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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

If you are like most... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2000
If you are like most people, every once in a while you get a piece of mail that tells you that you h
In Dakota, Kathleen Norris tells... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - B -- 2000
In Dakota, Kathleen Norris tells about an experience at a monastery that she visited.
The United Nations appointed a... -- 1 John 1:1-2:2 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 2000
The United Nations appointed a human rights expert to investigate a particular country in 1997.
A little boy and his... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - B -- 2000
A little boy and his mother were going out the door after a worship service one Sunday morning.
One day a church member... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 2000
One day a church member called his minister. The church member seemed to be rather annoyed.
As a little boy was... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2000
As a little boy was getting ready to head off to church one Sunday morning, his mother handed him a
I saw a cartoon where... -- Ephesians 2:1-10 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
I saw a cartoon where one character said, "Look here.
One of the wealthiest neighborhoods... -- Hebrews 5:5-10 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2000
One of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the United States is located in the Manhattan section of New
The two pastors from Tanzania... -- Ephesians 3:14-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2000
The two pastors from Tanzania had been in the United States for two months.
In Mississippi, the Reverend John... -- Ephesians 2:11-22 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2000
In Mississippi, the Reverend John Perkins is building a new facility for ministry to honor his son S
When Jon and Debi were... -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2000
When Jon and Debi were invited to consider going to Madagascar as missionaries it was a tough decisi
Don had been successful growing... -- 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 2000
Don had been successful growing up. He had become good at most everything he tried.
Nathan sat quietly eating his... -- 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2000
Nathan sat quietly eating his candy and enjoying each individual bite.
Missionaries going overseas often end... -- Ephesians 6:10-20 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 2000
Missionaries going overseas often end up in places with little communication access.
Karl Rahner's theology is one... -- Ephesians 5:15-20 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 2000
Karl Rahner's theology is one that challenges Christians to make the most of their lives and see eac
At the 1999 National Assembly... -- Ephesians 4:1-16 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 2000
At the 1999 National Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in Denver, ecumenical pr
One day the outreach committee... -- 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2000
One day the outreach committee at a certain church was having a training session for its members.
The rock group Chumbawamba has... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 1999
The rock group Chumbawamba has a hit song called "Tubthumpin'." I heard this song used before a bask
A pastor once asked an... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 1999
A pastor once asked an adult Bible study class what their favorite part of the worship service was.
There are 85 people listed... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 1999
There are 85 people listed as Santa Claus in telephone directories in the United States.
Some memories seem never to... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 1999
Some memories seem never to fade away.
My friend pastors in a... -- Matthew 4:12-23 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - A -- 1999
My friend pastors in a mainline denomination.
Juana crouched down. She knew... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 1999
Juana crouched down.
She once asked Mother Teresa... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 1999
She once asked Mother Teresa if she could come to Calcutta and serve with her there.
A local television station presented... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 1999
A local television station presented a Family Health and Fitness Fair, a public service to educate p

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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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