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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

William Percy, a poet who... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - A -- 2002
William Percy, a poet who lived in the early 20th century, tells of an incident from his teenage yea
Walking the streets of Seattle... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - A -- 2002
Walking the streets of Seattle, Michael carried a backpack with his possessions and wore the clothes
A mother mouse felt it... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2002
A mother mouse felt it was time to introduce her children to the larger world.
When Paul authored his letter... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2002
When Paul authored his letter to the Philippians, he was probably chained to a prison wall.
We will never forget that... -- Matthew 26:14--27:66 -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2002
We will never forget that Maundy Thursday Communion service in the candlelit sanctuary.
How could Peter have denied... -- Matthew 26:14--27:66 -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2002
How could Peter have denied his best friend publicly?
My heart is broken! I've... -- Matthew 26:14--27:66 -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2002
"My heart is broken! I've wept myself to sleep every night for a week," Marie cried to her pastor.
Does materialism drag our faith... -- Romans 8:6-11 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2002
Does materialism drag our faith commitment downward?
We stepped off the bus... -- John 11:1-45 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2002
We stepped off the bus quickly on that bright, sunny morning in the Holy Land.
Lazarus' untimely death points up... -- John 11:1-45 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2002
Lazarus' untimely death points up the impossibility of predicting, planning, or controlling what's c
Firefighters have a tradition that... -- John 11:1-45 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2002
Firefighters have a tradition that when one of them dies, especially in the line of duty, not only t
At a recent conference on... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2002
At a recent conference on urban ministry in Chicago, Helen Prijean was the guest speaker.
What happened? June asked herself... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2002
What happened? June asked herself.
On a Tuesday in October... -- John 9:1-41 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2002
On a Tuesday in October 2001, the pricey British artist Damien Hirst assembled an artistic display i
The evening at the support... -- Romans 8:6-11 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2002
The evening at the support group had been an interesting one.
If you were to meet... -- Romans 8:6-11 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2002
If you were to meet the sisters Jane and Jean in the hallway of the nursing home in which they lived
The movie Schindler's List focuses... -- Romans 8:6-11 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2002
The movie Schindler's List focuses on the heroism and self-sacrifice of Oskar Schindler, a Catholic
Jesus' focus was clearly on... -- John 4:5-42 -- Third Sunday in Lent - A -- 2002
Jesus' focus was clearly on the rejects of society.
Marilyn had an unsavory reputation... -- John 4:5-42 -- Third Sunday in Lent - A -- 2002
Marilyn had an unsavory reputation.
Ken Kettlewell makes this observation... -- John 4:5-42 -- Third Sunday in Lent - A -- 2002
Ken Kettlewell makes this observation from his travels:
The woman had heard many... -- John 4:5-42 -- Third Sunday in Lent - A -- 2002
The woman had heard many frightening stories about truckers on the highway and she feared them.
Have you ever dealt with... -- Ephesians 5:8-14 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2002
Have you ever dealt with the difficulty of dieting?
Two years ago, the TNT... -- Ephesians 5:8-14 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2002
Two years ago, the TNT television network produced a mini-series called Nuremburg, about the war-cri
Abraham Lincoln was well known... -- Ephesians 5:8-14 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2002
Abraham Lincoln was well known for his honesty, and he liked to have people around him who themselve
One of the most popular... -- John 9:1-41 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2002
One of the most popular hymns is "Amazing Grace" by John Newton who lived almost 300 years ago.

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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
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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
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32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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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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