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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

First Church was having all... -- James 3:1-12 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2000
First Church was having all sorts of problems.
Pastor Kiwelu came to the... -- James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 2000
Pastor Kiwelu came to the United States on a pastoral exchange.
People at the church had... -- James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2000
People at the church had mixed feelings about Jim. Some liked having him there.
Bethel College is located on... -- James 1:17-27 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2000
Bethel College is located on Chicago's west side.
Reverend John Cook was getting... -- Hebrews 7:23-28 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2000
Reverend John Cook was getting quite full of himself.
Pastor Barb was often asked... -- Hebrews 5:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 2000
Pastor Barb was often asked about what made her decide to become an ordained minister.
It was an unusual situation... -- Hebrews 4:12-16 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 2000
It was an unusual situation. Pastor Jane was not the typical pastor.
The church consultant was clearly... -- James 5:13-20 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 2000
The church consultant was clearly getting frustrated.
One of the objections that... -- Revelation 1:4b-8 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2000
One of the objections that the young Martin Luther made over having the Book of Revelation at all is
At St. James Church, worship... -- 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2000
At St. James Church, worship had a special feel to it that everyone could sense.
Anyone who is a football... -- Hebrews 9:24-28 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 2000
Anyone who is a football fan can tell you, not all actions are equal.
Terry and Gina had not... -- Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 2000
Terry and Gina had not been at Grace Church much more than three years.
Which is more interesting? Which... -- Revelation 21:1-6a -- All Saints Day - B -- 2000
Which is more interesting?
There was a boat in... -- 1 John 4:7-21<br> -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
There was a boat in Australia that had taken a load of tourists out to swim in some of the reefs.
Do we take our Scriptures... -- 1 John 5:1-6 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
Do we take our Scriptures as seriously as the people of other religions take theirs?
In Sacramento, California, the city... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
In Sacramento, California, the city government has claimed that a group that works with homeless and
One time there was a... -- 1 John 3:1-7<br> -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
One time there was a commercial on television.
In Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and... -- 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2000
In Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and scattered throughout several other states live small colonies of
The family came forward to... -- Romans 8:12-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2000
The family came forward to the front of the church.
Beneath the rubble of the... -- Romans 8:22-27 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2000
Beneath the rubble of the apartment building May Ying huddled in a little space.
At the funeral there was... -- Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 2000
At the funeral there was almost nothing but happiness. It was an odd thing.
Glynn Wolfe passed away in... -- Romans 4:13-25 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
Glynn Wolfe passed away in 1997 at the age of 88.
One day Mother Teresa went... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
One day Mother Teresa went into a grocery store in India and put 800 dollars-worth of groceries into
During the Christmas season of... -- 1 Peter 3:18-22 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
During the Christmas season of 1997, Land's End -- a mail-
It is estimated that each... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2000
It is estimated that each week about fifty million people watch television talk shows.

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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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