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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

One of the marks of... -- Isaiah 6:1-8 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2003
One of the marks of a great leader is the ability to delegate.
Philistines were the Klingons of... -- 1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23) 32-49 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2003
Philistines were the Klingons of the Old Testament.
What language shall I borrow... -- Acts 2:1-21 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2003
"What language shall I borrow?" That is the question asked by the hymn from another church season.
We must always be on... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2003
We must always be on guard against immorality; even a small bit can ruin our spirits.
The days before big events... -- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2003
The days before big events can be like living in a whirlwind.
Sometimes we want to go... -- Acts 19:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2003
Sometimes we want to go ahead; we want to do it now. Why wait? Why put it off?
Every summer, our church conducts... -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- 2003
Every summer, our church conducts a two-week Bible camp for kids in our area.
Training camp is one of... -- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2003
Training camp is one of the most grueling times in an athlete's life.
There are few feelings as... -- 2 Corinthians 1:18-22 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - B -- 2003
There are few feelings as bad as realizing your dog has run away.
Oliver Wendell Holmes once wrote... -- 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2003
Oliver Wendell Holmes once wrote, "To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind
In an increasingly shrinking world... -- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2003
In an increasingly shrinking world, the plethora of world religions is staggering.
Paul writes to the Ephesians... -- Ephesians 2:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
Paul writes to the Ephesians that "in the past you were spiritually dead because of your disobedienc
In this passage, Peter alludes... -- 1 Peter 3:18-22 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
In this passage, Peter alludes to the saving power of water.
Everyone likes a story in... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2003
Everyone likes a story in which people change places.
In this text the concept... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
In this text the concept of God's irrational love for fallen humanity expressed in Christ is not und
Thomas Fleming, well-known author... -- Romans 4:13-25 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
Thomas Fleming, well-known author and historian, knows what it is to believe and hope, even when the
In the summer of 2002... -- Hebrews 5:5-10 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
In the summer of 2002, Pope John Paul II came to Canada for World Youth Day.
Barak Bassman had a difficult... -- 1 John 1:1-2:2 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Barak Bassman had a difficult childhood.
My oldest nephew Andrew is... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - B -- 2003
My oldest nephew Andrew is a quick-witted little boy.
Leni Riefenstahl recently celebrated her... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - B -- 2003
Leni Riefenstahl recently celebrated her 100th birthday.
When I was in high... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 2003
When I was in high school, I had a part-time job as a cook for a Perkins Pancake House.
Most people would say that... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2003
Most people would say that bicycle racing is an individual sport.
Taking the Nature of a Servant -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2003
Taking the nature of a servant has never been a popular choice, especially as a career move.
Archaeologists excavate the ancient biblical... -- Acts 10:44-48 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Archaeologists excavate the ancient biblical sites.
One of the dynamics of... -- 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2003
One of the dynamics of grief is the idealization of the deceased.

Political Pulpit

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The Political Pulpit

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.

Special Occasion

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