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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Ever hear of fig trees... -- Mark 13:24-37 -- 2002
Ever hear of fig trees in Ohio?
Nazareth was the town where... -- John 1:1-14 -- 2002
Nazareth was the town where a carpenter named Joseph and a young woman named Mary lived, the town wh
In The Twelve Days of... -- Luke 2:22-40 -- 2002
In "The Twelve Days of Christmas," we sing about "a partridge in a pear tree," and "two turtle doves
O Little Town of Bethlehem... -- Luke 2:1-20 -- 2002
"O Little Town of Bethlehem" is one of the loveliest of all the carols.
Among the most beautiful paintings... -- Luke 1:26-38 -- 2002
Among the most beautiful paintings of the Annunciation is Rossetti's Ecce Ancilla Domini, which tran
John the Baptist's call for... -- Mark 1:1-8 -- 2002
John the Baptist's call "for everyone to straighten out his life," calls to mind Isaiah's beautiful
In a red-letter edition... -- John 1:6-8, 19-28 -- 2002
In a red-letter edition of the Bible, the words of Christ are written in crimson.
Popocatepetl, at 17,802 feet, is... -- Mark 13:24-37 -- 2002
Popocatepetl, at 17,802 feet, is one of the tallest active volcanoes in the world. It is in Mexico.
In a Time commentary on... -- John 1:1-14 -- 2002
In a Time commentary on the movie, Spider-Man, James Poniewozik makes the point that we like our her
An article in the March... -- Luke 2:22-40 -- 2002
An article in the March 26, 2001, issue of U. S.
Jane Goodall studied chimpanzees in... -- Luke 2:1-20 -- 2002
Jane Goodall studied chimpanzees in Tanzania's Gombe National Park for over 35 years, beginning in 1
One of the outstanding examples... -- Luke 1:26-38 -- 2002
One of the outstanding examples in the Bible of obeying the Lord deals with the three men in the fie
It may be difficult for... -- John 1:6-8, 19-28 -- 2002
It may be difficult for us today to appreciate a real fear of darkness like that of people long ago.
Isaac Hoopii, 38-year-old... -- Mark 1:1-8 -- 2002
Isaac Hoopii, 38-year-old Hawaiian K-9 police officer, has a singer's voice, deep and mellow, even i
The apocalyptic vision in the... -- Mark 13:24-37 -- 2002
The apocalyptic vision in the Bible of the last day is awesome -- the sun darkened and stars falling
Are you serious? Shirley asked... -- John 1:1-14 -- 2002
"Are you serious?" Shirley asked with amazement.
God is the midwife of... -- Luke 2:1-20 -- 2002
God is the midwife of hope.
Of Shakespeare's 154 sonnets, several... -- Luke 2:22-40 -- 2002
Of Shakespeare's 154 sonnets, several deal with the themes of aging and finding hope in children.
Laying out under the night... -- John 1:6-8, 19-28 -- 2002
Laying out under the night sky was always a treat for six-year-old Andy, especially when his dad was
In the movie Princess Bride... -- Luke 1:26-38 -- 2002
In the movie Princess Bride, Wesley is a hired hand who serves the wishes of Buttercup, because he l
The Arizona-based Cold Stone... -- Mark 1:1-8 -- 2002
The Arizona-based Cold Stone Creamery is offering a new delicacy in their 142 stores in 26 states.
Paul's letter begins with a... -- 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 -- 2002
Paul's letter begins with a great statement of his confidence in the all-sufficiency of Christ.
The intimate relationship between the... -- Hebrews 1:1-4 (5-12) -- 2002
The intimate relationship between the Father and the Son that informs the Nicene Creed's understandi
Paul describes the people of... -- Titus 2:11-14 -- 2002
Paul describes the people of God and their disposition of piety in a manner that makes the focused n
The images of adoption by... -- Galatians 4:4-7 -- 2002
The images of adoption by God as children and the sense of fullness of time are reminiscent of pregn

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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
Bonnie Bates

1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a and Psalm 42-43
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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