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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

Guest column

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

We're not there yet, but... -- Romans 8:22-27 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2003
We're not there yet, but we are on the way.
Every Tuesday morning, I meet... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2003
Every Tuesday morning, I meet with residents of a nursing home.
God has a plan for... -- John 1:(1-9) 10-18 -- 2003
God has a plan for baby Saige.
It is difficult today to... -- Mark 1:21-28 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2003
It is difficult today to imagine demons being driven from our lives, enabling us to become radically
Jesus told the healed leper... -- Mark 1:40-45 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2003
Jesus told the healed leper not to tell others about his healing, but the man told everyone he met.
Karl Barth once said: Look... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2003
Karl Barth once said: "Look at the face of a criminal and you will see what God sees when he looks a
I grew up in a... -- John 12:20-33 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
I grew up in a large urban church in downtown Paterson, New Jersey.
As a symbol, the cross... -- John 18:1-19:42 -- Good Friday - B -- 2003
As a symbol, the cross has shown up in a number of surprising places, but as far as we know, it was
We've adopted all three of... -- 1 John 5:1-6 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
We've adopted all three of our dogs from the animal shelter.
A trip to a haunted... -- 1 John 4:7-21 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
A trip to a haunted house recently turned into a lesson in love for two little six-year-old twin gir
To most of the world... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
To most of the world, Mary Silzel is just another grandmother cruising the merchandise on eBay.
Recently a television special recounted... -- 1 John 3:1-7 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Recently a television special recounted the life of John F. Kennedy, Jr.
There's a little town in... -- 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2003
There's a little town in northeast Ohio called Hanoverton, settled in the early 1800s by Protestants
So much turns on the... -- 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2003
So much turns on the little word, "but," as Paul used it in verse 4.
There is hardly a scene... -- Romans 8:12-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2003
There is hardly a scene that can surpass in suspense than the reading of the will.
The death of baseball great... -- Romans 8:22-27 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2003
The death of baseball great, Ted Williams, has raised the issue of deep-freezing people soon after d
Whom does Jesus call? When... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2003
Whom does Jesus call?
A Baptist seminary professor once... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2003
A Baptist seminary professor once said to a Methodist pastor, "I chuckle at you Methodists, always t
There is an incredible power... -- Mark 1:4-11 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2003
There is an incredible power associated with endorsement and approval.
They didn't recognize him when... -- John 1:(1-9) 10-18 -- 2003
"They didn't recognize him when he came." Ah, that's the way of it so often, almost all the time.
Harry was 89 when I... -- Mark 2:1-12 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - B -- 2003
Harry was 89 when I first met him.
Isn't it interesting that Jesus... -- Mark 1:40-45 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2003
Isn't it interesting that Jesus healed a man who said, "I want to be healed"?
Some of us in the... -- Mark 1:21-28 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2003
Some of us in the "golden years" remember the party-line telephone.
Peter implies that Jesus should... -- Mark 1:29-39 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2003
Peter implies that Jesus should return to the town where more people were waiting for healing, but J
In the wilderness, Jesus was... -- Mark 1:9-15 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
In the wilderness, Jesus was tempted to sin.

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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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