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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

The Tyranny of Type is... -- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C
"The Tyranny of Type" is the title of a sermon by George H.
I recently listened to an... -- John 2:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C
I recently listened to an unusual number performed by the Cleveland Orchestra at their outdoor summe
Symeon Stylites who died in... -- John 2:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C
Symeon "Stylites" who died in A.D. 460 was the first of the so-called pillar saints.
Who knows where faith will... -- Sirach 24:1-4, 8-12 -- Second Sunday after Christmas - C
Who knows where faith will take root? Why in some soil, some lands more than others?
Do you believe Sirach 24:8... -- Sirach 24:1-4, 8-12 -- Second Sunday after Christmas - C
Do you believe Sirach 24:8, "From eternity, in the beginning, he created me, and for eternity I shal
A friend of mine traveled... -- Jeremiah 37:7-14 -- Second Sunday after Christmas - C
A friend of mine traveled to Nicaragua in the early 1980s before the U.S.
A visitor to the shop... -- Jeremiah 37:7-14 -- Second Sunday after Christmas - C
A visitor to the shop of a local potter was puzzled by one operation which seemed to have little pur
Do not deceive yourselves. We... -- Jeremiah 37:7-14 -- Second Sunday after Christmas - C
"Do not deceive yourselves." We can get into a lot of trouble with self-deception.
G. William Jones wrote a... -- Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18 -- Second Sunday after Christmas - C
G.
Kipling's classic story, Letting... -- Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18 -- Second Sunday after Christmas - C
Kipling's classic story, Letting the Jungle In, tells of a group of people who went into the
Separation anxiety afflicts the lives... -- Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18 -- Second Sunday after Christmas - C
Separation anxiety afflicts the lives of many people and with good reason because of negative childh
Glendon Harris* reported the tragic... -- Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18 -- Second Sunday after Christmas - C
Glendon Harris* reported the tragic death of Alex Coffin, the son of the Rev.
As the persecution of the... -- Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 -- Second Sunday after Christmas - C
As the persecution of the Jews spread over Europe during World War II, there was a gigantic effort m
After Martin Luther made his... -- Matthew 2:13-15 -- Second Sunday after Christmas - C
After Martin Luther made his courageous stand at the Diet of Worms before the Holy Roman Emperor he
When the wicked King Herod... -- Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 -- Second Sunday after Christmas - C
When the wicked King Herod discovered that a child had been born who was thought to be king of the J
Isaiah speaks of being chosen... -- Isaiah 61:1-4 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C
Isaiah speaks of being chosen. Others have chosen to be faithful to God.
I only went to the... -- Isaiah 61:1-4 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C
I only went to the funeral because the widow was the sister of one of our members.
Lynn had encountered some tough... -- Isaiah 61:1-4 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C
Lynn had encountered some tough times in the past several years.
There is no sadder sight... -- Isaiah 61:1-4 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C
There is no sadder sight than the ashes of burned out buildings which once were homes in the blighte
Ray was a college classmate... -- Isaiah 42:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C
Ray was a college classmate of mine.
The prophet uses the image... -- Isaiah 42:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C
The prophet uses the image of a flickering candle.
We do not move into... -- Isaiah 42:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C
We do not move into the future as empty people.
In his book, Remember... -- Acts 8:14-17 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C
In his book, Remember Who You Are, Dr.
At the 15th high school... -- 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C
At the 15th high school class reunion several people remarked that they had not seen their class pre
A young preacher was making... -- Luke 6:17-26 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C
A young preacher was making his first round of visits in a new appointment.

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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
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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...

New & Featured This Week

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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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