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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

I can remember when slow... -- James 5:7-10 -- 2001
I can remember when "slow as Christmas" was an insult and if someone said, "What are you waiting for
According to an old Iroquois... -- Romans 13:11-14 -- 2001
According to an old Iroquois tale, before time began, the forest animals held a council to decide if
When Thomas Jefferson became President... -- Romans 15:4-13 -- 2001
When Thomas Jefferson became President of the United States in 1801, he had many detractors in the C
Mothers teach children that people... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2001
Mothers teach children that "people pay more attention to what we do than what we say." Believers mi
Some of the best wisdom... -- 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2001
Some of the best wisdom is kid's wisdom.
Many software companies offer a... -- Acts 8:14-17 -- 2001
Many software companies offer a trial version of their new software at their web site.
One of the most successful... -- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2001
One of the most successful executives of the last century was Sam Walton.
Dr. Viktor Frankl was an... -- Ephesians 3:1-12 -- Epiphany of the Lord - C -- 2001
Dr. Viktor Frankl was an imprisoned Jew in World War II.
Until the twentieth century, the... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2001
Until the twentieth century, the gospel message was an oral tradition or was read from available tex
When Marvin Hamlisch and Edward... -- Revelation 21:1-6a -- New Year's Day - A, New Year's Day - B, New Year's Day - C -- 2001
When Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban wrote A Chorus Line, they created a musical about the
Americans live in a culture... -- 2 Corinthians 3:12--4:2 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 2001
Americans live in a culture of sports heroes.
The boy in a first... -- 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - C -- 2001
The boy in a first grade Sunday school class asked: "Say, Pastor, how are the dead raised?
The people in the first... -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2001
The people in the first century Church were not familiar with resurrection.
The church of Corinth was... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2001
The church of Corinth was full of believers and skeptics.
Isaiah 63:7 speaks of recounting... -- Isaiah 63:7 -- 2001
Isaiah 63:7 speaks of recounting the gracious deeds of the Lord.
You don't have to be... -- Hebrews 1:1-4 (5-12) -- 2001
"You don't have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things -- to compete.
A Christian's identity is found... -- Romans 1:1-7 -- 2001
A Christian's identity is found in Christ.
You probably have a favorite... -- Titus 2:11-14 -- 2001
You probably have a favorite Christmas movie.
Here's more from Mark Ellingsen... -- Isaiah 35:1-10<br> -- 2001
Here's more from Mark Ellingsen, to illustrate his Political Pulpit theme:
Grace Church had been a... -- Romans 15:4-13 -- 2001
Grace Church had been a long established congregation in the middle of the city.
How would you carry out... -- Romans 13:11-14 -- 2001
"How would you carry out a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor?" It was a question on a Naval Academy ex
Sending a representative is one... -- Luke 2:15-21 -- New Year's Day - B -- 2000
Sending a representative is one thing. Showing up in person is quite another.
Saint Augustine described his conversion... -- John 8:31-36 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2000
Saint Augustine described his conversion to the Christian faith in this way: "I probed the hidden d
Five doctors went duck hunting... -- Luke 2:15-21 -- New Year's Day - B -- 2000
Five doctors went duck hunting one day.
World War II ended; they... -- John 8:31-36 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2000
World War II ended; they were coming home, 1,000 marines on a troopship.

Political Pulpit

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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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