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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Police were investigating some suspicious... -- Luke 2:41-52 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - C -- 2000
Police were investigating some suspicious activity in a parking garage in a suburb of New York City.
In the Celtic tradition, they... -- John 1:1-14 -- 2000
In the Celtic tradition, they speak of "thin places." By "thin places," they mean those occasions wh
I was hosting a Christmas... -- Luke 2:1-20 -- 2000
I was hosting a Christmas party at my house one year.
Two thousand people were baptized... -- Luke 3:7-18 -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
Two thousand people were baptized all at one time in Charlotte, North Carolina, at The United House
A little girl decided to... -- Luke 1:39-45 (46-55) -- 2000
A little girl decided to make her own Christmas cards to give to people.
There was a congregation that... -- Luke 3:1-6 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
There was a congregation that placed an advertisement in the local newspaper.
Shortly after they opened a... -- Luke 21:25-36 -- First Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
Shortly after they opened a remodeled school in Hyannis, Massachusetts, school officials found that
I grew up in a... -- Mark 9:30-37 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 2000
I grew up in a very poor family, part of a social class referred to locally as "dirt farmers." Years
What does it mean to... -- Mark 8:27-38 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2000
What does it mean to take up one's cross, deny oneself, and follow Jesus?
At first glance this passage... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2000
At first glance this passage may challenge our adoration of Jesus, for it appears that he refuses a
A teaching similar to this... -- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2000
A teaching similar to this text came over the internet (unfortunately the posting stated that the a
Paul's words remind us that... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2000
Paul's words remind us that it is possible to be quite religious and yet not have faith.
This account of James and... -- Mark 10:35-45 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 2000
This account of James and John, "sons of thunder," reminds one of Jean-Baptiste Marie Vianney.
Some treat this text as... -- Mark 10:17-31 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 2000
Some treat this text as if it denounced wealth and wealthy people. Not so!
A friend of mine decided... -- Mark 9:38-50 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 2000
A friend of mine decided to attend a quit smoking class at a nearby church.
In an issue of the... -- John 18:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2000
In an issue of the Princeton Seminary Bulletin, Martin Tel writes of "Truthfulness in Church
An Iowa newspaper contained this... -- Mark 13:1-8 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 2000
An Iowa newspaper contained this blooper: "There is a ninety percent chance of tomorrow."
Mental health practitioners and spiritual... -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2000
Mental health practitioners and spiritual direction counselors meet on common ground on the subject
If we are to be... -- John 11:32-44 -- All Saints Day - B -- 2000
If we are to be truly alive in our faith in the risen Jesus Christ we need to throw off the restrict
A mature Christian faith recognizes... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
A mature Christian faith recognizes the necessity of interdependence far more than that of independe
We all know the story... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
We all know the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
It may cost you dearly... -- Luke 24:36b-48 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
It may cost you dearly to be an eyewitness.
The panic-stricken disciples woke... -- Mark 4:35-41 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2000
The panic-stricken disciples woke up Jesus with an accusing question, "Teacher, do you not care that
Imagine that we were present... -- John 3:1-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2000
Imagine that we were present that night, and we overheard Jesus say to Nicodemus, "No one can see th
During a lecture on maritime... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2000
During a lecture on maritime technology, the speaker passed around a smooth piece of wood, obviously

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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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