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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Faith -- is the Pierless Bridge... -- Colossians 1:13-20 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A
Faith -- is the Pierless BridgeSupporting what we see
Children are notorious for taking... -- Colossians 1:13-20 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A
Children are notorious for taking toys apart to find out what makes them work.
The Kingdom of Heaven, said... -- John 12:9-19 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A
"The Kingdom of Heaven," said the Lord Christ, "is among you." But what, precisely, is the Kingdo
Do you remember the... -- John 12:9-19 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A
Do you remember the old TV show from the early days of television?
The gruesome martyrdom of a... -- 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A
The gruesome martyrdom of a family that this text reports especially strikes us as unreal.
One of the most dangerous... -- 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A
One of the most dangerous parts of any manned space voyage is the reentry into earth's atmosphere.
Fundamentally Easter declares that we... -- 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A
Fundamentally Easter declares that we are God's children in life and in death and that no condition
A child attempted to force... -- Job 19:23-27a -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A
A child attempted to force open a bud and make it into a flower in full bloom.
I know that my Redeemer... -- Job 19:23-27a -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A
"I know that my Redeemer liveth ..." has become one of the beloved portions of The Messiah by
Shortly before his death in... -- Job 19:23-27a -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A
Shortly before his death in the early 1920s, the electrical genius Steinmetz was asked what he thoug
Like so many others in... -- Job 19:23-27a -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A
Like so many others in his South American country, he had suffered torture at the hands of its right
During WW II in Germany... -- 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A
During WW II in Germany the asylums were emptied. Warm bodies were needed.
Idleness means being unwilling to... -- 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A
Idleness means being unwilling to take responsibility for your own life.
Emily Dickinson knows that no... -- 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A
Emily Dickinson knows that no "narcotic can still the tooth that nibbles at the soul." There is a gn
There is much concern about... -- 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A
There is much concern about the way our welfare system has developed.
Our sisters and brothers in... -- Luke 21:5-19 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A
Our sisters and brothers in Christ in South Africa are powerful witnesses to the endurance which gai
When Martin Luther was asked... -- Luke 21:5-19 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A
When Martin Luther was asked what he would do if he knew the world was going to end tomorrow, he rep
A man once had a... -- Luke 21:5-19 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A
A man once had a dream in which it seemed that he arrived in heaven.
It is a sad story... -- Luke 21:5-19 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A
It is a sad story, but one which has been repeated many times in the cities of our land.
Two stories emerge from the... -- Isaiah 52:1-6 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A
Two stories emerge from the rancor of slavery in this country that underscore the concept of a price
Senator Daniel P. Moynihan of... -- Isaiah 52:1-6 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A
Senator Daniel P.
At this the whole pack... -- Isaiah 52:1-6 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A
At this the whole pack rose up into the air, and came flying down upon her; she gave a little scr
Awake, awake ... begins the 52nd... -- Isaiah 52:1-6 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A
"Awake, awake ..." begins the 52nd chapter of Isaiah.
Fire! An awesome force that... -- Malachi 3:19-20 (4:1-2) -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A
Fire! An awesome force that has served humanity since its discovery.
Bruno Bettelheim, an authority on... -- Malachi 3:19-20 (4:1-2) -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A
Bruno Bettelheim, an authority on the behavior and development of children, raised serious question

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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
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Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
29 – Sermons
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27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
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Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
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31 – Commentary / Exegesis
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New & Featured This Week

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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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