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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

A phone call after midnight... -- John 3:1-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2003
A phone call after midnight is seldom good news.
One of the most privileged... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2003
One of the most privileged tasks of a minister is to be a counselor.
In Flags of our Fathers... -- John 15:9-17 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
In Flags of our Fathers, author James Bradley tells of a conversation with Jacklyn Lucas.
In hydrothermal vents on the... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
In hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, scientists have discovered life in the form of microbes th
Sometimes it's too good to... -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Sometimes "it's too good to be true." We can't believe. Such good news!
Twice in these few verses... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Twice in these few verses, Jesus says that the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
The movie Apollo 13 tells... -- Mark 5:21-43 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2003
The movie Apollo 13 tells the riveting story behind perhaps the second most famous quote in the hist
Hollywood movie producers spend millions... -- Mark 4:35-41 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2003
Hollywood movie producers spend millions of dollars each film on special effects.
There is power in wind... -- John 3:1-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2003
There is power in wind.
We need to hear the... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2003
We need to hear the truth, even if it comes to us unvarnished.
Unplugged? Plug in here and... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
"Unplugged? Plug in here and get current with God!" So announced the church sign to the passersby.
To abide in my love... -- John 15:9-17 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
To "abide in my love" is to stand firm in it, to continue in it, to grow deeper into it.
Born in France in 1576... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Born in France in 1576, Saint Vincent de Paul became a priest at a young age and was then captured b
A Jewish director was agonizing... -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
A Jewish director was agonizing through what must have been his fiftieth film for This Is the Life,
Jesus told the ruler, Do... -- Mark 5:21-43 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2003
Jesus told the ruler, "Do not fear, only believe." The report that his daughter was dead had reached
Jesus' calming of a sea... -- Mark 4:35-41 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2003
Jesus' calming of a sea storm is a paradigm for the way he also calms the storms that rage in our he
To be born again means... -- John 3:1-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2003
To be born again means to be made a new person.
Reverend Cindy prayed that God... -- Romans 8:22-27 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2003
Reverend Cindy prayed that God would use her.
There are ways that the... -- 1 John 5:1-6 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
There are ways that the presence of faith reveals God's victory in the world.
The text describes love itself... -- 1 John 4:7-21 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
The text describes love itself as the very image of God present in God's people.
Few things so cultivate a... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Few things so cultivate a shared orientation as a common ordeal.
The house was ablaze and... -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
The house was ablaze and little Tommy's screams could be heard from within.
Paul reminds us of an... -- 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2003
Paul reminds us of an eternal reality. It is not easy to serve God.
While Jesus didn't raise every... -- Mark 5:21-43 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2003
While Jesus didn't raise every dead child in Israel, his bringing Jairus' daughter back to life was
At church camp, Reverend Howard... -- Romans 8:12-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2003
At church camp, Reverend Howard and another boy took off in a canoe.

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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
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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
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Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
34 – Sermons
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32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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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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