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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Whether we live in the... -- Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 1991
Whether we live in the city on in the country, solitude can be ours, on it can escape us.
The unity of the Spirit... -- Ephesians 4:1-6 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 1991
"... The unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace ..." Not uniformity, unity.
Belief is not always easy... -- John 6:35, 41-51 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 1991
Belief is not always easy.
They were astonished beyond measure... -- Mark 7:31-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1991
"...
Is it not strange that... -- John 20:1-18 -- Easter Day - B -- 1991
Is it not strange that the record of the appearances of the Risen Lord do not take place in the temp
It was a dull rainy... -- Luke 24:35-48 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 1991
"It was a dull rainy day when things looked dark and lowering, but Phillips Brooks came down through
Too many conservative Christians seem... -- John 14:15-21 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1991
Too many conservative Christians seem to spend too much of their study of the New Testament speculat
When the flame in a... -- Mark 6:30-34 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 1991
When the flame in a rocket engine is extinguished because the fuel is exhausted, it is called burnou
During the 1930s, a popular... -- Ephesians 3:14-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 1991
During the 1930s, a popular Scottish student, known for his oratorical ability, was accepted as mini
If Jesus is the bread... -- John 6:24-35 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 1991
If Jesus is the bread of life, it seems to me life ought to be fun.
In The Daily Study Bible... -- John 6:35, 41-51 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 1991
In The Daily Study Bible, William Barclay in "The Gospel of John" (Vol. 1, pp.
Bill and Marsha tried very... -- Mark 7:31-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1991
Bill and Marsha tried very hard to be effective parents.
The word translated servant is... -- Mark 9:30-37 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 1991
The word translated servant is "diakonos" from which we have deacon.
Intolerance is the mark of... -- Mark 9:38-50 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1991
Intolerance is the mark of a great deal of religious expression and yet seems far from the ethos of
When Major General William Big... -- Hebrews 3:1-6 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 1991
When Major General William "Big Bull" Dean was a prisoner of the Communist Chinese in Korea and had
What is the meaning of... -- Mark 10:46-52 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 1991
What is the meaning of the gift of sight? Is it the ability to see the physical world with clarity?
Years ago, the late Harry... -- Mark 1:4-11 -- 1991
Years ago, the late Harry Emerson Fosdick wrote: "Sometimes I think we would do well to declare a mo
Jesus continued walking by Lake... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 1991
"Jesus continued walking by Lake Galilee" (Mark 1:19, The Everyday Bible).
Dr. Fosdick once told that... -- 2 Corinthians 3:12--4:2 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 1991
Dr.
Many years ago the rulers... -- Mark 1:9-15 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 1991
Many years ago the rulers of China built a great wall to keep the barbaric hordes of the north from
We are perpetually using ourselves... -- Mark 8:31-38 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 1991
We are perpetually using ourselves up, always giving ourselves for something.
Louise Degrafinried of Mason, Tennessee... -- John 6:4-15 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1991
Louise Degrafinried of Mason, Tennessee, astounded the nation in 1984 when she persuaded an escaped
Pontius Pilate became the sixth... -- Mark 14:1--15:47 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 1991
Pontius Pilate became the sixth procurator (or governor) of Judea in the year AD. 26.
John Selwyn, after whom Selwyn... -- John 13:1-15 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 1991
John Selwyn, after whom Selwyn College in Cambridge, England, was named, served for a time as bishop
These days of our Lord's... -- John 18:1-19:42 -- Good Friday - B -- 1991
These days of our Lord's trial and crucifixion -- how momentous, how moving.

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UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Ascension of the Lord
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 7
20 – Sermons
170+ – Illustrations / Stories
26 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
20 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Pentecost
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 stuffie.

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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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