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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

You and Jesus are walking... -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2000
You and Jesus are walking down the road together.
The more serious a person... -- 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 2000
The more serious a person is about life, the greater the need for diversion.
John Adams had to be... -- 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2000
John Adams had to be strong and noble to accept second place twice as the first Vice President of th
President Jimmy Carter appeared on... -- Ephesians 6:10-20 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 2000
President Jimmy Carter appeared on the Today show to promote his book Living Faith.
The story is told of... -- Ephesians 5:15-20 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 2000
The story is told of a famous comedian aboard a plane flying over the Swiss Alps.
Martin Luther posted his 95... -- 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2000
Martin Luther posted his "95 Theses" on the door of the Chapel in Wittenberg.
Was the Apostle Paul a... -- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2000
Was the Apostle Paul a vegetarian?
A pornography shop in Seattle... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2000
A pornography shop in Seattle is named The Temple of Venus, alluding to one of the numerous fertilit
But when the time had... -- Galatians 4:4-7 -- New Year's Day - B -- 2000
"But when the time had fully come, God sent his son, born of a woman...." God does not appear as we
To vacillate or not to... -- 2 Corinthians 1:18-22 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - B -- 2000
"To vacillate or not to vacillate; that is the question -- isn't it?" quipped Bruce Wallace.
A preacher often related the... -- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2000
A preacher often related the exceptional accomplishments of noted athletes in order to inspire his c
As far as we can... -- Acts 19:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2000
As far as we can know, the baptism of the twelve in Ephesus, administered by Paul, would have been p
Was God's plan of salvation... -- Ephesians 3:1-12 -- Epiphany of the Lord - B -- 2000
Was God's plan of salvation to include the Gentiles (non-
Sometimes the adults say they... -- Colossians 3:12-17 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - C -- 2000
Sometimes the adults say they learn as much from the children's message as they do from the sermon.
My confirmation class was discussing... -- Hebrews 1:1-4 (5-12) -- 2000
My confirmation class was discussing the different ways the world began as part of their science cur
I occasionally sit in on... -- Titus 2:11-14 -- 2000
I occasionally sit in on the Alcoholics Anonymous meetings that are held weekly in our church hall.
Adam was like Jekyll and... -- Hebrews 10:5-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
Adam was like Jekyll and Hyde.
Christmas was coming and my... -- Philippians 4:4-7 -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
Christmas was coming and my stress level was so high that I felt as if I was going to lose it comple
When I was a teenager... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
When I was a teenager I attended an ecumenical gathering called an Ashram.
Our confirmation class was discussing... -- 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 -- First Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
Our confirmation class was discussing how Jesus Christ was at work in us and through us by the power
The influential corporate executive is... -- James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 2000
The influential corporate executive is a peaceful man, on the surface at least.
We chose a mongrel, but... -- James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2000
We chose a mongrel, but our neighbor chose a purebred.
Have you ever had a... -- James 3:1-12 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2000
Have you ever had a tongue-lashing that you will never forget? Most of us have.
How quickly we discover what... -- James 1:17-27 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2000
How quickly we discover what we do not know when we have to explain it to someone else, especially w
A university professor used to... -- Hebrews 5:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 2000
A university professor used to say that the reason he taught was to learn.

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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.

Special Occasion

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