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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mike Hall (the world's strongest... -- John 3:14-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
Mike Hall (the world's strongest drug-free man) and I co-host a cable television talk show titled Su
A small Presbyterian college in... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2003
A small Presbyterian college in the Midwest received a letter from an attorney telling them that a g
When we believe in Jesus... -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
When we believe in Jesus, we are empowered by the new life of the Resurrection.
Sir, we wish to see... -- John 12:20-33 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
"Sir, we wish to see Jesus," said the Greeks to Philip.
When Brady was three weeks... -- John 20:1-18 -- Easter Day - B -- 2003
When Brady was three weeks old, he lay in his mother's arms in the front row of the church as the ch
When we toured the Holy... -- Mark 15:1-39 (40-47) -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2003
When we toured the Holy Land, we were brought to where we could see Golgotha -- the place of the sku
Years ago, some island missionaries... -- John 18:1-19:42 -- Good Friday - B -- 2003
Years ago, some island missionaries brought the gospel to places it had never been before.
After lunch we decided to... -- Mark 9:2-9 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2003
After lunch we decided to go to the beach.
A quick perusal of titles... -- 1 John 5:1-6 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
A quick perusal of titles on the library shelf, the bookstore, or on the Internet, gives us the impr
Although not referring directly to... -- 1 John 4:7-21 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Although not referring directly to Jesus' command to love one another, Albert Schweitzer did sum up
Love is neither an easy... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Love is neither an easy nor natural response to those around us.
Christ left the riches of... -- 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2003
Christ left the riches of heaven in order to abide among us mortals here on earth.
As Christians, we are called... -- 1 John 3:1-7 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
As Christians, we are called to live our lives in ways that often run against the world's definition
In his book, The Buchwald... -- 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2003
In his book, The Buchwald Stops Here, Art Buchwald, political pundit, described Charley, well dresse
The whole creation is groaning... -- Romans 8:22-27 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2003
The whole creation is groaning. The sounds and sights of hunger illustrate that.
When night falls in Pittsburgh... -- Romans 8:12-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2003
When night falls in Pittsburgh, 608 families leave their porch lights on and have baskets ready on t
Successful fishing requires using the... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2003
Successful fishing requires using the right approach and the right bait or lure.
Early on in J. K... -- Mark 1:4-11 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2003
Early on in J. K.
The Come unto me stained... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2003
The "Come unto me" stained-glass window in the Corinth Presbyterian Church, Dayton, Ohio, is awe-ins
Andrew Newberg, a professor of... -- John 1:(1-9) 10-18 -- 2003
Andrew Newberg, a professor of radiology at the University of Pennsylvania, has teamed with psychiat
Floyd Nichols of Chicago was... -- Mark 1:40-45 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2003
Floyd Nichols of Chicago was diagnosed with a rare form of colon cancer when he was only 19.
In the mid-20th century... -- Mark 2:1-12 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - B -- 2003
In the mid-20th century, Edgar A. Guest was a well-known verse-writer.
The image of Jesus rising... -- Mark 1:29-39 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2003
The image of Jesus rising in the morning and going alone to pray is inspiring.
Wisecracking vegetables in the number... -- Mark 1:21-28 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2003
Wisecracking vegetables in the number-one-selling children's video in America, Veggie Tales, are rei
There once was a Man... -- John 3:14-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
There once was a Man who spoke a word, a very special word from God.

Political Pulpit

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Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
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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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