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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

In our passage we see... -- Revelation 7:9-17 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1998
In our passage we see in vivid imagery the joy of the redeemed in Heaven as they gather together to
Joe Garagiola tells a story... -- Revelation 7:9-17 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1998
Joe Garagiola tells a story on Earl Weaver, a baseball manager.
Humanity doesn't like to think... -- Revelation 7:9-17 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1998
Humanity doesn't like to think it needs a savior.
Every week in the Sunday... -- John 10:22-30 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1998
Every week in the Sunday newspaper I cut out a number of grocery coupons which I figure I might use
Some years ago, Mrs. Ed... -- John 10:22-30 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1998
* Some years ago, Mrs.
At a Halloween party a... -- John 10:22-30 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1998
At a Halloween party a mysterious guest arrived.
In summer of 1995, the... -- John 10:22-30 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1998
In summer of 1995, the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle corporation began working to trademark a component
Many people have difficulty dealing... -- Revelation 21:1-6 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1998
Many people have difficulty dealing with the stress of modern life.
Judgment Day, the final one... -- Revelation 21:1-6 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1998
Judgment Day, the final one, has arrived.
A young couple decided they... -- Revelation 21:1-6 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1998
A young couple decided they wanted to volunteer and help reach out to meet the needs of people.
Sue had two young children... -- Revelation 21:1-6 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1998
Sue had two young children just learning to crawl.
The love of God has... -- Romans 5:1-5 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1998
"The love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit." Jesus wants to thorough
Our country began with George... -- John 16:12-15 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1998
Our country began with George Washington, the one who reportedly said, "I cannot tell a lie." But th
A cartoon in the I... -- John 16:12-15 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1998
A cartoon in the New Yorker some years ago shows two young women returning to their apartment
In the movie Trading... -- John 16:12-15 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1998
In the movie Trading Places an elderly Wall Street tycoon makes a one-dollar wager with a bus
Prior to the year 1840... -- John 16:12-15 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1998
Prior to the year 1840, if you wanted a family portrait it had to be hand-painted.
There is a difference between... -- Galatians 2:15-21 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 1998
There is a difference between righteousness based on avoiding sin and righteousness based on doing g
Every year during the month... -- Galatians 2:15-21 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 1998
Every year during the month of June an impressive ceremony is held in London.
About the middle of the... -- Galatians 2:15-21 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 1998
About the middle of the 1800s, Henry Ward Beecher became a prominent minister, political writer, and
The law does not justify... -- Galatians 2:15-21 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 1998
The law does not justify.
There is always a page... -- Luke 7:36--8:3 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 1998
There is always a page in the local newspaper that lists what is going on in all the different churc
The story is told in... -- Luke 7:36--8:3 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 1998
The story is told in Spain of a father and his teenage son whose relationship had become strained.
In January of 1997, Katie... -- Luke 7:36--8:3 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 1998
In January of 1997, Katie Couric interviewed Gordon Liddy on the NBC Today show.
Mass murderers are people we... -- Luke 7:36--8:3 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 1998
Mass murderers are people we love to hate.
My wife and I are... -- Galatians 3:23-29 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 1998
My wife and I are inveterate "C-Span" watchers.

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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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