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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Witnesses give testimony and the... -- Acts 3:12-19 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Witnesses give testimony and the jury gives credence.
It has been said that... -- Acts 4:5-12 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
It has been said that Michelangelo once saw a huge marble stone that was to be discarded at the quar
You start where people are... -- Acts 8:26-40 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
You start where people are at! This is an important principal in persuasive communication.
Isaiah found his purpose in... -- Isaiah 6:1-8 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2003
Isaiah found his purpose in life when he teamed up with God.
Goliath's size and strength was... -- 1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2003
Goliath's size and strength was enormous compared to a small shepherd boy.
J. R. R. Tolkien is... -- Acts 2:1-21 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2003
J. R. R.
A novice woodworker, I set... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2003
A novice woodworker, I set out to apply a piece of Formica to a kitchen counter top.
There is never enough time... -- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2003
There is never enough time, no matter how long we may live.
Baptism effects a change in... -- Acts 19:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2003
Baptism effects a change in a person. It is a new birth.
Hudson Taylor, the founder of... -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- 2003
Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission, announced to his parents when he was only fo
Paul urges the faithful to... -- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2003
Paul urges the faithful to live out their faith like runners in a race.
Before a product is put... -- 2 Corinthians 1:18-22 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - B -- 2003
Before a product is put on the market it goes through rigorous testing.
Mr. Johnson was a most... -- 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2003
Mr. Johnson was a most inspired band teacher.
Those of us who are... -- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2003
Those of us who are mature in the faith are free to exercise our liberty, but sometimes doing so mak
Barry wasn't a bad kid... -- 1 Peter 3:18-22 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
Barry wasn't a bad kid. It was just that he got carried away. This was one of those times.
One of my son's housemates... -- Ephesians 2:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
One of my son's housemates at college is an artist.
Paul considered himself a servant... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2003
Paul considered himself a servant of Christ and, consequently, cared nothing for recognitions and ti
When Nellie arrived at Kasisi... -- Romans 4:13-25 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
When Nellie arrived at Kasisi Orphanage in Zambia in 1993, there was little hope of her survival.
On a recent Saturday on... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
On a recent Saturday on Long Island, a dozen men and women of various ages sat around a fire pit und
For a photographer, the concept... -- 1 John 1:1--2:2 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
For a photographer, the concept of light in which there is no darkness is unknown.
It seems impossible to believe... -- Hebrews 5:5-10 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
It seems impossible to believe that Christianity has, in some cases, moved so far from the humility
Benjamin Franklin was perhaps America's... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - B -- 2003
Benjamin Franklin was perhaps America's first self-made man.
Confidence is such a fragile... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - B -- 2003
Confidence is such a fragile thing.
Martin Luther wrote this about... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2003
Martin Luther wrote this about the humble: "But the truly humble look not to the result of humility
Every year at family gatherings... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 2003
Every year at family gatherings, as the extended family sat around a row of tables in Grandma's base

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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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