiar Treasures, he writes the following:
Some years ago, a young... -- Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1994
Some years ago, a young girl living in a remote village in the Philippines began to see visions of C
There are many songs that... -- Proverbs 31:10-31 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 1994
There are many songs that have been written about the tasks that make a woman into a good wife.
History does not treat kindly... -- Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1994
History does not treat kindly a person who betrays another.
The poem The Midnight Ride... -- Proverbs 1:20-33 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 1994
The poem "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" tells of Paul Revere's ride throughout the Massachusetts
Dr. Joseph Sittler made the... -- Ruth 1:1-18 -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - B -- 1994
Dr. Joseph Sittler made the following statement in his book Grace Notes And Fragments.
Our church had a class... -- Job 42:1-6, 10-17 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 1994
Our church had a class for high school students and there were perhaps 15 of us.
Job's problems seem overwhelming. Still... -- Job 38:1-7 (34-41) -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 1994
Job's problems seem overwhelming.
Even today my complaint is... -- Job 23:1-9, 16-17 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 1994
Even today my complaint is bitter."Wilber Nelson tells the story:
Robert Gard, long-time professor... -- Job 1:1; 2:1-10 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 1994
Robert Gard, long-time professor of theater and drama at the University of Wisconsin, was sitting in
The grass which surrounds my... -- 2 Samuel 23:1-7 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 1994
The grass which surrounds my house is clear and bright, tender and healthy, thick as a mat.
Hannah prayed to God for... -- 1 Samuel 1:4-20 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 1994
Hannah prayed to God for a child and when God finally blessed her with a child she dedicated that ch
One of the essentials in... -- Isaiah 6:1-8 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 1994
One of the essentials in working a 12-step program, in Alcoholics Anonymous and other groups that us
When we hear the word... -- Acts 2:1-21 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 1994
When we hear the word witness our minds automatically think of a courtroom and of one who promises t

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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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