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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

There are a series of... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2003
There are a series of caves near the little town of Warsaw, Ontario.
Someone once referred to sharing... -- Acts 10:44-48 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Someone once referred to sharing the Good News of Jesus as "the sacrament of sound waves." This beca
With a little imagination, one... -- Acts 4:5-12 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
With a little imagination, one can hear the healed man humming his way into the crowd of the high an
Autobiographies are abundant. Biographies are... -- Acts 8:26-40 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Autobiographies are abundant. Biographies are authorized.
Grief can be a harsh... -- 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2003
Grief can be a harsh teacher, but a good instructor in humility, patience, respect, perspective and
Authors of novels create characters... -- Acts 3:12-19 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Authors of novels create characters who come alive as the story unfolds.
The shepherd boy David became... -- 1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2003
The shepherd boy David became the champion of Israel when he defeated Goliath.
Klingon is the galaxy's fastest... -- Acts 2:1-21 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2003
Klingon is "the galaxy's fastest growing language." That's the news you will read when you go to the
When one kneels in humility... -- Isaiah 6:1-8 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2003
"When one kneels in humility, one stands at the threshold of greatness."
Narrating the story of Jonah... -- Jonah 3:1-5, 10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2003
Narrating the story of Jonah invites some outrageous puns, but most congregations enjoy a good laugh
Sometimes what is lawful is... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2003
Sometimes what is lawful is not helpful nor appropriate.
When you only have a... -- Acts 19:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2003
When you only have a VCR and more and more of the products are coming out in a DVD format, you step
The Japanese emperor Ingyo ruled... -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- 2003
The Japanese emperor Ingyo ruled during the 5th century.
On one occasion during his... -- 2 Corinthians 1:18-22 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - B -- 2003
On one occasion during his administration, President Herbert Hoover was receiving some particularly
In a short drama titled... -- 2 Kings 5:1-14 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2003
In a short drama titled "The Prescription," a man who has been in a deep depression following the de
The Apostle Paul rejected all... -- 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2003
The Apostle Paul rejected all forms of favoritism and elitism in his passionate quest to reach as ma
This passage from Deuteronomy says... -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2003
This passage from Deuteronomy says that the test of whether a prophet is true or false is whether th
When Charles Lamb, the English... -- 1 Peter 3:18-22 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
When Charles Lamb, the English poet and essayist, was a small child, his sister, Mary, took him for
Even the behavior of a... -- Ephesians 2:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
Even the behavior of a common thief can illustrate the unexpected generosity with which God gifts us
Former Congresswoman Pat Schroeder is... -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2003
Former Congresswoman Pat Schroeder is an example of how repentance, which means "turning around," ca
Christianity seemed as foolish to... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
Christianity seemed as foolish to the educated pagans of the first century as would be inviting a sp
All have faults and fall... -- 1 John 1:1--2:2 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
All have faults and fall short.
The Gospel brings freedom, while... -- Romans 4:13-25 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
The Gospel brings freedom, while the Law can suffocate us.
Harry Houdini was one of... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - B -- 2003
Harry Houdini was one of the greatest escape artists of all time.
Because these hope-filled words... -- Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
Because these hope-filled words of the Lord come at a dark time in Judah, the people are justifiably

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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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