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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Novelist John Updike, after listening... -- Jeremiah 8:18--9:1 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 2001
Novelist John Updike, after listening to a United Methodist minister explain the pain of a difficult
My mother was dying, and... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Reformation Sunday - C -- 2001
My mother was dying, and even though she was in a coma, her youngest brother, Bob, had driven four h
Frequently at amusement parks there... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Reformation Sunday - C -- 2001
Frequently at amusement parks there are devices to measure the height of persons before they are per
In the final analysis, it... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Reformation Sunday - C -- 2001
In the final analysis, it is very risky to put one's confidence and sense of worth solely into one's
There is a fine line... -- Luke 18:9-14 -- Reformation Sunday - C -- 2001
There is a fine line between confidence and overconfidence.
The tax collector is to... -- Luke 18:9-14 -- Reformation Sunday - C -- 2001
The tax collector is to be admired because he was forthright in admitting his sin.
Britain's only Christian radio station... -- Luke 18:9-14 -- Reformation Sunday - C -- 2001
Britain's only Christian radio station is launching an online "confession box" for sinful Web surfer
Florendo Visitacion was a martial... -- Luke 18:9-14 -- Reformation Sunday - C -- 2001
Florendo Visitacion was a martial-arts master who was not only proficient at many of the world's dea
The United States lived through... -- John 8:31-36 -- Reformation Sunday - C -- 2001
The United States lived through the Clinton presidency with many questions about what constituted ap
My heart was filled with... -- John 8:31-36 -- Reformation Sunday - C -- 2001
My heart was filled with sympathy as I walked up Allan's sidewalk.
It is a powerful thing... -- John 8:31-36 -- Reformation Sunday - C -- 2001
It is a powerful thing to set people free. James G.
Basil of Caesarea was a... -- John 8:31-36 -- Reformation Sunday - C -- 2001
Basil of Caesarea was a bishop of the church in the fourth century A.D.
Jeremiah had to preach to... -- Jeremiah 2:4-13 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2001
Jeremiah had to preach to people who didn't want to have their doings called sinful, much like the p
Elie Wiesel, the great writer... -- Jeremiah 2:4-13 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2001
Elie Wiesel, the great writer who spent part of his childhood in a Nazi concentration camp, tells a
In his book, The... -- Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2001
In his book, The Immigrant Years: From Europe to Canada 1945-1967, Barry Broadfoot recounts t
This passage urges Christians to... -- Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2001
This passage urges Christians to hold marriage in honor and to not be consumed with greed.
When Alaskans Margaret and Richard... -- Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2001
When Alaskans Margaret and Richard Louie came to Ann Arbor, Michigan, in April 2000, they were stran
When the great golfer Bobby... -- Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2001
When the great golfer Bobby Jones was young, he once asked his club pro how he could learn to be a r
Though we don't often think... -- Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2001
Though we don't often think of it this way as a spiritual gift, that's exactly what hospitality is.
Humility is one of the... -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2001
Humility is one of the hardest talents for a Christian to learn.
I was invited to a... -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2001
I was invited to a large banquet in which a number of people were going to be honored.
In this passage, Paul speaks... -- 2 Timothy 2:8-15 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C -- 2001
In this passage, Paul speaks of enduring everything for the sake of God's chosen people, in order th
A business executive was walking... -- Luke 17:11-19 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C -- 2001
A business executive was walking down the street.
At the end of our... -- Luke 17:11-19 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C -- 2001
At the end of our worship service, I let the children wear my cross.
There is an incredible power... -- Luke 17:11-19 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C -- 2001
There is an incredible power in appropriate gratitude.

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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
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...

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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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