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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

One day while he was... -- Genesis 1:1-15 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 1994
One day while he was president, George Bush paid a visit to an elementary school.
John was a person who... -- Genesis 9:8-17 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
John was a person who had grown up in the church but suddenly because of several family problems he
God established with Abram a... -- Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
God established with Abram a covenant for all time, a promise not to be altered by the passing of th
You would probably be hard... -- Joel 2:12-18 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 1994
You would probably be hard pressed to name five products in your home that do not have warning label
The story of the assumption... -- 2 Kings 2:1-12 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 1994
The story of the assumption of Elijah is told in a style of the loftiest poetry, with an imagination
Put forth wings -- run -- walk... -- Isaiah 40:21-31 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 1994
"Put forth wings -- run -- walk. Is the order correct?
During the last several years... -- Matthew 23:34-39 -- 1993
During the last several years, Tom Clancy has been one of the nation's best-selling authors.
And when the time came... -- Luke 2:22-40 -- 1993
"And when the time came for purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerus
During the Christmas season of... -- John 1:1-14 -- 1993
During the Christmas season of 1991, John Field was a department store Santa Claus in New Zealand.
A legend tells us that... -- Luke 2:1-14 -- 1993
A legend tells us that members of a church in Mexico brought great quantities of flowers to the alta
What must Mary have been... -- Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- 1993
What must Mary have been feeling then?Thoughts all jumbled, mixed together, upside down,
Almost all cultures have ritual... -- Galatians 4:4-7 -- 1993
Almost all cultures have ritual passages in which members move from childhood to adulthood.
A man had taken over... -- Hebrews 1:1-9 -- 1993
A man had taken over a defunct grain elevator in my little hometown.
Even in a convent, where... -- John 1:6-8, 19-28 -- 1993
Even in a convent, where liturgical services are a part of everyday life, we have to have choir prac
Every story has a beginning... -- Mark 1:1-8 -- 1993
Every story has a beginning. Fairy tales often begin with the words, "Once upon a time.
According to Luke the name... -- Luke 1:26-38 -- 1993
According to Luke the name Jesus was God-given.
Do not quench the Spirit... -- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 -- 1993
"Do not quench the Spirit."
Advent is a season of... -- Mark 1:1-8 -- 1993
Advent is a season of God's surprises!
As a means of advertising... -- 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 -- 1993
As a means of advertising their presence in a community, one church had key chains made.
For years, advertisers have used... -- Romans 16:25-27 -- 1993
For years, advertisers have used a wide variety of tactics to sell powders, potions, food products,
Angus Heath and I were... -- 2 Chronicles 24:17-22 -- 1993
Angus Heath and I were in the sixth grade together and lived only a couple of houses apart.
We forget just how dependent... -- Isaiah 9:2-7 -- The Nativity of our Lord - C -- 1993
We forget just how dependent we have become on the electric company until there is a power failure.
Only once did a person... -- Isaiah 9:2-7 -- The Nativity of our Lord - C -- 1993
Only once did a person present an Acadamy Award to himself, and that was before television.
David was privileged to have... -- 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 -- 1993
David was privileged to have Nathan around to inform him when his goals and ideas were not what God
Perhaps those of us who... -- Isaiah 9:2-7 -- The Nativity of our Lord - C -- 1993
Perhaps those of us who are primarily city dwellers do not understand the full measure of rejoicing

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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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