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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Maltbie Davenport Babcock excelled as... -- John 14:15-21 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
Maltbie Davenport Babcock excelled as a student, a musician, and an athlete at Syracuse University a
Following the commandments out of... -- John 14:15-21 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
Following the commandments out of love and devotion is one thing.
Marcia Jaynes reached 92 years... -- John 14:15-21 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
Marcia Jaynes reached 92 years of age last spring.
When the Spirit inhabits our... -- John 14:15-21 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
When the Spirit inhabits our hearts, our lives change. William Penn had such an experience.
Kathleen is a miracle in... -- 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
Kathleen is a miracle in progress. At the age of 10 she developed juvenile diabetes.
Lying there in the cell... -- 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
Lying there in the cell it seemed like he would never be free again.
Some frogs were hopping through... -- 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
Some frogs were hopping through the woods. Suddenly, two of them fell into a large hole.
On the cross, Jesus encountered... -- 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
On the cross, Jesus encountered both terrible physical pain and extreme emotional pain.
There was once a boy... -- John 17:1-11 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
There was once a boy who made a boat. Just a small boat, he could hold it in his hands.
If we're going to link... -- John 17:1-11 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
If we're going to link up with a deity, let it be a dependable one.
Jesus prays for his followers... -- John 17:1-11 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
Jesus prays for his followers, that they "may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you
On the outside they looked... -- John 17:1-11 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
On the outside they looked like identical twins.
One of the best ways... -- 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2002
One of the best ways to illustrate how the gifts of the Spirit make up one body is to refer to a jig
Eric had always been a... -- 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2002
Eric had always been a bit different. For some reason he seemed out of step with most folks.
A photographer was sent to... -- 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2002
A photographer was sent to cover the fires at Yellowstone National Park.
When outsiders look at United... -- 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2002
When outsiders look at United States military academies, they see practices that seem peculiar.
In my part of the... -- John 7:37-39 -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2002
In my part of the country, we don't think much about the rainfall.
To thirst for God means... -- John 7:37-39 -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2002
To thirst for God means to open our hearts to the flow of living waters that spill over into the liv
What a precious commodity is... -- John 7:37-39 -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2002
What a precious commodity is water!
In Jesus Christ, we are... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2002
In Jesus Christ, we are dead to sin and alive to God. We can move beyond living in dishonesty.
Mike and Jerold, high school... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2002
Mike and Jerold, high school seniors, went out to a movie on a Friday night.
The prodigal shook the rotten... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2002
The prodigal shook the rotten apple peels and broken egg shells from his robe and said, "I have sinn
The authors of the old... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2002
The authors of the "old hymns" took at face value the declarations of the Apostle Paul to the Romans
It could easily be argued... -- Matthew 10:24-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2002
It could easily be argued that Beirut is the most dangerous city in the world.
I was giving our daughter... -- Matthew 10:24-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2002
I was giving our daughter and her best friend a ride to the movies.

Political Pulpit

Sermon

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
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29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
29 – Sermons
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27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
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Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
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31 – Commentary / Exegesis
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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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