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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked... -- Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 2000
Anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked what the first signs of civilization were in a society (the q
A man goes to a... -- Hebrews 9:24-28 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 2000
A man goes to a diner every day and always orders the soup du jour.
A missionary in Africa, describing... -- 1 John 4:7-21 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
A missionary in Africa, describing the birth of Christ, told the people about God's love gift.
In one scene in Shakespeare's... -- 1 John 5:1-6 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
In one scene in Shakespeare's King Lear, the banished Duke of Kent returns in disguise to take servi
The old castle church in... -- Revelation 21:1-6a -- All Saints Day - B -- 2000
The old "castle" church in downtown Detroit has been a landmark for more than a century.
A young writer went to... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
A young writer went to an editor with some poems he had written, hoping he could get them published.
One of the most beautiful... -- 1 John 3:1-7 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
One of the most beautiful and impressive buildings in the land is the White House.
Niels Bohr pioneered the quantum... -- 2 Corinthians 6:1-13<br> -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2000
Niels Bohr pioneered the quantum theory of nuclear physics, and for it the Copenhagen-born scientist
The Reverend William Smith's daughter... -- Romans 8:12-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2000
The Reverend William Smith's daughter Abigail wanted to marry.
Abraham Lincoln appreciated humor in... -- Romans 8:22-27 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2000
Abraham Lincoln appreciated humor in his life.
The story of Francis' life... -- Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 2000
The story of Francis' life, it seemed to him, was just a long series of wrong choices and missed opp
A few years ago, a... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
A few years ago, a couple in Tennessee had a frightening experience.
A man went through life... -- Romans 4:13-25 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
A man went through life thinking that he was living the right way.
In his book The Wounded... -- 1 Peter 3:18-22 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
In his book The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen tells the story of a fugitive who entered a village whe
An old fable tells of... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2000
An old fable tells of Jesus stepping into human history to be born in Bethlehem.
As the Nazis were moving... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2000
As the Nazis were moving into the Netherlands, a Dutch theologian named Henry Kramer met with a grou
One time Edward Windsor, Prince... -- 1 John 1:1--2:2 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
One time Edward Windsor, Prince of Wales, went to India.
A priest named Angelo was... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - B -- 2000
A priest named Angelo was surprised to find himself elevated to the highest position of the Roman Ca
A beloved highland pastor observed... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 2000
A beloved highland pastor observed that an elderly woman with a shawl around her shoulders hesitated
The ancient Romans knew how... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - B -- 2000
The ancient Romans knew how to provide spectacles for the people, in the Coliseum and in the streets
In the year 2000 tens... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2000
In the year 2000 tens of thousands will go to Oberammergau to see the world-famous Passion Play.
A group of tourists came... -- Hebrews 5:5-10 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
A group of tourists came to Oberammergau to see the world-
Robert McAfee Brown, a Presbyterian... -- Ephesians 2:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
Robert McAfee Brown, a Presbyterian clergyman, was an army chaplain in World War II.
Thomas Jefferson had political enemies... -- Ephesians 3:14-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2000
Thomas Jefferson had political enemies who thought he was a faithless, lost soul who would burn all
Clarence Day wrote the delightful... -- Ephesians 2:11-22 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2000
Clarence Day wrote the delightful book Life with Father and Lindsay and Crouse based their play on i

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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
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Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
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26 – Worship 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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