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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Frequently the death of something... -- 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - C -- 2001
Frequently the death of something old is necessary to accommodate something new. St.
In the movie Contact... -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2001
In the movie Contact Jody Foster portrayed an astronomer named Ellie who deeply believed in t
Paul sees himself as the... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2001
Paul sees himself as the spiritual mentor of the Corinthian Christians.
The first thing Jesus did... -- Hebrews 2:10-18 -- 2001
The first thing Jesus did after his baptism was to go off into the wilderness.
I have a friend who... -- Titus 2:11-14 -- 2001
I have a friend who loves to shop.
I have a number of... -- Hebrews 1:1-4 (5-12) -- 2001
I have a number of friends who collect angels. Some are made out of precious metals or crystals.
On a spiritual retreat, Pastor... -- Romans 1:1-7 -- 2001
On a spiritual retreat, Pastor Kris Smith was called to wrestle with her calling.
I grew up on a... -- James 5:7-10 -- 2001
I grew up on a small, family-owned-and-operated fruit farm in the Niagara Peninsula.
Late one night Tom got... -- Romans 13:11-14 -- 2001
Late one night Tom got in from a night on the town.
My husband and I were... -- Romans 15:4-13 -- 2001
My husband and I were attending the annual Christmas program put on by our community's symphony orch
John and April, the pastor... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2001
"John and April," the pastor began, "the building blocks on the altar are my wedding gift to you.
Dave and Carol had been... -- 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2001
Dave and Carol had been married for 55 years when Carol began to have severe memory loss problems.
A recent survey found that... -- Acts 8:14-17 -- 2001
A recent survey found that a little over half of all Americans say that they pray at least one time
Normally I love teaching Confirmation... -- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2001
Normally I love teaching Confirmation class.
Charles MacArthur sighed as he... -- Ephesians 3:1-12 -- Epiphany of the Lord - C -- 2001
Charles MacArthur sighed as he entered the church.
Annie was dying. Though it... -- Revelation 21:1-6a -- New Year's Day - A, New Year's Day - B, New Year's Day - C -- 2001
Annie was dying.
When I was in Girl... -- 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 2001
When I was in Girl Guides one of the things I liked to do best was to go on a hike.
I was visiting with Mark... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2001
I was visiting with Mark, an inactive member of our congregation, when he said, "Do you want to know
As a young child I... -- 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - C -- 2001
As a young child I was extremely afraid of the dark.
Nathan had just turned twelve... -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2001
Nathan had just turned twelve when he died of a brain hemorrhage.
The people of St. John's... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2001
The people of St. John's Church were in an uproar.
While attending a conference, I... -- Hebrews 1:1-4 (5-12) -- 2001
While attending a conference, I unexpectedly came face to face with a person who had severely wronge
Sheila Cassidy, a missionary in... -- Hebrews 2:10-18 -- 2001
Sheila Cassidy, a missionary in Chile, was arrested and spent three weeks in solitary confinement an
In his book, The... -- Titus 2:11-14 -- 2001
In his book, The Road Less Traveled, psychiatrist M.
In a small town, a... -- Romans 1:1-7 -- 2001
In a small town, a trip to the post office is an opportunity to visit with neighbors and catch up on

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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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