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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

The brand-new Ag Inspector... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 1998
The brand-new Ag Inspector went to a farm, saw the farmer standing, working on his tractor, walked u
Rev. Bill Bright, who heads... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 1998
Rev.
One Sunday morning a little... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 1998
One Sunday morning a little girl was heading off to church.
The Mackenzie family had a... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 1998
The Mackenzie family had a specific, regular routine for Sunday mornings.
A high school basketball player... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 1998
A high school basketball player who had been selected as a first team all stater was being interview
Some time ago The... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 1998
Some time ago The Orlando Sentinel reported that "Americans give an average of two percent of
Who can fail to be... -- Revelation 21:1-6a -- New Year's Day - A, New Year's Day - B, New Year's Day - C -- 1998
Who can fail to be thrilled with the vision of a future age when "death will be no more; mourning an
When George Bush was Vice... -- 2 Corinthians 3:12--4:2 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 1998
When George Bush was Vice President under Ronald Reagan, he represented the United States at the fun
Some people do not like... -- Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 1998
Some people do not like risks. They are not about to put their money into the stock market.
A Mariner's (couple's) group in... -- Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 1998
A Mariner's (couple's) group in the Presbyterian Church one night reviewed a film titled Have I T
We are living in a... -- Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 1998
We are living in a day and age in which many would give anything for the opportunity of having a rel
Several years ago, Philadelphia bomb... -- Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 1998
Several years ago, Philadelphia bomb squad dogs went crazy as they sniffed frantically around a susp
In this letter, Paul writes... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 1998
In this letter, Paul writes with a white hot fire: "Now is the day of salvation!" he urges.
Benjamin Disraeli was a fascinating... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 1998
Benjamin Disraeli was a fascinating man!
Janet Jones went to church... -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 1998
Janet Jones went to church all her life. She was raised in the church.
There are some people who... -- Luke 6:17-26 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 1998
There are some people who take reincarnation very seriously.
On vacation one summer, the... -- Luke 6:17-26 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 1998
On vacation one summer, the pastor and his wife attended church school at a church of a denomination
There is one scene in... -- Luke 16:17-26 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 1998
There is one scene in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar which is disturbing and ex
People just aren't saving enough... -- Luke 16:17-26 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 1998
"People just aren't saving enough," says Skip Mooney, a financial planner.
A Christian educator has stated... -- 2 Corinthians 3:12--4:2 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 1998
A Christian educator has stated that we are into the third generation of biblical illiteracy.
In the Star Wars... -- 2 Corinthians 3:12--4:2 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 1998
In the Star Wars movies, the main villain is Darth Vader.
The young man joined the... -- Luke 5:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 1998
The young man joined the church at age sixteen, not because he became a Christian, but because his p
In a children's story titled... -- Luke 5:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 1998
In a children's story titled The Stray, a group of elementary students are taken by a school bus to
Traditional marriage. Wife stays home... -- Luke 5:1-11 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 1998
Traditional marriage. Wife stays home to cook, clean, and raise two children. Dad works constantly.
In his Resurrection of... -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 1998
In his Resurrection of Jesus, Pinchas Lapide (pronounced PinSHAW LaPEED), an Orthodox Jewish

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John Jamison
Object: A pig stuffed animal.

* * *

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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