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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

In the Italian movie, I... -- John 21:1-19 -- Third Sunday of Easter - C -- 2001
In the Italian movie, Life Is Beautiful, the father, Guido, struggles to save the lives of hi
As a child I spent... -- Revelation 1:4b-8, Revelation 1:4-8 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2001
As a child I spent many hot summer days lying with my brothers on a blanket that my mother had sprea
There is great power in... -- Revelation 1:4b-8, Revelation 1:4-8 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2001
There is great power in a name to authenticate a message.
In 1981 the space shuttle... -- Revelation 1:4b-8, Revelation 1:4-8 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2001
In 1981 the space shuttle Columbia lifted off and headed into orbit around the earth.
An expression which is often... -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2001
An expression which is often heard is, "That is a breath of fresh air." When a room is freshly repai
Maybe you've played hide and... -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2001
Maybe you've played hide and seek with a very young child, one that is a year old or so.
When Christopher Reeve, paralyzed by... -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2001
When Christopher Reeve, paralyzed by a spinal cord injury, seemingly walked across the stage in a te
Most adults have difficulty believing... -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2001
Most adults have difficulty believing in something they cannot see.
Take note of the kind... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 -- Easter Day - C -- 2001
Take note of the kind of words we speak about death:
When John trudged through the... -- John 20:1-18 -- Easter Day - C -- 2001
When John trudged through the snow to the barn last night, it was only for a routine check of the co
There was a strip club... -- John 20:1-18 -- Easter Day - C -- 2001
There was a strip club in Ladson, South Carolina, that was about to get shut down because the local
Robert Hughes, art critic for... -- John 20:1-18 -- Easter Day - C -- 2001
Robert Hughes, art critic for Time magazine, wrote an article, "In Death's Throat" for Tim
According to an article by... -- John 20:1-18 -- Easter Day - C -- 2001
According to an article by Emily Yellin in the December 1999 issue of the New York Times, eve
People who read their horoscopes... -- Revelation 1:4b-8, Revelation 1:4-8 -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2001
People who read their horoscopes in the morning newspaper know that astrologers tell the future in v
A couple of years ago... -- John 18:1-19:42 -- Good Friday - C -- 2001
A couple of years ago, Geoff Smith set out to break the world record for the longest time being buri
Shad Hernandez, 23, a Navy... -- John 18:1-19:42 -- Good Friday - C -- 2001
Shad Hernandez, 23, a Navy search-and-rescue swimmer, jumped from a Seahawk helicopter off the carri
For the past few years... -- John 18:1-19:42 -- Good Friday - C -- 2001
For the past few years, my mother has been giving me limoge boxes for Christmas.
A little boy sat on... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 -- Easter Day - C -- 2001
A little boy sat on the examining table of the doctor's office.
Angie and Mike were a... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 -- Easter Day - C -- 2001
Angie and Mike were a couple that people of all ages liked and admired.
In the movie, The... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 -- Easter Day - C -- 2001
In the movie, The Andromeda Strain, a space probe returns to earth having brought with it som
Jesus exemplifies humble servanthood for... -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2001
Jesus exemplifies humble servanthood for his disciples by washing their feet.
Every successful church needs a... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - C -- 2001
Every successful church needs a pest. Mary is a faithful member of a large downtown urban church.
Our congregation was talking about... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - C -- 2001
Our congregation was talking about buying video equipment so that we could continue to tape our serv
In the video series I... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - C -- 2001
In the video series Wrestling With Angels, Lewis Smedes narrates a segment dealing with the s
In the late eighteenth century... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - C -- 2001
In the late eighteenth century, Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, sent out a proclamation to G

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John Jamison
Object: A pig stuffed animal.

* * *

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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