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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

A parable of the two... -- Isaiah 25:6-9 -- Good Friday - B
A parable of the two worms: Once there were two little worms.
Paul Gallico's novel The... -- Isaiah 25:6-9 -- Good Friday - B
Paul Gallico's novel The Poseidon Adventure is an exciting story of a handful of survivors of
John Bunyan in his immortal... -- Isaiah 25:6-9 -- Good Friday - B
John Bunyan in his immortal allegory gave us the story of the pilgrim who set out from the City of D
Most people enjoy a good... -- Isaiah 25:6-9 -- Good Friday - B
Most people enjoy a good party.
In the movie Blowup a... -- Acts 10:34, 37-43 -- Good Friday - B
In the movie "Blowup" a photographer takes a picture which, to his horror and amazement, yields clea
A middle-aged couple were... -- Acts 10:34, 37-43 -- Good Friday - B
A middle-aged couple were invited by friends of theirs to participate in a Marriage Encounter weeken
On Easter morning 1799, the... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Good Friday - B
On Easter morning 1799, the Austrian citizens of Feldkirch awoke to find their peaceful village besi
Maxie Dunnam tells of an... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Good Friday - B
Maxie Dunnam tells of an incident that happened at Christ United Methodist Church in Memphis, Tennes
The stories of Exodus and... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Good Friday - B
The stories of Exodus and Easter are intimately connected because each deals with the dual theme of
A problem that continually dogs... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Good Friday - B
A problem that continually dogs us in the church is our seeming preference for mechanics over meanin
In the earlier part of... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-28 -- Good Friday - B
In the earlier part of this century when archeologists discovered King Tut's tomb in Egypt, a small
Those who were alive in... -- 1 Corinthians 1-5:19-28 -- Good Friday - B
Those who were alive in 1944 remember the excitement of D-Day, June 6.
Dr. Reginald Fuller, who taught... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-28 -- Good Friday - B
Dr.
Archaeologists discovered some seeds in... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-28 -- Good Friday - B
Archaeologists discovered some seeds in a vase sealed in an Egyptian Pharaoh's tomb.
Charles Colson's death and resurrection... -- Colossians 3:1-4 -- Good Friday - B
Charles Colson's "death and resurrection" after Watergate are evidenced by an entirely new direction
Dietrich Bonhoeffer walked to the... -- Colossians 3:1-4 -- Good Friday - B
Dietrich Bonhoeffer walked to the execution yard in April 1945 saying, "This is the end.
Easter's personal dimension ...br... -- John 20:1-18 -- Good Friday - B
Easter's personal dimension ...
Only gradually did she realize... -- John 20:1-18 -- Good Friday - B
Only gradually did she realize the gift was for her.
Did you ever wonder why... -- John 20:1-18 -- Good Friday - B
Did you ever wonder why Mary went to the sepulcher?
In 1899 archeologists unearthed a... -- Acts 4:32-35 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B
In 1899 archeologists unearthed a piece of writing describing life among the believers in the early
During my young adult years... -- Acts 4:32-35 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B
During my young adult years I had the opportunity to live in a "collective house" in Washington, D.C
Here the church, the community... -- Acts 4:32-35 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B
Here the church, the community of faith, is emphasized.
We have the story of... -- John 3:14-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B
We have the story of the mother of Samuel who late in life, barren and without children, wanted a c
A serpent on a stake... -- John 3:14-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B
A serpent on a stake -- not a very appealing sight.
After attending a seminar on... -- John 3:14-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B
After attending a seminar on the pastoral care of cancer patients and their families sponsored by Ro

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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
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4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
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Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
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31 – Commentary / Exegesis
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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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