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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

I applied for ordination while... -- 2 Corinthians 1:18-22 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - B -- 2000
I applied for ordination while I was serving a small country church.
Sometimes non-Christians are ripe... -- Acts 19:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2000
Sometimes non-Christians are ripe to hear and respond to Christian realities.
A bad habit and I... -- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2000
A bad habit and I struggled for many years.
A local church produced a... -- Ephesians 3:1-12 -- Epiphany of the Lord - B -- 2000
A local church produced a brochure about itself with the caption, "The Church with the open doors."
People magazine likes... -- Colossians 3:12-17 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - C -- 2000
People magazine likes to run photo columns on "The Worst Dressed" and "The Best Dressed" indi
In the late nineteenth century... -- Hebrews 1:1-4 (5-12) -- 2000
In the late nineteenth century, Sir Francis Galton proposed that the human fingerprint could be used
Angie was a typical teenager... -- Titus 2:11-14 -- 2000
Angie was a typical teenager. She liked boys; she liked to flirt.
Never underestimate the importance of... -- Hebrews 10:5-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
Never underestimate the importance of a body willing to sacrifice itself for others.
The Communist authorities in a... -- Philippians 4:4-7 -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
The Communist authorities in a Chinese prison commanded the prisoners to shout back, "Prison is good
Giang A Ca, a North... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
Giang A Ca, a North Vietnam Hmong tribesman, was sentenced to three years imprisonment (1997).
It was the beginning of... -- 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 -- First Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
It was the beginning of the end of Nazi totalitarianism in Europe, ushered in on D-Day with nights a
Taming the tongue is not... -- James 3:1-12 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2000
Taming the tongue is not an easy task.
When James calls Christians to... -- James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 2000
When James calls Christians to resist the devil, he means that we ought to fight the prince of darkn
The writer of James knows... -- James 1:17-27 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2000
The writer of James knows the damage an irresponsible tongue can do -- including a tongue at work in
There is a constant and... -- James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2000
There is a constant and unending temptation to bend our behavior to honor the wealthy.
Jesus, now exalted above the... -- Hebrews 7:23-28 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2000
Jesus, now exalted above the heavens, destroyed the empire of evil in order to present us blameless
God's willingness to sympathize with... -- Hebrews 4:12-16 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 2000
God's willingness to sympathize with us in our weakness can teach us to do so on behalf of others.
Jesus suffered for our sake... -- Hebrews 5:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 2000
Jesus suffered for our sake. Our lives are, consequently, redeemed.
The wisdom in this text... -- James 5:13-20 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 2000
The wisdom in this text surely includes the truth that Christians can best help one another simply b
The Christian is called to... -- 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2000
The Christian is called to make prayer a regular part of daily life.
When young Alexander, who later... -- Revelation 1:4b-8 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2000
When young Alexander, who later conquered the known world and secured the title "The Great," was a y
The writer of Hebrews reminds... -- Hebrews 9:24-28 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 2000
The writer of Hebrews reminds the faithful that there are two distinct possibilities for those who d
Coming before God with a... -- Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 2000
Coming before God with a sincere heart implies acceptance of God's will for us, rather than the chur
I was never much of... -- Revelation 21:1-6a -- All Saints Day - B -- 2000
I was never much of an athlete.
In police work there is... -- 1 John 5:1-6 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
In police work there is a phrase used -- "the thin blue line." What this means is that a small numbe

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Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
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29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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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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