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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

When Jesus is our... -- Mark 8:27-38 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2003
When Jesus is our leader, we will deny ourselves on his behalf.
Jesus says to find... -- Mark 8:27-38 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2003
Jesus says to find our lives we must be willing to lose them.
In the Australian film... -- Mark 8:27-38 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2003
In the Australian film Merry Christmas, Mr.
One of my favorite... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2003
One of my favorite playground toys as a child was the seesaw.
The text says that... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2003
The text says that Jesus looked up to heaven, gave a deep groan, and said, "Open up,” to this
The wonderful children's musical... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2003
The wonderful children's musical, The Wizard of Oz, has captivated its audiences for we
Do you have a... -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2003
Do you have a good name? What does your name mean?
When the Taliban ruled... -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2003
When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, they sowed a rigid conformity of lifestyle that did not ho
Throughout her long life... -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2003
Throughout her long life of service, Mother Teresa minimized her own needs through her vows of
The Bible gives direct... -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2003
The Bible gives direct instruction to us on how to treat other people, especially the poor.
The Spirit confirms the work... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2003
The Spirit confirms the work and word of Christ in the world.
Speaking on Robert Shuller's Hour... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Speaking on Robert Shuller's Hour of Power program a few years ago, Billy Graham said:
When people who have just... -- John 15:9-17 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
When people who have just performed some heroic, life-threatening deed in order to save another are
Just as good nutrition and... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Just as good nutrition and exercise are indispensable to our well-being, so is our relationship with
In London with a tour... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
In London with a tour group, we were scheduled to visit the Tate Art Gallery one morning.
In Margaret Wise Brown's classic... -- Mark 4:35-41 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2003
In Margaret Wise Brown's classic children's tale, The Runaway Bunny, is the story of a bunny who dre
We don't automatically understand how... -- Mark 5:21-43 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2003
We don't automatically understand how remarkable the encounter between Jesus and the woman with the
The role of Christ in... -- John 3:1-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2003
The role of Christ in announcing the transforming and redemptive love of God is central in this pass
There was once a young... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2003
There was once a young man who decided to add a deck onto the back of his new house over a long Four
Gilbert Keith Chesterton called the... -- John 15:9-17 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Gilbert Keith Chesterton called the joy we experience in Christ "the gigantic secret of the Christia
Early in the twentieth century... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Early in the twentieth century, a Presbyterian clergyman by the name of John Knox Montgomery accepte
The 2nd Space Operations Squadron... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
The 2nd Space Operations Squadron of the 50th Space Wing of the U. S.
The passage bespeaks the incredible... -- Mark 5:21-43 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2003
The passage bespeaks the incredible power of God to transform and the place of faith in that transfo
Jesus suddenly appeared to the... -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Jesus suddenly appeared to the disciples and said, "Peace be with you." We will do well to remember
Susan couldn't wait for Saturday... -- Mark 4:35-41 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2003
Susan couldn't wait for Saturday morning.

Political Pulpit

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UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
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 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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