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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

Guest column

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Even before my son was... -- 1 John 4:7-21 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
Even before my son was born, I loved him.
Stephen Carter in The Culture... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
Stephen Carter in The Culture of Disbelief explores the ramifications of a culture that was raised n
One time a couple asked... -- 1 John 3:1-7 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
One time a couple asked me, as their pastor, to speak to their son.
Those of us who live... -- 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2000
Those of us who live under the cross can afford to be generous with one another, given the magnanimi
Paul reminds believers that we... -- Romans 8:12:17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2000
Paul reminds believers that we share Christ's sufferings in order to share his glory.
Thomas Alva Edison, the great... -- Romans 8:22-27 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2000
Thomas Alva Edison, the great American inventor, seemed undaunted in his quest for ever new discover
An expedition to observe the... -- Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 2000
An expedition to observe the 1919 solar eclipse verified Albert Einstein's prediction, based on his
In his autobiography Just As... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
In his autobiography Just As I Am, Billy Graham shares this anecdote: An old Methodist preacher came
I struggle daily with sin... -- 1 Peter 3:18-22 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
I struggle daily with sin! I don't mean that little annoying sins creep into my life.
For John the Baptist, baptism... -- Romans 4:13-25 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
For John the Baptist, baptism symbolized repentance.
Ambassadors in the Roman Empire... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2000
Ambassadors in the Roman Empire were understood to be the personal representatives of the Emperor hi
The first question asked of... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2000
The first question asked of someone desiring baptism in the United Methodist Church is this: "Do you
The sun shone brilliantly on... -- 1 John 1:1-2:2 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
The sun shone brilliantly on the dazzling snow of one of the highest mountains in the Alps, as a tra
The unfaithfulness of Christians tarnishes... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - B -- 2000
The unfaithfulness of Christians tarnishes the image of Christ in the world.
Looking at the broken, beaten... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - B -- 2000
Looking at the broken, beaten body of Jesus, we see the destiny of all innocence.
In our home there is... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 2000
In our home there is a drawer full of things that can only be called junk, and yet we will not throw
The law of Moses failed... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2000
The law of Moses failed to restore the broken relationship that sin caused between humanity and God.
In 70 A.D., Jerusalem was... -- Hebrews 5:5-10 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
In 70 A.D., Jerusalem was surrounded by Roman soldiers and was destroyed, along with the Temple.
The primitive Christian church faced... -- Ephesians 2:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
The primitive Christian church faced its first great crisis when it split into two divisions.
Speaking at the Sorbonne, the... -- Ephesians 2:11-22 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2000
Speaking at the Sorbonne, the great French academic center, during the 1930s, physicist Albert Einst
It is the power and... -- Ephesians 3:14-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2000
It is the power and authority of God that enables us for godly living and all earthy achievement.
In 1900 the Daughters of... -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2000
In 1900 the Daughters of the American Revolution elected Jane Adams, the noted social worker, to hon
Nobody knows for certain exactly... -- 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 2000
Nobody knows for certain exactly what the Apostle Paul's "thorn in the flesh" actually was, although
Alexander I, the Czar of... -- 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2000
Alexander I, the Czar of Russia during and following Napoleon's unsuccessful invasion of his country
The writer uses military images... -- Ephesians 6:10-20 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 2000
The writer uses military images to describe the need for a Christian to be prepared for the enemy's

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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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