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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

William Faulkner's novel, As I... -- Isaiah 43:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2006
William Faulkner's novel, As I Lay Dying, presents a dysfunctional family on its
Fear -- it comes to many... -- Isaiah 43:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2006
Fear -- it comes to many when they listen to the news, when they wait for grades, when
Sometimes a great treasure is... -- Isaiah 43:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2006
Sometimes a great treasure is lost when we fail to realize the value.
Knee-deep in exile, the... -- Isaiah 43:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2006
Knee-deep in exile, the Israelites had a lot to fear. They feared for their beloved country
One of the most remarkable... -- Acts 8:14-17 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2006
One of the most remarkable athletes of our time was the late Susan Butcher, who won
Software companies will sometimes offer... -- Acts 8:14-17 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2006
Software companies will sometimes offer customers a trial version of one of their
It was evident from their... -- Acts 8:14-17 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2006
It was evident from their chance encounter that Dan was delighted to start college. It had
Ask any pilot. He or... -- Acts 8:14-17 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2006
Ask any pilot. He or she will tell you that there are times when its difficult to know which
Steve walked into the airline... -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2006
Steve walked into the airline terminal to meet Gary. Together they'd have four days at the
Brennan Manning tells the story... -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2006
Brennan Manning tells the story of an 80-year-old Roman Catholic priest and his
Can you imagine anyone finding... -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2006
Can you imagine anyone finding good, or singing praise to God while your house is on
Weeks ago, we stood by... -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2006
Weeks ago, we stood by the manger and heard the singing of angels. They told of good
Episcopal priest, Robert Capon, said... -- Isaiah 62:1-5 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2006
Episcopal priest, Robert Capon, said, "We are in a war between dullness and
For years, the Brewer boys... -- Isaiah 62:1-5 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2006
For years, the Brewer boys antagonized their fellow riders on the school bus. The
One of the leaders of... -- Isaiah 62:1-5 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2006
One of the leaders of the church asked to address the congregation one Sunday morning.
I recently attended a community... -- Isaiah 62:1-5 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2006
I recently attended a community theater play that we had seen before in a different
Centrifugal comes from the Latin... -- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2006
"Centrifugal" comes from the Latin: to flee the center. It means to impel outward,
One day, a hunter from... -- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2006
One day, a hunter from St. Louis was out hunting in Minnesota. He had been in his duck
A king at one time... -- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2006
A king at one time had many mirrors in his castle, but just a few tiny windows. Without
The apostle Paul told his... -- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2006
The apostle Paul told his warring friends at Corinth that each one of them was gifted.
Something old, something new, something... -- John 2:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2006
"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." To that list of
Making wine the traditional way... -- John 2:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2006
Making wine the traditional way is a painstaking task. A quick overview is as follows:
Weddings are joyous times as... -- John 2:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2006
Weddings are joyous times as family and friends gather to celebrate. In addition to family
Every conscientious host dreads it... -- John 2:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2006
Every conscientious host dreads it happening. What could be worse than running out of
Elaine and her friends knew... -- Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2006
Elaine and her friends knew that her family was strange. Elaine could tell by her friends'

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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...

New & Featured This Week

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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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