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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Brad was a naturally shy... -- Matthew 10:24-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2002
Brad was a naturally shy guy, but he also had a passion for reaching out with the gospel.
The Sound of Music by... -- Matthew 10:24-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2002
The Sound of Music by Rodgers and Hammerstein is based on the true story of Captain Georg Von Trapp
The wages of sin is... -- Romans 6:12-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2002
The wages of sin is death.
Charles was a workaholic, a... -- Romans 6:12-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2002
Charles was a workaholic, a slave to his job.
Jesus touched the eyes of... -- Romans 6:12-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2002
Jesus touched the eyes of blind Bartimaeus and said, "Go, your faith has made you well, has saved yo
It is a strong figure... -- Romans 6:12-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2002
It is a strong figure of speech Paul uses when he refers to being "slaves to sin." A slave has to do
Author Kurt Vonnegut told of... -- Matthew 10:40-42 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2002
Author Kurt Vonnegut told of an evening he spent alone in a remote motel.
It was a tradition. Every... -- Matthew 10:40-42 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2002
It was a tradition.
Most Americans are only vaguely... -- Matthew 10:40-42 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2002
Most Americans are only vaguely acquainted with hospitality the way it happens in the East.
In 1797 John Adams was... -- Matthew 10:40-42 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2002
In 1797 John Adams was inaugurated second President of the United States, and he would have the seco
Joan was trying to discern... -- 1 Peter 3:13-22 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
Joan was trying to discern if she had a call to ordained ministry.
When the fire broke out... -- 1 Peter 3:13-22 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
When the fire broke out in Tommy's bedroom, the flames grew quickly.
In 1861 Senator Andrew Johnson... -- 1 Peter 3:13-22 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2002
In 1861 Senator Andrew Johnson of Tennessee attended the first inauguration of Abraham Lincoln and h
An old cowboy story told... -- Matthew 7:21-29 -- 2002
An old cowboy story told by Boyce House:
Nubar Sarkis Gulbenkian, British industrialist... -- Romans 4:13-25 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - A -- 2002
Nubar Sarkis Gulbenkian, British industrialist and philanthropist, once filled out a market research
Marian Reams' oldest son, Jack... -- Romans 4:13-25 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - A -- 2002
Marian Reams' oldest son, Jack, had led a troubled life.
A father had two sons... -- Romans 4:13-25 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - A -- 2002
A father had two sons. One was adopted and the other was his natural child.
For Peter, the resurrection of... -- Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - A -- 2002
For Peter, the resurrection of Jesus brought especially good news.
It was a wedding like... -- Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - A -- 2002
It was a wedding like none other I'd conducted.
As Pastor Kris Smith had... -- Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - A -- 2002
As Pastor Kris Smith had worked to reach out to the community in her first pastorate, she discovered
To bear up under loss... -- Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - A -- 2002
"To bear up under loss, to fight the bitterness of defeat and the weakness of grief, to be victor ov
When exactly did Abraham recognize... -- Genesis 18:1-15 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 2002
When exactly did Abraham recognize that God was present among his three visitors?
There is nothing like the... -- Romans 5:1-8 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 2002
There is nothing like the peace that comes from resting our hope in the promises of God.
A pastor made his regular... -- Romans 5:1-8 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 2002
A pastor made his regular call on John, a member of the church who had suffered for years with multi
The man lay in prison... -- Romans 5:1-8 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 2002
The man lay in prison enduring the terror, the torture, the isolation his captors inflicted on him d

Political Pulpit

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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
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...

New & Featured This Week

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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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