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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

In the year that King... -- Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13) -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2006
"In the year that King Uzziah died. I saw the Lord." Isaiah likely had gone alone to the
Jesus' call can be traced... -- Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13) -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2006
Jesus' call can be traced back to his baptismal experience and to that Isaiah 61 passage.
Here's a little piece that... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2006
Here's a little piece that has been circulating anonymously on the Internet.
Judith did not like the... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2006
Judith did not like the limelight. She worked hard, put herself fully into every project or
Pastor Juanita was leading an... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2006
Pastor Juanita was leading an afternoon Bible study at a church in a poor section of town.
What makes Jesus different? What... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2006
What makes Jesus different? What qualified him to solely lead us to God? Note the
Jon visited and welcomed his... -- Luke 5:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2006
Jon visited and welcomed his new neighbors, but they didn't seem to care about him, his
I have a friend who... -- Luke 5:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2006
I have a friend who is both a pastor and a professional fisherman. He has a wonderful hat
For some reason, fishing takes... -- Luke 5:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2006
For some reason, fishing takes on wild proportions, and a fish story automatically implies
There are times that come... -- Luke 5:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2006
There are times that come to us all when the fish just do not bite. There are occasions
He was retired military: safe... -- Jeremiah 17:5-10 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2006
He was retired military: safe and secure after more than twenty years in the service, living
Growing up on the prairies... -- Jeremiah 17:5-10 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2006
Growing up on the prairies makes one aware of the importance of moisture. Folks would
Life was difficult for Melinda... -- Jeremiah 17:5-10 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2006
Life was difficult for Melinda and her eight-year-old son, Kyle. It was hard enough
Why does man feel so... -- Jeremiah 17:5-10 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2006
"Why does man feel so sad in the twentieth century?" asked the philosopher, Walker
If we don't do surgery... -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2006
"If we don't do surgery soon, you're in for real trouble."
D. L. Moody, the great... -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2006
D. L. Moody, the great evangelist of the nineteenth century, assigned some ministerial
The year was 1799, the... -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2006
The year was 1799, the armies of Napoleon were conquering all in their path. They
Funny time for an Easter... -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2006
Funny time for an Easter sermon. How can we possibly preach on resurrection when
Dorothea Hertzberg served a term... -- Luke 6:17-26 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2006
Dorothea Hertzberg served a term as a Peace Corps volunteer in the tiny, impoverished
Kelly had it made. He... -- Luke 6:17-26 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2006
Kelly had it made. He won $100,000 in a lottery and promptly quit his job. He began to
Kim was having a hard... -- Luke 6:17-26 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2006
Kim was having a hard time adjusting to the fact that her life had changed in a way she
Did you ever hope you... -- Luke 6:17-26 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2006
Did you ever hope you could be a hero? Save all the children on your school bus? Solve a
Alan described himself as a... -- Exodus 34:29-35 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 2006
Alan described himself as a "fair to middlin'" church member. His family always attended
Entering the hospital room of... -- Exodus 34:29-35 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 2006
Entering the hospital room of a dearly beloved parishioner who was dying, I knew it
Early in the spring, I... -- Exodus 34:29-35 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 2006
Early in the spring, I planted some bean seeds. Being in a small "cold frame" they

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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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