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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

There were some great wives... -- Proverbs 31:10-31 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 2003
There were some great wives in the Bible.
She was every bit a... -- Proverbs 31:10-31 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 2003
She was every bit a mother, though she had no children.
Jesus says to find our... -- Mark 8:27-38 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2003
Jesus says to find our lives we must be willing to lose them.
In the Australian film I... -- Mark 8:27-38 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2003
In the Australian film Merry Christmas, Mr.
When Jesus is our leader... -- Mark 8:27-38 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2003
When Jesus is our leader, we will deny ourselves on his behalf.
One pastor tells of attending... -- James 3:1-12 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2003
One pastor tells of attending a local St. Patrick's Day dance at the fire hall.
Have you ever had the... -- James 3:1-12 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2003
Have you ever had the fun and challenge of taking your dog through obedience training?
Turn right at the next... -- Proverbs 1:20-33 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2003
"Turn right at the next junction." Shirley had been glancing up at the landscape and then down at th
Once a week my wife... -- Mark 10:46-52 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2003
Once a week my wife and I visit the Alzheimer unit in the retirement village where we live.
Amputation has been the signature... -- Mark 10:46-52 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2003
Amputation has been the signature atrocity of Sierra Leone's civil war, which went on for 11 years a
Like blind Bartimaeus, Martin Luther... -- Mark 10:46-52 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2003
Like blind Bartimaeus, Martin Luther King, Jr., was not content simply to sit and be quiet and wait
One of the quirks of... -- Hebrews 7:23-28 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2003
One of the quirks of history is that Louis Pasteur never liked beer.
Mrs. Smith was stark naked... -- Mark 10:46-52 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2003
Mrs. Smith was stark naked and just about to step into the shower when the doorbell rang.
In the first century A.D... -- Hebrews 7:23-28 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2003
In the first century A.D. there were religious people called the Gnostics.
When nine coal miners were... -- Hebrews 7:23-28 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2003
When nine coal miners were trapped in Quecreek mine in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, for some 72 ho
In the civil rights movement... -- Hebrews 7:23-28 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2003
In the civil rights movement of the 1960s, one of the key strategies of empowerment for southern Afr
If Job were to be... -- Job 42:1-6, 10-17 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2003
If Job were to be made into a musical, perhaps the band 16 Horsepower might get the gig.
When all was said and... -- Job 42:1-6, 10-17 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2003
When all was said and done for Job, how would he assess his life? Fortunate or unfortunate?
The questions of Job are... -- Job 42:1-6, 10-17 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2003
The questions of Job are finally resolved through humility.
One cannot hear the symphony... -- Job 42:1-6, 10-17 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2003
One cannot hear the symphony with only the fingers.
As the disciples bicker about... -- Mark 10:35-45 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 2003
As the disciples bicker about their respective places in the kingdom, the opportunity emerges to bet
Stan Jones, a candidate for... -- Mark 10:35-45 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 2003
Stan Jones, a candidate for the U.S.
Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born... -- Mark 10:35-45 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 2003
Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born August 26, 1910, in Macedonia.
Jesus' disciples had a serious... -- Mark 10:35-45 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 2003
Jesus' disciples had a serious problem with humility. Who doesn't?
My parents raised me in... -- Hebrews 5:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 2003
My parents raised me in the Baptist tradition.

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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...
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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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